Lesbian Pulp Novels Archive by Marijane Meaker Writing as Ann Aldrich and Vin Packer

Ann Aldrich , Marijane Meaker

Archive

[LGBTQ] A foundational four-volume archive of lesbian-themed pulp paperbacks authored by Marijane Meaker under her pseudonyms Ann Aldrich and Vin Packer. These works, issued between 1955 and 1961 by Gold Medal Books, span memoiristic exposé, social critique, fictionalized confession, and tragic Bildungsroman. Meaker—who also wrote the iconic Spring Fire and later became a celebrated young adult novelist under the name M.E. Kerr—was one of the most significant and prolific lesbian writers of the 20th century. These volumes represent a groundbreaking body of work that offered queer readers early and sympathetic, if deeply fraught, representations of same-sex desire in an era of widespread cultural repression and legal risk.

[1] Ann Aldrich. We Walk Alone: Through Lesbos' Lonely Groves. New York: Gold Medal Books, 1955. Gold Medal s714.
“Of the love that dwells in twilight—the love that can never be told.” In this semi-journalistic debut, Aldrich (Meaker) examines lesbian life in postwar New York City, including Greenwich Village bars, workplace discretion, and the emotional toll of closeted existence. Framed as a sociological case study, the book functions as both exposé and coded memoir. The melancholy cover art, depicting a nude woman turning away, reflects the era’s mix of curiosity and condemnation. Very good.

[2] Ann Aldrich. We, Too, Must Love. New York: Gold Medal Books, 1958. Gold Medal s727.
“An honest book, a book necessary to light up the dark places of our society.” A sequel of sorts to We Walk Alone, this volume deepens Aldrich’s analysis with greater emphasis on emotional entanglement and romantic longing. Structured around vignettes and character sketches, it seeks to humanize its subjects while still capitulating to mid-century moral framing. The cover continues the motif of the exposed, contemplative woman in red and shadow. Light toning, very good.

[3] Ann Aldrich, ed. Carol in a Thousand Cities. New York: Gold Medal Books, 1961. Gold Medal k1008.
“The twilight woman—as she sees herself, and as she is seen through the eyes of others…” A rare edited anthology in the lesbian pulp canon, Carol in a Thousand Cities includes passages from Simone de Beauvoir, Freud, Guy de Maupassant, and Claire Morgan (The Price of Salt), alongside Meaker’s own commentary. Blending cultural theory with pulp aesthetics, it explores the construction of lesbian identity through art, literature, and psychoanalysis. Near fine.

[4] Vin Packer. The Evil Friendship. New York: Gold Medal Books, 1958. Gold Medal s787.
“Vin Packer’s latest study of the tragedy of forbidden love.” Loosely based on the Parker-Hulme murder case in New Zealand (the subject of the later film Heavenly Creatures), this novel fictionalizes an intense adolescent friendship between two girls that culminates in violence. Though filtered through the pulp framework of moral downfall, the book was groundbreaking for its psychological depth and refusal to caricature queer love as purely deviant. The cover art, showing a dark-haired girl shielding her friend from view, hints at both intimacy and danger. Spot of abrasion on front panel, else very good.

All volumes in original wrappers with vivid mid-century cover design; pages toned but complete, spines intact. General light wear commensurate with age. Together, these works form a coherent and essential archive from one of lesbian pulp’s most intelligent and daring voices. As both social document and literary subversion, Meaker’s dual personas—Aldrich as confessor, Packer as tragedian—capture the complex emotional lives of women who loved women in a world that denied their legitimacy. An indispensable grouping for scholars of LGBTQ history, queer literature, and gender in mid-century American publishing.












Ch.

Item #21939

Price: $485.00