LGBTQ History The Lust Circuit and the Commercial Packaging of Lesbian Desire

Don Holliday Lesbian Literature Pulp

First Edition

Holliday, Don. The Lust Circuit, 1962, follows dancer Patti Stewart through a series of sexual and romantic encounters that include lesbian clients and relationships. The novel places female same sex desire within the nightlife and entertainment world surrounding its protagonist, while its publisher markets that material through explicitly sensational language. Barbara Grier included the title in The Lesbian in Literature for its substantial lesbian characters and action.

Holliday, Don. The Lust Circuit. Wisconsin: Midnight Readers, 1962. First edition, with the cover stating, “This is an original Midnight Reader.” The front cover shows a blonde woman in a sparkling outfit against a black background beneath the tagline, “Her wanton body was bait on The Lust Circuit.” The narrative follows Patti Stewart, a dancer whose clients and relationships include women. “Don Holliday” was a house pseudonym used by multiple pulp writers, including Arthur Plotnik, Hal Dresner, Lawrence Block, and John Jakes.

One volume, 189 pages. Original pictorial wrappers; as issued, no dust jacket. Measures 4.25" x 6.5". Cover clean and textblock tight. Overall very good condition. The book preserves the conjunction of lesbian content, nightclub sexuality, house-pseudonym authorship, and sensational paperback advertising in the early 1960s pulp market.

Item #20428

Price: $165.00