LGBTQ Literature

From Christopher Isherwood's enduring 20th-century classic Goodbye to Berlin to contemporary titles like Janet Mock's Redefining Realness, the titles in this study guide collection explore a range of ideas, issues, genres, and forms that speak to the LGBTQ community.

The Color Purple

by Alice Walker

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Religion & Spirituality, Colonialism

Tags Gender & Feminism, American Literature, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, World History, LGBTQ+

The Color Purple is an epistolary novel—a novel told in letter form—in which Alice Walker traces the gradual liberation of Celie, a poor, Black woman who must overcome abuse and separation from her beloved sister Nettie. Set in the South and an unnamed African country during the 1930 to 1940s, the novel is a study in the ways in which Black women use their faith, relationships, and creativity to survive racial and sexual oppression. Several... Read The Color Purple Summary

The Fifth Season

by N. K. Jemisin

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Gender Identity

Tags Fantasy, Gender & Feminism, Science Fiction, LGBTQ+

The Fifth Season is the first installment of author N. K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy—a “science fantasy” series that blends scientific explanation with the magical or supernatural elements of the fantasy genre. After its publication in 2015, the novel received the 2016 Hugo Award recognizing excellence in science fiction or fantasy writing. Jemisin was the first black woman to win the prize, and went on to break another record when her sequels to The Fifth... Read The Fifth Season Summary

The Fire Next Time

by James Baldwin

Publication year 1963

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Tags LGBTQ+, Existentialism, African American Literature, Black Lives Matter, Creative Nonfiction, Race & Racism, World History, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government

James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time (1963) comprises two autobiographical essays in which the author confronts the racial issues and tensions that he believes corrupt and deform American life and the American dream. Baldwin’s essays exemplify and precursor many of the elements and arguments central to the Civil Rights movement. Please note: Throughout the text, Baldwin uses the racial labels/language common at the time he was writing. This study guide, which uses the Vintage Reissue... Read The Fire Next Time Summary

The Future

by Naomi Alderman

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Future, Appearance & Reality, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, LGBTQ+

... Read The Future Summary

The Garden of Eden

by Ernest Hemingway

Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity

Tags Romance, Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+, American Literature, French Literature, World History

The Garden of Eden is a novel by American author Ernest Hemingway, who is regarded as one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Hemingway had worked on the novel for 15 years at the time of his death in 1961. It was published posthumously in 1986. Though controversial, the novel has been heralded as an important example of Hemingway’s work and was adapted into a film of the same name in 2008... Read The Garden of Eden Summary

The Gilda Stories

by Jewelle Gomez

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Horror & Suspense, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

The novel follows the adventures of an immortal vampire named Gilda over eight chapters, each set in a different location and year in the United States. Spanning the 200 years between 1850 and 2050, the novel charts African American history from the period of enslavement through abolition, segregation, the Black Power movement, and into an imagined dystopian future of economic and environmental collapse. Told by an omniscient narrator, the stories in each chapter have their... Read The Gilda Stories Summary