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Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction
A necessary and relevant addition to the Black LGBTQ literary canon, which oftentimes overlooks Black lesbian writing, Lez Talk is a collection of short stories that embraces the fullness of Black lesbian experiences. The contributors operate under the assumption that “lesbian” is not a dirty word, and have written stories that amplify the diversity of Black lesbian lives.
At once provocative, emotional, adventurous, and celebratory, Lez Talk crosses a range of fictional genres, including romance, speculative, and humor. The writers explore new subjects and aspects of their experiences, and affirm their gifts as writers and lesbian women. Beginning with Claudia Moss’s “Who Cooks for You?” a lush romantic tale of self-discovery, the collection also includes work from Sheree L. Greer, Lauren Cherelle, LaToya Hankins, S.Andrea Allen, K.A. Smith, Eternity Philops, and Faith Mosley.
At once provocative, emotional, adventurous, and celebratory, Lez Talk crosses a range of fictional genres, including romance, speculative, and humor. The writers explore new subjects and aspects of their experiences, and affirm their gifts as writers and lesbian women. Beginning with Claudia Moss’s “Who Cooks for You?” a lush romantic tale of self-discovery, the collection also includes work from Sheree L. Greer, Lauren Cherelle, LaToya Hankins, S.Andrea Allen, K.A. Smith, Eternity Philops, and Faith Mosley.
252 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 22, 2016
Review coming next week.
May 6, 2016
Allen and Cherelle did a standout job. The stories were ordered in a way that I wanted to keep reading, rather than feel fatigued. The variation in themes kept the anthology from being repetitive (which is always a danger). I finished the anthology last week, and I’ve been talking it up like crazy. As a bookworm, I know of no higher form of praise.
While I like most of the stories, there were some standouts that deserve extra applause.
K.A. Smith has two stories in the anthology. Darker the Berry and Two Moons. In Darker the Berry, what looks like a supermarket pickup and casual sex turns out to be so much more complex than it first appears. I told K.A. that I would love to read a novel set in the Two Moons world because in such a short, lyrical piece, she does some intriguing world-building. K.A. is a member in my “never disappoints” club–I know that if I’m picking up an anthology or independent work by her, I will never be disappointed.
S. Andrea Allen’s story, Pretty, resonated strongly for me. It begins “Everybody said she was pretty, for a fat girl.” I don’t think that there is a plus-sized woman who hasn’t heard that dig. I blinked back tears at the end of the story for that, too, was a moment I identified with. Her second story in the anthology, Epiphany, is the story of a love gone toxic. What do you do when you need to leave a relationship, but can’t see the way out? I walked away wanting to read more by Allen because in both stories, I became emotionally invested in her character’s stories and their outcomes.
Eternity Philops nearly broke my heart with The Other Side of Crazy. Delilah’s girlfriend Sam is cheating on her. Again. She waits for Sam to come home, but she doesn’t. Delilah ends up seeing Sam ]kissing a girl. The resolution of their story is gut-wrenching. Of all the stories in the anthology, this is the one that I’ve most revisited, emotionally, and continue to think about.
La Toya Hankins’s One More weaves the story of Toni’s first few decades of life. We bear witness to her first flickering crush in childhood that ends in shame, to her mom threatening to pull her financial support in college unless Toni renounces being gay, and the eve of her wedding. We see glimpses of the journey her family has taken on the road to accepting and celebrating Toni for who she is. Everyone except her mother. It hurts to be judged. It’s doubly painful when one’s mother–the person society tells us is supposed to love us no matter what–is the one doing the denying and shaming. Hankins deftly tells the story without allowing it to ever dip into melodrama, which it easily could have in the hands of a less skilled author. Bring tissues.
I would really love to see this become an annual anthology, or the first in a series.
While I like most of the stories, there were some standouts that deserve extra applause.
K.A. Smith has two stories in the anthology. Darker the Berry and Two Moons. In Darker the Berry, what looks like a supermarket pickup and casual sex turns out to be so much more complex than it first appears. I told K.A. that I would love to read a novel set in the Two Moons world because in such a short, lyrical piece, she does some intriguing world-building. K.A. is a member in my “never disappoints” club–I know that if I’m picking up an anthology or independent work by her, I will never be disappointed.
S. Andrea Allen’s story, Pretty, resonated strongly for me. It begins “Everybody said she was pretty, for a fat girl.” I don’t think that there is a plus-sized woman who hasn’t heard that dig. I blinked back tears at the end of the story for that, too, was a moment I identified with. Her second story in the anthology, Epiphany, is the story of a love gone toxic. What do you do when you need to leave a relationship, but can’t see the way out? I walked away wanting to read more by Allen because in both stories, I became emotionally invested in her character’s stories and their outcomes.
Eternity Philops nearly broke my heart with The Other Side of Crazy. Delilah’s girlfriend Sam is cheating on her. Again. She waits for Sam to come home, but she doesn’t. Delilah ends up seeing Sam ]kissing a girl. The resolution of their story is gut-wrenching. Of all the stories in the anthology, this is the one that I’ve most revisited, emotionally, and continue to think about.
La Toya Hankins’s One More weaves the story of Toni’s first few decades of life. We bear witness to her first flickering crush in childhood that ends in shame, to her mom threatening to pull her financial support in college unless Toni renounces being gay, and the eve of her wedding. We see glimpses of the journey her family has taken on the road to accepting and celebrating Toni for who she is. Everyone except her mother. It hurts to be judged. It’s doubly painful when one’s mother–the person society tells us is supposed to love us no matter what–is the one doing the denying and shaming. Hankins deftly tells the story without allowing it to ever dip into melodrama, which it easily could have in the hands of a less skilled author. Bring tissues.
I would really love to see this become an annual anthology, or the first in a series.
May 21, 2022
Super love this collection including some absolutely standouts like Sheree Greer's "I Can't Turn it Off" and "Missing" by Lauren Cherelle but honestly, the twists and turns in so many of the stories are fantastic - love the twist in the cheating girlfriend story and the supermarket pickup that becomes so much more. Definitely recommend this collection for some excellent short stories.
January 9, 2019
Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction is an anthology of sixteen short stories collected and edited by S. Andrea Allen and Lauren Cherelle. These stories are all centered on black lesbians.
For the most part, I really like most – if not all of these contributions. Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction contains sixteen short stories and most are written exceptionally well. The short stories varied in length and subject matter. These stories are written, plotted, constructed extremely well, and stars black lesbians.
Like most anthologies, there are weaker contributions, and Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction, but it was a couple of short stories that I felt that was mediocrity done in comparison to the rest and it did not lessen the enjoyment of the collection.
All in all, Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction is a wonderful collection of short stories starring lesbians who happen to be black.
For the most part, I really like most – if not all of these contributions. Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction contains sixteen short stories and most are written exceptionally well. The short stories varied in length and subject matter. These stories are written, plotted, constructed extremely well, and stars black lesbians.
Like most anthologies, there are weaker contributions, and Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction, but it was a couple of short stories that I felt that was mediocrity done in comparison to the rest and it did not lessen the enjoyment of the collection.
All in all, Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Fiction is a wonderful collection of short stories starring lesbians who happen to be black.
December 28, 2025
idk, i kind of struggled to get through this collection of short stories :/ i enjoyed about a third of the stories, but the majority of them needed more editing and more work in general. there was a lot more telling then showing done in the narratives, the writing and the ways alot of the characters were written felt very elementary and something i would've edited in a creative writing class. idk dawg, oh well :/
April 30, 2018
I don't feel really qualified to review a lot of the stories in this anthology. There are some that I really enjoyed and some that I felt I lacked the context to enjoy; as a white person, that was what I expected. Nonetheless, it's amazing to even have this collection and I am greatly appreciative of the editor and authors.
September 24, 2023
it is very rare that i read a collection of stories and enjoy nearly every single piece. the beauty and joy i have in reading fiction created by black lesbians is not lost on me! there is a wonderful spread in genres throughout this but each and every one reminds me of the central point- representation matters, it is healing
May 25, 2019
Entertaining
This was a pretty good collection of short stories. There were a couple that had endings that seemed rushed but they were all entertaining to read.
This was a pretty good collection of short stories. There were a couple that had endings that seemed rushed but they were all entertaining to read.
June 14, 2025
It was ok
February 16, 2017
Very uneven collection of short stories. Only three I thought were above average. Some seemed to be more urban fiction.
August 6, 2021
This collection has a variety of fiction styles, including speculative and erotica. Some stories may blend a few sub-genres of fiction. I only liked a few of the stories in the first half. I was concerned that I would dislike the book overall. The second half was much better, though. The collection also had a lot of missing punctuation marks, (commas and hyphens specifically), as well as other grammatical errors.
April 15, 2024
confirmed that i am in fact a lesbian. 4.75/5 my favorite stories were darker the berry, the other side of crazy, and two moons.
June 19, 2016
I won this book in a giveaway on Goodreads. And it was amazingly written from start to finish. Each story was uniquely different but all of them felt cohesive with one another. The sex scenes were not over the top or over done. The characters felt real and full of depth. And it has a some supernatural in a couple of stories. It was very enjoyable and I look forward to seeing much more both from the authors and from the publishing company.
January 1, 2017
A fantastic anthology to kick off the new year. The stories cover a wide range and explore a variety of themes, and are arranged in such a manner that it doesn't tire the reader. QWOC are not a monolith, and this anthology definitely endorses that. Flirty, sensual, happy, morose, dreamy- there's a plethora of experiences covered. #DAReadathon #queerlit #diversebooks #ownvoices
July 20, 2016
I won this book in a goodreads.com giveaway
I enjoyed this book and the stories in it. Want to know more about? Check out my blog:
https://journeyingwithceltic.wordpres...
I enjoyed this book and the stories in it. Want to know more about? Check out my blog:
https://journeyingwithceltic.wordpres...
September 8, 2016
An excellent anthology, with several stories that deserve to be reviewed on their own. Well-put-together by the editors, with an internal logic and a high standard of quality and themes.
May 12, 2017
Reviewed for Foreword Books IndieFab Awards.
Some good stories, but also some strange stories, and some that I just didn't get. But more importantly, the copy editor definitely did not do his/her job.
Some good stories, but also some strange stories, and some that I just didn't get. But more importantly, the copy editor definitely did not do his/her job.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews