Queer and Pleasant Danger: Writing Out My Life

This collection of fiction and nonfiction from a noted lesbian author portrays the ups and downs of lesbian life in the 1990s. Original.

In this collection, Rafkin ( Different Daughters , Cleis, 1987) examines changing fashions, attitudes, and partners. The fiction pieces in the first part crackle with humor, at times striking a more serious, universal chord: the palpable loss in "The Other One Died," the sadness of an ended relationship in "Tortoise Husbandry," and the hope and comfort of friendship in "Blueprints for Modern Living." Brief essays in the second part of the book delve into Rafkin's fulfillment as a person and a writer. In such essays as "After the Fall," she explains how she has shaken up her mother's world--and vice versa. Here, Rafkin describes her moving back home to care for her mother after she broke her hip. Helping her mother to regain her independence knocked down barriers between the two women, and her mother learned to accept her lesbian daughter. Their love for each other makes this ongoing journey worthwhile. For most public libraries.
- Lisa Nussbaum, Euclid P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.