LoveReading Says
Possanza explains in her introduction that ‘just as these historical figures had to invent new blueprints for how they loved as lesbians, I have invented entire scenes, moments that are absent and inaccessible, the very ones I crave. [...] Historical accuracy and rigor had only excluded us from the narrative.’
It strikes me as gorgeously, quintessentially lesbian, in its very form, to approach the archiving of lesbian love stories in this way – both fact and fiction, archive and invention, gentle and defiant. It’s a celebration, absolutely, but always aware of the gaps in the narrative, and there’s a lamentation and anger of those absences too.
I was struck by how unfamiliar these names and histories were to me. At first I was embarrassed at my lack of knowledge – and here I am, thinking of myself as a huge fan of lesbians, love, and stories! – but duh, that’s the point. And yet, as I read on into Possanza’s inventive archive, it also struck me how familiar these lesbians feel to the modern-day lesbian. From Sappho to Rusty Brown, Possanza is sensitive both to the similarities and idiosyncrasies of their different stories – how they forged and belonged to this timeless, mutable community.
I hope generations of lesbians buy this for their lovers – and continue to add to the archives.
Lily Lindon
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Amelia Possanza Press Reviews
Amelia Possanza celebrates the greatest lesbian love stories never told in her delightful debut that has her taking a deep dive into the queer archives searching for role models for her own love life. What the Brooklyn book publicist-turned-author finds is Bushwick drag kings and activists in Harlem who prove there is no one way to love-and there never has been. -- Most Anticipated Books of 2023 - Time Magazine
Intimate and sexy, voraciously researched and vibrantly imagined, Amelia Possanza has given us the romantic history all lesbians deserve. - Nina LaCour, author of 'Yerba Buena'
A delightful book that's part memoir, part historical investigation -- Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books Of 2023 - Buzzfeed
Lesbian Love Story has all the vivid detail of a great novel and all the intelligence of a great study ... I was continually fascinated, frequently moved, and completely in awe of Possanza's wit, intelligence, and empathy. I can't wait to reread this outstanding, unforgettable book. - Stephen McCauley, author of 'My Ex-Life'
Intimate and voracious and utterly magnetic. - Autostraddle
A creative, joyful approach to the queer past. Lesbian Love Story weaves together history, memoir, and theory in this refreshing work of historical imagination. A very smart love letter to lesbians across time. - Jen Manion, author of 'Female Husbands: A Trans History'
A manifesto of love: of erotic love and platonic love, of familial and communal love, and maybe most importantly, self-love. - Electric Literature
Writing with empathy, wit, and imagination, Possanza constructs a personal, political, and romantic history of lesbian life and love. - The Millions
Lesbian Love Story cracks open a vault of queer lives that were so meaningful to dig into - sporty girls, masc forbears, illicit loves. These juicy stories are filled with pathos and inspiration, and Ameila Possanza's thrill at excavating them is personal, palpable and contagious. - Michelle Tea, author of 'Knocking Myself Up' and 'Against Memoir'
Amelia Possanza's Lesbian Love Story is a tender and sensual swim through lesbian history - thoroughly researched and brought to dazzling life by Possanza's imaginative prose. - Hugh Ryan, author of 'When Brooklyn Was Queer'
Possanza uses Lesbian Love Story to recover the personal histories of lesbians in the 20th century and muse about replacing our contemporary misogynistic society with something markedly lesbian. - Library Journal
