Two Friends: And Other 19th-Century American Lesbian Stories by American Women Writers

by Susan Koppelman (Editor), Sarah Orne Jewett (Contributor), Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward (Contributor)

Comprising eleven short stories by such 19th-century American writers as Sarah Orne Jewett, Kate Chopin, and Mary E. Wilkins, this breakthrough anthology celebrates a rich historical tradition in American lesbian literature. A stunning collection, this book is a milestone for anyone interested in literary history as well as gay and women's studies.

Genres: Fiction, Queer, Short Stories, LGBT, Lesbian, Anthologies, Historical Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 1994

About the author

Susan H. Koppelman (b. 1940) is a feminist literary historian and anthologist. The PCA/ACA's Susan Koppelman Award for Feminist Studies in Popular and American Culture is given in her honor.

Reviews

[Ainara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this compilation of stories for my Master's thesis, as I am analysing the evolution of sapphic literature. While the compilation provided valuable insight for my research, I found that many of the stories leaned heavily into heteronormative narratives. Only a few truly depicted the love between two women as it might have been experienced at the time. In several cases, the protagonists or their love interests ultimately marry men or come to learn how to love them. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that, given the challenges that 19th-century writers faced with the publishers, they often had to frame their stories within socially acceptable norms in order to get published. Whether we like it or not, these stories reflect the era in which they were written.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book to learn about romantic friendships or lesbian relationships in the 19th century. Many of the characters are dead as if that was an acceptable way to write about women who are romantically involved. It was hard to find a story that represented a positive relationship without one of them being dead. Still, it was interesting to learn about the women who wrote the stories, opening up a whole new group of women writers to explore.

[Radclyffe U-Haul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of these stories are well over a hundred years old and still incredibly readable.

[Allison Thurman]

library

[Juniperus · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the stories in this were sort of downers? And I questioned the inclusion of some of them. "Lilacs" would have been a much better Chopin story than "Fedora". All the stories were just really depressing, either about unrequited love or someone dying, or the last one which was just about beards. I liked the introduction which has a pretty good justification for why the stories were chosen, but I stopped reading the intros to each story because they would spoil it (like the Long Arm is a murder mystery, and the introduction spoils the ending entirely!) A lot of the stories use the setting of a Boston Marriage which is something that I didn't know much about and so it was interesting to learn about those for sure. "My Lorelei" was probably the best story in the book but yeah again the ending very depressing.

[mak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly fascinating and educative in that lesbian literature has deeper roots than I would’ve expected; Constance Fenimore Woolson is a standout with her stories of women with true self-awareness and strong character.