My Lover Is a Woman: Contemporary Lesbian Love Poems

by Lesléa Newman

Editor Lesléa Newman has collected the work of both well-known and emerging poets to create an anthology of some of the finest writers of any gender or sexual orientation writing poetry today. The probing fierceness of Adrienne Rich's "Love Poem," the stirring sensual incantation of Ellen Bass's "Praise," the intensely felt tenderness of Dorothy Allison's "Reason Enough to Love You," are just a few examples of the rich talent displayed in this volume.

These poets have written daring confessions of love, sorrow, anger, and joy. Each poem is an elaborate confirmation of the resilience of the human spirit, and the ability to transform experience--including the struggle against the societal taboo of same-sex love--into brilliant poetry.

Genres: Poetry, LGBT, Lesbian, Queer, Anthologies

335 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Lesléa Newman (born 1955, Brooklyn, NY) is the author of over 50 books including Heather Has Two Mommies, A Letter To Harvey Milk, Writing From The Heart, In Every Laugh a Tear, The Femme Mystique, Still Life with Buddy, Fat Chance and Out of the Closet and Nothing to Wear.
She has received many literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and two Pushcart Prize Nominations.
Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists.
Ms. Newman wrote Heather Has Two Mommies, the first children's book to portray lesbian families in a positive way, and has followed up this pioneering work with several more children's books on lesbian and gay families: Gloria Goes To Gay Pride, Belinda's Bouquet, Too Far Away to Touch, and Saturday Is Pattyday.
She is also the author of many books for adults that deal with lesbian identity, Jewish identity and the intersection and collision between the two. Other topics Ms. Newman explores include AIDS, eating disorders, butch/femme relationships and sexual abuse. Her award-winning short story, A Letter To Harvey Milk has been made into a film and adapted for the stage.
In addition to being an author, Ms. Newman is a popular guest lecturer, and has spoken on college campuses across the country including Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Oregon, Bryn Mawr College, Smith College and the University of Judaism. From 2005-2009, Lesléa was a faculty member of the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. Currently, she is the Poet Laureate of Northampton, MA.

Reviews

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My lover is a woman
and when I hold her
feel her warmth
I feel good - feel safe.”

Sapphic love is so beautiful. This healed a piece of my heart. Lesbian, bisexual, pansexual and queer women have always existed and we will always exist.💜

“I loved you as if we had touched.”

[Shelby Burrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize how old this book is, that explains why its a little dated. Still so good. I love women and lesbians and Eden who bought me this book

[kghgte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this more than I thought I would. I'm not a big poetry guy but I do appreciate this collection a lot. It is just very nice to read things written by lesbians and for lesbians.
Some of my favorites were Motion, Mendocino Memory, What I think of When You're Gone, Earthquake Weather, The Very Inside, and Confessions of An Escape Artist.

[Lanette Sweeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luscious, lovely, lyrical, lingering lesbian poetry. When I first found this book it felt like a revelation to see a collection of work celebrating the love of women. It is easier to find lesbian poetry now but this collection is still a treasured one.

[Tabi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of relatable poetry and prose, this one kept me reading 'til the end.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first 'girls-who-like-girls' piece of literature that I bought, and the nature of this book made it perfect as a first buy of such literature. The poems come from authors who are different from one another, resulting in different realities/viewpoints being articulated. There are many poems featured, also. I enjoyed the poetry featured.

[Meghan Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book! I'm just starting to get into poetry again and this was fantastic, I love not having to maneuver through straight perspectives looking for work that resonates with me. Although a lot of the poems were very sexual as opposed to romantic I found it to be very healing. I will have to find a copy of this to own.

[non · Rating 5 out of 5]

love love love

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of lesbian poetry, i really enjoyed reading it.

[Grace Downey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this collection! Broke my heart but also put it back together.

We lesbians have always been here and will always be here.

[jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful

[Maya Tomarchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really complex and the poetry is so well written and introspective I think any woman loving woman reading this will lose themselves at some point during this collection

[Louise Chambers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but was sad to discover that the copyright date is sometime in the late 90s. The library's copy is new, so thought it was new. Some I had already read elsewhere, and some were new discoveries.

I would like to add this to my personal collection, but will look for a used paperback copy.

I do recommend this to other lovers of women.