Inventing Ourselves: Lesbian Life Stories

by Margot Farnham (Compiler), Hall Carpenter Archives

Fifteen gay women discuss their childhood, family life, work, friends, relationships, and involvement in political and social causes

Genres: LGBT, Nonfiction, Lesbian, Queer

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far this is the most diverse collection of lesbian oral histories I have read. It features a number of interviews with women who grew up outside of the UK, PoC, Muslim and Jewish women. It's also unusual for oral history interviews to be conducted with younger people; there are a few interviews with women in their 20sand onwards. The interviews are arranged in descending order by age and offer insights into coming of age at different times in more than half a century.
It was especially striking to me that while lesbian identity was the unifying factor, these are very much social and political histories as well. And looking back now, more than thirty years later, this collection has become a historical document on yet another level. As someone born years after these stories were told, I can't help but wonder about how experiences and identities in the accounts would be constructed differently today in the light of more awareness around asexuality, bi/pansexuality and genderqueerness in today's queer communities. Nonetheless, struggles around racism, ableism and ageism still ring true today.
The introductory material and epilogue are nuanced and show awareness of and reflection on intent, interpretation, intersectionality and fluidity and have, dare I say, aged well.

[Emmanuelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection with variety of experiences regarding race, class, ability, etc. Makes me wish I was a lesbian in the 1980s being interviewed by an archivist, but reading about it in the 2020s will have to do!

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have queer/lesbian historical nonfic pass it my way please. I love history and this oral history from queer women was great to read and also kind of sad at times because of laws and circumstance. But to know where we are going we need to know where we came from. So yeah definitely recommend this.

[naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic, insightful, critical. i really loved this book—from the way the women told their stories to the admirable political adventures they all had. i found this book to be quite emotional at times, how much lesbian history has been erased? this book is so important, and i’m so glad i found it when i did.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I—too— love being a lesbian! Long live the lesbians of the 80s!

[Ell · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for my dissertation :)

[Freya Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of cheating because I read this for an essay - but best believe I read every word. These women are all cool and sexy yay lesbians