In reading The Lesbian Polyamory Reader: Open Relationships, Non-Monogamy, and Casual Sex, you'll quickly discover that the steps toward love and happiness are as easy as 1, 2, 3, and maybe even 4 or 5. And you'll find that if your own lesbian relationship lies outside the “traditional monogamous couple” model, you're definitely not alone. You'll explore many multifaceted and multifarious love relationships, each one applicable to your own liking, if you so choose. You'll find successful models of relationship styles--regardless of your own orientation--from cover to cover, and you'll discover the pleasing polyphony in the many, many female voices of authorities on love and love relationships.
Whereas other similar studies project the limited view of one or two authors, The Lesbian Polyamory Reader calls upon a broad scope of writers, professional women and academics alike. You'll see that outside the gay rights movement that currently pushes for a traditional, monogamous marriage model of gay couplehood, there lies pleasing multiplicity in the arms and hearts of lesbians worldwide. Specifically, this collection offers:
- “first person” articles--stories that describe a variety of lesbian experiences relating to multiple lovers in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s
- “how-to” articles--descriptions of the various polyamorous relationship configurations, including ways of dealing with jealousy
- “theoretical” pieces--the history of multiple relationships, the social implications of practicing a love style other than monogamous coupling, and safer sex considerations
Much, much more than a book on personal satisfaction, The Lesbian Polyamory Reader also focuses on the social implications of this love phenomenon, bringing it into a more inclusive circle of discussion for lesbians, educators, and students of sociology and sexology. You'll find satisfaction in seeing the love so many lesbian women have achieved by not mimicking the “marriage model” of living.
"Revisits the passion that feminist-lesbians in the '70s brought to our confrontations with patriarchal forms of relationship and love. . . Here we have stories and poetry based on personal experience that now spans decades of herstory and wisdom. These are interspersed with clear academic feminist analyses as well as solid descriptions of working models of polyamorous relationships. . . WILL SHAKE UP SOME MINDS." -- Molly Gierasch, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, private practice, Boulder, Colorado
"Warning! Be prepared to have the dishes pile up in the sink, or just be left on the table. . . You won't be able to tear yourself away from The Lesbian Polyamory Reader for such mundane things as work and evenings with friends. . . OFFERS REASONABLE, LOGICAL, AND PERSUASIVE EXPLANATIONS FOR A STYLE OF LIFE I HAD NOT SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED BEFORE. . . A TERRIFIC READ." -- Beverly Todd, Acquisitions Librarian, Estes Park Public Library, Estes Park, Colorado
