sfplhormelcenter:

We continue celebrating National Women’s History Month by forwarding to the 60’s through the late 70’s when the social opinions were beginning to change. Rather than view lesbians as unnatural, the concept of “free love” embraced affections of every kind. These new attitudes towards homosexuality were powered along by the feminist movement which saw women win themselves far more respect, and saw the development of a more politicized voice in lesbian literature and more mainstream acceptance of lesbian-themed writing that moved away from the ‘tragic lesbian’ theme that had dominated earlier works.

Jane Rule’s Heart of the Desert broke out of the pulp fiction category by being published in hardcover in 1964 and was warmly received by critics. Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown was published in 1973 and was remarkable in its explicit portrayal of lesbianism and is notable as an early literary lesbian novel. Many lesbian readers have found in it a reflection of their own experiences and observations. Ruby by Rosa Guy is a young adult novel that tells the story of her relationship with another girl. Audre Lourde, Jewelle Gomez, Gloria Anzaldua, Cherrie Moraga, and others surfaced as the voices of American lesbians of color began to be heard.

This is the era in which the world also saw the advent of feminist and LGBT publishing houses, such as Naiad Press. In 1973, there were few bookstores which would carry such overtly lesbian materials, so Naiad Press relied heavily on mail order to market and sell books. Naiad benefitted from its use of the 3800-member mailing list of The Ladder, a prominent and recently defunct lesbian newsletter published by the Daughters of Bilitis. In 1992, Grier established the Naiad Press Collection at the James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center of the San Francisco Public Library, completing delivery of their extensive collection of memorabilia, lesbian and gay literature, including many classic lesbian pulp fiction titles in 1998.

[image description: the cover of Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown]

[*Audre Lorde]

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