Barbara Grier, pioneering lesbian publisher, has died November 11, 2011 9:11 AM Subscribe
Barbara Grier,founder of the lesbian publishing company NaiadPress, has diedatage78. Naiad Press was the first publishing company to focus on books for and about lesbians, publishing new content and reprinting classic 1950's lesbianpulpbooks. Naiad Press closed in 2003, Grier and her partner Donna McBride donated their papers/books/photos/etc to the James Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library.
I knew Barbara, and Donna, back when I worked in the gay and lesbian publishing world. They are...were...are both revolutionaries. They changed the world.
I suppose that should actually read 'co-founder' as there were (iirc) four women who started up Naiad.
And, yeah, all these activists who paved the way for my generation and made it easier for us are dying off. It's sobering. posted by rmd1023 at 9:23 AM on November 11, 2011
When I was running the bookstore, my customers were not too interested in Naiad material, finding it a bit quaint. On the other hand, without Naiad, the books they wanted probably would never have been published. It's the nature of the young to not appreciate the trailblazing of their elders. So, my hat is off and a minute of silence for these bold pioneers. posted by GenjiandProust at 9:31 AM on November 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
Katherine Forrest's Kate Delafield detective novels were always fun. I haven't read them in almost 20 years so I can't vouch for them being good, necessarily. I just remember enjoying them a lot.
I used to like Jane Rule's books very much. Memory Board, a novel about a lesbian couple dealing with one partner's dementia, has stayed with me since I read it in the late 80s or early 90s. posted by not that girl at 10:27 AM on November 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I have one of Fay Jacobs's books at home, which is a great read and provides a lot of anecdotes about the early days of Naiad and what they had to overcome.
Great book suggestions. And I'm getting all nostalgic.
Most of Naiad's catalogue was romance, and it wasn't high-falutin' literary romance either. But those books broke cultural and historical ground - books about lesbians where no one dies at the end! Where girl meets girl and they live happily ever after! - and I'm willing to bet they saved lives, too. posted by rtha at 11:34 AM on November 11, 2011
Great book suggestions. And I'm getting all nostalgic.
Me., too. I find myself feeling sad about Grier's death, but also missing the young lesbian I was 25 years ago.
Most of Naiad's catalogue was romance, and it wasn't high-falutin' literary romance either. But those books broke cultural and historical ground - books about lesbians where no one dies at the end! Where girl meets girl and they live happily ever after! - and I'm willing to bet they saved lives, too.
That's very well put rtha. Naiad, together with The Attic Press and perhaps Virago, gave me glimpses into a world that I could maybe survive in and provided me with just about the only lesbian and feminist media I had access to when I was coming up.
In the early 90's I wrote to Naiad asking if they had any plans to reprint Marijane Meaker's (who writes YA under M E Kerr) Vin Packer pulps, as they had reprinted pulps from several other authors. I received a very annoyed reply from Grier stating something to the effect of "today's lesbian [ I prefer boys] doesn't want to read this kind of garbage"
Lord, that sounds just like Barbara. posted by rtha at 3:23 PM on November 11, 2011
The first lesbian novels I read were from Naiad. I am so grateful for the brave women who could make that happen for a young lesbian in small-town Texas.
I took a short story writing course at Florida State University with the author of Faultline in the late 80s. She was a great teacher. posted by wittgenstein at 6:37 PM on November 11, 2011
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...I can't even think how many years it's been since I bought a Naiad book, but there was a time when I scoured the shelves looking for new releases from them. I don't particularly like romances, but it was just so good to read books about lesbians when I was a teen and just coming out. posted by MadGastronomer at 8:14 PM on November 11, 2011
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...we all owe a debt of gratitude to Barbara, and all the other folks of her generation. It has been a sad year, since so many of them have passed.
And kyrademon, definitely seek out Faultline, it is a fabulous read! posted by PlantGoddess at 9:36 AM on November 12, 2011
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