Odd
Girl Out (Homosexuality)
by Ann Bannon
In the 1950s, most paperbacks
published about lesbians were a form of titillation for male
readers. In general, the novels were written by male authors with
female pseudonyms, the plot and character developments were
superficial, and the stories were presented with a masculine view
of female sexuality. Lesbians in these novels were commonly saved
by heterosexuality, celibacy or death. Those who did not change
their ways fell from societal grace and were morally corrupted
forever.
Ann Bannon's novels broke new
ground in this genre. Her lesbian characters embraced and explored
their sexuality. Bannon's work includes classics such as Odd
Girl Out, and Women in the Shadows, and Beebo
Brinker.
Beebo Brinker gives a sense of what
it was like for a young butch lesbian to leave the sticks and
settle in New York's Greenwich Village. It served as handbook for
many budding lesbians who flocked to New York looking for the
landmarks mentioned in the book. Bannon later confessed that she
had only visited New York once when she wrote the book.
These early examples of lesbian
literature found a new audience when Naiad Press republished
Bannon's novels in 1986. The novels
were considered to be accurate depictions of the social repression
and emotional conflicts of lesbian life in the 50s and 60s. -- Friends
and Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library
Women
in the Shadows by
Ann Bannon
"This novel has important
historical significance. Originally published in 1959, this novel
broke from the formula of 1950's lesbian pulp fiction. It dealt
with real issues in lesbian relationships like domestic violence,
racism, and internalized homophobia. Other lesbian pulp fiction
novels of the time were simply voyeuristic looks at lesbians and
fostered the image that lesbians were predatory monsters. The
women in this novel were tied to 1950's conventions, but they were
still ahead of their time. The plot leaves much to be desired; it
is very depressing. However, this book should not be brushed aside
because it is outdated. In its proper historical context, this
novel is a masterpiece." -- Cixous
