Richard Hudson Library of Gay Literature and History Guide: Guide to Rare Books

Unlike the periodicals, which are fairly diverse, the rare books collection features only a few authors of color. James Baldwin is prominently featured, as well as several books of poetry from Countee Cullen.

James Baldwin (1924-1987):

• American writer and civil rights activist
• Go Tell it on the Mountain, Giovanni’s Room, Notes of a Native Son (Main Library)
• Wrote about masculinity, race, sexuality, and class
• Protagonists were often gay or bisexual African American men
• Clark, Kenneth Bancroft, et al. The Negro Protest : James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Talk with Kenneth B. Clark. Beacon Press, 1963.

Countee Cullen (1903-1946):

• American poet, novelist, playwright
• Popular during the Harlem Renaissance
• African-American writer/philosopher Alain Locke helped Cullen come to terms with sexuality by showing him the work of Edward Carpenter
• Married Yolande Du Bois (daughter of W.E.B. Du Bois) in 1928: they divorced in 1930 due to Cullen admitting to Yolande that he was attracted to men
• In 1940, he married Ida Mae Roberson and stayed with her until his death six years later
  • Cullen's letters to Henry Atkinson suggest a possible romantic relationship between them during his marriage to Roberson, though not necessarily a sexual one

The vast majority of the rare books in the collection are related to gay or bisexual male authors. Most of the rare books are from the 19th and early 20th century.

John Addington Symonds (1840-1893):

• English poet and cultural historian, known for work on the Renaissance
  • Was first to discover Michelangelo's homosexuality (and the attempts made by earlier historians to erase that sexuality)
• Supporter of homosexuality, both pederastic as well as egalitarian relationships
• After death, literary estate tried to bury all evidence of his homosexuality until it would be safe to be revealed, as per his wishes; memoir was not published until 1984 (and even then some of his work/details of his life were omitted)
• Link to a really thorough biography/list of work compiled by Rictor Norton!

Edward Carpenter (1844-1929):

• English poet and writer
• Abolitionist, pro prison reform, socialist, acceptance of same-sex love, all around advocate for equality
• E.M Forster’s novel Maurice (1971) was based on Carpenter and his partner George Merill
• Early member of the Fabian Society, a group of socialists in England that are still active today

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900):

• Anglo-Irish poet, author, playwright
• Author of The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Attempted to sue lover's father for libel; judge instead used Wilde's writing to try him for “indecent acts” with men; lost libel suit and trial and was convicted to maximum punishment of 2 years hard labor in prison
• After prison, went to France and never stepped foot in Britain again

Frederick Rolfe (1860-1913):

• English writer, artist, and all-around eccentric
  • Semi-autobiographical work Hadrian the Seventh became a minor cult classic
• Also known as “Baron Corvo” (Baron Crow)
• Converted to Catholicism, wanted to become a priest but was thrown out due to "erratic behavior"
• Idolized male youth/late adolescence (boys around 16-18)
• Venice Letters: detailed descriptions of his sexual exploits with young male prostitutes in Venice (written to Charles Masson Fox)

David Oliver Cauldwell (1897-1959):

• Sexologist, pioneered the term “transsexual” as used in its current definition
• Published many monographs on sex, psychology, and health
• Believed that transsexuality came from childhood trauma but advocated for acceptance of transsexuality (and homosexuality)

Lynn Riggs (1899-1954):

• American author, poet, playwright, screenwriter
• Mother was 1/8th Cherokee and secured Cherokee allotment for him, which helped support his writing
• His play Green Grow the Lilacs was adapted into the hit Broadway musical Oklahoma!
• Gay and often acted as a non-romantic escort for Hollywood actresses (like Joan Crawford)

Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997):

• American poet and writer
• Famous poem “Howl” which won an obscenity trial
• Born Jewish, converted to Buddhism
• Controversial for many things (anti war stance, use of drugs, unabashed sexuality) but most notably for being a member of NAMBLA (North American Man Boy Love Association)
  • Organization advocating for relationships between grown men and boys and campaigning to lower the age of consent

There are a few interesting works about feminism housed with the rare book portion of this collection!

Broomstick (1978-1993):

Broomstick was a feminist periodical for and by women over forty, edited and run by Mickey Spencer and Polly Taylor. The magazine featured poetry, essays, fiction, and art dealing with ageism, racism, sexism, and a number of other pressing social issues. These artifacts have not actually been catalogued in the collection yet, but hopefully they will be soon!

Shameless Hussy Press (1969-1989):

Shameless Hussy Press was the first feminist press in the United States, edited and run by Alta.. Most of the work she published drew heavily on the struggle of being a woman in the 70s United States, especially a woman who loved other women and wanted to prioritize them in her life.

Key Works:

Alta. Letters to Women. Shameless Hussy Press, 1970.

Edward Carpenter:

Edward Carpenter was mostly known for his works on socialism and same sex love, but he was also a huge proponent for equality of the sexes. He argued that marriage could never be fulfilling while women were financially dependent on men, and that women needed economic freedom from capitalism just as badly as men did.

Key Works:

Carpenter, Edward. Woman and Her Place in a Free Society. Labour Press Society, 1894.

Carpenter, Edward. Marriage in Free Society. Labour Press Society, 1894.

Although the collection has a smaller amount of works about female sexuality, such works do exist. Many of these come in the form of journals and zines, but there are also a few rare novels and books of poetry.

Alta (1942-):

• American poet, writer, publisher
• Founder of Shameless Hussy Press and editor of Shameless Hussy Review, which was the first woman owned feminist press in the United States

Shameless Hussy Press (1969-1989):

• Mostly published books and poetry by women, although 6% of the work they published was by men (since at the time 6% of the books published in the US were by women)
• First to publish Pat Parker, Mitsuye Yamada, Ntizaje Shange, and Susan Griffin, who later became prominent feminist authors

• Press shut down in 1989, and an archive of the Press is held at University of California Santa Cruz

Check out Alta's oral history of the Shameless Hussy Press here!

Edward Carpenter is a prominent figure in the collection, not only for his tracts advocating for acceptance of same sex love, but also for his many manifestos discussing socialism!

Carpenter was also a founding member of the Fellowship of the New Life, which splintered off into the Fabian Society (which was more politically active).

Key Works:

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