Synopses & Reviews
Designated the "Queen of Lesbian Pulp Fiction" for authoring five landmark novels beginning in 1957, Ann Bannon's work defined lesbian fiction for the pre-Stonewall generation. Unlike many writers of the period, however, Bannon broke through the shame and isolation typically portrayed in lesbian pulps, offering instead women characters who embrace their sexuality against great odds.
With Beebo Brinker, Bannon introduces the title character, a butch 17-year-old farm girl newly arrived in New York after she is driven from her Wisconsin home town for wearing drag to the State Fair. Befriended by the gay Jack Mann, a father-figure with a weakness for runaways, Beebo sets out to find love. She never knew what she wanted—until she came to Greenwich Village and found the love that smolders in the shadows of the twilight world.
Overwhelmed with her discovery, Beebo is infatuated in turn with the vixen Mona Petry, the sweet femme Paula Ash, and the famous actress Venus Bogardus. Sexy, dangerous, and often touching, Beebo Brinker's search for love takes her from password-protected 1950s lesbian bars to the glamour and ritz of Hollywood and back. Chronicling the reality of 1950s lesbian life through Ann Bannon's dreamy butch, Beebo Brinker is an astounding and engaging read.
Review
"Sex. Sleaze. Depravity. Oh, the twisted passions of the twilight world of lesbian pulp fiction." Chicago Free Press
Review
"Bannon's books grab you and don't let you go." Village Voice
Review
"This is more kitschy now but still fun for its 1950s sensibilities." Library Journal
Synopsis
Designated the "Queen of Lesbian Pulp" for her landmark novels of the 1950s and 1960s, Ann Bannon's work defined lesbian fiction for the pre-Stonewall generation. With Beebo Brinker, Bannon introduces the character who made her famous: a butch 17-year-old farm girl newly arrived in Beat-era Greenwich Village after being kicked out of her Wisconsin home town for wearing drag to the State Fair. Here Beebo finds "love that smolders in the shadows of the twilight world," falling for a glamour girl among the Bohemian set.
About the Author
Ann Bannon is the author of the classic lesbian pulp novels Odd Girl Out, Women in the Shadows, and Journey to a Woman.