There's plenty more fruit in the orchard, so go out and shake that tree

[sovay]

It made my night to discover that the first known lesbian magazine in America was the creation of a twenty-five-year-old secretary for RKO skiving gayly off on the clock, writing, editing, and distributing nine monthly installments of Vice Versa (1947–48) before Howard Hughes cratered her free time along with the rest of the studio. It turned out I had heard of her as an early science fiction fan, but somehow not in her equally groundbreaking capacity as a queer folk singer. I could find a cover, but I hope someone has at least a cassette of her own rendition of the superbly sapphic "Always True to You, Darling, in My Fashion," which I like to imagine made its way back around to Cole Porter. I love her queer bridges of filk and fanzine, not to mention the plus ça change of her expressed interest in the occult. Her film reviews are both attentive to their queer content and appreciative—four decades ahead of Boyd McDonald—of their content for queers. I will certainly be trying to find a copy of Club de femmes (1936). The internet has vastly failed me in not providing the lyrics to "I'm a Boy Being a Girl."

Comments

[teenybuffalo]

I love her. Thank you for this -- it makes me happy to know about her. She lived to be 94! There are pictures of her as an old lady singing! People appreciated how funny she was! That filk of Always True To You is gold.

[sovay]

I love her. Thank you for this -- it makes me happy to know about her. She lived to be 94! There are pictures of her as an old lady singing! People appreciated how funny she was! That filk of Always True To You is gold.

You're welcome! I love that she was appreciated in her life. That filk deserves to be a cabaret staple. If not, it should start.

[princessofgeeks]

How wonderful. I was unaware of her before; thank you.

[sovay]

How wonderful. I was unaware of her before; thank you.

You're welcome! I was so glad to find out.

[ashlyme]

Thanks for the PSA!! This lady is a bloody heroine.

[sovay]

Thanks for the PSA!! This lady is a bloody heroine.

You're welcome! I couldn't not share the joy.

[julian]

...Wow, what a life. Thank you for these connections.

[sovay]

...Wow, what a life. Thank you for these connections.

You're welcome! I love that they exist.

[asakiyume]

The link behind "queer folk singer," that's actually her singing, yes? How multitalented she was, and energetic and full of fun! Are her film reviews in Vice Versa?

[sovay]

The link behind "queer folk singer," that's actually her singing, yes? How multitalented she was, and energetic and full of fun! Are her film reviews in Vice Versa?

Yes on both counts! At least on the internet, there don't seem to be many available recordings of her beyond the one single from 1960 and a couple of her contributions to the soundtrack of Before Stonewall (1984), but she performed from the late '40's on. She reviewed both books and movies for Vice Versa and they are consistently delightful. She was scintillatingly creative and I'm just so glad that more than the knowledge of her survives, although the knowledge itself is pretty sweet.

[selkie]

Boss makes a dollar, I make a dime, it’s why I type my zines on company time. The pictures make millions, I don’t make jack, but Boss, your wife’s sure a peach in the sack.
— Edythe Eyde on a slow day, probably

[sovay]

— Edythe Eyde on a slow day, probably

You: a treasure.

[selkie]

Thank you, Gentlethem! Make sure you picture pin curls, correctly coy dimples, and Victory Red for full filk effect. (I could wish Victory Red looked better on me. I'm Ashki-sallow underneath and it's such a blue red.)

[sovay]

(I could wish Victory Red looked better on me. I'm Ashki-sallow underneath and it's such a blue red.)

I've still seen you work the hell out of a turret lathe.

[selkie]

These aren’t rifle barrels. They’re table legs.
*eyelash deployment protocol initiated*

[ashlyme]

Seconding Sovay here. I chuckled out loud.

[selkie]

And thank you! You could actually pull off Victory Red.

[sovay]

You could actually pull off Victory Red.

(It's true. Your dance card would outlast the war.)

[sartorias]

She's fascinating! I wish there was a book about her. And I'd love to see that film from '36, too.

[sovay]

She's fascinating! I wish there was a book about her. And I'd love to see that film from '36, too.

I don't know why there isn't a biography! I'd watch a biopic, for that matter. Will report back if I do manage to track down the film.

[thisbluespirit]

Heh, that sounds like a cool little rabbit hole to have gone down.

[sovay]

Heh, that sounds like a cool little rabbit hole to have gone down.

It makes me so happy.

[muccamukk]

I love everything about this post.

[sovay]

I love everything about this post.

I'm so glad!

[gwynnega]

How wonderful!

[sovay]

How wonderful!

I'd had no idea!

What a find!

[jesse_the_k]

Have you access to one or more academic libraries? If not I've found some breadcrumbs (and PDFs) I'd be happy to share. My DMs are open!

Before Stonewall : Activists for Gay and Lesbian Rights in Historical Context by Vern L. Bullough includes a threee-page bio by Florine Fleischman with Susan Bullough. Wolf-Women and Phantom Ladies by Steven Dillon offers nine pages on Lisa Ben on the tantalizing topic “Ghosts and Goblins in the Heterosexual House”

Re: What a find!

[sovay]

Have you access to one or more academic libraries? If not I've found some breadcrumbs (and PDFs) I'd be happy to share. My DMs are open!

Thank you so much! I have alumni access to JSTOR, but not an academic library per se. Wolf-Women and Phantom Ladies is such a good title and sounds potentially targeted to my interests.

[rosefox]

This is delightful.

[sovay]

This is delightful.

I was delighted!

[skygiants]

omg I am so happy to know about her

[sovay]

omg I am so happy to know about her

I'm so glad!