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The Love That Dares: Letters of LGBTQ+ Love & Friendship Through History
by Rachel Smith Barbara Vesey"What this charming, moving and fascinating collection proves is that the [letter] form itself - a scribbled note, a declaration of love, an outpouring of passion, a bitter word - has always been with us." - Mark GatissA good love letter can speak across centuries, and reassure us that the agony and the ecstasy one might feel today have been shared by lovers long gone. In The Love That Dares, queer love speaks its name through a wonderful selection of surviving letters between lovers and friends, confidants and companions. Alongside the more famous names coexist beautifully written letters by lesser-known lovers. Together, they weave a narrative of queer love through the centuries, through the romantic, often funny, and always poignant words of those who lived it.Including letters written by:John CageAudre Lorde Benjamin BrittenLorraine Hansberry Walt WhitmanVita Sackville-WestRadclyffe HallAllen Ginsberg
A Love Story for Bewildered Girls: 'Utterly gorgeous' Pandora Sykes
by Emma Morgan'FUNNY, HONEST, BRILLIANT' Nina Stibbe, bestselling author of Love, Nina Grace loves a woman. Annie loves a man. Violet isn't quite sure. But you'll love them all...Grace has what one might call a 'full and interesting life' which is code for not married and has no kids. Her life is the envy of her straight friends, but all this time she has been waiting in secret for love to hit her so hard that she runs out of breath, like the way a wave in a rough sea bowls you over, slams you into the sand, and nearly drowns you.When Grace meets a beautiful woman at a party, she falls suddenly and desperately in love. At the same party, lawyer Annie meets the man of her dreams - the only man she's ever met whose table manners are up to her mother's standards. And across the city, Violet, who is afraid of almost everything, is making another discovery of her own: that for the first time in her life she's falling in love with a woman.A Love Story for Bewildered Girls is a moving and exquisitely funny novel about love, sex and heartbreak.'An utterly gorgeous novel. It will forever hold my heart in its pages' Pandora Sykes, co-host of The High-Low podcast 'I absolutely loved this book by Emma Morgan which follows 3 women's very different love lives... I inhaled it' Emma Gannon, Sunday Times best-selling author and host of the podcast Ctrl-Alt-Delete 'Exquisitely tender, beautifully written, funny and sad. . . a story about women rescuing themselves and each other. It made my heart swell' Daisy Buchanan, author of How to Be a Grown-up'Funny, touching, uplifting, thoroughly modern' Lauren Bravo, author of What Would the Spice Girls Do? 'I was transfixed by this funny and moving story of three women navigating their way through the complexities of love, life and the search for personal fulfilment. This exquisite depiction of misplaced love, heartbreak and emerging self-knowledge feels utterly true-to-life.' Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus, a Richard & Judy Book Club Pick
Love Stories: Sex between Men before Homosexuality
by Jonathan Ned KatzIn Love Stories, Jonathan Ned Katz presents stories of men's intimacies with men during the nineteenth century—including those of Abraham Lincoln—drawing flesh-and-blood portraits of intimate friendships and the ways in which men struggled to name, define, and defend their sexual feelings for one another. In a world before "gay" and "straight" referred to sexuality, men like Walt Whitman and John Addington Symonds created new ways to name and conceive of their erotic relationships with other men. Katz, diving into history through diaries, letters, newspapers, and poems, offers us a clearer picture than ever before of how men navigated the uncharted territory of male-male desire.
Love Song to Lavender Menace (Oberon Modern Plays)
by James LeyCast your mind back to 1982 - Margaret Thatcher sends the British Fleet to the Falklands, Channel 4 comes to the living room and Prince William is born, but this play has nothing to do with all that. This play is about activism, community and fighting for acceptance with words, music, humour and heart.On Edinburgh’s Forth Street, two friends Bob and Sigrid are opening their new lesbian, gay and feminist bookshop, Lavender Menace. A trailblazing venture that will become the beating heart for Edinburgh’s LGBT+ community.Now on the eve of the shop’s fifth birthday, sales assistants Paul and David take a look back at its origins, its importance, its celebration of queer culture, how things have changed for the better (maybe)... And straight away, the arguments begin!Love Song to Lavender Menace is a beautifully funny and moving exploration of the love and passion it takes to make something happen and the loss that is felt when you have to let it go.
Love Simon: Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda Official Film Tie-in
by Becky AlbertalliStraight people should have to come out too. And the more awkward it is, the better. Simon Spier is sixteen and trying to work out who he is - and what he's looking for. But when one of his emails to the very distracting Blue falls into the wrong hands, things get all kinds of complicated. Because, for Simon, falling for Blue is a big deal . . .It's a holy freaking huge awesome deal.
Love & Other Scams
by null PJ EllisThere’s no thrill like breaking the rules… ‘MISCHIEVOUS, MAGNETIC AND HEAPS OF FUN’ EMMA GANNON ‘THE ROMCOM OF 2023’ LIZZY DENT *** Cat has a dangerously dwindling bank balance. She also has: ·a month before her landlord kicks her out ·a surprise wedding invitation from rich mean girl, Louisa ·a secret talent for con artistry A priceless jewel the size of a cocktail olive is glinting on Louisa’s finger. And when Cat meets her ideal plus one, Jake – who’s gifted at hustling and posing as the perfect boyfriend – this wedding becomes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After all, How hard can a diamond heist be? *** ‘PJ ELLIS IS A GENIUS’ LUCY VINE ‘CANCEL-ALL-PLANS GRIPPING’ LAUREN BRAVO ‘THIS DELICIOUS DEBUT … DESERVES TO BE A HUGE BESTSELLER’ SARRA MANNING ‘THE BOOK OF THE SUMMER’ LAURA JANE WILLIAMS ‘A SPARKLING DIAMOND OF A NOVEL’ ERICA JAMES ‘A DOSE OF UNBRIDLED JOY’ AJ WEST ‘FUNNY AND FLIRTY AND DARING – YOU WILL DEVOUR IT’ SOPHIE IRWIN *** THE MOST RIOTOUSLY ESCAPIST NOVEL OF THE YEAR PERFECT FOR FANS OF HOW TO KILL YOUR FAMILY, CRAZY RICH ASIANS AND PORTRAIT OF A THIEF *** Everyone loves Love & Other Scams ‘I adored this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Hilarious … A slice of pure enjoyment’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Original and brilliant’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘If this doesn’t make a Reese Witherspoon pick I would be shocked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘When’s the sequel?’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Clever, funny and heartwarming’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great love story from a different angle’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The ending was perfect’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A must read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I devoured it’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A joy’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I really think it will be a favourite for book clubs and BookTok’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of CrimeReads’ Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2023 One of Paste’s Most Anticipated Romances of 2023
Love & Other Disasters: 'The perfect recipe for romance' - you won't want to miss this delicious rom-com!
by Anita KellyThe first openly nonbinary contestant on America's favourite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut!'Sweet and sexy and wholly delicious. I'm head over heels for these two delightful disasters . . . Anita Kelly writes with tremendous warmth and care, and these pages shine with joy' Rachel Lynn Solomon'A nonbinary protagonist in a mainstream romance is cause for excitement and the characters spark with chemistry. The heartwarming result will leave readers eager for more from Kelly' Publishers WeeklyEarly readers are giving Love & Other Disasters 5 stars!'This book had so many great elements that it's no surprise I fell absolutely head over heels for it . . . the unabashed queerness in this book made my heart so happy . . . there was so much joy in this book that had me smiling from ear to ear''Funny, uplifting, true to life, relatable, and cheerful. If you need cheering up this is the perfect book for you''Such a fun read!'Perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and A Sweet Mess..............................................................................................Every recipe needs a little chemistry . . .Recently divorced Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself and she's found the perfect opportunity: the hit cooking competition show Chef's Special. Falling flat on her face on the first day is admittedly not the best start, but Dahlia isn't going to let it mess up her focus. London Parker is also there to win. As the first non-binary contestant on Chef's Special, they have a lot to prove, and they have enough on their mind without being distracted by the pretty contestant who crashed into them on Day One and hasn't really stopped talking since. After filming a few episodes, Dahlia and London grow closer and things get a little steamy as they spend more time together outside of the show. Suddenly winning isn't as important as either of them thought, but when their relationship starts to feel the heat both in and out of the kitchen, Dahlia and London realise that love doesn't always follow a recipe..............................................................................................Raves for Love & Other Disasters!'Wildly charming, exquisitely vibrant, and achingly tender . . . I can't wait to buy it for everyone I've ever met' Rosie Danan'With only one book, Anita Kelly has landed among my all-time favorite authors' Meryl Wilsner'Anita Kelly has the perfect recipe for romance . . . I didn't want it to end and I'm so hungry for more' Ruby Barrett
Love & Other Carnivorous Plants
by Florence GonsalvesThis acclaimed, darkly funny debut for fans of Jesse Andrews and Robyn Schneider about a teen who's consumed by love, grief, and self-destructive behavior is now in paperback. Freshman year at college was the most anticlimactic year of Danny's life. She's failing pre-med and drifting apart from her best friend. One by one, Danny is losing all the underpinnings of her identity. When she finds herself attracted to an older, edgy girl who she met in rehab for an eating disorder, she finally feels like she might be finding a new sense of self. But when tragedy strikes, her self-destructive tendencies come back to haunt her as she struggles to discover who that self really is. With a starkly memorable voice that's at turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Love and Other Carnivorous Plants brilliantly captures the painful turning point between an adolescence that's slipping away and the overwhelming uncertainty of the future.
Love Offers No Safety: Nigeria's Queer Men Speak
by Olumide Femi Makanjuola and Jude DibiaLove Offers No Safety: Nigeria's Queer Men Speak is a raw and powerful collection of 25 first-person narratives that explore the diverse experience of queer Nigerian men. These stirring stories cut across age, class, religion, ethnicity, family and relationships, offering a glimpse into what it means to survive as a queer man in Nigeria. From Tunji, who takes us back to the thriving networking community before social media, to Chukwori, who struggles to reconcile his need to serve God with his sexuality, and Abdulkarim, who frustratingly wonders if he'll ever stop working twice as hard to be accepted, these stories are full of contradictions, anger, resiliency, profound insight, and radical hope. With heightened levels of oppression, violence, and discrimination faced by LGBTQ Nigerians due to the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Law, these voices remind us of what the queer community in Nigeria has always been fighting for - the freedom to be themselves, love themselves, and love each other, despite being viewed as unworthy. Love Offers No Safety is a heart-breaking yet hopeful reminder that love knows no boundaries and offers no safety, but it is worth fighting for.
Love of My Life: The Life and Loves of Freddie Mercury
by Lesley-Ann JonesWHO - OR WHAT - WAS THE REAL LOVE OF FREDDIE MERCURY'S LIFE?Millions of Queen and screen fans who watched the Oscar-winning film Bohemian Rhapsody believe that Mary Austin, the woman he could never quite let go of, was the love of Freddie Mercury's life. But the truth is infinitely more complicated.Best-selling biographer and music writer Lesley-Ann Jones explores the charismatic frontman's romantic encounters, from his boarding school years in Panchgani, India to his tragic, final, bed-ridden days in his magnificent London mansion. She reveals why none of his love interests ever perfected the art of being Freddie's life partner.In Love of My Life, the author follows him through his obsessions with former shop girl Mary, German actress Barbara Valentin and Irish-born barber boyfriend Jim Hutton. She explores his adoration of globally fêted Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé. She delves into his intimate friendship with Elton John, and probes his imperishable bonds with his fellow band members. She deconstructs his complicated relationship with the 'food of love' - his music - and examines closely his voracious appetite for - what some would call his fatal addiction to - sex. Which of these was the real love of Freddie Mercury's life? Was any of them? Drawing on personal interviews and first-hand encounters, this moving book brings to the fore a host of Freddie's lesser-known loves, weaving them in and out of the passions that consumed him. The result, a mesmerising portrait of a legendary rock star, is unputdownable. Love of My Life, published during the year of the 30th anniversary of his death and that would have seen his 75th birthday, is Lesley-Ann's personal and compassionate tribute to an artist she has revered for as long as she has written about music and musicians.
Love Matters: A Book of Lesbian Romance and Relationships
by Linda Sutton Ellen Cole Esther D RothblumLove Matters: A Book of Lesbian Romance and Relationships is a collection of advice columns and personal reflections that will help lesbian couples validate and appreciate their unique relationships. With excerpts taken from the author’s “Love Matters” column in the lesbian newspaper New Phazes, this book explores real-life questions and issues that lesbians have about dating, sex, love, and relationship longevity. From Love Matters, you’ll receive honest, informative advice that can help you and your partner share a more open and fulfilling relationship.Offering support, care, and understanding for lesbian couples, Love Matters seeks to recognize the “new female role” for lesbian women. Using her 15-year long relationship as a basis for many of the responses, the author provides you with suggestions and insight into topics relating to lesbian relationships, such as: keeping sex alive in a long-term relationship handling finances fairly and successfully supporting your partner through the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes caused by menopause identifying the difficulties of dating and what lesbians look for on a date questioning the purpose of and emotions caused by a long-distance relationship realizing how homophobia affects love and relationshipsWhile focusing on the joys and experiences of couples, this book also addresses depression and loneliness felt by single lesbians, break-ups, and the death of a partner. You’ll find that Love Matters offers comfort, hope, and humor that will help you understand the difficulties and rewards of your lesbian relationship.
Love Matters: A Book of Lesbian Romance and Relationships
by Linda Sutton Ellen Cole Esther D RothblumLove Matters: A Book of Lesbian Romance and Relationships is a collection of advice columns and personal reflections that will help lesbian couples validate and appreciate their unique relationships. With excerpts taken from the author’s “Love Matters” column in the lesbian newspaper New Phazes, this book explores real-life questions and issues that lesbians have about dating, sex, love, and relationship longevity. From Love Matters, you’ll receive honest, informative advice that can help you and your partner share a more open and fulfilling relationship.Offering support, care, and understanding for lesbian couples, Love Matters seeks to recognize the “new female role” for lesbian women. Using her 15-year long relationship as a basis for many of the responses, the author provides you with suggestions and insight into topics relating to lesbian relationships, such as: keeping sex alive in a long-term relationship handling finances fairly and successfully supporting your partner through the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes caused by menopause identifying the difficulties of dating and what lesbians look for on a date questioning the purpose of and emotions caused by a long-distance relationship realizing how homophobia affects love and relationshipsWhile focusing on the joys and experiences of couples, this book also addresses depression and loneliness felt by single lesbians, break-ups, and the death of a partner. You’ll find that Love Matters offers comfort, hope, and humor that will help you understand the difficulties and rewards of your lesbian relationship.
Love Marriage: 'Exquisitely written with big heartedness, intelligence and passion' Ruth Jones
by Monica AliTWO CULTURES. TWO FAMILIES. TWO PEOPLE.The new novel from the bestselling, Booker Prize-shortlisted author of BRICK LANE_____________________________________'Exquisitely written with big-heartedness, intelligence and passion' RUTH JONES'Funny, warm, powerful' DIANA EVANS'Big-hearted, pitch-perfectly written, and utterly unputdownable' NEEL MUKHERJEEYasmin Ghorami has a lot to be grateful for: a loving family, a fledgling career in medicine, and a charming, handsome fiancée, fellow doctor Joe Sangster.But as the wedding day draws closer and Yasmin's parents get to know Joe's firebrand feminist mother, both families must confront the unravelling of long-held secrets, lies and betrayals.As Yasmin dismantles her own assumptions about the people she holds most dear, she's also forced to ask herself what she really wants in a relationship and what a 'love marriage' actually means. Love Marriage is a story about who we are and how we love in today's Britain - with all the complications and contradictions of life, desire, marriage and family. What starts as a captivating social comedy develops into a heart-breaking and gripping story of two cultures, two families and two people trying to understand one another.'Ali's wit and insight illuminate the complications of modern love in Britain today. A joy' HARPER'S BAZAAR'Lit from end to end with storytelling brilliance' ANDREW O'HAGAN'No one captures the modern family like Monica Ali. Love Marriage is full of surprises and unexpected twists, with an ending that will take your breath away' TAHMIMA ANAM'A truly astonishing piece of writing - exquisite storytelling, featuring the most human portrayal of doctors I've ever read. I defy you to put this book down' ADAM KAY'Every bit as compelling, as charming as Brick Lane. A joyous novelist at the peak of her formidable powerswriting fresh lives into our literary tradition' DALJIT NAGRAA gloriously vibrant and tender novel packed with wit, intelligence and wisdom. Her two juniordoctor protagonists are superbly drawn - flawed, courageous, flailing, human. Just brilliant' RACHEL CLARKE
Love, Locked Down: the debut romantic comedy from the writer of Netflix hit The Kissing Booth
by Beth ReeklesFROM THE WORLDWIDE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE KISSING BOOTH, A MAJOR NETFLIX HIT'Truly wonderful and brilliant . . . Beth is officially the new queen of hilarious rom-coms' LUCY VINE 'Brilliant! So original, so clever, so funny' HELLY ACTION, author of The Shelf Five couples. One week. A love story like no other . . . When an apartment block is put on lockdown, its residents are in for a whirlwind week. In Flat 14, wild and reckless Imogen is stuck living with a one-night-stand whose name she can't remember. Upstairs, Isla and Danny are still in the honeymoon period, but a warts-and-all week together so early in the relationship could make or break their romance. Meanwhile, Zach and Serena's steady relationship is on tenterhooks, and pineapple on pizza might actually be the last straw. In Flat 22, Olivia's Maid of Honour duties are pushing her to the edge as a wedding-planning weekend has turned into an entire (nightmarish) week... And speaking of weddings, this whole thing has made Ethan realise he wants to spend the rest of his life with Charlotte, if only he can surprise her with the perfect proposal - and find a way to sneak her into the building . . .From make-ups to break-ups, one-night stands and proposals, Love, Locked Down is the ultimate love story. Perfect for fans of THE FLATSHARE, OUR STOP and LOVE ACTUALLY'Clever, heart-warming and hilarious, each page of Love, Locked Down is pure joy. Beth Reekles has written the perfect book for these times' Phaedra Patrick, author of THE LIBRARY OF LOST AND FOUND'Funny and uplifting with a whole lot of heart' - Isla Gordon, author of THE WEDDING PACT'A funny, feel-good romance' People's Friend
Love Lessons in Starcross Valley
by Lucy Knott'A lovely, very different 5* read from Lucy Knott, full of her trademark cosiness' Sam Tonge, author of Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage, on The Little Barn of DreamsWith the recent breakdown of both her ten-year relationship and her parents' marriage, thirty-five-year-old Marnie Barnes no longer believes in love. To give her life the shake-up it so clearly needs, she books a ticket to Canada.Thousands of miles away from her home and her twin sister, she struggles to have the life-changing experience she dreamt of – until she meets Nova, a dinosaur-loving space nerd with a penchant for living in the moment. After a wonderful day together in Vancouver, they part ways. Though gutted, Marnie thinks it's proof that she's not meant to find love and tries to move on with her life.But a few months later, back in England, she bumps into someone achingly familiar. As Marnie navigates her new feelings, takes chances and makes the first move for the first time in her life, can she regain her faith in love – and find it for herself?
Love is for Losers (Phoebe Davis Thinks . . . #1)
by Wibke BrueggemannA laugh out loud look at first love, loss and trying to avoid the girl of your dreams.What a stupid expression that is in the first place: To fall in love.Like you fall into a ditch or something.Maybe people need to look where they’re going.As far as Phoebe Davis is concerned, love is to be avoided at all costs. Why would you spend your life worrying about something that turns you into a complete moron? If her best friend Polly is anything to go by, the first sniff of a relationship makes you forget about your friends (like, hello?), get completely obsessed with sex (yawn) and bang on constantly about a person who definitely isn't as great as you think they are. So Phoebe isn't going to fall in love, ever. But then she meets Emma . . . Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann is a hilarious, life-affirming novel about all the big stuff: love, sex, death, family, heartbreak, kittens . . . and kisses that turn the whole world upside down.
Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold
by Bolu Babalola'Time was constructed with love in mind. Time and love are intertwined, they are both measures of life, two clocks. And, for love to operate as it should, it is imperative that the timing should be right. Just as it is in these stories.'Bolu Babalola takes the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology and rewrites them with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines iconic Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from countries that no longer exist in our world. Babalola is inspired by tales that truly show the variety and colours of love around the globe. A high-born Nigerian goddess feels beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover and longs to be truly seen.A young businesswoman attempts to make a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether to uphold her family's politics, or to be true to her heart.Whether captured in the passion of love at first sight, or realising that self-love takes precedent over the latter, the characters in these vibrant stories try to navigate this most complex human emotion and understand why it holds them hostage.Taking a step towards decolonising tropes of love, Babalola forms new stories from the wildly beautiful tales that already exist in so many communities and cultures. Moving exhilaratingly across perspectives, continents and genres, from the historic to the vividly current, Love in Colour is a celebration of romance in all of its forms.
Love in a Dark Time: Gay Lives from Wilde to Almodovar
by Colm TóibínIn Love in a Dark Time, Colm Tóibín looks at the life and work of some of the greatest and most influential artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His subjects range from figures such as Oscar Wilde, born in the 1850s, to Pedro Almodóvar, born nearly a hundred years later. Tóibín studies how a changing world impacted on the lives of people who, on the whole, kept their homosexuality hidden, and reveals that the laws of desire changed everything for them, both in their private lives and in the spirit of their work.
The Love Hypothesis
by Laura StevenAn LGBT romantic comedy with a twist from the Comedy Women in Print prize winner Laura Steven, author of The Exact Opposite of Okay. A hilarious love story with bite, for fans of Sex Education, Booksmart, Becky Albertalli's Love, Simon and Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before.
Love from the Pink Palace: Memories of Love, Loss and Cabaret through the AIDS Crisis
by Jill Nalder'I read the book in one go. I laughed and cried like a baby, and was transported back to a time of innocence, clouded by the enormity of the harsh reality . . . Just amazing' CATHERINE ZETA JONES'As it happens, I was also a Jill in the eighties - but not half as good a Jill as real Jill' DAWN FRENCH'Jill met the crisis head on . . . She held the hands of so many men. She lost them, and remembered them, and somehow kept going' RUSSELL T DAVIESWhen Jill Nalder arrived at drama school in London in the early 1980s, she was ready for her life to begin. With her band of best friends - of which many were young, talented gay men with big dreams of their own - she grabbed London by the horns: partying with drag queens at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, hosting cabarets at her glamorous flat, flitting across town to any jobs she could get.But soon rumours were spreading from America about a frightening illness being dubbed the 'gay flu', and Jill and her friends now found their formerly carefree existence under threat.In this moving memoir, IT'S A SIN's Jill Nalder tells the true story of her and her friends' lives during the AIDS crisis -- juggling a busy West End career while campaigning for AIDS awareness and research, educating herself and caring for the sick. Most of all, she shines a light on those who were stigmatised and shamed, and remembers those brave and beautiful boys who were lost too soon.'An engaging, moving account' TIMES SATURDAY REVIEW'Simultaneously devastating and uplifting' GRAZIA'Engrossing, heart-breaking and inspiring' MATT CAIN'We should all "Be More Jill"' LESLEY JOSEPH
Love from the Crayons
by Drew DaywaltCelebrate Valentine’s Day – and love – with the number 1 bestselling Crayons!
Love Falls On Us: A Story of American Ideas and African LGBT Lives
by Robbie Corey-BouletIn 2009 Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill became a top global news story. Two years later Hillary Clinton declared “Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights,” but still today there is little consensus on how to advance those rights beyond the U.S. and Europe. The fact is that international LGBT activism and allies have created winners and losers. In Africa those who easily identify with the identities of the global movement find support, funding and care. Those whose sexualities don't align so neatly don't.In this faithful and moving investigation, award winning journalist Robbie Corey-Boulet shows that LGBT liberation does not look the same in Africa as it does in the United States or Europe. At a time when there is a groundswell of interest in LGBT life in Africa and attempts at reversing LGBT rights across much of the 'developed' world Corey-Boulet lays bare past failures. To the extent that there exists a right way to engage on LGBT issues in Africa-and, indeed, worldwide-Love Falls on Us is for those looking to learn what it is.
Love Falls On Us: A Story of American Ideas and African LGBT Lives
by Robbie Corey-BouletIn 2009 Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill became a top global news story. Two years later Hillary Clinton declared “Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights,” but still today there is little consensus on how to advance those rights beyond the U.S. and Europe. The fact is that international LGBT activism and allies have created winners and losers. In Africa those who easily identify with the identities of the global movement find support, funding and care. Those whose sexualities don't align so neatly don't.In this faithful and moving investigation, award winning journalist Robbie Corey-Boulet shows that LGBT liberation does not look the same in Africa as it does in the United States or Europe. At a time when there is a groundswell of interest in LGBT life in Africa and attempts at reversing LGBT rights across much of the 'developed' world Corey-Boulet lays bare past failures. To the extent that there exists a right way to engage on LGBT issues in Africa-and, indeed, worldwide-Love Falls on Us is for those looking to learn what it is.
Love Don't Need a Reason: The Life & Music of Michael Callen
by Matthew J. JonesFrom a stage erected in front of the US Capitol, on April 25, 1993, Michael Callen surveyed the throng: an estimated one million people stretched across the National Mall in the largest public demonstration of queer political solidarity in history. “What a sight,” he told the crowd, his earnest Midwestern twang reverberating through loudspeakers. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. Being gay is the greatest gift I have ever been given, and I don’t care who knows about it.” He then launched into a gorgeous rendition of “Love Don’t Need a Reason,” the AIDS anthem he composed with Marsha Malamet and the late Peter Allen. As Callen finished singing, people stood cheering and flashing the familiar American Sign Language symbol for “I Love You.” For they knew the song’s sentiment rang true for Callen, who had recently announced his retirement from music and activism after a living for more than a decade with what was then called “full-blown AIDS.” After the March on Washington, Callen returned to his recently adopted West Coast home, Los Angeles. In the ensuing months, his health rapidly declined, and on 27 December 1993, Callen died of AIDS-related pulmonary Kaposi’s sarcoma. Love Don’t Need a Reason focuses on Callen’s most important and lasting legacy: his music. A witness to the overlooked last years of Gay Liberation and a major figure in the early years of the AIDS crisis, Michael Callen chronicled these experiences in song. A community organizer, activist, author, and architect of the AIDS self-empowerment movement, he literally changed the way we have sex in an epidemic when he co-authored one of the first safe-sex guides in 1983. A gifted singer, songwriter, and performer, he also made gay music for gay people and used music to educate and empower people with AIDS. Listening again to his music allows us to hear the shifting dynamics of American families, changing notions of masculinity, gay migration to urban areas, the sexual politics of Gay Liberation, and HIV/AIDS activism. Using extensive archival materials and newly-conducted oral history interviews with Callen’s friends, family, and fellow musicians, Matthew J. Jones reintroduces Callen to the history of LGBTQIA+ music and places Callen’s music at the center of his important activist work.
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre
by Robin TalleyThe brilliant new romcom from 2020 CILIP Carnegie medal nominee and New York Times bestseller, Robin Talley. *************************************************************