Status
Available
Publication
(1992)
Description
As Lillian Faderman writes, there are "no constants with regard to lesbianism," except that lesbians prefer women. In this groundbreaking book, she reclaims the history of lesbian life in twentieth-century America, tracing the evolution of lesbian identity and subcultures from early networks to more recent diverse lifestyles. She draws from journals, unpublished manuscripts, songs, media accounts, novels, medical literature, pop culture artifacts, and oral histories by lesbians of all ages and backgrounds, uncovering a narrative of uncommon depth and originality.
User reviews
LibraryThing member blackrabbit89
I zipped through Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America by Lillian Faderman.
This was a good book if you’d like semi-decent coverage of a fairly large period of lesbian history. It introduced me to lesbians at different times in history and gave me an
I learned more about romantic friendships between women at the turn of the twentieth century—relationships that existed before anyone even knew the term “lesbian,” and which were accepted and encouraged by society.
I learned about the women—apparently mostly lesbians—who served in World War I. Although they were a great asset to the military, they were spied on and threatened with expulsion if their sexual orientation were discovered.
I also learned more about how lesbians fit into the second-wave feminist movement: creating lesbian communes and choosing a lesbian identity in defiance of the patriarchy.
Faderman did attempt to include the experiences of women of color in her book, although unfortunately, there is not as much information about them as I would have liked. If you want a good overview of lesbian history in America, though, this book is a good choice.
This was a good book if you’d like semi-decent coverage of a fairly large period of lesbian history. It introduced me to lesbians at different times in history and gave me an
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overarching idea of how immensely lesbian life and attitudes towards lesbians have shifted and changed during the last hundred-odd years in America.I learned more about romantic friendships between women at the turn of the twentieth century—relationships that existed before anyone even knew the term “lesbian,” and which were accepted and encouraged by society.
I learned about the women—apparently mostly lesbians—who served in World War I. Although they were a great asset to the military, they were spied on and threatened with expulsion if their sexual orientation were discovered.
I also learned more about how lesbians fit into the second-wave feminist movement: creating lesbian communes and choosing a lesbian identity in defiance of the patriarchy.
Faderman did attempt to include the experiences of women of color in her book, although unfortunately, there is not as much information about them as I would have liked. If you want a good overview of lesbian history in America, though, this book is a good choice.
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LibraryThing member arsmith
This book is very informative, but definitely not a page turner. It is somewhat dense, which keeps me from finishing it once I put it down.
LibraryThing member skylightbooks
No one chronicles the history and evolution of lesbianism as well, as precisely, or as accessibly as Lillian Faderman. If you want to know how love between women changed in the eyes of society from innocent to becoming known as "lesbianism," start with this book. Then, "Surpassing the Love of Men"
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is a great follow-up! -Monica Show Less
LibraryThing member Winterrain
Lillian Faderman writes history exactly as I like to read it: full of amusing anecdotes and witty asides. The amount of research that went into this book is simply astounding, and I'm more than qualified to say so because I read the bibliography of every book I pick up. Lesbianism is a topic that
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everyone these days has an opinion on, and Faderman is refreshingly unbiased, even in her treatment of the homophobic psycologists of the 10s and 50s. Show Less
LibraryThing member briannad84
A very informative book, I had no idea that lesbianism was common in the early 1900's. There was a few people mentioned I wanted to look more into, but I agree with arsmith, that it is a bit dense.
LibraryThing member m2snick
A little dated but it holds up pretty well.
LibraryThing member caedocyon
Longer review later. I bring tidbits from this book up all the time in discussion lately, and I'm hoping to get Sam to read it, too. Not perfect and I don't agree with everything she says, but very good, well-researched, and SO interesting.
Subjects
Awards
Lambda Literary Award (Nominee — 1991)
Stonewall Book Award (Winner — Non-Fiction — 1992)
Original publication date
1991
Local notes
History