Chloe Plus Olivia: An Anthology of Lesbian Literature from the Seventeenth Century to the Present

by Lillian Faderman (Editor), William Rounseville Alger, Djuna Barnes

In Chloe Plus Olivia Lillian Faderman seeks no less than to radically redefine four centuries of lesbian literature, filling a need that has long been neglected: a literary anthology of lesbian writers over the past four centuries, with each piece set in historical and literary context. This landmark work of scholarship offers an enlightening review of the shifting concept of "lesbian literature," followed by examples of six different genres: Romantic Friendship, Sexual Inversion, Exotic and Evil Lesbians, Lesbian Encoding, Lesbian Feminism, and Post-Lesbian Feminism.

Faderman examines works as diverse as Willa Cather's My Antonia and Virginia Woolf's Orlando; poetry by Gertrude Stein and Amy Lowell; fiction by Carson McCullers, Helen Hull, and Alice Walker. In addition, Chloe Plus Olivia contains writing by men who focused on women's relationships. These writings are included in the early section of the book and were, in various ways, important to the development of lesbian literature, since men were far more likely than women to achieve publication in other centuries.

It would be impossible to identify a single "great tradition" of lesbian writing, since it is in constant metamorphosis, reflecting changing social attitudes and women's voices. Chloe Plus Olivia, with its historical scope enhanced by Faderman's own personal search for a definition of lesbian literature, makes this the first book of its kind; it is certain to become the point of reference from which all subsequent studies of lesbian literature will begin.

Genres: LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Lesbian, Anthologies, Feminism, Poetry

848 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1994

About the author

Lillian Faderman is an internationally known scholar of lesbian history and literature, as well as ethnic history and literature. Among her many honors are six Lambda Literary Awards, two American Library Association Awards, and several lifetime achievement awards for scholarship. She is the author of The Gay Revolution and the New York Times Notable Books, Surpassing the Love of Men and Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers. (photo by Donn R. Nottage)

Reviews

[Emerson Lane]

this anthology was left at my house by a friend before she moved a few states to the east. as a women's studies and english student in my undergrad, i enjoyed this collection greatly. i read it as background for a senior independent study project on queer lit. very useful. also, as i make a habit of naming my chickens after lesbians who lived and loved on the west bank of france in the 1930's, this anthology is also a useful reference.

[Megan]

This anthology is thorough, though not always entertaining. Academically it's an excellent collection; the contents are in chronological order and split into sections named by the general type of representation in literature predominate for lesbians in each period covered. You can really see the spectrum and evolution of how lesbians and queer characters were viewed in different eras of literature.

But as far as merely wanting to read more early lesbian themed literature... there's certainly a lot of it in this book, and if you're reading it merely for informative purposes or historical context, this is perfect. However, if you're looking for romance, happy endings, positive or at least neural images of queer characters and women in relationships with other women... I would honestly suggest trying a more modern anthology instead. From reading this anthology, it seems early queer literature was more about demonizing, diagnosing, or in some other way attempting to 'explain' lesbians and bisexuals rather than really representing them. (And that includes some things written by lesbians and bisexuals themselves.) It's only positive if in reading it you can hold onto the thought that, well, at least we've come a long way.

[Miranda]

This collection has something for everyone. I found new gems such as Amy Lowell who, like Gertrude Stein, was writing in a time when it was wisest to obfuscate. I get great pleasure out of imagining certain of Amy Lowell's contemporaries reading "The Weather-Cock Points South" and sayin' "oh that's just lovely, I love flowers too".

[Sonnydee]

This is my new Bible. I'm gonna keep it on my bedside table. A great collection, kinda Euro-centric and by no means definitive, but Faderman explains why she made the decisions she did with what to include. A damn good entry (probably first entry!) in the field of lesbian literary tradition. Glad to see my fave, Joanna Russ, included. Faderman is the best.

[David]

A very different collection from Alberto Manguel's Meanwhile, in another part of the forest. Faderman ranges over more time and more genres in her collection, and there is a scholarly component providing further reading for each author. The women seem to be, generally, more genteel and less specific than the men. I have the same general reaction to this book as to its male counterpart: I am more interested in texts which engage the emotional challenges and consequences of the same-sex relationships than in those which address explicitly the physical practices.

[Laura]

I didn't adore every piece in this - in fact there was one I found super uncomfortable, and several I didn't particularly jive with - but as a reference book it's absolutely phenomenal. And since that's its purpose, I'm not going to approach rating it like I would any other anthology.

[Kat Wasberg]

I enjoyed the organization and scope of this anthology. The book is split up into themes based on the way lesbianism and bisexuality was being represented in writing at the time (romantic friendship, a man trapped in a woman's body, exotic and evil lesbians, etc.) A brief biographical sketch precedes each excerpt by a female writer, giving historical and personal context to the pieces.

Not all of the writing is gripping, but overall it's a good review of the evolution of lesbian writing, and a great insight into the lives of lesbian and bisexual authors.

[Michele Chamberlain]

I fell in love over and over reading this book. It is stunning, captivating, gripping and emotional. Every page take the reader into a new place. Sometimes grabbing you, wanting to clinch the book and not let go. I took my time reading this book, I was on a quest to fill a void of purpose. This book taught me everything I know and love about being a woman! A must read for any woman open to experience.

[Mandy]

Willing to lend this one out if you are asked to select a reading for a lesbian wedding, but you have to give it back because it was a gift!

[Vasha7]

My journal entry

[Kathy]

Well written anthology.

[Andi Plouffe]

Well done collection of lesbian works of art.

[megan]

anthologies are just always so problematic.

[Danielle]

a must have if you read lesbian writing. great reference material.

[Lauren Wilson]

want to read

[Maren]

everything is in this book. i love it and keep it on the shelf next to my bed.

[Nix Apuzzo]

I’m a little ways into this book, and I feel I have to point out for the best interest of not only masculine/butch lesbians reading this book, but also transgender people, specifically transmascs like myself: this book handles the trans identity, specifically the transmasculine identity, quite poorly. The author uses ‘sexual inversion’ to refer to the transgender identity often during this book, despite the fact that during the ‘90s, the term transgender was used almost completely. Additionally, (in my eyes) she almost entirely confuses the identity of masculine/butch lesbians with transgender men. It’s of course difficult to distinguish these with few records pointing to which one the lesbian in question could have been, but surely there could have been some attempt made.

Overall, however, it achieves its goal as an anthology, and it is invaluable as a research and analysis tool. I found the extracts of literature to be enjoyable.

[Yasmin]

I think readers should be aware of sexual abuse in this collection. Katherine Bradley not only groomed her niece, Edith Cooper, into an incestuous relationship, but also witnessed her niece being sexually assaulted by a nun. Not only is that horrific in its own right but she wrote she wished it was her instead! I had to skip over anything the "pair" wrote together. I must confess that this inclusion of this joint writing without the author mentioning the horror and trauma inflicted on Edith Cooper, in fact it isn't mentioned at all and the author seems to indicate par for the course, was deeply troubling to me. To the point I wasn't sure I could continue with the book. I shortly after gave up. The language used for transgender people in this collection readers may also find problematic.

[Dom]

Still continuing the anthology. Eventually, it's pages, once read, will live on as art. Not all of the work is all-star material, but I'm grateful for this book's existence in the world and it is surely a worthy exploration.

[Jessica]

I usually liked the author bios more than the actual literature, funnily enough. I was sometimes mystified at certain author's selected works, but overall it was very interesting.

[Andrea]

I didn't have time to read it cover to cover but focused on overviews and biographies of each author. Such a tapestry of literature. It's a world unfolding in a single volume.

[Radclyffe U-Haul]

Some favorites so far:
-Michael Fields' poems
-Helen Rose Hull's The Fire
-Constance Fenimore Woolson's Felipa
-The excerpt from Colette's The Pure and the Impure
-Willa Cather's Tommy the Unsentimental
-Henry Handel Richardson's Two Hanged Women
-The excerpt from Vita Sackville-West's journals
-Rose O'Neill's poems
-The except from Jewelle Gomez' The Gilda Stories: Expanded 25th Anniversary Edition

[Michi Martin]

Otherwise too "classic" for my tastes, this book is thoroughly enjoyable and does get good and sexy. It's also very validating of a natural woman's sexual feelings. It's obviously very beautiful and poetic and is great to read a little bit of each evening.