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Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love
by Naomi WolfOutrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love
Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love
by Naomi WolfFrom New York Times bestselling author Naomi Wolf, Outrages explores the history of state-sponsored censorship and violations of personal freedoms through the inspiring, forgotten history of one writer’s refusal to stay silenced. Newly updated, first North American edition--a paperback original In 1857, Britain codified a new civil divorce law and passed a severe new obscenity law. An 1861 Act of Parliament streamlined the harsh criminalization of sodomy. These and other laws enshrined modern notions of state censorship and validated state intrusion into people’s private lives. In 1861, John Addington Symonds, a twenty-one-year-old student at Oxford who already knew he loved and was attracted to men, hastily wrote out a seeming renunciation of the long love poem he’d written to another young man. Outrages chronicles the struggle and eventual triumph of Symonds—who would became a poet, biographer, and critic—at a time in British history when even private letters that could be interpreted as homoerotic could be used as evidence in trials leading to harsh sentences under British law. Drawing on the work of a range of scholars of censorship and of LGBTQ+ legal history, Wolf depicts how state censorship, and state prosecution of same-sex sexuality, played out—decades before the infamous trial of Oscar Wilde—shadowing the lives of people who risked in new ways scrutiny by the criminal justice system. She shows how legal persecutions of writers, and of men who loved men affected Symonds and his contemporaries, including Christina and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Algernon Charles Swinburne, Walter Pater, and the painter Simeon Solomon. All the while, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass was illicitly crossing the Atlantic and finding its way into the hands of readers who reveled in the American poet’s celebration of freedom, democracy, and unfettered love. Inspired by Whitman, and despite terrible dangers he faced in doing so, Symonds kept trying, stubbornly, to find a way to express his message—that love and sex between men were not “morbid” and deviant, but natural and even ennobling. He persisted in various genres his entire life. He wrote a strikingly honest secret memoir—which he embargoed for a generation after his death—enclosing keys to a code that the author had used to embed hidden messages in his published work. He wrote the essay A Problem in Modern Ethics that was secretly shared in his lifetime and would become foundational to our modern understanding of human sexual orientation and of LGBTQ+ legal rights. This essay is now rightfully understood as one of the first gay rights manifestos in the English language. Naomi Wolf’s Outrages is a critically important book, not just for its role in helping to bring to new audiences the story of an oft-forgotten pioneer of LGBTQ+ rights who could not legally fully tell his own story in his lifetime. It is also critically important for what the book has to say about the vital and often courageous roles of publishers, booksellers, and freedom of speech in an era of growing calls for censorship and ever-escalating state violations of privacy. With Outrages, Wolf brings us the inspiring story of one man’s refusal to be silenced, and his belief in a future in which everyone would have the freedom to love and to speak without fear.
Sexuality and Socialism: History, Politics, and Theory of LGBT Liberation
by Sherry WolfSexuality and Socialism is a remarkably accessible analysis of many of the most challenging questions for those concerned with full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.Inside are essays on the roots of LGBT oppression, the construction of sexual and gender identities, the history of the gay movement, and how to unite the oppressed and exploited to win sexual liberation for all. Sherry Wolf analyzes different theories about oppression—including those of Marxism, postmodernism, identity politics, and queer theory—and challenges myths about genes, gender, and sexuality.“Sexuality and Socialism is the most intelligent and enlightened discussion on sexuality to come from the Left in a long time. No other work that comes to my mind explains the history of sexuality and sexual repression in the United States as comprehensively and compellingly.”—Ron Jacobs, Dissident Voice“Sherry Wolf: Lesbian, Activist, Communist & Badass-ist... spoke to a pre-National Equality March rally. She. Blew. It. Up.”—Austin Chronicle“Sherry speaks with such eloquence and plain common sense that I can't help but want to know more about her ideas and convictions.”—Derek Washington, “In the LV” radio host, Director of LGBT Outreach, Clark County Democratic Black Caucus“The icons of the new generation of activists are people like Lady Gaga, Dustin Lance Black, Judy Shephard, Lt. Daniel Choi (ret.) and Sherry Wolf (author of Sexuality and Socialism).”—Don Gorton, Join the Impact Board Member“Surprisingly funny, very readable and a fitting tome for a new movement in these troubled times.”—Dave Zirin for Progressive's Best Books of 2009“‘What humans have constructed they can tear down.’ This is the powerful insight of this rare book that is at once politically important, theoretically and historically sophisticated, and clearly written. Sexuality and Socialism is enlivened in its engagement with a number of controversies, including those over the alleged biological determination of homosexuality, the myth of Black homophobia, and the consequences of postmodernist theories for the politics of gay liberation. Above all else, Wolf puts forward a cogent defense of the Marxist tradition—long and wrongly reviled as homophobic in itself—as a way to explain how LGBT oppression arose and what we can do to put it to bed.”—Dana Cloud, University of Texas at AustinSherry Wolf is the associate editor of the International Socialist Review. She was on the executive committee of the National Equality March Oct. 11, 2009 and has written for publications including the Nation, MRZine, Counterpunch, Dissident Voice, and Socialist Worker and speaks frequently across the country on the struggle for LGBT liberation as well as a wide range of social and economic justice issue.
Ask Me About Polyamory: The Best of Kimchi Cuddles
by Tikva WolfA hilarious and touching comic about polyamory, queer, and genderqueer issues. If your relationships or your gender are unconventional, you'll find useful advice and plenty of laughs in this compilation of the wildly popular webcomic Kimchi Cuddles. Quirky, endearing and charmingly (and sometimes painfully) realistic characters, many based on real people, explore polyamory, queer and genderqueer issues. Covering practical matters like time management and serious topics like discrimination, this book unites the best of two years of Kimchi Cuddles comics, organized into a practical and entertaining guide to the real world of alternative relationships. Kimchi Cuddles is a rare mix: fearlessly true to the lives of the people it depicts yet relatable enough to entertain and inform anyone (maybe even your parents). Dealing with both lighthearted and serious subject matter, it avoids clichÉs and easy answers, choosing instead to give examples of different schools of thought and show the humanity behind each one. Wolf's honesty and gift for clear explanation have made Kimchi Cuddles a hit with the most dedicated polyamorists as well as curious newcomers.
The Christmas Snoop
by Jean WolfeAfter going on a present hunt while his boyfriend, Matt, is in the office, James finds several things he didn't expect, including photos of Matt in a Christmas jumper, an old teddy bear, and several letters to Santa Claus--one of which states that Matt doesn't need anything for Christmas because he has James. It seems Matt has been a very good boy this year....
Aroused
by Sean WolfeSean Wolfe Has A Reputation. . . . . .for writing some of the steamiest, smartest erotica between two covers. Now, the author of the wildly popular Close Contact is back with another collection of stories as literate as they are provocative, written with a voyeuristic intimacy that recalls a XXX-rated Christopher Isherwood. Reflecting the sexual seasons of a gay man's life--spring, summer, fall, and winter--there is something here for every man. . .stories of newfound eroticism as charged as it gets; of men on quests for their deepest desires and sexual selves; of couples looking to keep their sex lives alive and exciting; and of older men fearlessly redefining sensuality. Step inside and discover. . . A magical gift card that grants a lucky birthday boy three of his deepest, hottest wishes. A substitute teacher who gives a cocky young student private instruction in a bathroom stall. One hot card game between five college buddies that brings all new meaning to "five-card stud." And in one delicious novella, a high-priced call boy experiences everything he can in search of that most elusive high--true love. . . Confessional. Personal. Deeply erotic. And 100% hot. These twenty-one stories prove that when it comes to hot sex, intense pleasure, wicked fantasy, and deep desire, it's always the right season. . .
Eight Inches
by Sean WolfeSean Wolfe knows what men want. In his anthologies Aroused, Taboo, and Close Contact, he delivered smart, sophisticated tales of intensely erotic escapades. Now he goes one step further, with a collection of eight interconnected stories that explore the very nature of desire--how it shapes us, drives us, brings us together. . .and just how far we're willing to go to satisfy it. . .A teenage runaway gets an education in the ways of the street, and the heart, from a gorgeous young hustler in "Street Smart." In "Head of the Class," a college athlete who's used his sexual talents to keep his grades up learns all about pleasure from one of his professors. The exclusive Kappa Lambda Phi fraternity includes a mind-blowing initiation that's only the beginning of their debauchery in "Frat Frenzy." And in "DudeSearch" two men who frequent an online site specializing in random hookups agree to meet--and are completely unprepared for the fireworks that explode between them. . .As compelling as they are explicit, these stories offer more than instant gratification. They're funny, touching, intimate, and complex--and of course, incredibly, irresistibly hot. . .
Hard and Fast
by Sean WolfeIn this edgy, provocative anthology, Sean Wolfe uses his wickedly erotic imagination to expose the wild side in every man--the side that's just waiting to be released. . .A counselor at a church camp succumbs to a gorgeous younger guy's unrelenting advances in "Camp Quaker Haven." In "Pool Party," twins Cole and Chris get a chance to explore their most mind-blowing fantasies with their school's hottest jocks. A lonely cowboy plays Good Samaritan when he finds a young Native American man being harassed by a bunch of drunks--and is repaid in the most gratifying way possible in "Lone No More." And a priest beloved by his community finds forbidden temptation--and unexpected understanding--in "The Collar." By turns explicit and intimate, tender and raunchy, here are twelve stories that satisfy on every level. Because nothing beats the thrill of giving in, and learning that breaking the rules brings all kinds of rewards. . .
Give It To Me
by Sean Wolfe Dewanna Pace Phyliss MirandaSweet and tender is good, but sometimes, bad is better. In this electrifying anthology, Sean Wolfe explores those irresistible encounters that fuel our darkest fantasies. Rough, risky exploits, uninhibited lust, the sheer turn-on of taking what you want--twelve incredible stories where nothing is off-limits. . .In "Mother May I," Cory is a respected investment manager by day. At night, he trades designer suits for a leather harness and enjoys the eager attentions of his beautiful, willing slave. Most cops live to serve and protect; Michael just enjoys the power trip. . .until an off-duty encounter ends with a sexy surprise in "Hands Above Your Head and Spread 'Em." When a burglar is caught in the act by a wealthy homeowner, it's the beginning of an intensely erotic connection in "The Bad Boy." In "Nephelum," all fallen angel Cyrienne has to do to regain his wings is withstand carnal temptation. But that's easier said than done when a flirty young resort attendant shows him one hell of a good time. Provocative, graphic, and explosive, Give It To Me is filled with stories of pleasure given and boldly taken--and of desire too raw to be denied. . .
Biceps Of Death
by Sean Wolfe David StukasOops--he did it again! David Stukas, author of Someone Killed His Boyfriend and Wearing Black To The White Party, unleashes his wildly popular--and outrageously funny--trio of sleuths on the unsuspecting world. This time, Robert, Michael, and Monette are up to their pectorals in sex, blackmail, seriously ripped abs, and murder. . . It ain't easy being pretty. And it ain't pretty NOT being pretty in Chelsea. That's what has Robert doing an excruciating set of leg presses under his ripped roommate Michael's preening tutelage--when Michael isn't admiring his new leather workout shorts or going on about how the super-buff trainer, Flex, keeps checking him out. So it takes Robert by complete surprise in the locker room when Flex grabs Robert, hands him a CD-ROM and a hot kiss, and takes off running with a promise to retrieve the disc--and Robert--later. But Robert doesn't have long to ponder a roll in the hay with Mr. Uber Body. The next morning, Flex is found murdered, pushed from his high-rise Madison Avenue apartment. Suddenly, Michael and Robert are feeling like the wrong guys in every Hitchcock film ever made. And when the going gets tough. . .the tough run and hide at their lesbian friend Monette's apartment for protection. Now, as they muscle their way into a hidden world of escorts, fetishists, drug dealers, and pampered men leading double lives, the trio dive deeper into a mystery that has more layers than Michael has Frette towels. And when the killer strikes dangerously close to home, New York's most wanted sleuths will have to give it everything they've got before someone can give them a final workout. . .. Sexy, catty, and downright hilarious, Biceps Of Death deliciously skewers the cult of the body while delivering an abs-olutely perfect nail-biter of a mystery.
On the Way to Myself: Communications to a Friend (Collected Works of Charlotte Wolff #4)
by Charlotte WolffOriginally published in 1969, Dr Charlotte Wolff was the author of three books of psychology: The Human Hand, A Psychology of Gesture and The Hand in Psychological Diagnosis. This book, though it contains much psychology, is not of the same scientific kind as these. It is an autobiography, but not one of the normal kind. It is the history of a mind, not the chronicle of a life. For this reason it is not arranged chronologically but it is constructed round what the author called the creative shock experiences of her life, some of which belong with their consequences rather than with events adjacent in time. The resulting book is one of imaginative psychology. In the course of a life which began on the borders of Poland and carried her to Germany, France, Russia and England, Dr Wolff had met and known many of the most famous writers, artists and thinkers of the time. In Germany she studied under the founding Existentialists, Husserl and Heidegger; in France she carried out psychological research under Professor Henri Wallon and was also assisted by the Surrealists, André Breton, St. Exupéry, Paul Eluard; in England she was aided in her work by Sir Julian Huxley, Aldous Huxley and his wife, Dr William Stephenson, Dr Earle and others. But Dr Wolff’s earliest creative work was as a poet, and though she turned to psychology, her interest in art brought her into touch at different times with Ravel, Virginia Woolf, Bernard Shaw, Lady Ottoline Morrell, Thomas and Heinrich Mann, Baladine Klossowska and many more. Dr Earle wrote of her that she is ‘an artist of psychology’, and it is thus that she appears in this odd and fascinating book. Today it is an interesting glimpse in to the life of an early feminist psychologist. Her later research focused on sexology, her writing on lesbianism and bisexuality were influential early works in the field.
The History of Living Forever: A Novel
by Jake WolffA chemistry student falls for his teacher and uncovers a centuries-old quest for the elixir of lifeThe morning after the death of his first love, Conrad Aybinder receives a bequest. Sammy Tampari was Conrad’s lover. He was his teacher. And, it turns out, he was not just a chemist, but an alchemist, searching for a mythic elixir of life. Sammy’s death was sudden, yet he somehow managed to leave twenty years’ worth of his notebooks and a storage locker full of expensive, sometimes baffling equipment in the hands of his star student. The notebooks contain cryptic “recipes,” but no instructions; they tell his life story, but only hint at what might have caused his death. And Sammy’s research is littered with his favorite teaching question: What’s missing?As Conrad pieces together the solution, he finds he is not the only one to suspect that Sammy succeeded in his quest. And if he wants to save his father from a mysterious illness, Conrad will have to make some very difficult choices.A globe-trotting, century-spanning adventure story, Jake Wolff’s The History of Living Forever takes us from Maine to Romania to Easter Island and introduces a cast of unforgettable characters—drug kingpins, Big Pharma flunkies, centenarians, boy geniuses, and even a group of immortalists masquerading as coin collectors. It takes us deep into the mysteries of life—from first love to first heartbreak, from the long pall of grief to the irreconcilable loneliness of depression to the possibility of medical miracles, from coming of age to coming out. Hilarious, haunting, heart-busting, life-affirming, it asks each of us one of life’s essential questions: How far would you go for someone you love?
Juno's Swans
by Tamsen WolffIn 1988, before her senior year of high school, Nina and her best friend spend the summer alone on Cape Cod. Nina has grown up with her ailing grandmother-and she yearns for the chance of a deeper connection. When she enrolls in an acting course, she soon finds romance with Sarah, one of the teaching assistants. Nina's own world revolves around Sarah, while the rest of the world moves urgently on. Nina's high school teacher does not take the end of their relationship well; her best friend feels abandoned; the AIDS epidemic rages; her fellow actors grow and hone their talents. The novel perfectly captures the revelatory feelings that arrive with young adulthood - the startling awareness of oneself outside the bounds of friends and family, and the twin senses of loneliness and liberation that accompany this knowledge. After a summer of love and loss, Nina slowly finds her way back home. With lyrical prose, nuanced characters, and an evocative narrative voice, Tamsen Wolff vividly brings to life the dizzying experience of first love-and its inevitable partner, first heartbreak. This honest depiction of female relationships-both romantic and platonic-will capture readers from fifteen to fifty. Juno's Swans is rich and sharp and emotional in all the right places.
Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry
by Evan Wolfson"At its core, the freedom-to-marry movement is about the same thing every civil rights struggle has been about: taking seriously our country's promise to be a nation its citizens can make better, its promise to be a place where people don't have to give up their differences or hide them in order to be treated equally."Why Marriage Matters offers a compelling, intelligently reasoned discussion of a question that still remains in the national consciousness. It is the work of one of the most influential attorneys in America, who has dedicated his life to the protection of individuals' rights and our Constitution's commitment to equal justice under the law. Above all, it is a clear, straightforward book that brings into sharp focus the very human significance of the right to marry in America—not just for some couples, but for all.Why is the word marriage so important? Will marriage for same-sex couples hurt the "sanctity" of the institution? How can people of different faiths reconcile their beliefs with the idea of marriage for same-sex couples? How will allowing gay couples to marry affect children?In this quietly powerful volume, the most authoritative and fairly articulated book on the subject, Wolfson demonstrates why the right to marry is important—indeed necessary—for all couples and for America's promise of equality.
Out of Orange: A Memoir
by Cleary WoltersThe real-life Alex from Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black tells her own story in this memoir of crime, punishment, and her relationship with Piper.When Cleary Wolters first saw a commercial for the TV show Orange is the New Black, she knew her life would never be the same. After a blur of words and images alluding to lesbian lovers, drug smuggling, and life behind bars, Cleary saw a character wearing her signature black-rimmed glasses. In that moment, she knew that her private past had been brought to light in the most public way imaginable.Based on Piper Kerman’s sensational memoir, Orange is the New Black tells the story of a privileged white woman who spent thirteen months in prison for her involvement in an international drug-smuggling ring. On the show, Alex Vause is Piper’s antagonist/love interest who seduced her into a life of crime. Now, pseaking out for the first time, Cleary sets the record straight on the show, life in prison, and much more . . . In Out of Orange, Cleary tells a brutally honest, emotional tale of the bold decisions and epic mistakes she made—and the struggle to keep them from defining the rest of her life.
First Time for Everything
by Allison Wonderland Emery C. Walters Andrea Speed Sr Silcox Renee Hirsch Kevay Gray Ella Lyons Charli Green Jo Ramsey Eric Gober Eric Renner Nick Hasse J. Leigh Bailey S. A. Garcia John Goode Emily Moreton Nicole Mccormick Caitlin RicciThere's nothing like the first time. Whether it's a first crush, first date, first kiss, or finding tolerance and approval for the first time, for gay, lesbian, bi, and trans teens--or those still exploring and discovering their sexuality and identity--these important firsts can shape the rest of their lives. Gathering the courage to come out to their families, admit their feelings to a friend, or go to school presenting as the people they really are can be a struggle. But with the support of their allies and their own inner strength, the brave young people in these stories take the first steps toward happiness and living on their own terms. From sweet stories of newly discovered love, humorous accounts of awkward dinners and dances, to fights for acceptance and even survival, the teens in this anthology must face new challenges and rise to meet them. These are the first times they'll never forget. Midnight in the Maze by J. Leigh BaileyA Warrior from a Different Tribe by S.A. GarciaHis World by Eric GoberJust Right by John GoodeIt's In Their Kiss by Kevay GrayIt's Not Our Fault by Charli GreenCourting Billy Roth by Nick HasseDressed to Swim by Renee HirschBeautiful by Ella LyonsFirst Date by Nicole McCormickStep by Step by Emily MoretonKissing Scars by Jo RamseyDear Cody by Eric RennerDating My Best Friend by Caitlin RicciSummer Crush by SR SilcoxWhen Wolverine Met Taylor by Andrea SpeedMe and My Friend by Emery C. WaltersKiss and Makeup by Allison Wonderland
Kapaemahu
by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu Dean Hamer Joe WilsonAn Indigenous legend about how four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit, or Mahu, brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii, based on the Academy Award–contending short film. In the 15th century, four Mahu sail from Tahiti to Hawaii and share their gifts of science and healing with the people of Waikiki. The islanders return this gift with a monument of four boulders in their honor, which the Mahu imbue with healing powers before disappearing. As time passes, foreigners inhabit the island and the once-sacred stones are forgotten until the 1960s. Though the true story of these stones was not fully recovered, the power of the Mahu still calls out to those who pass by them at Waikiki Beach today. With illuminating words and stunning illustrations by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and Daniel Sousa, KAPAEMAHU is a monument to an Indigenous Hawaiian legend and a classic in the making.
Tough Girl: Lessons in Courage and Heart from Olympic Gold to the Camino de Santiago
by Carolyn WoodA coming-of-age memoir of a young swimmer's triumphs and heartbreaks on the path to winning Olympic gold at age 14. Some 50 years later, author Carolyn Wood embarks on a solo pilgrimage to walk the 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago in an attempt to reclaim her "inner tough girl" as she reflects on coming out as gay in the 1970s after a brief marriage and motherhood, and the disillusionment and loss she experiences when her 30-year relationship suddenly ends. After several failed attempts at learning to swim, young Carolyn Wood finally conquers her fears and dives into unknown waters. By 1958 she sets a goal to make the 1960 Olympic team and, along with teammates and competitors, begins the arduous road to Rome. Losses, pain, fear, and fatigue accompany the rambunctious athlete as she finds her way through athletic training, school, and dealing with social gender expectations as she realizes she's gay. Tough Girl artfully weaves Wood's life story around the tale of her long walk on the Camino de Santiago, an effort to tap into her tough girl resilience so she can begin to accept the end of her long marriage. The ups and downs of Carolyn's childhood road to the Olympics as well as her journey on the Camino, will thrill and inspire readers.
Good Bad Woman: A Frankie Richmond Mystery
by Elizabeth WoodcraftLondon barrister is accused of murder and is also in pursuit of the woman of her dreams; first in a series.
Nothing Burns as Bright as You
by Ashley WoodfolkFrom acclaimed author Ashley Woodfolk, Nothing Burns as Bright as You is an impassioned story about queer love, grief, and the complexity of female friendship that will keep your heart racing, and breaking, until the very last page. <p><p> Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of tumultuous history unspooling like a thin, fraying string in the hours after they set a fire. <p><p> They were best friends. Until they became more. Their affections grew. Until the blurry lines became dangerous. <p><p> Over the course of a single day, the depth of their past, the confusion of their present, and the unpredictability of their future is revealed. And the girls will learn that hearts, like flames, aren’t so easily tamed. <p><p> It starts with a fire. How will it end?
Grandad's Camper (Grandad's Camper)
by Harry WoodgateA Stonewall Honor BookBest Illustrated Book -- Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2022"As warm and friendly as a kind grandparent." Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW"For the hope for new adventures, and the glimpse of intergenerational kindness and understanding, this lovely book should be on every shelf." School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW Best Picture Books of 2021--School Library JournalFuture Classic Picture Books of 2021--Bookstagang's Best of 2021"An effective tool for teaching empathy, and the intergenerational bond at the story's center is a heartstrings puller. This picture book, in which a girl helps her grandfather embrace life again following the death of Gramps, may well aid young readers in understanding others' grief." Shelf Awareness Discover a wonderful grandfather-granddaughter relationship, as a little girl hatches the perfect plan to get her Grandad adventuring again.Gramps and Grandad were adventurers. They would surf, climb mountains, and tour the country in their amazing camper. Gramps just made everything extra special. But after Gramps died, granddad hasn't felt like traveling anymore. So, their amazing granddaughter comes up with a clever plan to fix up the old camper and get Grandad excited to explore again.This beautiful picture book honors love and reminds us not only to remember those we have lost, but to celebrate them.
Grandad's Pride (Grandad's Camper)
by Harry WoodgateGrandad and Milly are back for another adventure, this time honoring the past and celebrating the future with a pride parade. This heartwarming tale continues to wonderful journey that began with the Stonewall Honoree and Waterstones Best Illustrated Book, Grandad's Camper."A winner from beginning to end-and affirmation that Pride belongs in every community." - Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEWAfter Milly discovers a pride flag in Grandad's attic, this adorable pair are motivated by the past to start a pride parade in their small town. Activism and celebration go hand in hand as the town gathers to help "build a world where everyone is proud to be themselves." This beautiful follow-up to Grandad's Camper is filled with heart and purpose.
Spelling Mississippi
by Marnie WoodrowRich in the detailed nuances of the human heart, and swimming in the decadent atmosphere of New Orleans,Spelling Mississippiis a seductive, liberating novel about the ties that bind -- and those that simply restrain. After Cleo arrives in New Orleans on holiday, she's not quite sure what she means to find there, or how long she will stay. At first, all that is important is that she's finally "away": that she can let go of her life in Toronto and allow herself to be caught up in the swirls of the city itself. This is the New Orleans of magnolia breezes and bourbon afternoons, and Cleo gives herself over to days spent experiencing the French Quarter in the languorous fashion it seems to require. But then one night, while sitting alone on a wharf watching the Mississippi roll by, something happens that wakes her up from her reverie and gives her an urgent sense of the direction in which she must go. When a woman in an evening gown and a rhinestone tiara leaps over Cleo's head and into the Mississippi River and disappears into a mammoth swell, Cleo is at a loss for what to do, and can only run away. Having just witnessed what she believes to be a suicide, she spends the night distraught and alone in her hotel, the Pommes Royales, replaying the scene in her mind and unsuccessfully barricading the doors against the flood of emotions headed her way. Over the next days, despite efforts to return to her explorations of the city, she cannot shake loose the intensity of this experience, as if some aspect of it has opened her eyes to truths unknown. Madeline, it turns out, had not intended to commit suicide, and did not. Rather, she leapt into the river because she needed to, and survived her crossing -- and the night itself -- despite the evening clothes weighing her down. For her, water has always had an irresistible pull, and at that dark hour, when everything in her life and in her marriage appeared to be falling apart, it was just the remedy for her anger and her pain. When she emerges on the other shore, Madeline isn't sure of how exactly this swim has changed her, but she knows it has, and triumphantly sits down for some turtle soup and a bourbon at a favourite café. She will spend the next days trying to take back control of her life. What she doesn't realize, though, is that she has also changed the life of another. A brief report on the evening news about a mysterious river-swimmer who has just been unwillingly plucked out of the Mississippi sends Cleo the lifeline that she needs. Certain that this second swimmer must be the same woman, Cleo becomes determined to find her, having become tangled in the flowing robes of her story on that fateful night. And as we follow them separately -- Cleo on her search through the streets of New Orleans for Madeline, and Madeline through her struggles to figure out what she even needs to find -- each woman's story unfolds in waves of experience and memory in such a way that it seems fate has always meant for them to meet. For instance, Madeline and Cleo both arrived in New Orleans haunted by, and trying to escape, their pasts. Cleo's mother disappeared when she was young, as the family was moving to Canada from England, and Cleo has never been able to escape the pain of her absence. Madeline's mother was always too present; not only could she not make up for Madeline's father leaving, but she pushed her daughter away besides. Yet Cleo and Madeline also share in not being able to come to terms with what pushes them forward. They are like two rivers flowing to a single path, each gaining momentum as it nears the other. And when the confluence occurs at last, their shared desires and needs come together with startling force, crashing at the shores of their histories one experience and one memory at a time. As it continues on
100 Times: A Memoir of Sexism
by Chavisa WoodsShirley Jackson Award-winning author and three-time Lambda Finalist, Chavisa Woods presents one hundred personal stories of sexism, harassment, discrimination, and assault.Recounting her experiences with sexist discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence—beginning in childhood, through the present—Woods lays out clear and unflinching personal vignettes that build in intensity as the number of times grows. Individually, and especially taken as a whole, these stories amount to powerful proof that sexual violence and discrimination are never just one-time occurrences, but part of a constant battle all women face every day.In these extraordinary pages, sexual violence and sexist discrimination occur regardless of age, in all spheres of society, in rural and urban areas alike, in the US and abroad, from Woods' youth through adulthood. Demonstrating how often people are conditioned to endure sexism and harassment, and how thoroughly men feel entitled to women’s spaces and bodies, 100 Times forces the reader to witness the myriad ways in which sexism and misogyny continuously shape women’s lives, and are built-in facets of our society.