Books Newsletter
Sarah Schulman’s fiction about lesbian artists, Vaginal Davis’s new catalog, and more.
Sarah Schulman speaks as she writes — with candor and a clear-eyed sense of justice. I’ve long admired the New York City scholar, organizer, and author, but I finally feel like I understand a core component of her life’s work: fiction writing. Read our conversation on the world that shaped her multifaceted practice and numerous novels, which largely center on lesbian protagonists that the publishing industry still ignores.
Also this Pride month, we recommend books on the radical work of trans artist Vaginal Davis, the bicoastal Chinatowns that inspired Martin Wong, the intertwined lives of Paul Thek and Peter Hujar, and an early-19th-century lesbian couple in Vermont brought into full relief by graphic novelist Tillie Walden (who is giving a talk tonight in New York City with Hyperallergic contributor Alexis Clements). Check out the full list for your next read!
Sarah Schulman’s Four Decades of Lesbian Fiction
In her nearly seven decades in the city, the novelist, playwright, and filmmaker has co-founded the Dyke March, conducted 187 interviews with members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), reported on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and drawn pedagogy from Audre Lorde, who was her college professor.
Though widely recognized for her documentaries and nonfiction books, Schulman identifies first as a novelist; several of her works of fiction focus on lesbian characters and reflect the world of queer poets, artists, and activists she grew up around. | Lakshmi Rivera Amin
Read More
From Our Critics
The World That Held Peter Hujar and Paul Thek
The late photographer Peter Hujar and visual artist Paul Thek keep showing up these days. And now we have Andrew Durbin’s thoughtfully rendered dual biography of these lovers and friends: The Wonderful World That Almost Was: A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek.
This is a biography of two artists coming into being, witnessing each other, building careers, and moving through the complexities of a relationship that began as lovers, confidantes, and advocates, but shifted over time to include longing, resentment, and an inability to connect.
This is neither a happily-ever-after romance nor an entirely tragic tale, though both men died of AIDS in the late 1980s. Instead, it feels more grounded in daily reality, more nuanced and ever-changing, holding the full complexity of queer relations with care and understanding. As a dyke, I particularly cherished this portrait of queer entanglement characterized by duration and valences beyond the sexual or romantic. | Alexis Clements
Read More
Guide
7 Art Books You Should Read This Pride Month
If you’ve watched and loved Paris Is Burning, the iconic 1990 documentary about Black and Latinx ballroom culture in Harlem, this is the reading list for you. This month, delve into new books that highlight queer and trans artists — past and present — who have always shaped the realms of visual art and culture.
Read More
Excerpt
ICYMI
