The Latecomer by Sarah Aldridge (All Editions)

The Latecomer by Sarah Aldridge is a 1974 lesbian romance and a landmark in the history of lesbian publishing: it was the first title issued by Naiad Press, the pioneering lesbian publishing house co-founded by Aldridge’s partner Anyda Marchant and Muriel Crawford. The novel follows Philippa, returning by ship from Europe, whose life is upended … Read more

Bessie by Chris Albertson (All Editions)

Bessie by Chris Albertson is a biography of Bessie Smith, the blues singer known as the Empress of the Blues, who was the highest-paid African-American performer of the 1920s. Drawing on extensive interviews with Smith’s relatives, friends, and associates — including Ruby Walker Smith, a niece by marriage who toured with her for over a … Read more

Sappho Was a Right-On Woman by Sidney Abbott & Barbara Love (All Editions)

Sappho Was a Right-On Woman: A Liberated View of Lesbianism by Sidney Abbott and Barbara Love is a two-part study of lesbianism written from the inside. The first part examines how lesbians navigate a society that disapproves of their existence — the techniques of passing, the costs of concealment, and the pressures of living at … Read more

Charting By The Stars by Linsey Abrams (All Editions)

Linsey Abrams‘ debut novel chronicles one girl’s coming of age from a 1950s childhood into the New York of the 1960s. A love affair with another woman sets off a profound reckoning with identity and self. Ms. Magazine compared it to Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing, and The New York Times praised Abrams’ distinctive voice, calling her … Read more