New Books in Literary Studies Diana Souhami, "No Modernism Without Lesbians" (Head of Zeus Book, 2020)
Aug 31, 2025
Diana Souhami, an accomplished biographer known for highlighting lesbian women in literary history, delves into her book that uncovers the essential role of lesbians in the Modernist movement in 1920s Paris. She explores the vibrant lives of figures like Sylvia Beach and Gertrude Stein, who defied patriarchy and created a community of creativity. Souhami discusses the cultural magnetism of Paris, the challenges of visibility for lesbians, and how societal constraints shaped their artistic freedom, ultimately redefining modernism.
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Reclaiming A Once-Demonized Word
- The appearance of 'lesbian' in book titles marks cultural progress from silence to acceptance.
- Diana Souhami celebrates reclaiming the word as triumphant rather than demonic.
Use Bold Labels To Claim History
- Embrace clear, unapologetic labels when they advance visibility and history.
- Diana Souhami chose a provocative title to assert women's centrality in modernism.
Sylvia Beach's Ulysses Mission
- Sylvia Beach single-handedly published Ulysses despite censorship and scarce funds.
- She devoted her life to the book and endured enormous difficulty to distribute it.
