 Read Out!
A List of Materials in Braille and Talking Books by and about Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders
This booklist was compiled by the staff of the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library. Titles were selected for either historical or current interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender readers or which contain lesbian or gay content.
RC = Recorded Cassette
BR = Braille
August 2005
FICTION
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
Tony Kushner
BR 09377
Pulitzer Prize - winner for Drama. The first volume of this epic play takes place in an ever-changing American milieu. The central characters are two young, homosexual New Yorkers, a married Mormon couple, and Roy Cohn. The focus shifts from sex to politics to religion. Human relationships, society and heaven crack under pressure, until finally, an angel appears. Strong language. 1993.
Angels in America: Perestroika
Tony Kushner
BR 10225
Part two of this play, picking up where the angel makes a traumatic entry in the final scene of "Millenium," stands alone or can be seen as a resolution to "Millenium." Prior, one of the two homosexuals in New York, is fighting for his life; but in the end, he lectures his friends about what AIDS has done and how the world will go on. Strong language. 1993.
As We Are Now
May Sarton
RC 51586
Elderly spinster schoolteacher Caro Spencer is left in a desolate old folks' home by her older brother. As boredom and lack of mental stimulation increase, she keeps a journal and plans for the inevitable. 1973.
The Beautiful Room is Empty
Edmund White
RC 56517
American Midwest, 1950s. The narrator comes to terms with his homosexuality, having struggled from prep school through college with self-deprecation, desire, and role in the gay community. Concludes with New York's Stonewall uprising. Sequel to A Boy's Own Story (RC 56516). Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1988.
The Blackwater Lightship
Colm Tóibín
BR 14354
Declan, hospitalized in the final stages of AIDS, sends for his sister Helen and their estranged mother. His request to visit his grandmother's house on the Irish coast creates an uncomfortable situation, bringing the three generations together – along with two of his gay friends. Booker Prize finalist. 1999.
Bookends
Jane Green
RC 55704
Londoners Josh, Catherine, and Si—who is gay—have been close friends since college. Catherine even opens a bookshop/café with Josh's wife, Lucy. When gorgeous Portia, a former untrustworthy friend from their school days, enters the picture, the group's relationship threatens to unravel. Strong language. 2001.
Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories
Truman Capote
RC 58223
The popular tale of Hollywood starlet Holly Golightly, the former Texas child bride whose intoxicating personality takes the story's narrator and Manhattan itself by storm. Also includes short stories "House of Flowers," "A Diamond Guitar," and "A Christmas Memory." Some strong language. 1950.
The Color Purple
Alice Walker
RC 58842 / BR 12265
Two impoverished sisters have different fates—Nettie travels to Africa with a missionary family, while Celie is married off to an abusive older man. Celie writes letters to God, discussing events around her. Eventually, she begins to take charge of her life. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Pulitzer Prize. 1982.
Cyanide Wells
Marcia Muller
RC 56498 / BR 14870
The disappearance of Matthew Lindstrom's wife fourteen years ago, just before their divorce, branded him a murderer and destroyed his career. When he discovers Gwen is alive, Matt heads for California to look for answers and possibly revenge – but instead finds her lesbian lover and an even bigger mystery. Some strong language. 2003.
Don't Erase Me
Carolyn Ferrell
BR 11598
Stories about young people of the urban underclass – mostly poor, black, or bi-racial and from broken or dysfunctional families. In "Proper Library," a black teenage boy, who is responsible for the care of several younger siblings, is shunned by his classmates because of his homosexuality. Strong language. 1997.
Dupont Circle
Paul Kafka-Gibbons
RC 52785 / BR 13598
Three couples who live in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C., contemplate love and matrimony. Judge Bailey Allard falls in love with the female housemate whom his son recommended. Allard's clerks, Max and Eve, plan to wed, and his gay son wants to marry his lover. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2001.
The Eye in the Door
Pat Barker
BR 10645
Sequel to Regeneration ( RC 48082 / BR 10543). London, 1918. As Britain faces defeat by Germany, pacifists and homosexuals are scapegoated as potential traitors. Lieutenant Billy Prior, a bisexual with a split personality, on release from a war hospital is unfortunately assigned to British Intelligence and again needs Dr. Rivers' help. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1994.
If Beale Street Could Talk
James Baldwin
RC 58492
Bittersweet love story between nineteen-year-old African-American Tish Rivers and her lover, Fonny, who met on the streets as children. Tish is pregnant with their child and remains hopeful, while Fonny, an artisan wrongly accused of rape, awaits trial in jail. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1974.
The Immoralist
Andre Gide
BR 11937
Michel, the protagonist, explains how his personality and attitudes toward life disintegrated under the influence of a tropical climate and illness. In this psychological study, Gide examines the conflict between self-development and self-sacrifice. The author was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1947. 1970.
Junky: The Definitive Text of Junk
William S. Burroughs
RC 58941
Fiftieth-anniversary edition of author's semi-autobiographical novel. Beginning in 1945, depicts Burroughs's early years as a drug addict and homosexual and details habits of various postwar urban subcultures in the U.S. and Mexico. Includes a comprehensive introduction, auxiliary texts, previously omitted chapters, and lost passages. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1953.
The Line of Beauty
Alan Hollinghurst
RC 59483
1980s. After university, gay Nick Guest moves into the London mansion of his friend Toby, whose father is a conservative politician. Nick has relationships with a black clerk and later a Lebanese millionaire while enjoying a privileged lifestyle. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. Booker Prize. 2004.
A Love of My Own
E. Lynn Harris
RC 54842
Both Zola Norwood, the editor-in-chief of a hip African-American magazine in New York City, and its gay CEO, Raymond Tyler, are looking for love and stability after their many years of disappointment. Sequel to Any Way the Wind Blows (RC 53010). Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. Bestseller. 2002.
Lucky in the Corner
Carol Anshaw
BR 14525
College student Fern resents her lesbian mother for breaking up the family. But when Fern's best friend Tracy has an illegitimate baby whom she gradually leaves more and more in Fern's care, Fern learns about the joys and pains of motherhood. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2002.
The Married Man
Edmund White
RC 51933
In this portrayal of a gay love affair in the time of AIDS, a young Parisian architect leaves his wife and commits to a relationship with an older HIV-positive American. Part romance, part travelog, and a chronicle of the toll of AIDS. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2000.
Mortal Allies
Brian Haig
RC 54157
Major Sean Drummond, introduced in Secret Sanction (RC 53151), is a JAG lawyer assigned to defend an officer accused of murder in South Korea. Drummond finds that his co-counsel is an old law school nemesis, the defendant is a homosexual, and the CIA has secrets to hide. Violence and strong language. 2002.
The Night Listener
Armistead Maupin
RC 52746
Gabriel Noone suffers from writer's block, struggling to create a script for his late-night radio program and trying to cope with the departure of his lover of ten years. The arrival of a book manuscript by a thirteen-year-old boy who has endured horrendous sexual abuse by his parents changes Gabriel's life. Strong language. 2000.
North of Havana
Randy Wayne White
RC 58617
South Florida marine biologist Doc Ford, a former U.S. agent, returns to help his hippie friend Tomlinson who was stranded after the Cuban government confiscated his boat. Accompanied by his lesbian buddy Dewey, Doc locates Tomlinson among anti-Castro revolutionaries. Strong language, some descriptions of sex, and some violence. 1997.
Now It's Time to Say Goodbye
Dale Peck
RC 51492
Multilayered portrayal of a town in crisis. A disillusioned homosexual New York couple emigrate to an isolated Kansas town, only to find the people violently divided by race and divergent perspectives on life. Their arrival triggers additional acts of rape, murder, and general mayhem as the community struggles with long-pent ills. Descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language. 1998.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
RC 56794
First published in the late nineteenth century. A beautiful youth has his portrait painted by an artist with a flair for the morbid. The portrait becomes the mirror of its innocent-appearing subject's inner life. Introduction by Edmund White. 1999.
She is Me
Cathleen Schine
RC 57003
Manhattan professor Elizabeth Bernard moves to Los Angeles with boyfriend Brett and their son in tow to write a screenplay based on Madame Bovary. Both her ailing mother and grandmother live there and urge her to marry Brett. But Elizabeth fears commitment and, besides, has fallen for someone else. Strong language. 2003.
The Snow Garden
Christopher Rice
RC 54064
Atherton freshman Randall Stone is having an affair with Professor Eric Eberman. Scandal erupts on this northeastern campus when Eberman's wife suspiciously drowns. Stone and his friends play private investigators against a backdrop of sexual experimentation, college angst, and crimes of the past. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. Bestseller. 2001.
Skinned Alive: Stories
Edmund White
RC 52860
In this collection of eight stories, White explores themes of gay life such as desire, intimacy, love, and jealousy. Through it all, his characters live under the melancholy spectre of AIDS and the ever-present threat of mortality and grief. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1995.
The Tail of the Tip-Off
Rita Mae Brown
RC 55754
After a women's basketball game at the University of Virginia, a man drops dead in the parking lot. With the help of her pets, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen investigates the murder of local contractor H.H. Donaldson and corruption in the building industry. Some strong language. 2003.
Three by Tennessee
Tennessee Williams
RC 50178
Three classic plays by the Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist. In "Sweet Bird of Youth" a gigolo returns to his southern hometown. "The Night of the Iguana" is set in a run-down Mexican tourist hotel. In "The Rose Tattoo" a Sicilian widow finds love. Some violence and some strong language. 1976.
Three Junes
Julia Glass
RC 55525
The Scottish McLeods—father and three sons—grapple with family ties and love relationships in the summers of 1989, 1995, and 1999. Widowed Paul, traveling in Greece, reappraises the past in his bereavement; a son in Manhattan finds an outlet for repressed feelings; and his brothers learn accommodation. Some strong language. National Book Award. 2002.
The Weekend
Peter Cameron
BR 10076
Fortyish art critic Lyle is taking his new lover, Robert, to visit friends Marian and John in the country. Lyle explains that a year ago his lover Tony, who was John's half-brother, died at this house. Marian is puzzled that Lyle would bring a guest on this anniversary and then her daughter unexpectedly arrives. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1994.
With You in Spirit
Steven Cooper
RC 58346
Gay, Native American, and Jewish Graydove Hoffenstein, heir to a parking meter fortune, defends his mother who is jailed for murdering his father. The eccentric family hires blind medium Brenda Cloudholder to intervene at their haunted Vineyard estate. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003.
NON-FICTION
Andy Warhol
Wayne Koestenbaum
BR 13791
Examines the enigmatic man behind the public figure of the pop artist who became a cultural icon of the 1960s. Discusses Warhol's homosexuality in art and life, and his nearly fatal shooting. Provides psychoanalytically oriented insights into his personality and his work. 2001.
The Boy and the Dog Are Sleeping
Nasdijj
RC 56420
Native American author recounts his emotions in caring for Awee, an eleven-year-old Navajo boy with AIDS whom Nasdijj reluctantly adopts after his son's death in The Blood Runs like a River Through My Dreams: A Memoir (RC 52065). He leaves the reservation—with its inadequate health service—to seek better medical treatment for Awee. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2003.
Complete Works
Arthur Rimbaud
RC 50570
A chronological presentation of all the extant writings—poetry, prose, and letters—of the precocious French poet Rimbaud (1854-1891), as interpreted and translated by Paul Schmidt. Includes "The Drunken Boat," "Vowels," "A Season in Hell," and "After the Flood." Contains all the poems usually gathered under the title "Illuminations." 1975.
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
David Sedaris
RC 58825
Picaresque collection of essays by gay public radio commentator and bestselling author of Me Talk Pretty One Day (RC 50514). Author recalls memorable episodes from his life including trick-or-treating, vacationing with his family, finding work, and living in Paris. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2004.
Dry
Augusten Burroughs
RC 58160
Author continues his memoir begun in Running with Scissors (RC 54817), describing how his alcoholism interfered with work and landed him in a rehab center for gays. He then recalls his return to the Manhattan streets, where he battled cravings and personal demons. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2003.
The Elusive Embrace: Desire and the Riddle of Identity
Daniel Mendelsohn
RC 50368
A meditative memoir of growing up gay in a Jewish family. Explores themes of sexual attraction and identity. The author traces his personal odyssey to self-acceptance, enjoying the gay lifestyle in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, but also discovering the significance of fatherhood. Some strong language. 1999.
Familiar Spirits: A Memoir of James Merrill and David Jackson
Alison Lurie
RC 53148
Novelist Alison Lurie reminisces about meeting American poet James Merrill (1926-1995) in his youth and becoming friends with him and his companion, David Jackson. Discusses their homosexuality, the importance of the Ouija board in their relationship, and their problems as they aged. 2001.
Florence, a Delicate Case
David Leavitt
RC 54795
Explores expatriates' attraction to this Italian city. Examines Florence's twin status as a capital of great art and a haven of permissive sexual attitudes. Discusses books and movies set there and the city's appeal as a destination for homosexual artists and scholars. 2002.
The Funny Thing Is...
Ellen DeGeneres
RC 57179
DeGeneres follows up My Point...And I Do Have One (RC 41736) with another collection of stream-of-consciousness musings that highlight the absurdities of everyday life. Topics include brunches, gift exchanges, silence, clothes she has regretted wearing, penny-pinching, and things to be grateful for. Bestseller. 2003.
Gielgud: A Theatrical Life
Jonathan Croall
RC 53319
Biography of the esteemed British actor, director, and writer John Gielgud (1904-2000). Describes his life and times, including his family's theatrical background, his knighthood and subsequent homosexual scandal in 1953, his ventures on Broadway and in Hollywood, and his numerous radio and television appearances. Some strong language. 2000.
The Golden Age
Gore Vidal
RC 51122
Fictional coverage of the American cultural and political scene from 1939, when the U.S. debated entering World War II, until 1954 after the Korean War. Caroline Sanford, producer-actress and Washington newspaper publisher, and her journalist nephew provide insider views on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's and Harry Truman's terms of office. Bestseller. 2000.
Going the Other Way: Lessons from a Life In and Out of Major-League Baseball
Billy Bean
RC 57562
Memoir of openly gay, former major-league baseball player Billy Bean. He chronicles his road to the majors and personal struggles along the way, which ultimately forced him to choose between playing in secrecy and isolation the game he loved, or following his heart. 2003.
A Handmade Wilderness
Don Schueler
BR 10815
In 1968, Schueler and his companion, Willie Brown, set out to homestead the "least worst land" they could find. Schueler recounts their twenty-five-year struggle to restore a despoiled eighty-acre tract in southern Mississippi and tells of Brown's death from AIDS in 1987. 1996.
Last Watch of the Night: Essays Too Personal and Otherwise
Paul Monette
BR 10289
Follows Borrowed Time (RC 41663 / BR 07469) and Becoming a Man (RC 41664 / BR 09742). Ten essays written from August 1992 to New Year's Eve 1993. AIDS patient Monette wrote while leashed to IV drugs and a small mountain of oral medication. Topics include Puck, the dog left by one of his lovers; selecting his own grave site; and the lives of gay priests. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1994.
Maurice Ravel: A Life
Benjamin Ivry
RC 53411
A chronological account of the composer's life that propounds the thesis that "Ravel was a very secretive gay man." Using unpublished documents, letters, articles, and memoirs, Ivry discusses Ravel's sexuality and suggests how it affected the "sixty works of permanent value" he produced. 2000.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
John Berendt
BR 11463
In the 1980s, New Yorker Berendt began visiting Savannah, Georgia and became enchanted by the city and its inhabitants. He introduces Savannah and the hodgepodge of friends he made, especially Jim Williams, an antique dealer active in the restoration of Savannah. He also discusses the murder on May 2, 1981, for which Williams went to trial – four times. Strong language. 1994.
Natural Blonde: a Memoir
Liz Smith
RC 51277
Autobiography of a gossip columnist from Ft. Worth, Texas, who wrote about the rich and famous for over five decades. Describes her childhood and rise to prominence, and dishes out gossip about past and present celebrities – both bluebloods and Hollywood types. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2000.
The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need
Andrew Tobias
RC 54550
Update of the bestselling classic by the same title (RC 11899) wherein the author humorously discusses all aspects of money including Internet investing, taxes, IRAs, budgeting, stocks and bonds, insurance, inheritance, and how to spend smarter. 2002.
Queer Street: Rise and Fall of an American Culture, 1947-1985
James McCourt
RC 58816
Anecdotal history of New York's gay life. In a collage of screenplay, prose, poetry, and free association, McCourt reflects on his own coming out in the 1950s and notes that queer culture has paradoxically declined as homosexuality's social acceptance has widened. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2004.
The Soul Beneath the Skin: The Unseen Hearts and Habits of Gay Men
David Nimmons
RC 54465
Former president of New York's Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center challenges popular stereotypes in an interpretation of gay male experience and cultural patterns. Using personal observations and scientific, anthropological, and philosophical studies, Nimmons finds gays more community-service oriented and less violent and sexually jealous than heterosexuals. Strong language. 2002.
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted: A Memoir
E. Lynn Harris
RC 56881
Autobiography by gay, African-American, bestselling author of Invisible Life (RC 38731). Describes his humble beginnings in Arkansas, his career development, failed romantic relationships, bouts with depression, and deep faith in God. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2003.
FOR YOUNGER READERS
Brundibar
Tony Kushner
RC 57567
Aninku and Pepicek need milk for their sick mother. Brundibar sings for money in the village square, but won't let the brother and sister earn a few coins, too. It takes the collective effort of many people to overcome the bully and help the children. Adapted from a 1938 concentration-camp opera. For grades 4-7. 2003.
The Eagle Kite
Paula Fox
BR 10396
Liam's father has AIDS. He tells Liam that it came from the blood transfusion he got three years ago when he had an operation. But Liam knows blood transfusions are safe now. He remembers a time when he was flying the eagle kite his father gave him, and he saw his father embracing a young man. And he sees the anger in his mother's face. For grades 6-9. 1995.
Hearing Us Out: Voices from the Gay and Lesbian Community
Roger Sutton
BR 10222
In their own words, gays and lesbians tell what being gay means to them, giving their stories as a policeman, a minister, gay activists, teenagers, a drag queen, and others. They discuss issues such as the reaction of their families, friends, and co-workers to their "coming out"; AIDS; the military; and gay parenting. Some strong language. For high school and older readers. 1994.
Journey Out: A Guide for and About Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Teens
Rachel Pollack
BR 11284
The authors give advice to teenagers on various aspects of discovering one's sexuality: dating, myths and stereotypes, religion and spirituality, homophobia and harassment, finding self-acceptance, and coming out to family and friends. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. For junior and senior high readers. 1995.
Two Teenagers in Twenty: Writings by Gay and Lesbian Youth
Ann Heron
BR 10983
Forty-one essays by gay and lesbian youth ranging in age from twelve to twenty-four. The authors relate their experiences in dealing with their sexuality and the difficulties encountered in "coming out" to family and friends and finding a network of support. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. For senior high and older readers. 1994.
Willa Cather: Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians
Sharon O'Brien
BR 10455
Born in 1873, Willa Cather supported herself as a journalist and a teacher before becoming a published novelist and winning the Pulitzer Prize. O'Brien, who uses Cather's letters as evidence that she was a lesbian, also discusses the author's intense relationships with other women and her gender-bending practices. For high school and older readers. 1995.
The World Out There: Becoming Part of the Lesbian and Gay Community
Michael Thomas Ford
BR 11372
The author presents a young adult's guide to understanding and becoming a part of the gay and lesbian community. Discusses dating, sex, music, information sources, and educational opportunities. Offers portraits of gay subcultures in major American cities. For senior high and older readers. 1996.
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