LGBTQ Literature and Lesbian Pulp Fiction Women Authors and Queer Narratives in Mid Twentieth Century Paperbacks 1957 to 1964

Ann Bannon

Collection

Bannon, Ann, Françoise Mallet-Joris, Ann Brady Clay, Lillian Hellman, and Danni Sherwood, archive of five novels dating from 1957 to 1964, documents the emergence of lesbian themed pulp fiction written by women during the mid twentieth century, a period when most mass market representations of same sex relationships were produced under restrictive publishing norms. These works contribute to the study of LGBTQ literary history by presenting narratives centered on lesbian identity, relationships, and social experience at a time when such content was often marginalized or censored. Authors including Ann Bannon and Françoise Mallet-Joris developed stories that addressed themes of desire, secrecy, social stigma, and community, with some titles offering more complex or affirmative portrayals than typical pulp conventions allowed. The inclusion of works engaging interracial relationships, domestic life, and institutional accusation further situates these novels within broader mid century discussions of gender, sexuality, and social control.

Book archive of five paperback novels published between 1957 and 1964, each approximately 4.25 x 7 inches and around 160 pages, issued in illustrated wrappers characteristic of mid century pulp publishing. Archive includes:
[1] Mallet-Joris, Françoise. The Loving and the Daring. Toronto: Eagle Books, 1957. English translation of Le Rempart des Béguines, presenting a relationship between a younger woman and an older figure within a domestic setting.
[2] Bannon, Ann. Women in the Shadows. Greenwich, Connecticut: Fawcett Publications, 1959. First edition, third installment in the Beebo Brinker series, addressing interracial relationships and social pressures within lesbian communities.
[3] Clay, Ann Brady. We Two. New York: Tower Publications, 1964. First edition, exploring interconnected relationships among four women across differing social backgrounds.
[4] Hellman, Lillian. The Children’s Hour. New York: Signet Books, 1962. First printing of the novelized form of the 1934 play, centered on accusations of a same sex relationship between two women and their consequences.
[5] Sherwood, Danni. So Strange a Love. New York: Tower Publications, 1964. First edition, depicting intersecting heterosexual and same sex relationships leading to a romantic partnership between two women.

These novels reflect how lesbian themes circulated within commercial paperback markets during the 1950s and 1960s, often balancing sensational marketing with narratives that engaged lived experience and emotional complexity. The presence of multiple women authors, including openly or implicitly queer writers, marks a shift within the genre toward self representation, distinguishing these works from male authored pulp fiction that dominated earlier production. Their survival as a grouped archive offers insight into readership, publishing networks, and the cultural negotiation of sexuality in Cold War America, providing material for research into LGBTQ literature, gender studies, and popular culture. Light handling wear with clean covers and sound text blocks. Overall good to very good condition.

Item #20990

Price: $750.00