A Talk with Lesbian Author Ann Bannon

Ann Bannon was writing lesbian novels before she even knew the word "lesbian." Back in the 1950s, the word "homosexual" was the preferred term for gays and lesbians. But it didn't have a positive connotation. Ann says, "I certainly wasn't a very sophisticated girl, but I did have a college education, I knew that there were homosexuals in the world. I knew they were reviled. That made me very sad."

Ann Bannon was one of the first authors to write sympathetically about lesbians. It is not surprising, then that Ann Bannon went on to pen some of the most beloved lesbian novels of the time, even though she had yet to come to terms with her own same-sex longings. As a matter of fact, Ann says her novels, which include Beebo Brinker, Odd Girl Out and Journey to a Woman, were "Love letters to the women I thought I would never get to know."

I had the opportunity to talk with Ann Bannon more than 50 years after the publication of her first novel. We talked about her experience researching and writing lesbian novels, what life was like for lesbians in the 1950s and her thoughts on why, after 50 years, lesbians still love her books. Here is the Lesbian Life interview with Ann Bannon.

More:

Pulp fiction novels were known, not only for their stories, but often for their sensationalistic cover art. Here are photos of some of the best lesbian pulp covers, from my own collection.

What is the heck is lesbian pulp fiction and why should I care anyway? A history of lesbian pulp fiction.
_{© Jason Ganwich}