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 Charm Offensive

by Alison Cochrun

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Loneliness, Love, Forgiveness, Appearance & Reality, Femininity, Disability, Masculinity, Beauty, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Friendship

Tags Romance, Humor, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, LGBTQ+, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

... Read The Charm Offensive Summary

The Children's Hour

by Lillian Hellman

Publication year 1934

Genre Play, Fiction

Tags Classic Fiction, Drama, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, LGBTQ+

Lillian Hellman wrote The Children’s Hour in 1934. It was the first of Hellman’s many major plays, and she wrote it while working in producer Herman Shumlin’s office as a play reader. She asked Shumlin to read a draft of the play, and he immediately offered to produce it. It appeared on Broadway within the year. The play is based on a real-life event that occurred in Edinburgh in 1810. A student accused her school’s... Read The Children's Hour Summary

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