Felicitous Faderman

Who defines the literary canon? Surely, there is no better example than Lillian Faderman, the groundbreaking scholar and author of Chloe Plus Olivia: An Anthology of Lesbian Literature from the 17th Century to the Present. Her aesthetic sense is flawless; her love for lesbian literature is palpable; her prose is exquisitely clear; and her scholarship is open and exciting.

As a lesbian poet, I was starved for Chloe Plus Olivia. I needed an anthology to act as a guide and teacher. I needed a lesbian literary canon to interact with. In my book, Lillian Faderman is a star. Not just because she has published so many books and won so many prestigious awards, but because she forged ahead, alone, through unknown territory. When everyone else was ignoring or disparaging lesbian literature, Faderman treasured it. I also learned about Faderman's integrity directly from her.

In terms of the current grand poetry industry, I am a nobody. But when I sent Dr. Faderman a sonnet, she wrote back with praise and encouragement. Her kindness felt like suddenly being airlifted from a shack in Siberia to a loft on Christopher Street. I felt like less of an outsider, and, in some small way, suddenly part of lesbian literature. Dr. Faderman offered to write an afterword for my book! Can you imagine?! I absolutely adore her. In this photo, airlifted from Ann Bannon’s website, Lillian Faderman is on the left and her long-time partner, Dr. Phyllis Irwin, is on the right.

~Mary