One of my favorite literary resources when I'm hunting for something interesting, different, or an arcane tidbit on classic and/or contemporary literature, is The New York Public Library Literature Companion edited by Anne Skillion.
The compendium is full of stunning surprises. One such surprise, maybe not so stunning, but nevertheless surprising, since it's a literary list and I was convinced I'd captured them all, but somehow, at least this one (there's undoubtedly others, sure hope so!) escaped my clutches for more than a decade.
It's The Publishing Triangle's list of The Best Gay and Lesbian Novels, a top 100 list whose selections were made by gay and lesbian authors and critics, and intermingles classic stuff with contemporary stuff (at least contemporary to around the year 2000). Can't say I've ever gone out of my way to seek out gay and lesbian literature (and neither have I avoided it), but a quick perusal proves I'm unfamiliar with many of these books and writers, and for that alone, I'm pleased to have discovered the list, as I do have a thing for discovering writers, gay or straight, in lists that I'd of otherwise never discovered.
One of these days, I'll probably itemize this list in a LibraryThing thread, because a list truly doesn't become a list in my eyes, until every title of the list glows that beautiful and addictive blue of hypertext in a touchstone.
The compendium is full of stunning surprises. One such surprise, maybe not so stunning, but nevertheless surprising, since it's a literary list and I was convinced I'd captured them all, but somehow, at least this one (there's undoubtedly others, sure hope so!) escaped my clutches for more than a decade.
It's The Publishing Triangle's list of The Best Gay and Lesbian Novels, a top 100 list whose selections were made by gay and lesbian authors and critics, and intermingles classic stuff with contemporary stuff (at least contemporary to around the year 2000). Can't say I've ever gone out of my way to seek out gay and lesbian literature (and neither have I avoided it), but a quick perusal proves I'm unfamiliar with many of these books and writers, and for that alone, I'm pleased to have discovered the list, as I do have a thing for discovering writers, gay or straight, in lists that I'd of otherwise never discovered.
One of these days, I'll probably itemize this list in a LibraryThing thread, because a list truly doesn't become a list in my eyes, until every title of the list glows that beautiful and addictive blue of hypertext in a touchstone.
thanks for linking to this list. I've been trying to read a little more LGBT stuff lately and I'm sure this will help. I used to read tons but got out of the habit- not purposely avoiding, like you, but just not finding myself drawn to as much. thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marie.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fascinating and provocative list isn't it?
Stay tuned for an in depth itemization of the list coming up here and in LT in the next few weeks.