Written with Pride: Stories from Queer Authors, edited by Fable Tethras, Viveca Shearin, and Claudine Griggs (Not A Pipe Publishing, 2023)

Created in opposition to Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill, Written With Pride is an anthology exclusively filled with short stories by authors who all belong to the broad and beautiful spectrum of the LGBTQIA+ community. The stories range in style and subject matter, as well as genre, from contemporary to speculative fiction. Not all of them have happy endings, but all of them were penned by members of our community who still believe in their voice.

My review:

Once again, Not A Pipe Publishing responds to social injustice with a wide-ranging, entertaining anthology of short fiction. This time out, LGBTQ+ authors were invited to “Say Gay” as much as they wanted. The stories cover a range of genres and topics in an appealing variety of styles. In some, sexual orientation is central to the plot, in others just one aspect of a character. Each story comes with appropriate content warnings.

“From the Vine” by Lina Gerhard has Margot on a camping trip with a friend who doesn’t seem to know her at all, deep in nature that knows all too well who she is, if she can only admit it to herself.

In “Doom Cookies and Donuts” by Marianne Xenos, a vampire and a fairy walk into a Boston dance school (and a donut shop), and stumble on a way to bring a little joy to their non-human lives.

“The Way I See It” by Tucker Struyk follows a history teacher as protests against her “woke” agenda turn her life upside down.

“Wolf Skin” by Oliver Fosten is an inventive reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood.

“I Hear You” by Katie Kent begins as a tale of humiliation over a youthful crush but takes a twist when Madison begins to hear everyone’s thoughts.

“Isolation Training” by Gwen Tolios follows astronaut Jenji as she endures six weeks of isolation in preparation for a solo Mars mission.

“Are You Really Going to Cook That?” by J. L. Henker is a humorous and heartwarming story of canine non-human sapients determined to bake a birthday cake for their human crewmate.

“Bull by the Horns” by E. D. Jones follows former lovers Sam and Jack as they meet again twenty years later at a class reunion.

In “Scion” by Summer Jewel Keown, a teacher chaperones her young pupils on Outdoor Day, their first opportunity to leave the pod and experience sunlight and air on the planet’s surface.

In “Getaway” by Tucker Struyk, a gay couple plans to spend a romantic weekend at their rural summer home during tornado season. Is the storm the only danger, or are the locals out to get them?

“Anatomy of the Universe and Us” by Kiersten Adams is a poetic tale of the dead returning from the cosmos to Earth.

“Ferryman” by E. D. Jones is the story of a space pilot hired to ferry a condemned man from Mars to Earth for execution and the relationship that grows between them during the long trip.

In the touching “Good Bye” by Erin Edwards, a grieving young woman attempts to summon the spirit of her departed witch girlfriend even though she never believed in any of that stuff.

 

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