LGBTQ+
I must be living twice : new and selected poems, 1975-2014
Eileen Myles
Eileen Myles's poetry and prose are known for their blend of reality and fiction, the sublime and the ephemeral, in which Myles not only lets her readers peer into existent places, like the East Village in her iconic Chelsea Girls, but also lifts them into dreams, imbuing the landscapes of her writing with the vividness and energy of fantasy. I Must Be Living Twice brings selections from the poet's previous work together with a set of bold new poems, through which Myles continues to refine her sardonic, unapologetic, and fiercely intellectual literary voice. Steeped in the culture of New York City, Myles's stomping grounds and the home of her most well-known work, she provides a wide-open lens into a radical life.
Coal
Audre Lorde
Coal is one of the earliest collections of poems by a woman who, Adrienne Rich writes, "for the complexity of her vision, for her moral courage and the catalytic passion of her language, has already become, for many, an indispensable poet." Marilyn Hacker captures the essence of Lorde and her poetry: "Black, lesbian, mother, urban woman: none of Lorde's selves has ever silenced the others; the counterpoint among them is often the material of her strongest poems."
Added by Melody
Poems
Elizabeth Bishop
Elizabeth Bishop is one of America's greatest writers, and her art is loved and admired by readers and fellow poets alike. The poems that make up Bishop's small and select body of work display honesty and humor, grief and acceptance, observing nature and human nature with painstaking accuracy. Her poems often start outwardly, with geography and landscape-- from New England and Nova Scotia, where she grew up, to Florida and Brazil, where she later lived-- and move inexorably toward "the interior," exploring as they do fundamental questions of knowledge and perception, love and solitude, and the ability or inability of form to control chaos.
Added by Melody
Selected poems, 1950-2012
Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Rich was the singular voice of her generation, bringing discussions of gender, race, and class to the forefront of poetical discourse. This generous selection from all nineteen of Rich’s published poetry volumes encompasses her best-known work—the clear-sighted and passionate feminist poems of the 1970s, including “Diving into the Wreck,” “Planetarium,” and “The Phenomenology of Anger”—and offers the full range of her evolution as a poet. From poems leading up to her feminist breakthrough through bold later work such as “North American Time” and “Calle Visión,” Selected Poems celebrates Rich’s prophetic vision as well as the inventiveness that shaped her enduring art.
Added by Melody
Howl, and other poems
Allen Ginsberg
811.54 /Ginsberg
LGBTQ+, Poetry
The prophetic poem that launched a generation when it was first published in 1956 is here presented in a commemorative fortieth Anniversary Edition. When the book arrived from its British printers, it was seized almost immediately by U.S. Customs, and shortly thereafter the San Francisco police arrested its publisher and editor, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, together with City Lights Bookstore manager Shigeyoshi Murao. The two of them were charged with disseminating obscene literature, and the case went to trial in the municipal court of Judge Clayton Horn. A parade of distinguished literary and academic witnesses persuaded the judge that the title poem was indeed not obscene and that it had “redeeming social significance.”
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Jimmy's blues
James Baldwin
Known for his relentless honesty and startlingly prophetic insights on issues of race, gender, class, and poverty, Baldwin is just as enlightening and bold in his poetry as in his famous novels and essays. The poems range from the extended dramatic narratives of “Staggerlee wonders” and “Gypsy” to the lyrical beauty of “Some days,” which has been set to music and interpreted by such acclaimed artists as Audra McDonald. Nikky Finney’s introductory essay reveals the importance, relevance, and rich rewards of these little-known works. Baldwin’s many devotees will find much to celebrate in these pages.
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Complete poems of Hart Crane
Hart Crane
This edition features a new introduction by Harold Bloom as a centenary tribute to the visionary of White Buildings (1926) and The Bridge (1930). Hart Crane, prodigiously gifted and tragically doom-eager, was the American peer of Shelley, Rimbaud, and Lorca. Born in Garrettsville, Ohio, on July 21, 1899, Crane died at sea on April 27, 1932, an apparent suicide. A born poet, totally devoted to his art, Crane suffered his warring parents as well as long periods of a hand-to-mouth existence. He suffered also from his honesty as a homosexual poet and lover during a period in American life unsympathetic to his sexual orientation. Despite much critical misunderstanding and neglect, in his own time and in ours, Crane achieved a superb poetic style, idiosyncratic yet central to American tradition. His visionary epic, The Bridge, is the most ambitious and accomplished long poem since Walt Whitman's Song of Myself. Marc Simon's text is accepted as the most authoritative presentation of Hart Crane's work available to us. For this centennial edition, Harold Bloom, who was introduced to poetry by falling in love with Crane's work while still a child, has contributed a new introduction.
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Collected poems
Constantine Cavafy
C.P. Cavafy (1863-1933) lived in relative obscurity in Alexandria, and a collected edition of his poems was not published until after his death. Now, however, he is regarded as the most important figure in twentieth-century Greek poetry, and his poems are considered among the most powerful in modern european literature. Here is an extensively revised edition of the acclaimed translations of Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard, which capture Cavafy's mixture of formal and idiomatic use of language and preserve the immediacy of his frank treatment of homosexual themes, his brilliant re-creation of history, and his astute political ironies. The resetting of this entire edition has permitted the translators to review each poem and to make alterations where appropriate. George Savidis has revised and amplified the notes in keeping with his latest edition of the Greek text of Cavafy.
Added by Melody
She, he, they, me : For the sisters, misters, and binary resisters
Robyn Ryle
305.3/Ryle
Nonfiction, LGBTQ+
In this unusual, useful resource, sociology professor Ryle (Questioning Gender: A Sociological Exploration) explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, culture, and history in the form of a choose-your-own-adventure book. Each chapter presents a different aspect of a gender-based experience; as readers make their way through, they might choose to see what happens when one is born intersex or discovers they are nonbinary or transgender. Ryle defines such terms as compulsory heterosexuality and gender socialization, explaining why some people might not be accepting of deviations from the gender binary: "For some people, gender matters a lot. It is a system that they're deeply invested in, and a set of rules they believe everyone should follow, including children like you." Ryle explores various cultures' genders, discussing the South Asian third gender label hijra, the "sworn virgins" of the Balkans, and masculine archetypes of 18th-century America. She argues that a rigid binary gender system hurts everyone. Though the chapters are short, often about a page, together they form an expansive account of gender that reflects exhaustive research. With its unique format and accessible language, the text is perfect for readers of any age who are questioning their genders, generally curious about gender, or interested in better understanding a loved one's identity.
A unique choose-your-own-adventure styled guide to the various genders. Choose a path to see what experiences one might have when identifying as a certain gender, taking into account variables such as race and culture. Fun and very informative. -Candice
Coping with gender dysphoria
Ellen McGrody
616.8583 /McGrody
Nonfiction, LGBTQ+, Young Adult
For transgender youth, the process of exploring gender can be exciting, but also difficult and painful. This book discusses the challenges of living with gender dysphoria, offering young adult readers resources and strategies for coping in different contexts: at home, at school, out in public, and in seeking medical care. Each chapter defines relevant terms, shares relatable anecdotes, and features easy-to-read informational sidebars, addressing the experiences and needs of youth with a variety of gender identities and social locations. Beyond merely helping them deal with transphobia, this book offers transgender teens support and advice for navigating life and thriving.
Coming of age and dealing with sexuality can be a scary thing for anyone, but for those who are questioning their gender it can be a particularly stressful and frightening. This book aims to answer questions and clarify issues that might come up, as well as provide advice and tools for navigating certain situations. -Candice
Added by Melody