This year’s jury identified 263 titles to be considered for the list. Eligible, books were published between July 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011. Jurors compiled a list of 140 books with at least one juror nomination. Of those books, 103 were from small, independent publishers, self-published or from University Presses. Seven of the nominated titles were published in Canada, and two were British publications.
The committee’s mission is to create a bibliography of books that exhibit commendable literary quality and significant authentic lgbt content and are recommended for adults over age 18. It is not meant to be all inclusive, but is intended as an annual core list for readers and librarians searching for recommendations of a cross-section of the year’s titles. Although the committee attempts to present titles for a variety of reading tastes and levels, no effort will be made to balance this bibliography according to subject, area of interest, age, or genre.
Our Top Ten Favorite Titles
Alenyikow, Michael. Ivan and Misha: Stories. 2010 (Oct). 212p. Triquarterly. $18.96. (978-0810127180). Short Stories.
With each story told from a different character’s point of view, in this collection revolving around two brothers and their Russian father living in New York City, Alenyikow poignantly explores the brothers’ attitudes toward their father, each other, and being gay in America.
Bronski, Michael. A Queer History of the United States. Beacon. 2011. 312p. $27.95. (978-0807044391). Nonfiction.
To “[examine] history though the lens of those groups whose stories have been excluded from the canon” this first book in a series uses primary documents, literature, and culture histories to cover the dynamics of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history from pre-1492 to the present.
Cruse, Howard. The Complete Wendel. Universe Publishing. 2011. 288p. (978-0789322166 ). $24.95. Graphic Narrative.
Includes every episode of Cruse’s groundbreaking comic strip Wendel, which ran in the pages of The Advocate during the 1980s, together for the first time, along with introductions by Cruse and Alison Bechdel and a new “Where Are They Now?” section.
Festing, Issy. The Bird Keeper. Book Guild Limited. 2010 (Sept). 264p. (978-1846244940). Fiction.
After Satchin Rai refuses to take over his father’s tea successful tea business and chooses instead to become an ornithologist at a bird sanctuary in northwest India, a mysterious British visitor to the sanctuary upsets Satchin’s world by being so free (and western) about his life responsibilities and sexuality. Satchin struggles to decide whether to meet his family’s expectations or enjoy a guilt-free life doing what he loves.
Hollinghurst, Alan. The Stranger’s Child. Knopf. 2011. 448p. $27.95. (978-0307272768). Fiction.
In 1913, George Sawle brings his schoolmate and secret lover, the poet Cecil Valence, home to meet his family. The poem Cecil writes in George’s sister Daphne’s autograph book as a result of that visit will have an impact on the family that lasts several generations.
Mehta, Rahul. Quarantine: Stories. Harper Perennial. 2011. 224p. $14.99. (978-0062020451). Short Stories.
Nine stories told from the perspective of second- and third-generation South Asian-American gay men at odds with their families’ culture and expectations, describing their lives filled with humor, disappointment and frustration.
Merey, Ilike. a + e 4ever. Lethe Press. 2011. 214p. $18.00. (978-1590213902). Graphic Narrative.
Asher is the beautifully androgynous new boy in school. Eu is the lonely dyke girl who befriends, and soon finds herself falling for, Ash, in this graphic novel that explores the complexities of love, friendship, sex, gender and sexual identity.
Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme. Ed. by Ivan Coyote and Zena Sharman. Arsenal Pulp Press. 2011. 256p. $19.95. (978-1551523972). Essays.
Twenty years after the publication of Joan Nestle’s The Persistent Desire: A Femme-Butch Reader, Coyote and Sharman continue the conversation of lesbian butches and femmes through fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from their favorite lesbian/transwomen authors.
Puenzo, Lucia. The Fish Child (The Americas). Texas Tech Press. 2010 (Oct). $26.95. (978-0896727144). Fiction.
Told from the point of view of the family dog, this novella about the romance between Argentinian Lala and her maid Guayi takes a strange turn when Guayi disappears without a trace. Lala tries to trace her to her native Paraguay, where she learns some shocking secrets about Guayi’s past and the legend of the fish child that lives in the lake.
Yeros, Dimitris. Shades of Love: Photographs Inspired by the Poems of C.P. Cavafy. Poetry by C.P. Cavafy; translated by David Conolly. Insight Editions. 2011. 168p. $75.00 (978-1608870134). Poetry/Art
In 1999, Yeros began a collection of photographs inspired by the works of Greek poet C.P. Cavafy. This gorgeous coffee table book presents Yeros’ photographs together with the poems that inspired them.
The jurors for this list were:
Arla Jones (Chair), Lawrence, KS; Danielle Pollock (Chair-Elect), Albuquerque, NM; Martin Garnar, Denver, CO; Robert Graziano, Chicago, IL; Sarah Kanning, Lawrence, KS; Paige Mano, Racine, WI; Jesse Nachem, Oakland, CA; Larry Romans, Nashville, TN; Michael Santangelo, Brooklyn, NY; Katy Vance, Greensboro, NC; and Nel Ward, Newport, OR.
Downloadable 2012 Over the Rainbow Booklist
Art
Assume Nothing. Ed. by Rebecca Swan and Judith Halberstam. Soft Skull Press. 2010. 112p. (978-1593762872).
Photographer Rebecca Swan presents intimate portraits of twenty-five individuals from a variety of cultures who exist outside of traditional gender identities. This collection features Swan’s photographs, as well as excerpts from personal interviews with her subjects.
Gupta, Sunil. Queer. Prestel USA. 2011. 140p. $49.95. (978-3791350998).
This comprehensive book about this important Indian photographer’s major works to date, including contemporary sexuality, gender, and gay life in India and other locales, documents the experiences of the artist and others living with HIV and homophobia.
Katz, Jonathan D. and Ward, David C. Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture. Smithsonian Books. 2010. 296p. $45.00. (978-1588342997).
This companion volume to an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, follows the impact of gay and lesbian artists on American art from the late 19th century to the present through more than 140 full-color illustrations, drawings, and portraits.
Pasfield, Scott. Gay in America: Portraits by Scott Pasfield. Welcome Books. 2011. 224p. $45.00. (978-1599621043).
Magnificent images and riveting narratives document the lives of 140 gay men from diverse environments across the United States in a celebration of men-loving-men lives.
Shiner, Eric C., Simone Fukayuki; photo. Tomoaki Hata. The Night Is Still Young. Power House Books. 2010. 104p. $24.95 (978-1576875520).
Photographer Tomoaki Hata pulls the drag scene of 1990’s Osaka, Japan out of its secretive underground world for the world to see in all of its campy, glittered, seedy glory. These color photos feature both the wild nature of the performances as well as intimate behind-the-scenes moments.
Yeros, Dimitris. Shades of Love: Photographs Inspired by the Poems of C.P. Cavafy. Poetry by C.P. Cavafy; translated by David Conolly. Insight Editions. 2011. 168p. $75.00 (978-1608870134).
In 1999, Yeros began a collection of photographs inspired by the works of Greek poet C.P. Cavafy. This gorgeous coffee table book presents Yeros’ photographs together with the poems that inspired them.
Essays
The Fire in Moonlight: Stories from the Radical Faeries 1975-2010. Ed. by Mark Thomson and Richard Neely. The White Crane Books. 2011. 312p. $25.00 (978-1590213384).
Collecting over fifty first-person accounts, poems, and stories from members of the Radical Faeries, the spiritual movement founded by gay activist Harry Hay in the 1970s, this collection offers a unique view of the past thirty-five years of Faerie history and culture.
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living. Ed. by Dan Savage and Terry Miller. Dutton Adult. 352p. $21.95. (978-0525952336).
A companion to the popular “It Gets Better” Internet campaign, and featuring a list of resources for teens and adults, this collection of essays and testimonials brings hope to LGBTQ youth facing prejudice, bullying, and other forms of harassment, and serves as a great reminder to all adults of the role we have to plays in creating a world where “It Gets Better” for our youth.
Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme. Ed. by Ivan Coyote and Zena Sharman. Arsenal Pulp Press. 2011. 256p. $19.95. (978-1551523972).
Twenty years after the publication of Joan Nestle’s The Persistent Desire: A Femme-Butch Reader, Coyote and Sharman continue the conversation of lesbian butches and femmes through fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from their favorite lesbian/transwomen authors.
Fiction
Cox, Daniel Allen. Krakow Melt. Arsenal Pulp. 2010. 176p. $15.95. (978-1551523729).
When Radek, a bisexual artist who creates miniature replicas of infamous urban fires, meets Dorota, a fellow pyromaniac, the two join together to protest homophobia in 2005 Krakow, Poland, with predictably explosive results.
Currier, Jameson. The Third Buddha. Chelsea Station. 2011. 288p. $20.00. (978-0984470723).
Lives diverge and intersect as the novel follows young Ted Bridges, a law school dropout struggling with his sexual identity and sense of self as he searches for his older brother in the aftermath of 9/11, and journalists Ari and Jim, discontented lovers traveling in Afghanistan to find the Third Buddha, who are violently separated when a roadside bomb erases Ari’s memory and Jim’s hearing.
Festing, Issy. The Bird Keeper. Book Guild Limited. 2010 (Sept). 264p. (978-1846244940).
After Satchin Rai refuses to take over his father’s tea successful tea business and chooses instead to become an ornithologist at a bird sanctuary in northwest India, a mysterious British visitor to the sanctuary upsets Satchin’s world by being so free (and western) about his life responsibilities and sexuality. Satchin struggles to decide whether to meet his family’s expectations or enjoy a guilt-free life doing what he loves.
Gallaway, Matthew. The Metropolis Case. Crown. 2010 (Dec). 384p. $25.00. (978-0307463425).
Interwoven with the story of Richard Wagner’s opera, Tristan and Isolde, this sweeping novel connects four seemingly unrelated characters over centuries and continents through a shared desire for human connection in this magical twist on a tale of love, music, death, drama, destiny, loyalty and betrayal.
Hoffman, Wayne. Sweet like Sugar. Kensington. 2011. 352p. $15.00. (978-0758265623).
When Benji Steiner, a twenty-seven-year-old Jewish gay man, forms an unlikely friendship with elderly Orthodox Rabbi Jacob Zuckerman, the connection results in surprising new revelations and explorations of faith for both.
Hollinghurst, Alan. The Stranger’s Child. Knopf. 2011. 448p. $27.95. (978-0307272768).
In 1913, George Sawle brings his schoolmate and secret lover, the poet Cecil Valence, home to meet his family. The poem Cecil writes in George’s sister Daphne’s autograph book as a result of that visit will have an impact on the family that lasts several generations.
Jansson, Tove. Fair Play (New York Review Books Classics). Translated by Thomas Teal. 2011. 120p. $14.00. (978-1590173787).
A series of vignettes featuring Mari, a writer, and Jonna, an artist, two women who live at opposite ends of a big apartment building, likely inspired by Jansson’s real-life relationship with the graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä.
Maupin, Armistead. Mary Ann in Autumn: A Tale of the City Novel. Doubleday Books. 2010. 304p. (978-0385619318).
Twenty years after Mary Ann Singleton left her husband and child in San Francisco to pursue her dream of a television career in New York, she is forced by a pair of personal calamities to return to the safety of her oldest friend, Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, a gardener happily ensconced with his much-younger husband.
Mournian, Tomas. hidden. Kensington. 2011. 304p. $15.00. (978-0758251312).
When Ahmed escapes his parents and an abusive anti-gay treatment center for teens, he finds temporary sanctuary in a so-called safe house in San Francisco, where, even if he and his new roommates can hide from the bounty hunters, fanatics, parents, and pimps looking for them, they cannot escape their pasts and each other.
Newton, Heather. Under the Mercy Trees. Harper. 2011. 352p. $13.99. (0062001345).
Leaving an unsuccessful writing career and his friends sickened by AIDS in New York, middle-aged Martin Owenby returns home to a small town in the mountains of North Carolina and back into the closet when his brother Leon mysteriously disappears.
O’Neill, Tony. Sick City. Harper Perennial. 2010 (July). 384p. $13.99. (978-0061789748).
Jeffrey is an aging rent boy with a serious drug habit; Randal is the meth-using son of the founder of a major movie studio. When the two meet in rehab, it starts a wild caper centering on an extremely valuable secret sex film starring the late actress Sharon Tate.
Packard, Georgeann. Fall Asleep Forgetting. Permanent Press. 2010 (July). 264p. $28.00. (978-1579622022).
An amazing myriad of characters trying to help each other are linked through proximity: Suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer, restaurant-owner Paul prepares for his suicide because of his terminal pancreatic cancer; his wife, Sloan, who starts an affair with a female park ranger; a transgender trailer-park owner, Cherry, whose partner starts an affair with another woman; and a nine-year-old girl who hates going to school.
Puenzo, Lucia. The Fish Child (The Americas). Translated by David William Foster. Texas Tech Press. 2010. $26.95. (978-0896727144).
Told from the point of view of the family dog, this novella about the romance between Argentinian Lala and her maid Guayi takes a strange turn when Guayi disappears without a trace. Lala tries to trace her to her native Paraguay, where she learns some shocking secrets about Guayi’s past and the legend of the fish child that lives in the lake.
Sassone, Ralph. The Intimates. Picador. 2011. 256p. $15.00. (978-0765324702).
In this debut novel, Maize and Robbie form a deep and powerful bond in high school and are inseparable friends as adults. Their complicated relationship must be examined if either of them are to move past the hurts of the past.
Smith, Bob. Remembrance of Things I Forgot: A Novel. University of Wisconsin. 2011. 272p. $26.95. (978-0299283407).
Bob Smith’s comic imagination takes on the 1980s, in this clever science fiction novel that explores what happens when your physicist boyfriend invents a time machine that could stop Dick Cheney, prevent a suicide and deal with dysfunctional family issues before they become tragic.
Stoddard, Christopher. White, Christian Triton Books. 2010. 208p. $18.00. (978-0982807415).
Twenty-year-old Christian White moves to San Francisco, then New York, where he indulges in drugs and sex to try to escape a dysfunctional family and tragic past. But his tragic past finally catches up with him in a stunning and brutal way.
Toibin, Colm. The Empty Family. Scribner. 2011. 288p. $24.00. (143913832X).
A woman confesses her darkest secret to novelist Henry James, a gay man attends to his dying aunt, two Pakistani workers find love and violence in Barcelona, and more in these stories of love, loss, and family.
Tremain, Rose. Trespass: A Novel. W. W. Norton & Company. 2010. 253p. $24.95. (978-0393079562).
Two siblings trespass against each other emotionally and physically in a disagreement over their family’s property in the south of France. Anthony Verey, an unsuspecting London art dealer, is caught in the middle when he approaches them about buying the Cévennes property to escape his disappointing life in London and to move closer to his sister Veronica and her lover Kitty.
Van der Merwe, Andre Carl. Moffie. Europa Books. 2011. 336p. $15.00 (978-1609450502).
Growing up within a very conservative Dutch Reform Church family in South Africa, Nicholas learns to survive in a world where he faces scorn for being a moffie (sissy in Afrikaans), before he is conscripted into the South African Defense Force and deals with gay oppression within the force and the horrors of the South West African Bush War.
Weaver, Vicki. Billie Girl. Leapfrog. 2010. 240p. $14.95. (978-1935248125).
In this gender-blending Southern-gothic tale, an infant adopted by two “sisters” (actually brothers) grows up and leads a fascinating life, encountering such fascinating people as a lesbian preacher’s wife and a platonic second husband who loved her adoptive father.
Winter, Kathleen. Annabel. Grove Press, Black Cat. 2011. 480p. $14.95. (978-0802170828).
In 1968, when a baby both male and female is born to a rural Canadian couple, the child’s father makes a decision to raise the baby as a boy named Wayne, and keep the child’s dual gender secret. Wayne enters adolescence to confront an identity known as Annabel, and a difficult decision.
Graphic Narrative
Cruse, Howard. The Complete Wendel. Universe Publishing. 2011. 288p. $24.95. (978-0789322166).
Includes every episode of Cruse’s groundbreaking comic strip Wendel, which ran in the pages of The Advocate during the 1980s, together for the first time, along with introductions by Cruse and Alison Bechdel and a new “Where Are They Now?” section.
Hernandez, Jaime. Esperanza: A Love and Rockets Book. Fantagraphics. 2011. 248p. $18.99. (978-1606994498).
This volume of the popular Love and Rockets series contains the continuing adventures of Maggie and Hopey as they revisit the past and explore the future together.
Merey, Ilike. a + e 4ever. Lethe Press. 2011. 214p. $18.00. (978-1590213902).
Asher is the beautifully androgynous new boy in school. Eu is the lonely dyke girl who befriends, and soon finds herself falling for, Ash, in this graphic novel that explores the complexities of love, friendship, sex, gender and sexual identity.
Memoir/Biography
Baim, Tracy and Owen Keehnen. Leatherman: The Legend of Chuck Renslow. Prairie Avenue Productions. 2011. 414 p. $24.95. (978-1461096023).
This biography of Chicago bar owner, leatherman, entrepreneur, and gay rights activist Renslow features over 300 full-color photographs and interviews with family, colleagues, and friends.
Bond, Justin. Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels. Feminist Press. 2011. 144p. $16.95 (978-1558617476).
The celebrated cabaret artist and performer recounts a childhood filled with blurring gender boundaries, sexual exploration, and the harsh reality of bullying.
Bright, Susie. Big Sex Little Death. Seal Press. 2011. 328p. $24.95. (1580052649).
Sex-positive educator, activist, and icon Susie Bright takes the reader on a journey through her childhood, teen years shaped by a difficult early involvement with the socialist movement, and an adulthood that included the co-founding of On Our Backs, the first lesbian erotica magazine run by women.
Creech, Jimmy. Adam’s Gift: A Memoir of a Pastor’s Calling to Defy the Church’s Persecution of Lesbians and Gays. Duke University Press. 2011. 376p. $29.95. (978-0822348856).
A former United Methodist minister and human rights activist, Jimmy Creech’s memoir begins when a longtime and respected parishioner comes out to the pastor in 1984, and Creech is forced to re-evaluate his belief that homosexuality is a sin. This life-changing conversation was the catalyst for Creech’s tireless work to end religious bigotry and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
GLBT Oral History Project. Queer Twin Cities. University of Minnesota Press. 2010. 376p. $25.00. (978-0816653218).
This comprehensive collection of essays, drawn from oral histories dating back to the turn of the century, covers a wide variety of aspects of this large LGBT community.
Harvey, Ken. The Passionate Engagement. Aequitas Books. 2010. 208p. $18.00. (978-1929355686).
Harvey tells the story of the battle for same-sex marriage in Massachusetts through the lens of his own relationship, chronicling his transformation from quiet bystander to proud activist.
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living. Ed. by Dan Savage and Terry Miller. Dutton Adult. 352p. $21.95. (978-0525952336).
A companion to the popular “It Gets Better” Internet campaign, and featuring a list of resources for teens and adults, this collection of essays and testimonials brings hope to LGBTQ youth facing prejudice, bullying, and other forms of harassment, and serves as a great reminder to all adults of the role we have to plays in creating a world where “It Gets Better” for our youth.
Jacobs, Fay. For Frying Out Loud – Rehoboth Beach Diaries. A and M Books. 2010. 248p. $17.00. (978-0615342917).
In her third Rehoboth Beach collection, humorist Fay Jacobs joins Twitter, survives the Snowpocalypse, and sort of witnesses the Obama inauguration, among other hilarious adventures.
McHugh, Erin and Jennifer May. The L Life: Extraordinary Lesbians Making a Difference. Stewart, Tabori, & Chang. 2011. 160p. $32.50. (978-1584798330).
This inspiring coffee-table-style collection of photos and essays covers both beloved lesbian icons and the not-so-famous.
Michaud, Michael Grett. Sal Mineo. Crown Archetype. 2010. 432p. $25.99. (978-0307718686).
Michaud combines extensive research, interviews, and rarely-seen photographs to provide a detailed account of Mineo’s life, from his rise to teen-idol stardom, through his tumultuous relationship with his family, his coming out and struggle to maintain his acting career as an adult, and the aftermath of his untimely death at age 37.
Myers, Andrea. The Choosing: A Rabbi’s Journey from Silent Nights to High Holy Days. Rutgers University Press. 2011. 208p. $19.95. (978-0813549576).
Now a lesbian rabbi, Myers, who grew up Lutheran on Long Island with a Sicilian grandmother, tells about her journey to Judaism and her definition of home, family, and religion.
Rouse, Wade. It’s All Relative Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays, and 50 Boxes of Wine (A Memoir). Random House. 2011. 304p. $23.99 (978-0307718716).
Whether it’s celebrating Easter with an engineer father with some very unconventional ideas about hiding eggs, or throwing a birthday party for Barbie, Rouse’s memoir takes us through a calendar year of holiday memories, both traditional and otherwise, celebrated with a wildly funny collection of friends and relatives.
Schiavi, Michael. Celluloid Activist: The Life and Times of Vito Russo. University of Wisconsin. 2011. 320p. $29.95 (978-0299282301).
This well-researched biography of Vito Russo solidly establishes him as a pioneering journalist and gay activist during the era of gay activism of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
Van Meter, Ryan. If You Knew Then What I Know Now. Sarabande Books. 2011. 176p. $15.95 (978-1932511949).
In this bittersweet, often darkly humorous collection of essays, Van Meter recalls growing up gay in suburban Missouri, the formation and break-up of his first long-term relationship, and the life of the world’s longest-lived goldfish.
Mystery
Currimbhoy, Nayana. Miss Timmins’ School for Girls. Harper. 2011. 496p. $20.00. (9780061997747).
When twenty-year-old Charulata Apte accepts a teaching position at the British-run Miss Timmins’ School for Girls in Panchgani, she doesn’t anticipate falling in love with fellow teacher Moira Prince. Or that by the end of the term, she will find herself implicated in murder.
Hart, Ellen. Lost Women of Lost Lake. Minotaur Books. 2011. 336. $25.95. (978-0312614775 ).
Still undecided about going full-time as a private investigator, Jane Lawless takes some time off at her family’s lakeside lodge where she and her friend Cordelia get caught up in a mystery that reveals the truth about Cordelia’s activism during the 1960s.
Ryan, Garry. Malabarista (Detective Lane Mysteries). NeWest Press. 2011. 203p. $18.95. (978-1897126899).
In the fifth installment of this series, Detective Lane returns to solve the murder of an Eastern European war criminal while also fighting for his career. Piecing together the case becomes even tougher when he is faced with a persistent–and accurate–bomber, and is forced to confront his own personal demons, including the fear of losing his partner.
Sherman, Scott. Second You Sin (Kevin Connor Mysteries). Kensington. 2011. 288p. $15.00 (978-0758266514).
In this sequel to First You Fall, Kevin Connors turns his sleuthing skills to a string of murders among his fellow male prostitutes. The secrets uncovered involve a beloved TV talk show host, an evangelical presidential candidate, and Kevin’s own “semi-boyfriend” Tony.
Thomas, Lee. The German. Lethe Press. 2011. 290p. $18.00 (978-1590213094).
Three people—Sheriff Tom Rabbit, boy Tim Randall, and ex-Nazi Ernst Lang—tell about the events that took place in Barnard, Texas, during World War II when snuff boxes containing messages written in German were stuffed in the mouths of mysteriously murdered boys.
Nonfiction
Baim, Tracy. Obama and the Gays: A Political Marriage. 2010. CreateSpace. 576p. $24.99. (978-1453801710).
Following Barack Obama from his early career as a young Chicago politician through his first two years as President of the United States, this book provides a comprehensive look at Obama’s policies, opinions, and track record on issues of importance to the GLBT community.
Bronski, Michael. A Queer History of the United States. Beacon. 2011. 312p. $27.95. (978-0807044391).
To “[examine] history though the lens of those groups whose stories have been excluded from the canon” this first book in a series uses primary documents, literature, and culture histories to cover the dynamics of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history from pre-1492 to the present.
Corber, Robert J. Cold War Femme: Lesbianism, National Identity, and Hollywood Cinema. Duke University Press. 2011. 240p. $23.95. (978-0822349471).
During the Cold War, Americans’ ideas about lesbianism changed, and rather than the masculine butch, the “invisible” femme, who could more easily pass as heterosexual, was seen as a greater threat to the nation and traditional family. Corber backs up this argument by analyzing images of lesbianism and butch and femme characters in the Cold War era films of Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Doris Day, and others.
Ehrensaft, Diane. Gender Born, Gender Made: Raising Healthy Gender-Nonconforming Children. The Experiment. 2011. 304p. $16.95. (978-1615190607).
A developmental and clinical psychologist, Ehrensaft draws upon her years of working with gender-nonconforming children to offer an alternate approach to the current pathologicalization of gender identity dysphoria in this guide for parents and others interested in how to nurture and support children who don’t fit into “normal” categories of gender.
Krieger, Irwin. Helping Your Transgender Teen: A Guide for Parents. Genderwise Press. 2011. 86p. $12.95. (978-0692012291).
Written by a clinical social worker, this accessible and compassionate guide provides concrete and detailed information for parents on how they can understand and support their gender non-conforming children, paying special attention to the tensions that often arise between teens and parents. Includes a glossary of terms and an extensive resource list.
Mogul, Joey L., Andrea J. Ritchie and Kay Whitlock. Queer (In)justice: The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States. Beacon Press. 2011. 216p. $27.95. (978-0807051160).
This historical overview makes the case that, despite some legal gains in recent years, LGBTQ people continue to face alarming discrimination and violence when interacting with the criminal justice system.
Queers in American Popular Culture [3 volumes] (Praeger Perspectives). Ed. by Jim Elledge. Praeger. 2010. 945p. $184.95. (978-0313354571).
This three-volume collection of essays analyzes the unique impact that LGBT people have had on popular culture, dating from 1800s up to the present day. Volumes include Film and TV; Literature, Pop Art and Performance; and Sports, Leisure and Lifestyle.
Poetry
Botto, António, Songs of António Botto. Ed. by Josiah Blackmore; translated by Fernando Pessoa. University of Minnesota Press. 2010. 168p. $17.95 (978-0816671014).
The Portuguese poet António Botto, one of that country’s first openly gay writers, first published his collection Canções in 1920. This edition features Botto’s poems as they appeared in the 1948 English edition, along with a never-before-published introduction by translator Fernando Pessoa, and new introductory material.
Simmonds, Kevin, ed. Collective Brightness: LGBTIQ Poets on Faith, Religion and Spirituality. Sibling Rivalry Press. 2011. 250p. $24.95 (978-0983293194).
A broad range of voices, experiences and spiritual paths and traditions are represented in this collection of poems from both established and new poets.
Vuong, Ocean. Burnings. Sibling Rivalry Press. 2010. 42p. $12.00. (978-0578070599).
In this slim but powerful volume of poetry, Ocean Vuong lays bare the wounds of the refugee experience and its effect on today’s generation alongside the modern experience of a gay man living and loving in a world which is not always accepting. Never shying away from the grim realities of both of these identities, Vuong extracts beauty and light from the most painful of moments.
Yeros, Dimitris. Shades of Love: Photographs Inspired by the Poems of C.P. Cavafy. Poetry by C.P. Cavafy; translated by David Conolly. Insight Editions. 2011. 168p. $75.00 (978-1608870134).
In 1999, Yeros began a collection of photographs inspired by the works of Greek poet C.P. Cavafy. This gorgeous coffee table book presents Yeros’ photographs together with the poems that inspired them.
Short Stories
Alenyikow, Michael. Ivan and Misha: Stories. 2010. 212p. Triquarterly. $18.96. (978-0810127180).
With each story told from a different character’s point of view, in this collection revolving around two brothers and their Russian father living in New York City, Alenyikow poignantly explores the brothers’ attitudes toward their father, each other, and being gay in America.
Ambientes: New Queer Latino Writing. Ed. by Lázaro Lima and Felice Picano. University of Wisconsin Press. 2011. 220p. $22.95. (978-0299282240).
Highlights both established and emerging Latino authors of short fiction with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender characters from all parts of the United States.
Hellebore & Rue: Tales of Queer Women and Magic. Ed. by JoSelle Vanderhooft and Catherine Lundoff. Lethe Press. 2011. 238p. $15.00 (978-1590213773).
Meet a greenmage reuniting with her former partner for one last mission, a school nurse with a dark secret heritage, a witch with an unconventional familiar, and other intriguing women in this collection of fantasy short stories.
Jeffers, Alex. The Abode of Bliss: Ten Stories for Adam. Lethe Press. 2011. 282p. $18.00. (978-1590212462).
In these ten stories, Ziya, a Turkish gay man, explains his life history, including a childhood growing up in Istanbul and college years in America, to Adam, the man he now loves.
Mehta, Rahul. Quarantine: Stories. Harper Perennial. 2011. 224p. $14.99. (978-0062020451).
Nine stories told from the perspective of second- and third-generation South Asian-American gay men at odds with their families’ culture and expectations, describing their lives filled with humor, disappointment and frustration.
Ryman, Geoff. Paradise Tales. Small Beer Press. 2011. 320p. $16.00. (978-1931520645).
A gay man in the near future has a series of life-changing birthdays, a cell phone salesman meets Pol Pot’s daughter, a film writer discovers that the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs may not be entirely fiction, and more, in these sixteen stories that explore and blur the boundaries of sexuality and speculative fiction.
Steam-Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories. Ed. by JoSelle Vanderhooft. Torquere Press. 2011. 378p. $13.95. (978-1610401500).
Fifteen Victorian retro-science fiction featuring lesbian heroines as scientists, thieves, privateer airship captains, and more.
Wilde Stories 2011 – The Year’s Best Gay Speculative Fiction. Ed. by Steve Berman. 2011. Lethe Press. 300p. $18.00. (978-1590213032).
In this collection, Berman highlights the very best of the year in science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories focusing on gay men.
Speculative Fiction
Fletcher, Jane. Wolfsbane Winter. Bold Strokes Books. 2010. 164p. $16.95. (978-1602821583).
In a post-apocalyptic world ruled by demon magic, Deryn, a member of the Iron Wolf mercenary group, and Alana, a healer and empath forced into exile by the power of her gift, fall in love following their unlikely meeting in a small, rural town. But soon, powerful ancient magic from the Time of Chaos threatens not only their growing relationship, but everyone’s survival.
Frey, J.M. Triptych. Dragon Moon Press. 2011. 286p. $19.95. (978-1897492130).
In the near future, when the last of a dying alien race seeks refuge on Earth, Specialists Gwen Pierson and Basil Grey make Kalp, their alien partner, a member of their household. But in Kalp’s culture, romantic relationships take place in threes. What happens next is a story of love, culture shock, betrayal, loss, and time travel.
Hellebore & Rue: Tales of Queer Women and Magic. Ed. by JoSelle Vanderhooft and Catherine Lundoff. Lethe Press. 2011. 238p. $15.00 (978-1590213773).
Meet a greenmage reuniting with her former partner for one last mission, a school nurse with a dark secret heritage, a witch with an unconventional familiar, and other intriguing women in this collection of fantasy short stories.
Lee, Tanith. Disturbed by Her Song. Lethe Press. 2010. 204p. $18.00. (978-1590213117).
Writing with and as Esther Garber, a fictional French Jewish writer, and her brother Judas Garbah, a French-Egyptian writer, both siblings gay and born in the early 20th century, Lee creates a collection of short stories focusing on youth and age, mystery and obsession.
Monette, Sarah and Elizabeth Bear. The Tempering of Men. Tor Books. 2011. 304p. $25.99. (978-0765324702).
This high fantasy novel, sequel to Companion of Wolves, further explores an iron-age world in which northern warriors link minds with their companion wolves to battle trolls. In this follow-up, the northerners must forge alliances with neighbors who distrust their love of their wolves and one another, in order to fend off invaders from the south.
Pitts, J.A. Honeyed Words. Tor Books. 2011. 416p. $14.99. (978-0765329073).
In this sequel to contemporary fantasy novel Black Blade Blues, Sarah Beauxhall, blacksmith, wielder of the reforged magical sword Gram, and dragon-slayer returns with her girlfriend to discover fairies, demons, and other supernatural beings–some of whom mean them deadly harm.
Ryman, Geoff. Paradise Tales. Small Beer Press. 2011. 320p. $16.00. (978-1931520645).
A gay man in the near future has a series of life-changing birthdays, a cell phone salesman meets Pol Pot’s daughter, a film writer discovers that the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs may not be entirely fiction, and more, in these sixteen stories that explore and blur the boundaries of sexuality and speculative fiction.
Steam-Powered: Lesbian Steampunk Stories. Ed. by JoSelle Vanderhooft. Torquere Press. 2011. 378p. $13.95. (978-1610401500).
Fifteen Victorian retro-science fiction featuring lesbian heroines as scientists, thieves, privateer airship captains, and more.
Wilde Stories 2011 – The Year’s Best Gay Speculative Fiction. Ed. by Steve Berman. Lethe Press. 2011. 300p. $18.00. (978-1590213032).
In this collection, Berman highlights the very best of the year in science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories focusing on gay men.