Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

Annie on My Mind

Author: Nancy Garden
Country: United States
Genre: young adult, romance, lesbian
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Date of Publication: 1982

It is a story of 2 high school students Annie Kenyon and Lisa Winthrop who fell in love with each other. They study in different schools, Annie in a public school while Lisa in a private school. Lisa meets Annie in a rainy afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and immediately became close friends even though they have different backgrounds and priorities in life. Annie's family is struggling but still dreams of pursuing college at the University of Berkley to hone her singing talents while Lisa on the other hand is well off. Lisa is already decided that she will pursue college at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and finish architecture.

As they become closer, conflicts arise. Lisa, being the student body president, has to think of ways to raise funds so that her school would remain open. One of her friends made a poorly planned fund raiser , an ear-piercing event. That incident had her suspended for three days due to poor judgment on allowing the event to happen and had one student's ears become swollen because of poor sanitation. Her suspension coincided with the coming Spring Break so she had a lot of free time until classes resume. During her vacation, they grew closer and intense feelings developed among them. They had their first kiss and Annie admits that she's gay to Lisa. Also, during their vacation, Lisa had to take a part time job by taking care of her teachers' home and feeding the cats. Her two female teachers live together. Lisa took Annie to her teachers' home. They sort of made the house their "love nest", probably practicing living in together. They didn't have any intimate activities yet but each and everyday they are together in that house, sexual tensions get stronger and stronger. One day, they went to the bedroom and discovered reading materials related to homosexuality. They both learned that the teachers were gay.

They made love in the bedroom when suddenly someone came knocking on the main door. Lisa knew that the teachers won't be home yet. It was Lisa's principal knocking and she caught Lisa and Annie in a bad light. The teachers also arrived home unexpectedly and also saw them. The principal has just confirmed the two teachers having an "illegal" relationship and thus were in the brink of getting fired in school. The principal accused the teachers as being bad examples to students and allowing their house to become a "lesbian love nest". Lisa was also at the brink of explusion and when classes resumed, she had a "trial" together with the school board officials. The two teachers were fired from the school while Lisa got away and graduated high school. Right after graduation, both the girls pursued college apart.

My Commentary:
The book is very easy to read, I actually finished it in just a few days. Finding this book really is a pain in the ass because all the the bookstores I went to for the past year would always say that it's out of stock. The moment I saw this book at the shelf, I immediately grabbed it. This book is one of the must-reads if you are starting to read lesbian literature.

While I was reading the book, there's a something tingly inside me, you know. I remembered how it felt like when I had my first love. It's not because I am not yet over with this person but because of the feeling of young love. You would probably remember when you had your first love right? This book actually shows that whatever straight people feel about their first love, it's also the same with the gays. Some would say that the story is quite mushy but what the hell, it's intended for young adults who are exploring their gayness. This book actually became as one of the must-haves of teenagers to survive homophobia.

In 1993, one lesbigay group in the US called Project 21, donated gays books to the Kansas City high schools as part of their project of eliminating homophobia. Annie on my Mind was one of them and some parents didn't like the idea of this book, specifically gays books, being easily available to teenagers. They burned the copies of Annie on Mind which were donated and even the books that were already in the library for several years. After a year of battling to return the book into the shelves again paid off. It was proven as blatant discrimination.

There was also a play based on this novel which was staged at Kansas City in 1994. The play was entitled "Banned Book Theater".

Tipping The Velvet by Sarah Waters

Author: Sarah Waters
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Lesbian
Publisher: G P Putnam's Sons
Date of Publication: 1998

I have just finished reading Sarah Waters' "Tipping the Velvet". Actually this has been long overdue since I started reading that i think late December. Let me give you a little background about the author and the story.

Sarah Waters is a known lesbian author born in Neyland, Pembrokeshire in 1966. "Tipping the Velvet" is actually her first novel that she published in 1999. The story was inspired by her PhD thesis about lesbian historical fiction.**

The story itself is based on the Victorian Era, specific location of the story are the music halls during that era. The main character in the story, Nan King ( an oyster cook from Whitstable) became infatuated with a male impersonator actress named Kitty. With her infatuation, she didn't know that she will become physically attracted to this woman. She thought that she was just being fanatic about the art that Kitty is doing. She eventually becomes Kitty's personal assistant and left Whitstable to be with Kitty during her performances. Nan King also has a hidden talent and became Kitty's partner in their performances ( male impersonation). Their on-stage partnership suddenly became realistic, thus making Kitty as her first girlfriend. Kitty didn't want to expose their relationship, Nan King realizes the "closet relationship". After a while, Kitty left Nan to marry their manager and live a life as a "straight" person.

Nan King being devastated of her first lesbian experience, she lived a life as a 'tom'. She left the music halls and lived in another place far from the music halls. She got attracted with a girl name Florence, working in the boarding house she's living in. Nan became a prostitute ( for gay males) because they think she's a boy. Nan King was picked up by Diane, a rich woman in her late 40's and adventurous in sexual experimentations. Nan King then became her 'boytoy' and made her live in her mansion. Nan King enjoyed the experimentation however she didn't love this woman, she's still in love with Kitty. She also became involved with Diane's maid Zena.

She left Diane's mansion and tried to look for Florence, the girl that she got attracted with before leaving for the mansion. She felt that there was something 'hanging' between them. Now with no money, she found Florence. They started where they left off. Nan admitting her past to Florence.
In a socialist event, all of Nan's ex's were in that particular place. Kitty talked to Nan, asking her to come back even though Kitty still married to Walter. Nan refused since she didn't want to become the 'third party'. Though Florence and Nan both have unfinished businesses with their ex's, Nan still chose Florence over Kitty.

My commentary:
This has a historical approach, makes you really imagine the music halls during the Victorian era. It seems that the author wants to explore lesbian visibility in history that has been left behind. The author showed the 'exclusive' parties for women who love women that may be present at that time.

At the beginning of the story, readers will already realize it is a lesbian novel due to the yonic symbols used such as oysters etc... ( I guess I know what you mean lolz ;p ).It made me giggle a bit at first, since Nan is somewhat a 'virgin' in this kind of feeling. It made me think of the first time I felt that feeling, going beyond friendship or fanaticism. I felt disappointed at Kitty being a closet lesbian, leaving Nan hanging. I actually became angry at the character of Kitty, especially the part when she was saying to Nan that she doesn't want to be called a 'tom'. Well what are you then? I totally understand closet relationships but between the two of them, Kitty still prefers not to be called a 'tom'. That is called hypocrisy.

Actually, as I was reading through the course of the story it was suddenly becoming too graphic for me. The part when Nan was already involved with Diane. For me, it seems that the character was floating, on the rebound that's why she agreed to be Diane's 'boytoy'. For the faint-hearted, I believe you might not like what you will be reading when you come to this part.

In summary, the novel is liberating lesbians especially in its setting in the Victorian era. During that time, women are treated weak and does not have the right to enjoy sex. Well as for this novel, it showed that women can enjoy sex and be whoever they want to be. As you can see, the characters of Nan and Kitty as male impersonators, they have to be one so that they can be considered as 'someone' in society; albeit shows patriarchy in that period.

Aside from patriarchy theme, it also shows discrimination among lesbians. It could be shown in Kitty's statements that she doesn't want to be called as 'tom' ( referring to a butch lesbian). We must admit that there is also discrimination even inside the circle that we revolve in.

** based on Sarah Waters's official website.