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April 2008
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April 2008
This issue:
Exclusive extract from
When We Were Bad by
Charlotte Mendelson
“an irresistible treat...” - The Guardian
p6-7
Interview
Felicia Luna Lemus
DVDs
Gypo, a British feature on
asylum and race, now on
Region 2. Also, new to DVD is
Bump! the first LGBT TV travel series.
For more, see p24.
Music
New CDs, including Al
Start’s new album I
Heart History, Shelby
Lynne, Nicky Click and
Jenny Hoyston.
p27
Gift vouchers
available
in denominations
of £5, £10
and £20
2
Fabulous queer Latina author Felicia
talks to Libertas about New York, the
perils of being a writer and her novels,
Like Son and Trace Elements of Random
Tea Parties. p16-17
New toy ranges
Sophisticated new vibrators, harnesses
and dildos for you,
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Welcome to DykeLife
Spring greetings to you all!
April DykeLife is full of delights… we have some new, very
sophisticated and purrfect vibrators from LELO, a great
collection of ‘bold statement’ t-shirts and some trendy new
leather wristbands. There is a saucy extract from Charlotte
Mendelson’s brilliant novel When We Were Bad, now available
in paperback!
Lucia interviewed Felicia Luna Lemus about her debut novel Trace
Elements of Random Tea Parties, a story about gender, love and
family. Bettina Schelker talks to us about her music, boxing and
the ongoing fight against homophobia throughout the world,
which inspired her hit album The Honeymoon is Over. As always,
we have a great selection of new books for you throughout.
Breaking News: York Lesbian Arts Festival (YLAF) dates have
been announced, 23rd – 26th October 2008. Tickets will go
on sale in June. Don’t miss June’s Early Bird Month. This is
the cheapest way to buy your festival tickets and will run in
June only. Confirmed events at YLAF 08 are: Mixed
Performance Night on the evening of Thursday 23rd October;
a Book Festival, with workshops and many more activities, on
24th & 25th October and Club DIVA night, 25th October. Get
the dates in your diary now!
Any questions or feedback please e-mail:
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Contents
Books: General Fiction
4
Books: Literary Fiction
5
Chralotte Mendelson Extract 6-7
Interview: Sarah Broughton
8
Books: Romance
9-11
Books: Crime & Mystery
12-13
Books: Non-Fiction
14-15
Interview: Felicia Luna Lemos 16-17
T-shirts & Underwear
18
Jewellery
19
Books: Erotica & Sex Guides
20
Toys
21-23
DVDs
24-25
Music
26-27
Magazines
28
Order Form
30
DykeLife
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3
Books General Fiction
Dreams And Swords
Katherine V. Forrest
"A pioneer in lesbian literature . . .
a believer in the power of stories."
Lambda Book Report. The reprint
of this out-of-print classic short
story collection contains the treasured erotic novella O Captain, My
Captain. Also includes stories featuring LAPD homicide detective Kate Delafield and characters from
the Daughters of a Coral Dawn science fiction
series. Famous for her best selling works of lesbian
fiction in the mystery, romance, and science fiction
genres, she has received the Lambda Literary
Foundation Pioneer Award, given to recognise and
honour the best in LGBT literature. ∞ £10.99
Review
Originally published in 1950, this
account of life among female
Free French soldiers in a
London barracks during WW2
sold four million copies in the
United States and many more
millions worldwide. The novel is
based on the real-life experiences of the author, Tereska Torres, who
escaped from occupied France. She arrived as
a refugee in London and joined other exiles
enlisting in Charles de Gaulle's army, then stationed in Britain. But Women's Barracks is no
ordinary story. The grim world of an urban military barracks became the setting for one of the
steamiest novels of its time. Leaving “normal"
civilian life behind, the women enter an allfemale realm, where passionate attachments
soon form. And for those with more traditional
leanings, there was a city full of soldiers to be
had, sometimes two or three at a time. As the
Blitz rains down over London, taboos are broken, affairs start and hearts are won and lost.
Torres dutifully relates the erotic adventures of
her comrades with an equal sympathy toward
straight and gay relationships that was unusual
for its time. Despite a tone that is frank rather
than lurid, Women's Barracks was banned for
obscenity in several states. But in spite of such
efforts, or perhaps in part, because of them,
the novel became a record-breaking bestseller
and inspired a new genre: lesbian pulp.
Women’s Barracks ∞ £12.99
4
We Recommend
The Art of Cunning
Lingers
Kaz Jordyn
Two weeks before her fairytale wedding to childhood
sweetheart Adam Delancey
and their move to a designer house in Hampstead,
Maddie Hudson falls prey to a violent
mugger on London's South Bank. She is
rescued by Lexi Lomax, a young fashion
student, who, on the surface appears the
complete opposite of Maddie, yet nothing
is what it seems. As the wedding fast
approaches, Lexi’s persistent meddling in
Maddie’s life takes on a sinister tone, threatening to destroy everything the young bride
has worked towards. “The Art of Cunning
Lingers moves at a fast, slick pace, with colourful
characters and a page-turning plot. A very readable book.” Lesley Horton, novelist. ∞ £7.99
Grl2Grl: Short Fictions
Julie Anne Peters
“The short stories in this collection
give voice to ten expressions of
lesbian and transgender teen
experience… Peters skillfully varies
the subject matter and tone from
piece to piece… Whether readers
are looking for reflections of the
other or reflections of themselves, Grl2Grl presents
plenty of opportunities to find both.” The Horn Book
Magazine. ∞ £7.99
The Ladies Next Door
Jacqui Singleton
Diana and Cleo have moved into
the sleepy town of Silver River,
hoping to lead a normal life.
However, this is not to be as
they become involved with the
colourful locals. While Cleo takes
young Nathan, the boy-next-door,
under her wing Diana becomes the target of
a madman. Add in the couple’s flamboyant drag
queen housekeeper, two older spinster twin sisters and a cruel abusive banker, and you have
a fascinating group of intertwining stories that
will keep you hooked from beginning to end.
∞ £8.99
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Books Literary Fiction
Jealousy
Marsha D.
Jenkins-Sanders
Available
in May
Rochelle was not
born with what she calls the
pretty gene. Closely
resembling a man and
harbouring secret lesbian
feelings, her volatile emotions and resentment have simmered under the surface for
years. Finally, everything comes to the fore
when she hatches a plan to dethrone her
beautiful cousin, Dakota. Compelling and
thought-provoking, Jealousy weaves a tale
of bold, calculated actions that devastate
the lives of people around Rochelle,
questioning our life values.
"The intensity of Jealousy can burn in our
souls so greatly that we are driven to stop at
nothing to fit in the shoes of the one we are
jealous of. Marsha D. Jenkins-Sanders writes
a great story of being careful of what we
wish for because we might just get it!"
Nicole M. Stevenson, First Cut's Radio Host.
∞ £8.99
Word Warriors
Eve Ensler
Female spoken-word artists
have become a formidable
force, using performance
poetry to slam the world
around them. In this, the firstever collection of all-women
spoken-word art, editor Alix Olson has
brought together an astounding group
of women, from Patricia Smith and Eileen
Myles, two of our most formidable and
famous spoken-word foremothers to Tonyaward-winner Sarah Jones, Lynn Breedlove
from the infamous dyke-punk band Tribe 8,
Palestinian-born-and-raised Suheir
Hummadd, and many more. These women
join other artists from many different backgrounds to create Word Warriors, a powerful
and comprehensive collection of work from
the brightest female spoken-word artists
around today. ∞£10.99
Sarah Waters’ 3 for 2 Special Offer
Affinity
Fingersmith
The Night Watch
An eerie and utterly
compelling ghost
story, a complex and
intriguing historical
mystery, and a
poignant romance
with an unexpected
twist. Coming soon
as a TV drama.
∞ £7.99
'Long, dark, twisted
and satisfying, it's a
fabulous piece of writing... an unforgettable
experience' Julie
Myerson - Guardian
∞ £7.99
Moving back through
the 1940s, through air
raids, illicit liaisons and
sexual adventure, to
end with its beginning
in 1941, The Night
Watch is the work of
a truly brilliant storyteller.
∞ £7.99
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
Tipping The
Velvet
“An unstoppable
read, a sexy and
picaresque romp
through the lesbian
and queer demimonde of the roaring
Nineties... . It's gorgeous." Independent
on Sunday
∞ £7.99
5
Feature Charlotte Mendelson
When We Were Bad Extract
Later, looking back, Frances
thinks she must have been blind:
tonight, last night, all her life.
She and Em [her sister] and
Jonathan [her husband] and
Jay [Em’s boyfriend] sit in the
brown flat on a stranger’s furniture, talking and laughing and
eating delicious soup and
expensive cheeses off their
knees. Interesting jazz is floating down the corridor from the
bedroom, which she has never
seen. ‘I don’t like jazz,’
Jonathan confides.
‘Somehow I had predicted that,’
says Jay, with a little grin. He
moves his foot away from Max
who lies asleep, after much
resistance, on a sofa-cushion.
‘I’d put something under him, if I
were you,’ he says in his smiling
chalky voice. ‘I think that was
the masturbation area. Certain
stains.’
‘Stains?’ says Frances.
‘Do keep up,’ he says.
‘Is this brie pasteurised?’ asks
Jonathan. ‘Because brucelosis
is—’
‘No,’ says Jay.
**
6
A little later, in the kitchen, Em
leans close to her sister. ‘Jay
likes you,’ she whispers. ‘I can
tell.’
Frances opens her mouth, then
closes it. As usual they are
steering the safest course
through the shallows of possible
arguments. Anything could
alienate her. If she is to help her
sister she will have to be careful.
She must stay alert for reasons
to worry and discover what she
can.
There is plenty to see. Take,
for example, the happy couple’s
similar outfits: Jay’s dark
trousers narrow over his hips,
Em’s cut more widely, her tight
white shirt giving her bounce
of hair and breasts a flattering
frame. They even sound a little
alike. And how glorious they
look together, like an advertisement for sex. This perhaps is
also why Frances fails to ask
questions. Admittedly she is
impressed too by the news that
Jay is medical, which gives him
a trustworthy glamour, the
sense that everything he does,
including smoking, is for the
best. Admittedly the room is
delicious-smelling and dimly lit,
with candles dripping on to the
mantelpiece and thick paper
shades from Behrens Road dimming the lamps. And, admittedly, every time Frances tries to
give Jay a searching look, she is
distracted by a new and fascinating detail: the beating of the
pulse in his pale brown neck, the
darkness of his lower lashes, his
unnaturally straight nose. He
looks, she decides, like the lover
of a Greek conqueror, more a
back
igned hard
Limited s
ailable.
copies av
frontispiece than a living man.
This, too, quite reasonably
distracts her. She barely listens
to a word he says.
That, at least, is what she tells
herself, later.
Then he moves seats.
**
Jay is sitting on the sofa, next
to Em. Every time he wants to
touch her he simply, indolently,
reaches out his hand and there
she is, uncurling towards him.
Frances is opposite them in an
armchair, enthralled by the sight
‘...all Em’s flings are
the same: she wears
their scarves, phones
them constantly, spends
hours making them
paperclip hearts and
then they are dropped
for one small
transgression...’
of her sister, before whom men
compete and schoolboys cover
their loins with chemistry textbooks, entirely enslaved.
Usually all Em’s flings are the
same: she wears their scarves,
phones them constantly, spends
hours making them paperclip
hearts and then they are
dropped for one small
transgression, one ill-judged
question. Usually Frances simply ignores them, their mislaid
watches and tarot cards. It
saves time. This evening, however, the flat is scattered with
distracting un-Emlike objects:
a tiny shining mobile phone, a
black box containing brown
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Charlotte Mendelson
cigarettes, a postcard of
a handsome Edwardian woman
in riding-britches, all strangely
charged with meaning, more
exciting than other people’s.
Even the air smells interesting.
Frances takes a deep breath and
turns back to the conversation.
‘And then,’ Jonathan is telling
his clearly distracted sister-inlaw, ‘there’s boycotting petrol
stations. I know your mother
feels—’
She catches Jay’s eye. He has
a way of smiling which shuts out
the world. Is this normal? His
clothes are so lovely that she
longs to comment, even to
touch them. This is quite unlike
her. I am right to mistrust you,
she thinks. It’s good that I came
round.
‘Do you want more wine?’ Jay
murmurs. ‘You’re disgustingly
sober. It’s quite offensive.
Please.’
‘Tut – are you sure you should?’
says Jonathan. ‘Those large
glasses are two units each.
My…Claudia,’ he confides to Jay,
‘says that women’s livers— ’
Frances sighs. Jay lowers his
lids and grins. And so, because
Jonathan can be relied upon
to drive, because she is feeling
unaccountably reckless, she
says: ‘I’m sure.’ Jay approaches.
He sits on the arm of her chair
and takes the glass out of her
hand. Then he holds the bottle
up to the light and squints at it,
consideringly. ‘It does taste like
wee,’ he tells her, as if referring
to a joke they alone understand,
‘but in a good way. Very
bracing. You look like you need
bracing.’ She smiles and he
smiles back, right between the
eyes. He bends towards her.
Then she sees it. He has
breasts.
Oh!’ she says, jumping back.
REVIEW
‘
When We Were Bad
Charlotte Mendelson ∞ £7.99
“This is the third novel by
Charlotte Mendelson, whose second, Daughters of Jerusalem,
won the Somerset Maugham
Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Her
novels are perfectly balanced observations of human
nature captured in all its hideous glories, usually in
family settings. This is a beautifully observed literary
comedy, as well as a painfully accurate depiction
of one big old family mess. It makes you cringe, laugh
and wince in all the right places. It is not so much
about the life of one Jewish family as it is about the
lies we all tell ourselves in order to put up with our
ramshackle home lives.” Viv Groskop, The Guardian
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
Breasts, she tells herself stupidly. Breasts. Like a woman.
They are small, smaller than
hers, but there is no mistaking
them for a fold of shirt or muscle. There is even, now she
looks closely, a suspicion of a
bra—
‘Frances?’ says Em.
‘What?’ With an immense effort
she moves her eyes away but
her mind will not start working.
There is a section of the equation missing. Jay has breasts;
women have breasts; Jay is…
But Jay, surely, is a man.
**
Buy
any 2 of
Charlotte’s
books and
get £2 off
Love in
Idleness
∞ £6.99
Daughters
of Jerusalem
∞ £6.99
7
OnThe
Spot
Books
New Author Sarah Broughton
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Biography
We Recommend
Other Useful Numbers
Tracy is a kleptomaniac and a lost soul who
drifts fecklessly about, sponging off her
friends, with a high turnover of menial jobs
as she searches for her ex-girlfriend, Anita.
But Tracy is an unreliable narrator, and it
gradually becomes clear that it is her neurosis, rather than Anita’s disappearance, that is
the driving force behind her adventure. Set
in a northern English city in the 1980s, Other Useful
Numbers is a moving and hilarious novel about love, dependence, disappearance and recovery. “A great portrait of a dislocated mind... absorbing, moving and funny.” Lesley Glaister.
∞ £7.99
8
Sarah Broughton was born
in London, grew up in Devon,
and then lived in Sheffield
for several years before
moving to Cardiff. She has
worked in a variety of jobs
and has written documentaries on Kathleen Ferrier,
Gracie Fields and Josephine
Baker for television. She is
a regular contributor to the
New Welsh Review.
Other Useful Numbers is
her first novel.
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Books Romance
We Recommend
The Kiss That
Counted
Karin Kallmaker
The Rainbow Cedar
Gerri Hill
Available
in June
CJ is a lost soul who’s secrets
keep her permanently alert and
on her guard. However, when
she meets the relaxed and happy
Karita, CJ soon begins
to wish for a life full of friends, security and a
lover. Even though Karita isn’t looking for anything serious, she sees something in CJ’s eyes
that sparks feelings that she has never felt
before. But all that may change with a single
kiss… In her own inimitable style, Kallmaker
brings together two very different characters
in a way that highlights their common needs
and desires. ∞ £9.99
Naked Heart
Jennifer Fulton
Available
end Apr
Another compelling romance
from Jennifer, full of sex, power
and danger! Ex-CIA agent Penn
Harte makes a living selling her
skills to the highest bidder. Lately
she's been overseeing best friend
Lila's businesses — running a fetish club and
making erotic movies. She is offered a job to get
some dirt on Unity, CEO of a biotech research
company. Unity has made a breakthrough
discovery that has ramifications for biological
warfare. In a bizarre twist, Unity hires Penn to
watch her back. Can two women who trust noone take a risk and trust each other? ∞ £11.99
Heartland
Julie Cannon
Political strategist Danielle has had
enough of the campaign trail and
books a week’s holiday at Spring
Dale, the perfect place to chill out
before embarking on the job of
a lifetime — the election of her
candidate to the presidency. Riley owns a working
dude ranch and has spent the last four years
casting out her own painful past. When she bumps
into Danielle she senses an attraction between
them, but will they be able to see where it may go?
Cannon has created two wonderfully intriguing
characters in Danielle and Riley. ∞ £11.99
Available
From the bestselling
Apr
author of In the Name of end
The Father comes a romantic
story that explores the loss of love
and the joy of finding it again. As
interior designer Jay Burns watches
her long-term relationship slowly unravel, she runs
into landscape designer Drew Montgomery. As
their paths cross, both professionally and personally, a friendship develops, one they each try to
maintain despite the obvious attraction between
them. But still, Jay is not willing to throw away an
eight-year relationship, even when it becomes
painfully obvious the end is near. ∞ £9.99
Heart of the Matter
KI Thompson
Thompson is back in the modern
day with her follow up to House Of
Clouds. Ellen, professor of History,
can’t help fantasizing about her next
door neighbour, newsreader Kate
Foster. Sexy and smart, Kate is
Ellen’s dream girl, but Kate doesn’t even know she
exists. But a rainy night and near-tragedy changes
everything when Kate is involved in an automobile
accident and turns to Ellen for help. Withdrawing
from the world, Kate depends upon Ellen for far
more than she realises, until the day Ellen tells her
that she is leaving on sabbatical. Beautifully written, KI Thompson conveys the pain and changes
that Ellen and Kate go through, and how their
journey takes them past superficial beauty to
a deeper relationship. ∞ £11.99
Rolling Thunder
Mickey Minner
In this sequel to Sweetwater, Jesse
and Jennifer thought they’d already
encountered the worst that life had to
offer, but they find themselves facing
new and unexpected threats to their
happiness. Jennifer must face her
father and the unwanted future he has planned for
her while Jesse encounters a threat to her life.
Meanwhile, Sweetwater faces its own threats from
Eastern developers. Will both women prove that their
love is stronger than those who have vowed to
destroy it? Whilst not always historically accurate,
Minner’s descriptions of the times and environment
are vivid, capturing one’s imagination. ∞ £11.99
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
9
OnThe
Spot
Books
VK Powell
Who was your first crush on?
My fifth grade teacher. Dark
hair with grey, sexy blue eyes,
body to die for!
What age did you come out?
At 21, when I moved to a bigger city and realised there
were people who felt like me
and it was okay.
Who would be your fantasy
date? Marina, who else?
What’s your favourite lesbian
novel and why?
Curious Wine by Katherine V.
Forrest because it was the
first I read that stirred emotions that felt right for me.
Who’s your favourite writer?
I can’t possibly narrow it
down to one. The current list
is: Radclyffe, Jennifer Knight,
Karin Kallmaker, Andrews &
Austin, Kim Baldwin, Lee
Lynch and Cate Culpepper
Which of your own characters
do you most identify with?
Since TPAS is my first novel,
I’d have to say Alex Troy.
There are some things about
her that parallel my career in
law enforcement.
What’s your favourite film?
The Year of Living
Dangerously and Desert
Hearts.
What’s your favourite TV
show?
Anything on Home and
Garden TV; I’m a frustrated
interior decorator.
Who’s your favourite L Word
character? MARINA! Where
the hell is she? I could drink
that woman’s bath water.
10
If you were batting for the
other side, who would you
fancy? George Clooney’s hair,
Ray Liotta’s eyes, Matt
Damon’s smile, William H.
Macy’s talent, and Brad Pitt’s
own opportunity.
You and your preference
butch, boi or femme? Femme
but with some butch
characteristics.
Biography
VK Powell grew up in a small
American tobacco-farming
town. Ironically, she didn’t
smoke, never learned to
swim, was allergic to seafood
until her early 30s, and
played cops and robbers way
too much, perhaps contributing to her becoming a police
officer for many years. VK is
a member of the Golden
Crown Literary Society and
Romance Writers of America.
She is the author of two
erotic short stories, Toy with
Me which appears in Erotic
Interludes 3: Lessons in
Love and Dessert, Anyone?
included in Erotic Interludes
4: Extreme Passions.
To Protect & Serve is her
first novel.
Romance
DEBUT NOVEL
To
Protect
And
Serve
Lieutenant
Alex Troy is
given the
dangerous
but career-building mission
of catching the city’s most
notorious drug lord, Sonny
Davis. Keri, a member
of Alex’s team, is young,
enthusiastic, and has
a reason of her own to want
Sonny Davis dead. Before
justice can be served, Alex
and Keri are caught in a web
of love, duty, vengeance and
desire that will change both
∞ £11.99
their lives.?∞
What is food heaven? Broiled
shrimp, a leafy green salad,
side order of thin, crispy
French fries and Baskin
Robbins Jamoca Almond
Fudge ice cream for dessert.
Who or what would you send
to Room 101? Violence in the
world and past hurts that limit
present relationships.
Who would you like to have
been in a former life? Vita
Sackville-West
Tell us a secret. I’m currently
homeless. (Figure that one
out!)
What’s the meaning of life in
one sentence?
I wish I knew. But I hope it has
something to do with learning
to love yourself and others
through acts of service.
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Books Romance
We Recommend
Fidelity
Susan X. Meagher
Sixth installment of the 26 book
series following the lives of
Jamie and Ryan. The series was
created for the reader who hates
to have a book end just when it's
getting good. In Fidelity, the
lovers are forced to determine if absence makes
the heart grow fonder. Jamie's leaves to spend
more time with her mother and Ryan's going
away to prepare for the upcoming volleyball season, but they see their separation with dread.
One person who's very happy to have them separated is Jamie's father, who makes his objections
to their bond in his usual manipulative way. ∞
£10.99
Girl Meets Girl
∞ £12.99
Cherry Grove
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More romance from
Susan X Meagher
available at
www.libertas.co.uk
Liddy-Jean Queen of
Marketing
Second Verse
Jane Vollbrecht
Editor Gail has isolated herself
due to the guilt she feels over an
accident involving her beloved
Marissa. But a new assignment
throws Gail together with
Connie, one of the leading ladies
of lesbian fiction. Gail is at first amused by
Connie, but amusement turns to attraction, and
attraction to torment. Soon another opportunity
comes Gail's way. Her lifelong friend, Penny,
asks her to come to their hometown to help
clean out Penny's parents' house. Gail has
always harboured an unanswered longing for
Penny. As Gail gets to know the truths about
Penny and Connie, she also comes to know herself better than she ever thought. ∞ £13.99
Deal with the Devil
Ali Vali
Third novel in the Casey Available
in April
family saga. Crime boss
Cain Casey forms an alliance
with Ramon and Remington to
secure peace among the ruling
families in New Orleans. Cain's
new associate, Remington, is a lot like she used
to be — an ambitious playgirl with a passion for
women. When Remi meets Dallas, an actress working for the studio Ramon owns, she finds that
there's more to Dallas than is included in her press
pages. Meanwhile, an old enemy wants revenge on
Cain and plans to take her wife. ∞ £11.99
Mari Sangiovanni
"Liddy-Jean, Marketing Queen is
a warm and witty reminder that
romance and reading can be fun."
Marianne K. Martin, author of
Under the Witness Tree. Liddy
has Downs’ Syndrome and works for a big company completing basic tasks. With the aid of her
friends Rose and Jenny, Liddy writes an advice
book for corporate America. Rose worries what
will happen if Liddy's book becomes a hit and
people find out that the guru of all things wrong
with corporate America is a young woman with
Downs’ Syndrome. Meanwhile, Liddy plans to get
Rose away from her dangerous boyfriend. The
way Liddy sees it, love is love, and Rose belongs
with Jenny, so she must hatch the perfect
scheme to fix both their lives ∞ £13.99
Training Days
Jane Frances
Morgan is traversing Australia by
train as a presenter for a TV show.
Closeted, she restricts her
amorous activities for outside
Australia, until she meets Marie,
a French backpacker. Will a few
hours of passion be Morgan's undoing, especially
since the encounter was overheard by a passenger standing outside Morgan's door? After a
“damage control” dinner, the passenger, Ally’s no
longer a threat. But could sexy Ally end up undoing Morgan emotionally? After all, she does have
two very unfortunate qualities, she's Australian,
and she prefers men. ∞ £10.99
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
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Books Crime & Mystery
When It’s All Relative
Therese Szymanski
Eighth volume in the Motor City
thriller series explores the darkness
inside Brett Higgins. When Brett’s
lover Allie catches her cheating,
Brett has a lot to make up for. She’ll
do anything to appease Allie, but
never dreams that Allie will ask that Brett make
contact with her own family. The family that tore
Brett apart physically and mentally is dying off, and
not from natural causes. Allie, desperate for proof
that Brett is capable of caring more about her than
her own desires, wants Brett to find out who did
what, and then do something about it. ∞ £13.99
Deadly Vision
Rick R. Reed
Life changes for single mum Cass
when she ventures out into a thunderstorm searching for her young
son, Max. Lightening strikes a tree,
causing a branch to knock her
unconscious. When Cass awakens
two days later she is able to tap into the deepest
secrets of those around her, and can see the fate of
some missing teenage girls. The police are suspicious and the press want to turn her into a celebrity!
The killers are desperate to know how she discovered their concealed grave. Luckily, Cass finds an
ally in Dani, a local reporter, and the two women
begin to probe into the disappearances/murders
and soon fall in love. But when little Max disappears,
Cass has to race against time to find him. ∞ £10.99
Morgan Hunt
Available
From the author of
ay
Sticky Fingers comes in M
another exciting episode
in the Tess Camillo Mystery
series. Tess and her roommate
Lana are excited about attending the concert of guitarist Cody
Crowne. All this joy turns sour the next day
when Tess discovers the singer dead – well, crucified, actually. Was this the work of some kind
of religious nut? A jilted lover? His jealous writing partner? Tess is drawn into a case that takes
her from the LA music scene to a creepy
religious organisation, with danger shadowing
her every move. ∞ £8.99
The Trouble With
Murder
Kate Sweeney
Following the success of A Nice
Clean Murder and She Waits, book
three of the Kate Ryan series keeps
the suspense going. After a photo
assignment in South Dakota, Kate
wants a break at her log cabin in the woods with
her sister Teri, Aunt Hannah, and Maggie. When
Maggie brings a friend along, Kate is reluctant to
acknowledge any feelings she has for Maggie. But,
something more troublesome is happening in the
woods: a violent storm leaves them isolated and a
body washes up on the beach... ∞ £13.99
Three Doses of Murder:
Murder in Triplicate:
(The Aliki Pateas Series, Book 2)
(The Aliki Pateas Series Book 1)
Anne Azel
Anne Azel
The second book of this mystery
series is full to the brim with tension.
Aliki wants some time alone to propose to the woman she loves, but a family gathering becomes a fight for survival when ritual sacrifices bring her into a complex murder investigation.
Especially when a serial killer lets Aliki know she
was the cause. Aliki goes undercover to catch the
murderer, but the price might be her relationship
and even her life. Mummified bodies and a mysterious disappearence take Aliki and her family to the
desert of nothern Chile. ∞ £14.99
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Fool On The Hill
After her Journeys series, Anne Azel
brings you a crime novel with
a comical slant. Aliki goes home
to make peace with her family, but finds that her
bedroom is now occupied by another woman,
Dawn. Resentment turns to love when both women
find themselves caught up in the middle of a
murder investigation. A serial killer called Fire
Clown tips the scales when he goes after the ones
that Aliki loves the most. A comedy of errors
follows that leads the family into danger-but help
comes from an unexpected source. ∞ £14.99
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Books Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Trouble And Her Friends
Shadow of the Knife
Melissa Scott
Jane Fletcher
Set 100 years in the future, this
is a cyberpunk science fiction
novel about intrigue and adventure in the virtual reality of the
computer networks. Someone
has stolen Trouble's identity on
the nets and she, the greatest hacker of them
all, returns from retirement to track down and
confront the impostor. ∞ £13.99
Another action packed sci-fi adventure in the Celaeno series, a 2005
Lambda Literary Award finalist.
Young Ellen knows that the world is
not black and white, but she has no
idea of just how dangerous her life
is about to become. The most vicious gang in the
Homelands are extending their operations to
Roadsend and Ellen is sworn to uphold the rule of
law, no matter what the cost to herself. ∞ £11.99
A Nice Girl Like You
The Fifth Sacred Thing
Tyree Campbell
Starhawk
Meet seven nice girls of science
fiction, a corporate detective, a
couple from a long-forgotten
colony, the last woman on Earth,
an outcast teenager, a reclusive
archaeologist and a soft-hearted
assassin. See them cope with murder, prohibitions, loneliness, relationships, and revenge. Tyree
Campbell deftly blurs the lines of what it is to be a
nice girl in an out-of-this-world collection of stories. ∞ £8.99
Here is a great epic that explores
the choices we must make in order
to insure our survival and the planet’s. Maya has helped shape the culture of the North by reviving its
spiritual tradition. Madrone, granddaughter of Maya's lover, is a healer trying to thwart
epidemics that she suspects are biological warfare
waged by the South. Bird, Maya's grandson, returns
from prison with warnings of invasion and a request
for help from the Resistance in the hills. ∞ £13.99
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
13
Books Film
Films For Women
Charlotte Brunsdon
This book looks at the representation
of women in the cinemas, at films by
women, at films for women and the
different types of audiences
that have emerged in recent years.
∞ £11.99
Women in Film Noir
E Ann Kaplan (ed)
22nd LLGFF on Tour: ABFI
Touring Programme to
cinemas throughout theUK
You don’t have to be in London
to experience the UK’s third-biggest
film festival. Highlights from the 22nd
London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival hit
the road from May to September
2008. Full information of touring titles
and venues can be found on our
website: www.bfi.org.uk/llgff
This new edition offers readings of,
among others, Bound and Basic
Instinct, broadening the scope of
the book to include questions of
homosexuality. ∞ £15.99
More Dirty Looks
Pamela Church Gibson (ed)
This edition discusses the
significance of pornography
in debates around gender, feminism
masculinity, power and identity.
∞ £17.99
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Books Non-Fiction
Our History
A Desired Past
Dictionary of
Homophobia
Lelia J Rupp
In A Desired Past, we meet Mary
Hammon and Sara Norman, who
were found guilty in 17th-century
Massachusetts of "lewd behavior
each with the other upon a bed."
We find Addie Brown, a freeborn
black domestic servant, assuring AfricanAmerican schoolteacher Rebecca Primus that
"no kisses is like youres" in the 1860s. We also
become acquainted with ACT-UP and the Lesbian
Avengers. This is the lively tale of homsexual love
and desire through nearly four centuries of
American history. ∞ £18.99
Louis-Georges Tin
The editor of this volume is the
founder of the International Day
Against Homophobia (IDAHO, 13
March). The book is the work of
70 researchers and writers in 15 countries, and
includes over 175 essays on various aspects of
gay and lesbian history, specifically that of gay
rights and homophobia. A scholarly yet plainspoken and accessible volume, this is the perfect
resource for anyone interested in the subject
matter. ∞ £23.99
The Red in the Rainbow
Sex and Sensibility
Arlene Stein
From the bar scene to the growth
of alternative families, Stein
shows us how a generation of
women transformed the ideals
of feminism into a lifestyle. She
begins with the stories of
30women who came of age during the 70s,
women's movement, many of whom defined
lesbianism as a form of resistance to dominant
gender norms. The author ends with interviews
of ten younger women who dismiss lesbian feminism as overly reductive. The personal accounts
range from coming-out experiences to the multiple identities of black women and the lives of
intermittent and "ex" lesbians. ∞ £18.99
Discussing Disability
Restricted Access
Victoria A. Bronworth (ed)
Informative, defiant and also
humorous, this anthology
tackles a wide range of
disabilities. Marginalised by their
sexuality and their disability, the
contributors (who include established writers like Patricia Nell Warren
and Nicola Griffith as well as novices) explore
the complications that arise at the intersection
of being a lesbian and disabled. ∞ £13.99
Hannah Lee & Viv Smith
Sexual equality has come a long
way since the dark days of the
1950s, when homosexuality was
illegal. In 2007 lesbians and gays
in Britain won the right to Civil
Partnerships. But we still live in
a world where homophobia exists and can be
expressed in the most brutal ways. While legal
reforms are a step forward, they are a far cry
from the vision of a different society expressed by
the Stonewall movement in New York during the
60s. The authors show us that real freedom and
equality will only be achieved through the radical
change of society as a whole. ∞ £3
Popular Culture
Entertaining Lesbians
Martha Gever
Stars from Melissa Etheridge to
Rosie O'Donnell send the message
that being out is now acceptable,
but how much of the public's
acceptance of these stars can be
credited to their expertise in selfinvention? Gever traces the history of lesbians in
popular culture during the 20th century, including
Radclyffe Hall, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Rita
Mae Brown and Martina Navratilova, to explore
the paradoxes of lesbian celebrity. Original and
provocative, Entertaining Lesbians takes a look
at the risk and rewards of being out of the closet
and in the public eye. ∞ £14.99
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
15
Interview Felicia Luna Lemus
On growing up in LA,
loving New York, Le Tigre,
Patti Smith and drinking
espresso.
Lucia Pajon: You live in New
York, but Trace Elements of
Random Tea Parties is set in
Los Angeles. Big cities can swallow one whole but also inspire.
Which city is “easier” (if there is
such a thing) for a Mexican
American like Leticia, or to put it
in a different way, how would
Leticia fare in New York?
Felicia Luna Lemus:
As much as I loved living in Los
Angeles, I absolutely love living
in New York City. I’ve been
thinking a lot about what it’s like
for young, punky-cool girls to
come of age in downtown
Biography
Felicia Luna Lemus is the
author of the novels Trace
Elements of Random Tea
Parties and Like Son. She
was raised in the infamous
Orange County, California,
and lived in Los Angeles for
a few years. She has taught
fiction writing at universities including U.C.L.A. and
The New School in New
York. Felicia lives in the
East Village of Manhattan
16
Manhattan. In fact, my next novel
is about exactly that-call it my
“OC girl goes NYC” book. The
protagonist is totally out of her
element and the adventures,
chaos, and crushes that ensue
are super-exciting. As for Leticia,
I’m not sure what her life would
be like if she lived in New York
City instead of Los Angeles.
Maybe I’ll move her to NYC someday and let her grow up here.
make for the most interesting
people in real life and art.
Leticia, the “heroine” of Trace
Elements… is completely
immersed in the Anglo-Saxon
culture, most of her friends
are American, but at the
same time the strong Mexican
imagery of her childhood is
always with her. And certainly her
family made sure she spoke
Spanish at home. Perhaps this is
an old argument; some people
feel really fortunate to be brought
up (or to move) within two cultures and see it as an advantage,
others feel more detached and
uprooted. Is alienation a word
from the past?
I am proud to be a queer Latina
woman. That said, my job as an
author is, first and foremost,
I love to write about the intersections of seemingly disparate
influences, cultures, and
identities. Leticia is Latina
and American. She’s femme,
tough, street smart and
sometimes a bookish sweater
fag. She’s punk and reverent
of Old World traditions and heritage. I’m a firm believer that
these sorts of contradictions
In a recent interview with
author Myriam Gurba, I asked
her about the visibility factor
for Latin American authors, in
particular lesbian or bisexual.
I mean where is everybody?.
Why is it so damned difficult?
The niche audience is there,
ready and waiting.
”I love to write
about the
intersections
of seemingly
disparate influences,
cultures,
and identities.””
write compelling stories. If I did
my job well, Trace Elements of
Random Tea Parties and Like
Son should ring true for readers
regardless of their cultural,
sexual, or gender identities.
Culturally, it isn’t assumed that
straight, white, male authors
write for only straight, white,
male readers; their authorial
voice is deemed universal. In
my opinion, there is absolutely
no justified inherent reason why
my authorial voice shouldn’t be
allowed access to the same
rights and privileges, and be
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Interview Felicia Luna Lemus
held to the same standards.
Like Son, your latest novel,
explores love in the broadest
sense. Frank, happens to be
a man with a female body, but
identity and not gender is what
matters. It’s a continuous search.
Is it also a personal search?
Like Son is the story of a man figuring out which parts of his
upbringing and heritage he can
hold onto, and which parts he
must let go of to be the person he
wants to be. Similarly, regardless
of the gender he was assigned at
birth, because he identifies as a
man, his body is a man’s body.
But really, what is at core in
Frank’s story is his relationship
to his familial and cultural legacy,
not his identity, per se.
In Like Son, trans man Frank
Cruz’s father is diagnosed with
terminal cancer. In Trace
Elements Leticia’s Nan has a
stroke. Did you feel you had to use
these critical situations as a
catalyst for the main characters?
Is death a subject that needs to be
addressed in your books to keep
things in perspective?
Trace
Elements
of Random
Tea Parties
As Leti immerses herself in the post-queer
scene in LA, navigating the
road of her own shifting
gender and falling deep into
"papaya lush blush" love,
she rediscovers the strength
and meaning of la familia. A
striking debut novel in the
tradition of Michelle Tea and
Sarah Schulman. ∞ £11.99
I didn’t set out for both stories to
have a brush with death. I guess
I just see death as part of life.
That’s probably why the death
of central characters has made
its way into my first two novels.
Where or who is Felicia in both
your books?
“Patti Smith
grounds me when
my brain gets
filled with too
much static.”
In some freaky-fun Dr.
Frankenstein (no pun intended)
way, every character in my
books is partly Felicia by way of
creation. But honestly the only
true Felicia in my books is the
one who is present as the
author.
Which one was more painful to
write (if there was any pain)?
Both novels took a lot of
focused and intense effort to
complete, but I think I’d say Like
Son was more emotionally challenging for me as an author. In
part I think this was because
I felt a huge responsibility to
portray Nahui Olin (the historical figure whose portrait, taken
by Edward Weston in 1924,
graces the book’s cover) accurately and with historical
respect. She was the original
inspiration for my novel (and for
my entire writing career, in fact,
the Weeping Woman character
in Trace Elements started as
fictional sketches about her).
Nahui was a powerhouse of an
artist, intellectual and muse.
She made her contemporary,
Frida Kahlo, look like a nun. But
she was also a very dark and
sad person. I think her melancholy affected me as I wove her
into Frank’s family history.
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
What or who inspires you?
There are too many people
to list, but some of the people
whose work, aesthetic innovations and drive inspire me these
days include Eileen Myles,
Michelle Tea, T Cooper, Justin
Bond, Matthew Barney and
Walter Benjamin. I’m also deeply
compelled by music. Le Tigre,
Fugazi, and Patti Smith ground
me when my brain gets filled
with too much static.
What have you got planned for
the near-future?
World domination! No; I’m working on my third novel right now.
Other than that, I’m planning to
drink another espresso in a few
minutes, plant flowers in the garden come springtime, and hopefully feed my wanderlust with
some travel sometime this year.
I’d love to visit London and Paris
or maybe Mexico. I’m pretty sure
the espresso will materialise; the
rest — we’ll see what happens.
Many thanks for letting us peek
into your world.
Thank you!
Like Son
Set amidst the
outsider worlds
of New York, LA
and Mexico City,
this is the notso-simple story
of a love-blindness shared
between a father and a son.
Born a girl named Francisca
Cruz, Frank Cruz is now a
post-punk 30-year-old who
has inherited his dead
father's wanderlust, unrequited love, and hyperbolic
tendencies. ∞ £14.99
17
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Jewellery
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Books Erotica & Sex Guides
Her Tongue In My
Theory
Ultimate Lesbian
Erotica 2008
Kiss & Tell
Nicole Foster
Persimmon Blackbridge,
Lizard Jones and Susan
Stewart, otherwise known
as Kiss & Tell, are a Canadianbased lesbian artist collective.
This daring collage of explicit lesbian sexual
imagery, erotic writing, personal histories and
provocative cultural analysis, infused with
humour, received a Lambda Award in 1995.
∞ £15.99
The Leather
Daddy
and the Femme
Available
in April
Carol Queen
Upon its release in 1998, this
groundbreaking classic turned
typical erotica upside down and
revealed San Francisco's outrageous sexual underground. This updated edition,
with previously unprinted scenes, takes the story
further. Miranda — Randy when she's a guy — lusts
for gay leathermen, and one evening she
becomes the sex toy she'd always dreamed of
being. That's the beginning of this story of transgender encounters, tricks and cruising, vivid
sexual escapades, and possibly the most modern
version of true love in contemporary literature.
∞ £10.99
Lovely, lively and alluring, the
ladies who populate this year's
edition of the ever-popular series
truly represent the ultimate
in lesbian desire. In these 25 tales
of love and lust, we unleash every type
of woman and reveal their most secret sexual
fantasies. ∞ £9.99
Periphery
Lynne Jamneck
Periphery brings together a
diverse blend of 13 noted speculative fiction writers to offer readers
lesbian fiction that delves deep
into aspects of attraction and
infatuation. Featuring such awardwinning authors as Nicola Griffith, Gwyneth Jones
and Melissa Scott, this imaginative
anthology thrusts readers into erotic futures
and dystopic worlds. ∞ £11.99
The Best of Both
Worlds: Bisexual
Erotica
Sage Vivant and M Christian (eds)
The women and men in The Best
of Both Worlds open the door to
new possibilities as they explore
the secret desires of their bodies
and their souls. No matter what your taste in
erotica is, male/male, female/female, threesomes,
orgies, swinging, bondage, dominance and submission, there's something here to tempt you.
But beyond that, this collection gets to the heart
of bisexuality, exploring what it means to be
bisexual — from coming out as bisexual for the
first time to being the "voice of experience"
and initiating a novice to bisexuality. ∞ £14.99
20
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Toys
Curve Dildo Violet
We Recommend
Pleasure comes in extra
ordinary shapes, a master
of lust!... Harnesscompatible. Made of
medical-grade silicone.
Length: 16 cm.
∞ £29.99
Delight
Black & White
∞ £75
Intensity
StrangerCandy Violet
∞ £79.99
An elegant waterproof vibrator
that stimulates exterior g-spots
and internal areas at the same time!
Controls are easy to operate with
your thumb. The carry case
is a travel box and charger in one!
The futuristic design will indulge
your every pleasure. Varying
speeds, easily adjustable
and comfortable to hold.
Length: 18 cm.
∞ £29.99
ANAL TOYS
Smartballs Raspberry & Pistachio
Top-of-the-range vaginal and pelvic massager will heighten your sexual
experience. Made of Elastomed that makes this toy very durable,
easy to clean, virtually silent and hypoallergenic.
Size: 4.1 cm x 10.2 cm (1.6 in x 4 in). ∞ £14.99
POCKET FUN
Flexi Felix
Pink
12 inches of
pleasure
in varying
sizes. When
Flexi Felix is
withdrawn at the
point of orgasm it
can heighten stimulation!
Also available in Candy Blue.
∞ £14.99
Layaspot
RaspberryTurquoise
∞ £29.99
Layaspot RaspberrySilver
∞ £29.99
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
The Layaspot
looks and feels
great, has eight
different speeds
and three
functions.
Waterproof,
durable and
easy to clean.
The perfect gift
for close friends!
21
Toys Harnesses
SPECIAL OFFER
£5 off
LUXURY LEATHER
HARNESSES
Function and style are perfectly
combined in these top quality
hand-made leather harnesses.
Soft to the touch, durable and
extremely comfortable. They are
ideal for hands-free penetration
and can accommodate most dildos. All models come with
adjustable straps.
Luxury Leather Harness
RED
∞ £62.95
When you buy a Luxury
Leather Harness with
the Tantus Goddess
Amethyst Dildo
or Silk Dildo - Large.
Silk
Dildo
Large
∞ £29.99
Goddess
Amethyst
Dildo
∞ £29.99
Luxury Leather Harness
BLACK
∞ £62.95
Luxury Leather Harness
BABY BLUE
∞ £62.95
Luxury Leather Harness
PENELOPE PINK
∞ £62.95
Luxury Leather Harness
DEEP PURPLE
∞ £62.95
22
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
New Toys
LELO, “lust objectified”
These beautiful top-of-the-range vibrators from this Swedish
company are a blend of femininity, engineering, design and sophistication.
Being made from medical-grade silicone, water-resistant and virtually
silent makes them an absolute delight to use! All models are
rechargeable (no batteries needed!) and come in an elegant gift box with
a charger, manual, a satin pouch for storage and a One year LELO
warranty. The program keys can be locked for travel and can remain
in standby mode for up to 90 days.
LELO Iris Powder
Blue
∞ £70
LELO Iris Petal
Pink
∞ £70
LELO IRIS has a pair of individually balanced vibrator engines, operating in harmony, providing
the basis for deep and sensual pleasure. The intuitive interface dial facilitates exact intensity
control, while the ergonomically curved stem stays intimately in touch with all those special
places! Size: 22 cm x 4.2 cm.
LELO Lily Sweet
Plum
LELO Lily Black
LELO Lily Petal
Pink
∞ £68
∞ £68
∞ £68
LELO LILY is a discrete pleasure object with a silky-smooth surface and deceptively powerful purr.
The specially adopted silken finish, sensual to the touch, suggestively puts the user in the mood and
invites imminent full-body exploration. Size: 7.5 cm x 3.6 cm.
LELO Liv Cerise
LELO LIV is a versatile
vibrator with five
pre-programmed
modes and a virtually
silent engine. Her petite
frame ensures discreet
yet reassuring company,
eager to fulfill all your
desires. LIV is rechargeable and a one hour
charge will provide up
to 1.5 hours of bliss.
Size: 18 cm x 3.5 cm.
∞ £56
LELO Nea Black
Pearl
∞ £52
LELO Nea White
Pearl
∞ £52
LELO NEA is a slight vibrator with a porcelain-like finish
and deceptively powerful purr. Decorating the glossy
exterior, pleasing to the eye as well as to the touch, are
floral motifs reminiscent of the Belle Epoque. Ergonomically
designed, rechargeable and exceedingly quiet.
Size: 7.5cm x3.6cm
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
23
DVDs
We Recommend
Bump! is the world's first lesbian and
gay travel television series, and it’s
now available on DVD
Bump! American
Northeast
Lesbian playwright Shannon
McDonough takes you on a
trip covering everywhere
from New York, Philadelphia
to Washington DC, hanging in
places like Central Park, the Philadelphia
PirdeFest, Philadelphia International Gay and
Lesbian Film Festival and Washington’s gay
neighbourhoods like Dupont Circle.
∞ £24.99
Bump! Southern
California
Bump! Goes behind the
scenes with gay director
Todd Holland in Los
Angeles, Shannon
McDonough checks out the
latest lesbian fashions, take a ride at the
San Diego Gay Rodeo and visit America’s
gay-friendliest city, Palm Springs.
∞ £24.99
For more Bump! destinations
visit www.libertas.co.uk
Girlfriend
Tanya and Sapna are best of
friends having gone to college
together, lived together and
drooled over men together. But
when Sapna meets Rahul, Tanya
can’t stand the thought of losing
her friend and tries to break up
their relationship. But are Tanya’s feeling purely
platonic or do her feelings go deeper?
Girlfriend is more a dark drama than romance
and was controversial on its release in India however for Western audiences this film is more
about a love triangle than breaking down sexual
taboos. (Hindi with English subtitles). ∞ £12.99
24
OUR BESTSELLER
Loving Annabelle
Rebellious Catholic schoolgirls,
hidden secrets and a controversial
romance all unfold in the newest
addition to the lesbian cult classic
cannon. Loving Annabelle is the
controversial story of a Catholic
boarding school teacher who has
an affair with her female student, Annabelle.
Inspired by the 1931 German classic Maedchen
In Uniform, director Katharine Brooks's Loving
Annabelle gives a modern telling of the
forbidden love story that continues to be
controversial to this day.
“Brooks builds up the sheer sexual tension
between Annabelle and Simone in the vein of
Lolita and Professor Humbert, as they exchange
glances, trade stories that, whether they know
it or not, is a back and forth of dares and opportunities neither want to take just yet, and finally
leads with a passionate sexual affair.”
Filmthreat.com ∞ £12.99
Gypo
Winner of the Best British
Independent Film Award in
2005 and Best First feature
at the San Francisco
International Lesbian & Gay
Film Festival, Gypo charts the
breakdown of a working class
family when Helen, the long-suffering wife
and mother offers a hand of friendship to
refugee Tasha. Helen has been married to
Paul for 25 years and is desperate, damaged, and looking for change. Paul - bitter,
hypocritical and bigoted, sick and tired of
being in the poverty trap - is on the brink of
a breakdown. Into their lives comes Tasha,
a Romany Czech refugee, awaiting her
British passport and her chance for freedom. Told in three revelatory narratives,
each from a particular character's point of
view, reveals how the disintegration of an
ordinary working class family finally comes
to a head when unexpected emotions are
unleashed. ∞ £12.99
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
New DVDs
The Quiet
This erotic and suspenseful tale of
sex, lies and betrayal stars Elisha
Cuthbert (The Girl Next Door) as
Nina, a cheerleader whose life is
turned upsidedown by the arrival
of her parents' godchild Dot, a
deaf and mute girl who’s just lost
her father. Although Nina looks upon Dot's deafness with disdain, her family and friends develop
a strange attraction to her, and Dot soon
becomes a sounding board for everyone's heaviest burdens. But when Nina becomes convinced
that Dot is hiding a few secrets of her own, she
decides to confess a family secret so disturbing,
it cannot be ignored. Region 1 ∞ £19.99*
Sonja
This fantastic film lays bare all the
uncertainty, fear and beauty of
coming of age. Sixteen-year-old
Sonja makes a confident and
experienced impression when the
conversation turns to sex in her
circle of friends, but to her best
friend, Julia, she confesses that she has never
had any sexual relations, not even with her exboyfriend Anton. Sonja begins to discover her
feelings for Julia. Could it be possible she is in
love with her best friend? After a weekend at her
father's place on the coast, Sonja faces up to her
sexuality and realises the life she used to lead will
no longer be possible. (German with English
subtitles). Region 1 ∞ £19.99*
Kate Clinton: The 25th
Anniversary Tour
We Recommend
Ani DiFranco:
Live
at Babeville
Available
in Apr
Ani performed to a sellout
crowd at Babeville, home of
Righteous Babe Records, in
September 2007. What made
those nights so special wasn't just the music
but the fact that she was playing the inaugural
shows in her very own venue, a church once
slated for demolition that has been restored as
a state-of-the-art music hall and rechristened
Babeville. Ani took the opportunity to revisit
songs from her career. The spirit of celebration
was in the air, and the energy in the room,
both onstage and in the audience, was extraordinary. Region 1 ∞ £19.99*
Looking For Cheyenne
Intelligent and romantic, Looking
For Cheyenne is a classic lesbian
story of true love, loss and finding
it again. Sonia is a high school
teacher with a successful career,
unlike her lover, Cheyenne,
a journalist who’s just lost her job.
Frustrated with society’s pressures, Cheyenne
refuses welfare and amenities like electricity or
cars. Their liaison crumbles after a heated night,
and Cheyenne leaves Paris for the countryside.
Sonia is left to pick up the pieces and along the
way she has several one-night-stands. Will Sonia
and Cheyenne get together again? (French with
English subtitles). Region 1 ∞ £19.99*
Kate Clinton marks her silver
anniversary as an openly-gay performer with this amazing stand-up
TV special. Her hilarious performances are interspersed with a variety of personal moments, including behind-thescenes interviews, and special appearances by
Lily Tomlin, Melissa Etheridge, Billie Jean King
and other lesbian celebrities and comics. For a
woman who has successfully changed people's
lives and minds through her smart style of lesbian
humour, this comedy special is a tribute well
earned. Region 1 ∞ £19.99* MORE DVDs ONLINE AT
Fine Dead Girls
A winner of the Best
Available
end Apr
Croatian Film Award,
Fine Dead Girls has been
named one of the best Croatian
movies of the last decade, and
garnered much attention due to
its controversial, provocative
themes. University students Iva and Marija rent
an apartment in a seemingly quiet building in
Zagreb, but what initially appears as a safe love
haven quickly turns into a nightmare. (Croatian
WWW.LIBERTAS.CO.UK
with English subtitles). Region 1 ∞ £19.99*
*Please note: these DVDs are all Region 1 and will only play on a multi-region DVD player
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
25
Interview Bettina Schelker
Musician, former boxer and political
activist Bettina talks to Libertas
Emma Hands: Tell us about your career so far.
How does the sport compare to the music?
Bettina Schelker: I am now officially retired from
boxing. After winning the Swiss championship, I
decided to focus on my work as a musician. I have
had success in Switzerland and in Germany, but
now, I have had the great opportunity of playing in
countries such as America, England and Ireland.
Also, I was thrilled to find out that I won the John
Lennon International Songwriting Contest in the
Folk category. Judges included Fergie from the
Black Eyed Peas, The Bacon Brothers, Bob Weir
from the Grateful Dead and Al Jarreau. I take my
hat off to the John Lennon Songwriting Contest
for selecting my song, as it has such a strong
anti-homophobia message.
In what other countries have you achieved
success with your music?
I am in the middle of a world tour promoting my
new album in Denmark, Holland, Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, England and America.
In what language do you prefer to sing?
Well, my mother tongue is Swiss German. I have
also recorded in High German and French. But,
when you have an album with such a strong political message as The Honeymoon is Over, I think
it’s important to sing in English. In December
I played the Rockwood Music Hall in New York
City. Can you imagine a room full of New Yorkers
singing along to my Swiss German songs? It was
a really cool experience.
“I think, if you don’t run,
nobody can chase you. “
How much homophobia have you experienced in
both the sport and music industry?
I have always been openly “out.” I think, if you
don’t run, nobody can chase you. I am blessed
with a loving family who never treated me differently. When I registered my Civil Partnership, we
were trying to book a honeymoon, and were
shocked we couldn’t book a “honeymoon special”
and how in many countries, homosexuality is punishable by death. This got me researching, and
the stories are shocking everything from beatings
26
to rapes.
Couples being
assassinated
in taxis. This
was the inspiration for the
song The
Honeymoon
is Over.
I totally agree that, although we have come a long
way with homosexual rights, there is still a long
way to go. Where has your activism taken you and
what are your plans for the future?
Well, I am a singer-songwriter and that’s how I
spread my message, I raise awareness and
acceptance. I like to support good charities. After
a recent tour with Chumbawamba, I donated half
of the money from my CD sales to an organisation called Nein Heisst Nein (No means No). The
organisation works in schools to raise awareness
about sexual violence against girls. The other
business that I own was recently the main sponsor of a concert to raise money for children with
cancer.
How did founding your own school come about?
For the last six years, my partner and I have been
organising sports, music and art events for
children in the school holidays. This programme
now reaches to over 300 children per year. We
got great feedback from parents, saying that this
is one area which schools are lacking. So, we
decided to found our own private school where
the children get music and sports lessons each
day, the only school in Switzerland to do this. We
are currently a pre-school and have plans to add
a kindergarten and then hopefully a primary
school.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
The gay and lesbian community has the chance
to get international attention and raise awareness
about homophobia. Check out the song The
Honeymoon is Over and please vote for it to win
song of the year at the John Lennon international songwriting Contest. If we can get everybody
singing about the important issues, it will hopefully stop homophobic discrimination.
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Music
The World Has
Made Me the Man
of My Dreams
Watershed
We Recommend
I∞ £??.??
Heart
History
Meshell Ndegocello
Canonised or marginalised,
Meshell has given up with
the politics of explaining
herself. After 20 years in
an industry that has called her everything from
avant-garde to a dying breed, what remains is
a fearsome bassist and prolific songwriter of
unending creativity. Her seventh album questions
the brutality of the world with an arsenal of
familiar themes: faith, rage, despair, fleeting joy
and doubt. Aching lyrics and devastating bass
lines are her trademark. Long live good music.
∞ £12.99
The Adventures
of Ghosthorse
and Stillborn
Al Start
After the success
of Go and her
multiple gigs (some
with Belinda
O’Hooley), the
Brightonian singersongwriter is back with a brand-new album.
I?Heart History is part of On The Pull, a new
exhibition at the Brighton Museum. The songs
are all based on true stories. From the tragic
tale of the Chocolate Cream Poisoner to
gender-bending Colonel Barker, drowned
mermaids and Lovers' Lane ghosts, this is
narrative songwriting at its finest. Don’t miss
this brilliant project!! ∞ £12
CocoRosie
This album is a lush,
orchestral array of sounds
and beauty. Sisters Sierra
and Bianca Cassidy (Bianca
is openly-gay) released “one of the most loved
indie albums of 2007”, according to
afterellen.com. Playing classical instruments, such
as the piano and harp, CocoRosie bring together
influences from their different backgrounds to
create dreamlike scenarios of hip-hop, psych-folk
and electro music. Sexuality and gender are
major topics explored in their music. ∞ £14.99
Watch The Sky
The West Was
Burning
Martha Scanlan
Listen to the debut album
of former member of the
celebrated Reeltime
Travelers, prominent contributor to the Cold
Mountain soundtrack. Her debut, The West Was
Burning, combines music that rises from way
back in the American soul, with lyrics that have
her “riding on a troublesome vine” (Set Me Up
High) or turning the simple act of taking a walk
into a moment of romance. ∞ £14.99
Patty Larkin
Add this name to your
lesbian music catalog.
Written produced and
engineered by herself, this
album has a raw, intimate
gorgeous sound that is all
her own. Patty has experimented with a kaleidoscope of sounds, from her “slapsteel” guitar (lap
steel, played with drumstick and hand) to the
“baribow,” an electric guitar played with a child’s
violin bow! Her career spans throughout ten
albums and she has been a favourite of the
critics. Now it’s time for Larkin to be YOUR
favourite. ∞ £13.99
Just A Little
Lovin’
Shelby Lynne
The lesbian-friendly
country singer from
Nashville has just released
an album inspired by one
of her favourite singers,
Dusty Springfield. But don’t be fooled; this is not
just “another covers album”. Shelby is smart
enough to make Springfield's songbook her own.
The album features nine classic songs associated
with Dusty and one stunning original written by
Shelby. ∞ £14.99
to order: fax 020 7424 7401 or phone 020 7485 8317
27
Magazines
Curve
DIVA
Included in this month's
magazine is an interview with
Dani Campbell, the star of new
American TV reality show, A
Shot at Love. L Word exclusive,
Helena’s prison lover. Articles
on marriage rights, the city of
Detroit and its thriving gay and lesbian scene,
choosing the perfect bike, a woman’s ride to
China and what to do when the tire goes flat.
Plus, all the usual features and reviews.
∞ £3.75
LOTL (Lesbians On
The Loose)
LOTL Magazine is Australia's
longest-running gay & lesbian
magazine title. Included in this
issue: An interview with k.d.
lang-on music, spirituality
and being fluid. Plus,
International Women’s Day, loving life after
40, finance for femmes, men we love, a trip
to Vienna, Girlfest makes a splash, crashing the
boys club, or how sexism is still alive, and all
the usual reviews. ∞ £3.50
Mslexia
This literary magazine for
women brings you fantastic writing guidelines, top reads, workshops and lots of inspiration.
In this issue: Girls Aloud —
co-founder Kate Mosse on the
landmark Orange Broadband
Prize for Fiction, a decade on. Itinerant Poetry
Librarian Sara Wingate Gray takes us on a most
unusual journey. A Commercial Novel Break —
Why did novelist Lesley Lokko trade in her architect's tools for a writer's pen? Novelist Scarlett
Thomas talks to Danuta Kean. ∞ £5.50
The Super Sexy issue.
In the April issue:
Caught in the ActKim Renfrew introduces Lisa Byrne's
portfolio of dreamy,
sexy artwork. Around
the World in 80
Girls — do national
stereotypes ring true?
Sarah Waters — Kim
Renfrew talks to the
author of Affinity about its TV dramatisation.
Fetish Girls— frisky fashion for whip-smart women.
Help! My Sex Life Needs a Makeover! — sexpert Ky
Hoyle shares her tips. DIVA is now available on
tape, for people with visual impairments
(Feminist Audio Books). ∞ £3.25
Velvet
In this issue: Exclusive interview
with Ann Bannon, the queen
of lesbian pulp fiction. Also,
features on lesbian history, author
of modern classic Desert of the
Heart, Jane Rule, and Leisha
Hailey's new band Uh Huh Her.
Plus, the usual features and reviews. Published in
January, April, July and October. ∞ £5.50
GLU (Girls Like Us)
Issue 7 — Spring 2008
The cosmopolitan magazine has
a new image. In this issue: Fetish
fantasiser Maria Beatty by Ursula
Del Aguila. Low-femme Pauline
Boudry by Jessica Gysel. and lots
more fabulous articles. ∞ £5.99
***COMPETITION***
Velvet magazine has a Flash Fiction Competition in collaboration with Chroma: A
Queer Literary Journal. Create a work of Fiction or Poetry of up to 150 words on the
themes of Journey, Surprise and/or Lust. Deadline 1 September 2008.
Judge: Stella Duffy. 1st Prize £200, 2nd prize Signed books and a FREE
subscription to Velvet. Full entry details can be found at www.velvet-mag.co.uk
28
to order: e-mail [email protected] or log onto www.libertas.co.uk
Shop online at: www.libertas.co.uk
for more offers and a bigger range of products
Phone: 020 7485 8317
International: +44 207 485 8317
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