Join us for a guided tour of the pleasures and perils of lesbian historical fiction, as Linda Garber (author of Novel Approaches to Lesbian History) introduces the thrilling and heart-wrenching adventures, trenchant theoretical insights, and critical political shortcomings of novels that establish a historical footing for contemporary lesbian identity in the face of a problematic, mostly silent, archive. She’ll cover genres ranging from westerns (Tomboys and Indians) and pirate tales (Unsafe Seas for Women) to the postmodern (Haunting the Archives) and the erotic (Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Lesbian Sex), while calling for an intersectional, trans-inclusive lesbian literature and history.

Linda Garber is associate professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Santa Clara University, where she teaches queer literature and film, and feminist and queer theory. Her book Novel Approaches to Lesbian History was published by Palgrave in 2021 and is now available in paperback. Her earlier books include Identity Poetics: Race, Class, and the Lesbian-Feminist Roots of Queer Theory and the anthology Tilting the Tower: Lesbians / Teaching / Queer Subjects.

The Center for Cultural Studies hosts a weekly Wednesday colloquium featuring work by faculty and visitors. We gather at 12:00 PM, with presentations beginning at 12:15 PM.

Staff assistance is provided by The Humanities Institute.