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A review by sucreslibrary
Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence by Rosemary Curb, Nancy Manahan
this isn't a book I feel particularly comfortable rating, so I'm choosing not to.
the things i get out of reading works like these is a sense of community, of at least knowing that there have always been people out there that have felt as I did, that have dealt with extreme homophobia and misogyny and still chosen to follow their true selves despite the immense pain. it also felt calming to read about these women who have job hopped and changed their careers so frequently and are still happy with their lives. im currently unemployed and have been struggling, so it was surprisingly comforting to read the lists of the many different jobs these women have held. I also really liked the photos being included - it's fun seeing older lesbian fashion and hairstyles!
this isn't a book i'd recommend reading all in one go, or even over the course of two days like I did. a lot of the beats are the same, even though the perspectives are all unique, and it can start to run together quickly. the writing quality is a mixed bag. i did feel like I learned a lot about Catholicism and nuns, subjects I'm not very well-versed in. it was interesting learning about how different all of their experiences could be, and how the idea of lesbianism or "particular friendships" was handled in different convents. a few of the sections that really lost me focused more on mysticism, and one in particular was just a woman's dream diary + her own interpretations of her dreams that was incredibly tiring to read.
reading any kind of historical lesbian work requires a good understanding of the politics of the time as well as different movements that existed in the community. this book, being published in the 80s and largely speaking to lesbians who came out in the 60s or 70s, pays a lot of lip service to lesbian separatist movements and feminine spirituality. one of the former nuns interviewed is Janice Raymond, author of the Transsexual Empire and notorious TERF and SWERF (she claims to be the first person to be given the TERF label) who is responsible for a lot of the current talking points around trans identities and transitioning. these talking points have led to very real bodily harm inflicted on trans women, both by their communities and their governments. by now I'm used to running into these issues while reading historical lesbian texts, but felt it's worth mentioning for anyone who maybe was interested in this and wouldn't be as aware. I think it's important to know the history that precedes us, including the incredibly harmful parts, so I find merit in reading these works even though I do not agree with a lot of the beliefs the women in them uphold. however I do not blame anyone who does not want to touch a work associated with such a notoriously vile person. her interview being the closing chapter was was a truly sour ending to the collection.
the things i get out of reading works like these is a sense of community, of at least knowing that there have always been people out there that have felt as I did, that have dealt with extreme homophobia and misogyny and still chosen to follow their true selves despite the immense pain. it also felt calming to read about these women who have job hopped and changed their careers so frequently and are still happy with their lives. im currently unemployed and have been struggling, so it was surprisingly comforting to read the lists of the many different jobs these women have held. I also really liked the photos being included - it's fun seeing older lesbian fashion and hairstyles!
this isn't a book i'd recommend reading all in one go, or even over the course of two days like I did. a lot of the beats are the same, even though the perspectives are all unique, and it can start to run together quickly. the writing quality is a mixed bag. i did feel like I learned a lot about Catholicism and nuns, subjects I'm not very well-versed in. it was interesting learning about how different all of their experiences could be, and how the idea of lesbianism or "particular friendships" was handled in different convents. a few of the sections that really lost me focused more on mysticism, and one in particular was just a woman's dream diary + her own interpretations of her dreams that was incredibly tiring to read.
reading any kind of historical lesbian work requires a good understanding of the politics of the time as well as different movements that existed in the community. this book, being published in the 80s and largely speaking to lesbians who came out in the 60s or 70s, pays a lot of lip service to lesbian separatist movements and feminine spirituality. one of the former nuns interviewed is Janice Raymond, author of the Transsexual Empire and notorious TERF and SWERF (she claims to be the first person to be given the TERF label) who is responsible for a lot of the current talking points around trans identities and transitioning. these talking points have led to very real bodily harm inflicted on trans women, both by their communities and their governments. by now I'm used to running into these issues while reading historical lesbian texts, but felt it's worth mentioning for anyone who maybe was interested in this and wouldn't be as aware. I think it's important to know the history that precedes us, including the incredibly harmful parts, so I find merit in reading these works even though I do not agree with a lot of the beliefs the women in them uphold. however I do not blame anyone who does not want to touch a work associated with such a notoriously vile person. her interview being the closing chapter was was a truly sour ending to the collection.