“…and when we speak we are afraid
our words will not be heard
nor welcomed
but when we are silent
we are still afraid”
Excerpt from “A Litany for Survival”
by lesbian poet and activist Audre Lorde
Fiction is a powerful method for sharing the joys and struggles of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual) community, but there is something especially powerful about reading real experiences through essays and poetry. This year for Book Bingo, we encourage readers to explore the broad spectrum of essay and poetry collections written by LGBTQIA+ authors. Here are some noteworthy collections from the past few years.
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Dinner on Monster Island by Tania De Rozario
De Rozario grew up in Singapore in a conservative religious community that viewed her sexuality as an abomination that needed exorcism. Turning this theme of evil and monsters, as well as rejection from society, on its head, De Rozario’s engaging essay collection explores her past while finding common ground with women characters from famous horror films like Carrie.
Tar Hollow Trans by Stacy Jane Grover
In this moving, autobiographical essay collection, transgender author Grover navigates her Appalachian past and the ways her upbringing still affects her today. In investigating the complexities of home and heritage as a transgender woman from a widely misunderstood area of the country, she also shines light on the unique cultural traditions of Appalachia.
Alive at the End of the World by Saeed Jones
After winning the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction for his memoir How We Fight for Our Lives, Jones returns to poetry in this timely and stirring collection, which weaves apocalyptic visions with explorations of grief, violence, and self-preservation amid white supremacist systems.
Revenge Body by Rachel Wiley
Wiley’s latest collection of poetry is bewitching and deeply personal, with the poems serving as a ritual of healing and banishment of past harm. Winner of the inaugural Barbara Gittings Literature Award for Poetry in 2023.
For more suggestions, check out the LGBTQIA+ Poetry and Essays book list.
For more ideas for books to meet your Summer Book Bingo challenge, follow our Shelf Talk BookBingoNW2024 series or check the hashtag #BookBingoNW2024 on social media. Book Bingo is presented in partnership with Seattle Arts & Lectures.
~ posted by Eric G.
Shelf Talk 