Stucky and Angie/Peggy History reading list! (Or, a 1930s-1950s LGBT History List)
It took me a considerable amount of time to create this list. Please take just a second to “like” or even reblog my list. It makes a huge difference. I researched two different library databases, which took hours, and scoured through Amazon.
If you don't have time to read the whole list - my recommended pick overall is number 7.
I have tried to find free copies of the book when I can, but it's not easy with the newer books. Off we go!
Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940 by George Chauncey
Amazon Link: Here.
Archive Link: Here.
This is one of two defining gay in New York books. It’s an older book, but it has earned its place in the LGBT Book Hall of Fame. However, the book can be a bit dry. There are sometimes so many details that you lose the point of the passage. On the other hand, the details are incredibly useful, as he’s able to locate historical places by address and name the buildings around them, along with their histories. Most historians don’t bother to indicate exactly where buildings were located or where they are now. (Standing or not standing). I don’t know why more historians don’t follow this example. As a historic preservationist, it’s not that hard. There are times when the book is sexually explicit, so just be aware! Much of the book predates WWII, but two things: 1. You need to know the history that precedes it. Where did we come from? What has changed? 2. If you’re looking for Stucky history, you’re going to want the 30s and 40s, so you’re going to want the second half of the book.
2. A Queer History of the United States (ReVisioning History) by Michael Bronski
Amazon: Here.
Archive: Here.
I’d be crazy not to include this book. It’s a more modern guidebook to LGBT+ history. I included the Disability History of the United States in the disability guide. This is a great introduction to LGBT+ history, and I think it provides a solid foundational understanding of the subject. Yes, WWII is mentioned, but I think the general history is great in the book. It does not shy away from difficult topics, and some people may find the book triggering as it contains blunt language to these topics that people may not be used to. However, this is the norm for minority history. Sometimes, we need to use more direct language to convey our point. The book is easy to read, so I highly recommend it. There is also a great deal of diversity between races and religions.
3. Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America by Lillian Faderman
Amazon: Here.
Archive: Here.
I own this book. Lillian Fadermen is literally the premiere historian of lesbian history. Like, there may be only ONE other historian that rivals her. If you want lesbian history, this is where you go. Don't let the age of the book fool you. Look at the beginning for the reasons why again. This book is actually on two of my LGBT lists because of the span it covers. This book covers everything, I swear.
With all that said, her writing can be a bit dry. Some parts of the book were a bit of a slog, but she does use a lot of primary resources, and that livens it up a bit. Her book definitely has diversity in it, especially covering Harlem. There is definitely a lot of content that would work for Peggy and Angie. It's at least three chapters worth, but I still recommend the whole book.
4. Fighting Proud: The Untold Story of the Gay Men Who Served in Two World Wars by Stephen Bourne
Amazon link: Here.
No archive link, sadly.
I’m actually thinking of buying this book. This is probably the easiest to read out of all the books. The tone is more conversational or story-like. The author’s preface and introduction were great. The first half of the book discusses World War I, which is almost never discussed, so that was refreshing. I recommend reading it but feel free to skip to the WWII section. He writes with great respect and reverence for the subject. It was extremely easy to read through the preview. (I used the Google Books preview.)
5. When Brooklyn Was Queer: A History by Hugh Ryan
Amazon: Here.
No Archive link, sadly.
I didn’t expect to like this book, given the way the author focuses on himself sometimes, but he approaches his history through storytelling and interviews with members of the community. The information that couldn’t be gleaned from an interview came from his own investigations and subsequent historical research. The book kind of reminded me of Anthony Bourdain. It has a very rich span of history, and the last third of the book is most pertinent to Stucky, but the content preceding that is actually quite nice as well. He’s similar to George Chauncey (First pick) in that he’s able to pinpoint locations. What’s unique about this is that the book was written in 2019, so his investigations would have to be updated from what Chauncey found decades earlier.
If you like Walt Whitman, you’ll especially appreciate the first chapter.
I recognized many of the locations discussed in the book as they were places featured in Steve’s history, including Red Hook.
6. Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community by Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy and Madeline D. Davis
Amazon: Here.
Archive: Here.
I'm not sure how much this book pertains to Angie and Peggy, ONLY because of the discussions of lesbian bars. It's up to you all if you hc Angie and Peggy visiting these. The book is set in NY but more outside of it.
It also discusses being in the closet, but focuses more on out lesbians or at least, lesbians who didn't explicitly hide them selves. (I use lesbians in my writing just for ease. The book pertains to bisexual women as well!) The only thing that may frustrate some people is that femme women take a back seat in the book. In a book about lesbians, it would be way better to have equality. However, the book talks about the working class a lot, which is a refreshing change. That fits Angie more in terms of her job, but I'm not sure about lifestyle. Peggy is more middle class. The book is also incredibly diverse, talking extensively about African American and Latinx communities. So, honestly, you have to decide whether this book is enough about Peggy/Angie or if you're interested in that aspect of history.
7. Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II by Allan Berube
Amazon: Here.
Archive: Here.
I liked this book so much that I actually bought it on Amazon after reading the preview.That should tell you all you need to know. In all seriousness, this is a great book. It's my number one pick. It’s highly respected for its high-quality research and writing. It’s a little bit technical in tone, so you may have to read carefully. I didn’t have much of a problem. I just skipped some of the acronyms, and I was fine. He conducted numerous interviews, which was wonderful. I went through the book very quickly. One thing I LOVE is that he works VERY hard to give lesbians their light in the book. It’s been very frustrating to see most of these books neglected women. Some of the book was actually humorous, and unsurprisingly, some of it was heartbreaking. I definitely recommend this book.
8. Hidden from History: Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past by Martin Bauml Duberman (Editor), Martha Vicinus (Editor), George Chauncey.
Amazon: Here.
Archive: Here.
It is another old book, but it is considered a must-read for historians or those interested in LGBT+ history. Many classes read from it.
It discusses how to research these individuals while also providing diverse chapters on various subjects from different historians. The last six chapters of the book are most closely related to Peggy/Angie and Bucky/Steve.
One of the authors for one of the chapters is actually Allan Berube, who was already included in this list. Madeline Davis also has a chapter in the book. George Chauncey has a chapter on World War I for those interested. I don’t have the time or room to discuss each chapter. You’ll just have to see it for yourself.
Important Notes:
You may notice that there aren’t a lot of books about women. That is partially due to laziness and misogyny, but also the true problem that there isn’t as much easily accessible information about lesbian, bisexual, or transwomen outside of stereotypes. There are academic papers that discuss how difficult it is to write about WLW. I can prove it. However, I call some of these historians lazy as while it is true that it is significantly harder to find sources about women, I get the feeling that some of these historians didn’t even try.
A lot of the books are older, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth reading. A lot of the books have updates to them. They didn’t achieve such a high status of quality and success for nothing. For some reason, there were more scholars interested in the subject, OR they had more resources, even though we have a more advanced internet with databases.
