From Christopher Isherwood's enduring 20th-century classic Goodbye to Berlin to contemporary titles like Janet Mock's Redefining Realness, the titles in this study guide collection explore a range of ideas, issues, genres, and forms that speak to the LGBTQ community.
Publication year 2015
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers
Tags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography
Writer and professor Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts, originally published in 2015, is a work of “autotheory”— it combines Nelson’s personal experiences of marriage and motherhood with reflections on the writing process, queer and feminist theory, and psychoanalysis and developmental psychology. This blending of genres gives the book its unconventional form; unlike a more traditional memoir, The Argonauts jumps backwards and forwards in Nelson’s life as she explores ideas and images related to pregnancy, sexuality, identity... Read The Argonauts Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1933
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War
Tags LGBTQ, Arts / Culture, French Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 1896
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Incarceration, Grief / Death, History: European, LGBTQ, Religion / Spirituality, British Literature, Victorian Period, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period, History: World, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Indigenous, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality
Louise Erdrich’s The Beet Queen, published in 1986, is a sequel to her award-winning debut novel, Love Medicine. The Beet Queen was followed by two other novels in the series, Tracks and The Bingo Palace. Though most of The Beet Queen’s characters are non-Indigenous, the series as a whole is concerned with issues facing Indigenous Americans, particularly those living on tribal lands in Minnesota and North Dakota. Characters and storylines are woven throughout the four... Read The Beet Queen Summary
Publication year 1958
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, LGBTQ, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Society: Community, Self Discovery
Tags Gender / Feminism, Self Help, Psychology, Social Justice, Diversity, Race / Racism, Psychology, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Gothic Literature
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags French Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Food
The Book of Salt is a 2003 novel by Monique Truong. Set in the 1920s and 1930s, the novel focuses on Binh, a young, gay Vietnamese cook in French-colonized Vietnam. Binh flees Saigon, and after spending time at sea as a cook, he lands in Paris and eventually answers an ad for a position in the household of Gertrude Stein and her lover/companion, Alice B. Toklas.Binh navigates the limitations of colonialism while exploring his emerging... Read The Book of Salt Summary
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Indian Literature, LGBTQ
The Buddha of Suburbia, by Hanif Kureishi, is a coming-of-age novel that explores significant themes of identity, class, and race in 1970s London. Karim Amir, the protagonist and narrator, tells the story of his maturation against a backdrop of political and social change, as he attempts to create himself, discover his place in life, and grow up. Told in the first person, Karim narrates his life from age 17 to about age 23.The Buddha of... Read The Buddha of Suburbia Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 1980
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community
Tags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Disability, Biography
Audre Lorde was a poet, essayist, activist, and memoirist whose writings on lesbian feminism and race were integral to second-wave feminism. Lorde was born in New York City on February 18, 1934 to Grenadian immigrant parents. She attended Hunter High School, where she edited the school’s literary magazine. She published her first poem, which had been rejected by an English teacher, in Seventeen magazine. She later attended Hunter College, where she trained to become a... Read The Cancer Journals Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship
Tags LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Humor, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 1934
Genre Play, Fiction
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, LGBTQ
Lillian Hellman wrote The Children’s Hour in 1934. It was the first of Hellman’s many major plays, and she wrote it while working in producer Herman Shumlin’s office as a play reader. She asked Shumlin to read a draft of the play, and he immediately offered to produce it. It appeared on Broadway within the year. The play is based on a real-life event that occurred in Edinburgh in 1810. A student accused her school’s... Read The Children's Hour Summary