Book Review by B. Rushton
In mid-twentieth century America, the publishing industry was revolutionized by the streamlined production of pulp novels. The printing and distribution of cheaply produced and cheaply priced paperback novels, which had begun in the late 1930s, steadily grew until it reached its full force in the early 1950s. These books were sold at drugstores, newsstands, and other places where one might purchase inexpensive, consumable entertainment. They were compact enough to fit in your pocket and cheap enough to discard when you were through with them which, given the surreptitious nature of purchasing these books, was sometimes a necessity.
It was in this environment that the burgeoning golden age of lesbian pulp novels took place, where new, independent publishers made transgressive fantasies of lesbian life available to readers through dime-store shelves or discreet mail-order catalogues. While many of these titillating books were aimed at an audience of curious heterosexual men, it was also through these clandestine entertainments that many lesbians found the maps and signposts for entering the half-hidden world of their own sexualities. The transportive power of reading these books gave reflection to the hidden desires of readers that often could find no expression beyond the wood-pulp pages of their imaginations. Even well into the women's liberation movement, pulp novels like these were like life-preservers for lesbians seeking community.
Today, with the democratizing force of the internet and independent publishing companies like Feminist Press, the climate of accessibility for these stories is much different, but the spirit of seeking representation for one's fantasies and passions is still just as vital to the shaping of one's identity.
The New Lesbian Pulp, edited by Sarah Foncesca and Octavia Saenz, is an anthology that collects contemporary, titillating short lesbian fiction while also reprinting a few rare stories of the previous century that penetrated the veil of sexual censorship. It is a collection that evokes the freedom and pleasure of classic pulp fiction, synthesizing a ‘purposeful nostalgia’ that captures the enduring passions and longings of same-sex desire.
Two stories that stand out from this collection are Smoke and Sea Breeze, a contemporary work by Lillian James about a gruesome love triangle wherein a trophy wife murders her philandering husband with the help of his seductive assistant, and Chanson Du Konallis, a reprint of a 1958 story by playwright Lorraine Hansberry about a high society lady who struggles to maintain her carapace of restraint in the presence of a beautiful African-American songstress.
Both stories express timeless feelings of yearning, provocative escapism and freedom. This collection would be worth seeking out for those two works alone, but it contains far more - the cumulative effect of these stories is a fervent articulation of our need to connect to others in a shared human experience, to remind ourselves that we are not alone across time. Moreover, this book is deeply fun in a way that reminds me of all the books I read with un-pretentious, wild enthusiasm when I was seventeen, and that is a sacred feeling I hope others will share.
If you are feeling discouraged this June by contemporary political repression, then I cannot think of a more fitting book to remind us of what we gain by reading and connecting with our culture through fiction. Or, even if you're just feeling bored and would love to sink your teeth into a new juicy - or, dare I say, pulpy - guilty pleasure, then I cannot recommend this selection more highly.
The New Lesbian Pulp will be released on August 12th, 2025 and can be pre-ordered through Lioness Books online store here.
B. Rushton is an independent artist and writer from Texas. Creating has always been as essential to her nature as exhaling air from her body. She has had a lifelong passion for freedom of expression, community, and literature, and is proud to express those values through her work. When she's not creating, she's inhaling as much art as possible. You can reach her at
brushtondesigns@gmail.com.
