I adore Young Adult fiction, especially own-voices Sapphic stories that vibrantly and valiantly validate and celebrate the characters, their feelings, and their lived experiences. Growing up, there was very little in the way of representation, respectful or otherwise. Fortunately, in the late 1990s, I discovered Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden, which led me to another book of hers, Good Moon Rising. The latter, a love story between lesbian thespians, especially appealed to me because I also loved theatre. I felt like the book was written for me.
That’s why, when it comes to queer representation in literature, visibility is both viable and valuable; and there’s nothing more admirable than authenticity. There was far less reading material available back then for and about young women who were coming of age and coming out (at least to themselves), but seeing myself depicted in writing made me feel empowered and emboldened to embrace my lesbodacious self. Eventually, when I felt sufficiently safe, I shared this part of myself with the most important people in my life, and my unapologetic declaration of lesbi-independence was one for the books.
You’re welcome to friend / tag me on Facebook (Allison Fradkin).
Allison Fradkin’s story, Lady Balls, is in SapphFic Eclectic, volume 5.
Butterworth Books 