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LESBIAN SHORT STORIES CAEIA MARCH (ED) Long Journey Home
(1' he Women's Press $210.99) .0.
JACKIE KAY
Why Don’t You Stop Talking (Picador £15.99) 000
Long Journey Home is a delightful collection of lesbian short stories set in multi-racial Britain, which ring true with authenticity and insight. Editor Caeia March has put together a diverse collection of short stories by sixteen women, exploring not only geographical notions of home, but home as a term of self-acceptance or connecting with a lover, family or child. As a reader, you get a sense of the endless possibilities of being a contemporary lesbian.
Of course some stories work better than others. Julie Clare’s ‘One Night Wonder’ is a sexy, urban story of a young northern dyke who refuses to be monogamous, in fact has no intention of ever being faithful, until a one night stand blows all her prejudices out the water.
There are also two lovely stories about the repercussions of childbirth on a lesbian couple. Pendleton May First Novel award winner Shamin Sarif has an interracial lesbian love affair where everything is possible, and Mary Lowe’s ‘The Patter’ is a great comedy of lesbian manners about a DIY enthusiast and her desperate- for-a baby partner. Some short stories are poetic, two are
historical, exploring male impersonators in a Victorian theatre and ancient Amazon tribes, but all are steeped in a personal truth which keeps them interesting. Jackie Kay follows up her magnificent debut novel Trumpet with an evocative collection of short stories Why Don’t You Stop Talking. Although not as sustained or as substantial as Trumpet, it still manages to explore similar themes to Long Journey Home such as interior
worlds and intimate moments.
Two of Kay’s stories stand out. Physics And Chemistry are two old maid schoolteachers sharing a home together who start to suffer from gossips and malice.
THEATRE
LOVESONG OF THE ELECTRIC BEAR
Netherbow Theatre, Edinburgh, Sun 28-Tues 30 Apr
'It is a fab play . . . really unique. funny and magical.' says Anna Sarris. the Australian choreographer of Snoo Wilson's new play. Lovesong Of The Electric Bear premiering at the Netherbow Theatre.
it explores the life of Alan Turing. father of the modern computer and mathematics genius. Turing was also a closeted homosexual in wartime Britain, when it was still conSidered a crime. He broke the Enigma code and almost single-handedly won Britain World War 2. But that didn't increase his self-worth and he killed himself by eating an apple pumped full of cyanide.
70 THE LIST 2:? Apr—9 Ma; 2902
gay@list.co.uk
Long Journey Home
hort Stories by New Lesbian Writers
CAEIA MARCH, EDITOR
An anthology of stories steeped in personal truth
Being sacked from the school re-ignites their passion and outs them as they set up a wool shop in Stirling. Married Women pulsates with sex and passion as a young lesbian recounts the details of the married women she has had clandestine affairs with in small towns in Scotland, until she discovers the real thing. Suburbia has never looked so interesting.
Some stories feel a little esoteric in subject matter,
such as a mother turning into a tortoise, or a woman
A terrible stutterer. Turing was much better at communicating with machines than with humans. He carried a teddy bear with him all through his life. and it‘s from this crazy. cute. funny teddy bears perspective that Lovesong Of the Electric Bear unfolds. You can expect a play that is
at turns bizarre. surreal. and emotional.
A cast of ten play multiple roles. including a brace of Irish Americans, eccentric nagging Germans and outrageous drag queens. Sarris is particularly proud of a scene in a NY gay bar involving a crazy cabaret show about J. Edgar Hoover and his ‘boys'.
Edinburgh-based Blueprint Productions has formed specially for this show. which is directed by Patrick Wilson, the playwrights son. Snoo Wilson, the wild man of British theatre. has worked extensively for the RSC
with special needs seeing her first lesbian kiss, but Kay is always interesting and a writer of rare vision. l can’t wait for her next book. (John Binnie)
Alan Turing: bear facts
and the Bush Theatre. and as Sarris says, is renowned for writing 'odd. fantastic. witty. original. savage' plays. 'Often people are taken aback. but this one is so joyful and moving.’ she says. (John Binnie)
Glasgow Thursdays
Groups
Steve Retson LUBT (‘enire. l I Dixon Street. 22l 7203. 5.30---8.30pm. Free. Weekly. (iay men‘s sexual health advisory service. Contact 2l l 860l. Lesbian Health Clinic Sandyl'ord Initiative. Sauchiehall Street. 21 l 6700. 5.30—8pm. Free. Weekly. Health advice. T.F.l. Bi-G-Les Youth Group LUBT Centre. I 1 Dixon Street. 22l 7203. 4--8pm. Free. Weekly. An open meeting for l.(iBT tip to the age of 25. Glasgow GOC Badminton (iames Hall. Knightswood Secondary School. b0 Knightswood Road. 954 2404. 7—-‘).30pm. Weekly.
Glasgow GOC Swimmers (‘ontact 64‘) 5896. 7.30—9pm. Weekly. Informal swimming session.
LIPS (ilasgow Women's Library. I09 Trongate. 552 8345/7539. 2»4piti. Free. Thu 25 Apr. Fortnightly. Support for lesbians and bisexual women under 25.
Theatre
Singles Night (‘iti/ens' Theatre. (iot‘bals St. 42‘) 0022. 7.30pm. £10 (£3). Thu 25 Apr Sat 4 May. For Xena tans. check out Kathy McKean‘s monologue about a lesbian gladiator.
Cinema
Breakfast At Tiffany’s ’l‘lie (irosvenor. Ashton Lane. 339 4298. (‘all for times. £4 (£2—£2.80). Audrey Hepburn looks ravishing as always in this bittersweet tale.
Glasgow Fridays
Clubs
Girls on Top Bennet‘s. (ilassl‘ord Street. 552 5761. l lpm—3.30am. £3—-£(i (£2—-£5). Fri 3 May. Monthly. Bennet‘s second floor becomes a l‘emale only lone with 1)] Sara providing the soundtrack.
Groups
T.F.I. Bi-G-Les Youth Group Drop In LUBT ('entre. l 1 Dixon Street. 221 7203. 4—8pm. Free. Weekly. A drop in time for young [.(iBT.
Theatre Singles Night Thu 25 Apr-Sat 4 May. See Thu.
Glasgow Saturdays
Groups
LIPS (ilzisgow Women's Library. l09 'I'rongate. 552 8345/7539. 2«-4pm. Free. Sat 4 May. Fortnightly. Support for lesbians and bisexual women under 25.
Theatre Singles Night Thu 25 Apr—Sat 4 May. See Thu.
Glasgow Sundays
Groups
Gay Rambling Group Contact 950 l08l. Sun 28 .-\pt‘. Fortnightly (alternating between Sat and Sun i. ('all for more details.
Out on Sunday l.(iB'I‘ ('entrc. l 1 Dixon Street. 221 7203. 7.30-0.30pm. Free. Sun 28 Apr. Monthly. Social group for LUBT.
Icebreakers I.(iB'l’ Centre. 1 l Dixon Street. 22l 7203. 12.30 3pm. Free. Sun 5 May. Monthly. (iroup tor those new to the scene.
Glasgow Mondays
Groups
Holistic Healing Group LUB’I‘ ('entrc. ll Dixon Street. 22l 7203. 7.30 l0pm. Free. Weekly. (‘ontact 423 5952 for more information. Performance Group LUB'I‘ ('enti'e. ll Dixon Street. 22l 7203. 7.30pm. Free. Weekly. For those interested in theatre and music skills.