{"product_id":"the-lesbian-bar-chronicles-the-living-history-and-hopeful-future-of-americas-dyke-dives-and-sapphic-spaces","title":"The Lesbian Bar Chronicles: The Living History and Hopeful Future of America's Dyke Dives and Sapphic Spaces","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eRachel Karp\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer and producer who has worked across podcasts, TV, film, theater, and digital media. The co-creator and producer of the award-winning documentary podcast \n\u003ci\u003eCruising\u003c\/i\u003e, she currently serves as an associate producer on LinkedIn's editorial team, working on the podcasts \n\u003ci\u003eHello Monday \u003c\/i\u003eand \n\u003ci\u003eBuilding One. \u003c\/i\u003eShe holds a Bachelor's degree in Theater and English from Skidmore College. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner Jen, in their home which has lovingly been dubbed \"the home for wayward gays\" by the multitude of queer friends and family members who have stayed there over the years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A bracingly optimistic chronicle of modern queer life.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Snappy vignettes on safe--and fun--spaces.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Rachel Karp hit the road to visit lesbian bars across the country and found that rather than being consigned to history, sapphic spaces are lighting up our future.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A beautiful tapestry of the loves, secrets, and stories that shape us, reminding the world that our community has always survived and created a legacy no one can erase.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e--Hayley Kiyoko, American singer-songwriter, actress, director, and \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e best-selling author \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Stories of humans who refuse to be erased and who create community against all the odds are just what we need right now. \n\u003ci\u003eThe Lesbian Bar Chronicles\u003c\/i\u003e is an effervescent mix of history, sex, and politics, not to mention fun!\" \n\u003cbr\u003e--Barbara Smith, coauthor of \n\u003ci\u003eThe Combahee River Collective Statement\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"I entered my first lesbian bar, the Sea Colony, in New Year's Greenwich Village in 1958 when I was eighteen. How gifted with life I am to have the opportunity to read this book now, at eighty-five, to stand on the mountaintop with Karp's found inclusive voices. The richness of histories, identities, and material realities is unforgettable, precious, and instructive.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e--Joan Nestle, Lambda Award-winning writer, teacher, activist, and cofounder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"For those of us who've long known sacred sapphic spaces like The Cubbyhole and Ginger's, \n\u003ci\u003eThe Lesbian Bar Chronicles\u003c\/i\u003e finally captures--and properly documents--their enchantment and vital importance. It stands as one of the most engrossing and essential archives of our queer times.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e--Ricky Tucker, author of \n\u003ci\u003eAnd the Category Is . . . Inside New York's Vogue, House, and Ballroom Community\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"I can chart my adolescence and young adulthood by the bars I frequented: The Lex, Wild Side West, Ginger's, Cattyshack. I understand the power of choosing and standing by each other, and I believe deeply in the quiet radicalism of gathering--of creating places that invite people to show up fully and connect. Rachel Karp's book honors that work and the communities it makes possible.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e--Jessi Hempel, host of LinkedIn's award-winning podcast \n\u003ci\u003eHello Monday\u003c\/i\u003e and author of \n\u003ci\u003eThe Family Outing\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A love letter to queer survival and joy, this glorious book chronicles the lesbian bars that became sanctuaries, organizing hubs, and chosen homes. Part road trip and part oral history, it reveals why these spaces--of refuge, resistance, and connection--still matter.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e--Debbie Millman, host of the podcast \n\u003ci\u003eDesign Matters\u003c\/i\u003e and author of \n\u003ci\u003eLove Letter to a Garden\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPreface \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePART ONE: THE NORTHEAST--LESBIAN BARS ARE NEIGHBORHOOD BARS\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER ONE \n\u003cbr\u003eEve's Hangout--The First Lesbian Bar? (New York, NY) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWO \n\u003cbr\u003eHenrietta Hudson--Lesbian Bars Are Evolving (New York, NY) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER THREE \n\u003cbr\u003eCubbyhole--In Times of Crisis Where Do You Go? (New York, NY) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER FOUR \n\u003cbr\u003eGinger's--Where Everybody Knows Ruthie's Name (Brooklyn, NY) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER FIVE \n\u003cbr\u003eThe Bush--A New Dyke Bar in Town (Brooklyn, NY) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER SIX \n\u003cbr\u003eA League of Her Own and As You Are--Survival Ready (Washington, DC) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePART TWO: THE MIDWEST--BE NICE OR LEAVE\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER SEVEN \n\u003cbr\u003eLost \u0026amp; Found and Executive Sweet--A History of Respect and Resistance (Chicago, IL) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER EIGHT \n\u003cbr\u003eNobody's Darling--For the Outcasts (Chicago, IL) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER NINE \n\u003cbr\u003eDorothy--Where Any Friend of Dorothy Is Welcome (Chicago, IL) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TEN \n\u003cbr\u003eSlammers--A Family Affair (Columbus, OH) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER ELEVEN \n\u003cbr\u003eThe Back Door--Consent Is Fucking Mandatory! (Bloomington, IN) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWELVE \n\u003cbr\u003eWalker's Pint--Be Nice or Leave (Milwaukee, WI) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER THIRTEEN \n\u003cbr\u003eBlush \u0026amp; Blu--The Myth of the Last Lesbian Bar (Denver, CO) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePART THREE: THE GREAT QUEER PILGRIMAGE WEST\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER FOURTEEN \n\u003cbr\u003eMona's--Where Girls Will Be Boys (San Francisco, CA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER FIFTEEN \n\u003cbr\u003eMaud's--The Best of Times, the Worst of Times (San Francisco, CA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER SIXTEEN \n\u003cbr\u003eWild Side West--When Life Gives You Garbage, Plant a Garden (San Francisco, CA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER SEVENTEEN \n\u003cbr\u003eGossip Grill--Welcome Home (San Diego, CA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER EIGHTEEN \n\u003cbr\u003eRedz--Shit Come, Shit Go, I'm Gonna Be Myself (Los Angeles, CA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER NINETEEN \n\u003cbr\u003eThe Wildrose--The Heart of the Hill (Seattle, WA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY \n\u003cbr\u003eThe Sports Bra--Everyone Watches Women's Sports (Portland, OR) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-ONE \n\u003cbr\u003eDoc Marie's--We Fight Because We Care (Portland, OR) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePART FOUR: THE SOUTH--WE KEEP US SAFE\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-TWO \n\u003cbr\u003eAlice Brady's and Charlene's--Lesbian Bars Are Political (New Orleans, LA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-THREE \n\u003cbr\u003eLes Pierres--The Home They Built (New Orleans, LA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR \n\u003cbr\u003eBoycott Bar--Lesbians Against Drunk Driving (Phoenix, AZ) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE \n\u003cbr\u003eYBR Pub--From Ally-Run to Queer-Run (Tulsa, OK) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-SIX \n\u003cbr\u003eAlibi's and Frankie's--Out and Proud in OKC (Oklahoma City, OK) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN \n\u003cbr\u003ePearl Bar--Becoming Human (Houston, TX) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT \n\u003cbr\u003eSue Ellen's--A Queer Bar Empire (Dallas, TX) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER TWENTY-NINE \n\u003cbr\u003eHerz--How to Make an Unlikely Ally (Mobile, AL) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER THIRTY \n\u003cbr\u003eMy Sister's Room--When Your Health Insurance Fails, Your Lesbian Bar Shows Up (Atlanta, GA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER THIRTY-ONE \n\u003cbr\u003eThe Lipstick Lounge--Take Me to Church (Nashville, TN) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER THIRTY-TWO \n\u003cbr\u003eBabe's of Carytown--The Tale of Two Vickies (Richmond, VA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER THIRTY-THREE \n\u003cbr\u003eHershee Bar--A Thirty-Five-Year Fight for Queer Space (Norfolk, VA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePART FIVE: MASSACHUSETTS--COMING HOME\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR \n\u003cbr\u003eFemme Bar--For Dianté (Worcester, MA) \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCONCLUSION \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAcknowledgments \n\u003cbr\u003eNotes \n\u003cbr\u003eIndex\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA grassroots tour of the nation's lesbian bars that illuminates their past, present, and hopeful future, from the co-creator of the hit podcast \u003ci\u003eCruising\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLesbian bars are so much more than a place to get a drink. For over a century, they've acted as community posts, political organizing grounds, and sanctuaries. Yet whereas in the 1980s there were an estimated 200 lesbian bars across the US, the current count sits at a few dozen. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \n\u003ci\u003eThe Lesbian Bar Chronicles\u003c\/i\u003e, author and co-creator of the hit podcast \n\u003ci\u003eCruising\u003c\/i\u003e Rachel Karp embarks across the country with her wife and best friend to chronicle the stories of the remaining US lesbian bars. Recent narratives have claimed lesbian bars are dying, but Karp's group finds many of the places they visit to be thriving, their communities sustaining themselves over decades of change and challenges. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWeaving together over 100 hours of immersive interviews with bar owners, staff, and regulars, Karp highlights places like \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e-Chicago spot \n\u003cb\u003eNobody's Darling\u003c\/b\u003e, where readers meet \"the mayor\" Shirley J, who in the 1970s was instrumental in the birth of house music \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- \n\u003cb\u003eFrankie's \u003c\/b\u003ein Oklahoma City, where readers attend a \"family night\" to learn how a lesbian bar can birth a chosen family \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e- \n\u003cb\u003eRedz\u003c\/b\u003e, a Chicana lesbian bar in East LA involved in the precedent setting court case that followed years of arrests for patrons wearing men's clothing \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA heartfelt reclamation of queer history and queer lives, Karp's narrative examines how these beacons for community and inclusion can teach us to live openly, cultivate connection, and continue to take up space.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/09\/2026 (EAN 9780807023440, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/01\/2026 (EAN 9780807023440, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/04\/2026 (EAN 9780807023440, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Beacon Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496200929558,"sku":"9780807023440","price":35.94,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780807023440.jpg?v=1783057408","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/the-lesbian-bar-chronicles-the-living-history-and-hopeful-future-of-americas-dyke-dives-and-sapphic-spaces","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}