The best lesbian and gay poetry written from 1950 to the present. Contributors include, W H Auden, James Baldwin, Allen Ginsberg, Judy Grahn, Langston Hughes, Audre Lourde and many others.

"This anthology gathers together more than eighty contemporary lesbian poets - women, both young and old, of African, Asian, European, Latina, Native, and South Seas heritage. Well-known poets such as Gloria Anzaldua, Chrystos, Judy Grahn, Marilyn Hacker, Audre Lorde, Pat Parker, Adrienne Rich, and Muriel Rukeyser, and a new generation of poets such as Mi Ok Song Bruining, Ana Bantigue Fajardo, Melinda Goodman, and Melanie Hope, are featured in this energizing gift of imagination and heart, vision and community. Coss, a writer, activist, and psychotherapist with twenty years' experience working with individuals and couples, has selected poems that tell the story of love with eloquence, humor, grace, and passion." "The poetry collected here is a generous sustaining resource for understanding attractions, loneliness, lust, hate, sexual play, power games, monogamy, fantasy, commitment, the search for meaning and direction in our daily lives."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

First published in 1995. This anthology focuses on European languages, but also includes Arabic and Hebrew poetry of medieval Spain, arranged chronologically and accompanied by commentary about the poets' lives and work.

Winner, Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ Anthology Winner, Judy Grahn Award for Lesbian Nonfiction, Publishing Triangle Awards A Ms. magazine, Refinery29, and Lambda Literary Most Anticipated Read of 2021 A groundbreaking collection tracing the history of intellectual thought by Black Lesbian writers, in the tradition of The New Press's perennial seller Words of Fire African American lesbian writers and theorists have made extraordinary contributions to feminist theory, activism, and writing. Mouths of Rain, the companion anthology to Beverly Guy-Sheftall's classic Words of Fire, traces the long history of intellectual thought produced by Black Lesbian writers, spanning the nineteenth century through the twenty-first century. Using “Black Lesbian” as a capacious signifier, Mouths of Rain includes writing by Black women who have shared intimate and loving relationships with other women, as well as Black women who see bonding as mutual, Black women who have self-identified as lesbian, Black women who have written about Black Lesbians, and Black women who theorize about and see the word lesbian as a political descriptor that disrupts and critiques capitalism, heterosexism, and heteropatriarchy. Taking its title from a poem by Audre Lorde, Mouths of Rain addresses pervasive issues such as misogynoir and anti-blackness while also attending to love, romance, “coming out,” and the erotic. Contributors include: Barbara Smith Beverly Smith Bettina Love Dionne Brand Cheryl Clarke Cathy J. Cohen Angelina Weld Grimke Alexis Pauline Gumbs Audre Lorde Dawn Lundy Martin Pauli Murray Michelle Parkerson Mecca Jamilah Sullivan Alice Walker Jewelle Gomez

Sanctified is the world's first poetry anthology featuring works exclusively by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans Christians. "I am excited about this publication because LGBT Christians' voices need to be heard not only in church meetings, city councils, and courtrooms, but also in the literary arena. I believe poetry is an intimate, very revealing form of writing, and that this anthology speaks deeply to the experience of queer Christians in our world," says editor Justin Cannon."Sanctified is a powerful, poignant and diverse collection of ideas, thoughts, and especially emotions emanating from each poet's gentle, beautiful soul. These wonderfully crafted poems are a touching celebration of the Christian GLBT and Searching Community that reflect love, hope, dreams, and a deep, profound faith that inspires. Each poem is a spiritual gem that offers the reader a great deal to reflect on whether gay or straight." ~ Bishop Paul Peter Jesep