Sisters in the Life: A History of Out African American Lesbian Media-Making

a Camera Obscura book

by Yvonne Welbon (Editor), Alexandra Juhasz (Editor)

From experimental shorts and web series to Hollywood blockbusters and feminist porn, the work of African American lesbian filmmakers has made a powerful contribution to film history. But despite its importance, this work has gone largely unacknowledged by cinema historians and cultural critics. Assembling a range of interviews, essays, and conversations, Sisters in the Life tells a full story of African American lesbian media-making spanning three decades. In essays on filmmakers including Angela Robinson, Tina Mabry and Dee Rees; on the making of Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman (1996); and in interviews with Coquie Hughes, Pamela Jennings, and others, the contributors center the voices of black lesbian media makers while underscoring their artistic influence and reach as well as the communities that support them. Sisters in the Life marks a crucial first step in narrating the history and importance of these compelling yet unsung artists.

Contributors. Jennifer DeVere Brody, Jennifer DeClue, Raul Ferrera-Balanquet, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Thomas Allen Harris, Devorah Heitner, Pamela L. Jennings, Alexandra Juhasz, Kara Keeling, Candace Moore, Marlon Moore, Michelle Parkerson, Roya Rastegar, L. H. Stallings, Yvonne Welbon, Patricia White, Karin D. Wimbley

Genres: Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Feminism, Lesbian

296 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2018

Reviews

[Charlott · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sisters in the Life. A History of Out African American Lesbian Media-Making", edited by Yvonne Welbon and Alexandra Juhasz, gives an insight into Black lesbian filmmaking (in the US) from 1986 to 2016. Through interviews/ conversations and essays the book looks at contexts, networks, and specific artists/ works ranging from experimental short films to Hollywood blockbusters. And while the book presses the point that general discussions about inclusion/ exclusion are important, it also reminds us that the critical engagement with artistic works by marginalized people often falls short. So, Sisters in the Life offers some great essays analyzing specific films and/ or oeuvres. Karin D. Wimbley looks at the work on stereotypes in Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman, Patricia White follows Angela Robinson's career, and Jennifer DeClue analyzes the butch presentation in Dee Ree's Pariah - to name just a few. Must read for all film fans and people interested in lesbian history. There is also an accompanying website: sistersinthelife.com.

[Mills College Library]

791.43653 S6233 2018