1950s Lesbian Pulp Novels by Female Authors

[LGBTQ] [Pulp] Collection of seven early lesbian pulp novels by female authors published in the 1950s. Includes several works written by openly queer woman and several written prior to the 50s. Novels run between 120 and 250 pages. Most pulps during the time were written by men under pen names, making these authors and titles unique. Some in this archive featured in Barbara Grier's A tier or above, meaning they contain major lesbian characters and plotlines. Some written by women exploring their lesbian identity, while others were openly queer, a rarity at the time. Included in this archive are early openly queer authors Colette and Mary Renault, as well (truncated) as gay activist Marijane Meaker writing under the pen name Ann Aldrich. Meaker and fellow author Tereska Torres are credited with launching pro-lesbian pulp fiction. Archive includes:

[1] Colette (Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette). Diary of a 16-Year-Old French Girl. New York: Avon Publications, Inc., 1957. Translated from the French by Antonia White. Originally published in 1900 as Claudine a L'Ecole (Claudine at School), making the story one of the earliest homoerotic coming of age novels. The book follows a young girl, Claudine, who initiates a relationship with her headmistress' assistant.

[2] Torres, Tereska. The Dangerous Games. Connecticut: Crest Books/Fawcett Publications, 1958. First Printing. Plot follows a young wife in Paris who explores her lesbian desires and descends into a love triangle. Torres was a member of the Volontaires françaises, the women's army corps of the Free French Forces and was named by literary scholar Yvonne Keller as one of a small group of writers whose work formed the subgenre of "pro-lesbian" pulp fiction.

[3] Craigin, Elisabeth. Either is Love. New York: Lion Books, 1952. 128 pages. Cover art features a melancholy woman with dark hair holding a tree in a forest. The rare memoir dives into Craigin's experience as a lesbian early in life. The story is told in the form of letters to the author's lovers. Quote on the back: "Author pleads here for an attitude of tolerance and understanding towards interfeminine romance."

[4] Taylor, Valerie (Pen name of Velma Nacella Young). Whisper Their Love. Greenwich, Conn.: Fawcett Publications, 1957. First Edition Mass Market Pulp. This novel follows protagonist Joyce's first lesbian relationship with a woman named Edith. Tagline reads: "Theirs was the kind of love they dared not show the world."

[5] Renault, Mary (Pen name of Eileen Challans). The Middle Mist. New York: Avon Books, 1945. First edition mass-market paperback softcover. Cover art features two women in the foreground, with a series of illustrated backdrops behind them. Tagline reads: "A provocative story of modern life as she probes the delicate relationship between two attractive young women."

[6] Marchal, Lucie. The Mesh. New York: Bantam Books, 1951. Translation from the French by Virgilia Peterson. Marchal's novel follows two women falling in love. Tagline reads: "A novel of strange, hidden passions - of women living in a forbidden world."

[7] Aldrich, Ann (Pen name of Marijane Meaker). We Walk Alone. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications 1955. First printing. 143 pages. A provocative account of lesbians in an urban setting. This explosive release launched public debates over what exactly “lesbian culture” was. Consists of journalistic profiles and nightlife scenes.

All pulps exhibiting light wear. Overall good condition. Seven early mass market lesbian pulp novels by female authors dating to the 1950s. (Inventory #: 21077)