Happy Pride Month! As we celebrate the vibrant diversity of LGBTQ+ experiences, why not delve into some memorable nonfiction reads? These books offer personal journeys of growth and self-discovery. From heartfelt memoirs to insightful explorations of gender and activism, there's something here for everyone. And if you find yourself out enjoying the summer weather, make sure to swing by the first floor of Shapiro Library, where you can find 30 selected memoirs by LGBTQ+ authors. So, whether you're seeking connection, insight, or simply a good read, join us in exploring these illuminating narratives that celebrate the richness of the LGBTQ+ community.
Not on campus? Check out the books in the display that are also available online in the Library's Overdrive Collection:
- Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic - Alison Bechdel. “In this graphic memoir, Alison Bechdel charts her fraught relationship with her late father. Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the Fun Home. It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve.”
- Gender Queer: A Memoir - Maia Kobabe. “Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.”
- The Cooking Gene: A Journey through African-American Culinary History in the Old South - Michael W. Twitty. “Southern food is integral to the American culinary tradition, yet the question of who "owns" it is one of the most provocative touchpoints in our ongoing struggles over race. In this unique memoir, culinary historian Michael W. Twitty takes listeners to the white-hot center of this fight, tracing the roots of his own family and the charged politics surrounding the origins of soul food, barbecue, and all Southern cuisine.”
- All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto - George M. Johnson. “Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.”
- Pageboy: A Memoir - Elliot Page. “Pageboy is a groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir from the Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. A generation-defining actor and one of the most famous trans advocates of our time, Elliot will now be known as an uncommon literary talent, as he shares never-before-heard details and intimate interrogations on gender, love, mental health, relationships, and Hollywood.”
- High-Risk Homosexual: A Memoir - Edgar Gomez. “This witty memoir traces a touching and often hilarious spiralic path to embracing a gay, Latinx identity against a culture of machismo—from a cockfighting ring in Nicaragua to cities across the U.S.—and the bath houses, night clubs, and drag queens who help redefine pride. With vulnerability, humor, and quick-witted insights into racial, sexual, familial, and professional power dynamics, Gomez shares a hard-won path to taking pride in the parts of himself he was taught to keep hidden. His story is a scintillating, beautiful reminder of the importance of leaving space for joy.”
Interested in fictional reads? Here are some more digitally-available stories to check out:
- Blue Skinned Gods - SJ Sindu. “Traveling from India to the underground rock scene of New York City, Blue-Skinned Gods explores ethnic, gender, and sexual identities, and spans continents and faiths, in an expansive and heartfelt look at the need for belief in our globally interconnected world.”
- Elegy for the Undead - Matthew Vesely. “Jude and Lyle's newlywed life is shattered when a vicious attack leaves Lyle infected with a disease that transforms him into a violent and often incomprehensible person. With no cure for the "zombie" virus in sight, the young husbands begin to face the last months they have together before Lyle loses himself completely.”
- The Magic Fish - Trung Le Nguyen. “A beautifully illustrated story by Trung Le Nguyen that follows a young boy as he tries to navigate life through fairytales, an instant classic that shows us how we are all connected. The Magic Fish tackles tough subjects in a way that is accessible with readers of all ages, and teaches us that no matter what—we can all have our own happy endings.”
- Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo. “America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.”