A Place of Our Own

In the words of Joan Baez - Action is the antidote to despair. Immensely readable, A Place of Our Own charts the inventive actions of queer women in the latter half of the 20th Century. With chapters devoted to lesbian bars, bookstores, softball teams (and more), the book is far more than an elegy for past times. It's a warts-and-all / how-to guide to forging community in the face of what seem like insurmountable obstacles. A celebration of what was - and can be - built, with all the hurdles and ecstasies. Ultimately encouraging and empowering, A Place of Our Own serves as a reminder that you can't change the world but you can change your neighbourhood. And the world starts at the front door * Rosie Garland * Fun-to-read, this breathless tour through the worlds we built, is also sobering. Lesbians accomplished so much when we weren't confused about what the straight world felt about us. The depth of culture, sub-culture, and fascinating history that comes alive in this book captures a world before the internet, when In Real Life was real life, and before corporate white-washing, obscuring the complexity of our connections and experiences. A PLACE OF OUR OWN illustrates a time when each woman had to venture out into the world of the unknown to create her lesbian life, and all the unforeseen adventures she encountered and created. Bravo June Thomas! * Sarah Schulman * Jam-packed with fascinating nuggets of cultural history, movement lore and gossip; riveting; indispensable; and suffused with a humane warmth which Thomas extends to the younger generation of queer women, nonbinary folks, and trans men and women who are continuing the (unfortunately) ongoing struggle * Alison Bechdel *