LGBTQ Lesbian Pulp Fiction Kimberly Kemp Midwood Paperback Archive 1964 to 1966

Kimberly Kemp

Collection

Kemp, Kimberly. Lesbian pulp paperback archive, 1964 to 1966, documents mid-20th-century commercial representations of lesbian identity within mass-market publishing, providing evidence of how same-sex desire was framed, marketed, and circulated in the absence of broader public discourse. Issued by Midwood Books, these works contributed to a body of literature that shaped popular and internalized understandings of lesbian relationships, often combining sensationalism with coded or explicit depictions of intimacy. The archive supports research into LGBTQ+ cultural history, pulp publishing practices, and the construction of lesbian identity in pre-Stonewall American media.

Collection of 4 mass market paperbacks published in New York by Midwood between 1964 and 1966, all attributed to Kimberly Kemp, a pseudonymous author. The group includes:
[1] The Houseguest. New York: Midwood, 1964. First edition, first printing. Cover tagline reads: “She was like a magnet, a temptation as strong as the strange hungers she had so deliberately awakened,” accompanied by artwork depicting two women in an intimate domestic setting.
[2] A World All Their Own. New York: Midwood, 1964. First edition, first printing. Tagline reads: “More than just roommates, they shared an intimacy that society scorned,” with cover illustration emphasizing physical admiration between two women.
[3] Party Time. New York: Midwood, 1964. Second printing. Tagline reads: “Beautiful and bored with men, Royce threw a special kind of party for seven very special friends,” with imagery of women in a social gathering suggestive of exclusivity and desire.
[4] Pleasant Company. New York: Midwood, 1966. First revised edition. Tagline reads: “She knew how to set a man at ease,” with cover art foregrounding feminine allure through stylized fashion and pose.
The covers employ visual and textual cues typical of the genre, including suggestive taglines and stylized depictions of women, designed to attract a broad readership while signaling taboo subject matter.

Produced during a period when lesbian identity remained largely marginalized in mainstream discourse, such pulp novels functioned as one of the few widely available sources through which lesbian themes entered public circulation. While often shaped by commercial imperatives and heteronormative framing, these works nonetheless contributed to the visibility of same-sex relationships and the formation of a recognizable, if constrained, cultural vocabulary around lesbian identity. The archive offers insight into the intersection of sexuality, publishing, and visual culture in the 1960s, particularly within the context of pre-liberation LGBTQ+ history. Pages clean and crisp with light age toning, minor edge wear to covers; all volumes structurally sound; overall very good. A cohesive group illustrating the aesthetics and narrative framing of mid-century lesbian pulp fiction.

Item #19456

Price: $550.00