Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Stone Butch Blues
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
Published in 1993, this brave, original novel is considered to be the finest account ever written of the complexities of a transgendered existence. Woman or man? Thats the question that rages like a storm around Jess Goldberg, clouding her life and her identity. Growing up differently gendered in a blue--collar town in the 1950s, coming out as a butch in the bars and factories of the prefeminist 60s, deciding to pass as a man in order to survive when she is left without work or a community in the early 70s. This powerful, provocative and deeply moving novel sees Jess coming full circle, she learns to accept the complexities of being a transgendered person in a world demanding simple explanations: a he-she emerging whole, weathering the turbulence.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
ChaoticMissAdventures
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image
Pickpick

A classic queer novel that sat on my TBR for far too long. Our main character Jess is a butch lesbian growing up and trying to survive through the 1940-80s. The story takes you through the police harassment, the abuse of society, the stress and fear of job unstableness that comes with being different. But it also focuses on the loves and friendships Jess makes through her life. The essential relationships to get through this hard life.

quote
ChaoticMissAdventures
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

This is what courage is. It's not just living through the nightmare, it's doing something with it afterwards. It's being brave enough to talk about it to other people. It's trying to organize to change things.

ChaoticMissAdventures There was a conversation going on Twitter this week about is it annoying to be called brave if you are Trans or nonbinary. If you are not doing anything but living your life it can feel condescending to be called brave. I like this quote about courage from Feinberg. The actions made can be brave, take courage, but thinking about the conversation, Cis people should be cautious telling people they are. 2y
24 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
ChaoticMissAdventures
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

#weeklyforecast
Women's Prize long list comes out on Tuesday and I am so excited. For now this is what my reading week looks like.
Am half into White Horse and have started VenCo and Stone Butch Blues. I have Upgrade and Sign Here on audio to help things along.

Cinfhen Excited for the women‘s prize long-list announcement too💕 2y
batsy Stone Butch Blues has long been on my TBR! 2y
jlhammar Yay, can‘t wait! 2y
ChaoticMissAdventures @batsy it has been on my list for way too long too! Just getting into it and so far it is going well, it us such an important lesbian classic, I can't not read it! 2y
24 likes4 comments
blurb
ChaoticMissAdventures
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
15 likes1 comment
blurb
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

#7Days7Books
Day 5
We present here seven books that will remain in our minds, because they touched us so much, changed us. No further comment!
#QueerBooks #LGBTQBooks #LGBTQ #TransBooks #LeslieFeinberg

review
Kenyazero
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image
Pickpick

This book is a difficult but rewarding read. It recounts the brutal, often harrowing experiences of gender queer, transgender, and other lgbtq people that culminated in the events at the Stonewall Inn and other lesser known revolutions. #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqcharacter #lgbtliterature #genderqueer #lgbthistory #queerbook

Leftcoastzen I love this book! 5y
Kenyazero @Leftcoastzen it's excellent! 5y
2 likes2 comments
blurb
cth
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

Just finished this chapter that I simply loved and currently feeling a wide range of emotions. Love. Awe. Fondness. Also horror, regret. Respect. I‘ve never read about braver people.

blurb
Leftcoastzen
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

This book was a Lambda Literary award finalist in 1994.Described as a genderqueer narrative,a powerful novel about growing up different in upstate NY in the 1940‘s thru 1970s.There are TWs in this book .Jess must navigate her identity,& harassment for being butch.A lot of insight how any gay/lesbian bars were busted and harassed almost constantly . It is also a working class novel.Bet Jess had a #ringofkeys & some swagger. #MusicalNewYear

Cinfhen Sounds fascinating 6y
Leftcoastzen @cinfen It is. Leslie also wrote this , a history of transgender issues/people published in 1996 6y
vivastory I wasn't familiar with this one. Will definitely be checking it out. 6y
See All 10 Comments
batsy This has been on my TBR for awhile. Sounds brilliant. 6y
WhatThePuck My great uncle was the president of the Mattachine Society during the 60's that staged "sip-ins" to end the harassment of gay bars in NYC. 6y
Leftcoastzen @WhatThePuck Wow!The Mattachine Society!Impressive.Love reading early histories of gay/lesbian movements. 6y
Leftcoastzen @batsy I need to read it again, it‘s tough but amazing. 6y
Leftcoastzen @WhatThePuck Made me think of lesbian west coast organization ,Daughters of Bilitis! (edited) 6y
WhatThePuck @Leftcoastzen he wrote articles but he as much as he felt the community needed a historian he didn't take up the torch. He kept EVERYTHING though. He was diagnosed with end stage liver cancer in Aug 2017. His collection was donated to the New York Public Library. I believe someone is trying to do a post mortem collection for him. He passed away 2 days before Gay Pride week this year, in true Queen fashion. 6y
Leftcoastzen @WhatThePuck thanks for sharing, that‘s amazing! I think why there were so few historians, fear of getting caught with those materials . 6y
48 likes3 stack adds10 comments
blurb
kgriffith
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

I‘m a day late to the #HolidayGratitudeChallenge, but being on break from school makes me want to JOIN ALL THE THINGS! 😂 Day 1 = books that changed our lives: The first time I read Stone Butch Blues, I recognized my gender in a book for the first time ever. That‘s powerful stuff.
(It was also the first book we read for my local queer book club, where I first got to spend time with @brandybear22 in a social capacity) 🤗🤓 #ButchFemme #queerbooks

jmofo 🖤 6y
LauraBeth 📚 6y
saresmoore Now that‘s some powerful #bookserendipity! Stacked! 6y
See All 9 Comments
AlaMich Love the tail! 😺 6y
kgriffith @saresmoore can‘t wait to hear your thoughts! It‘s definitely been one where, each time I read it my experience is different, because I‘m so different from one time to the next. 6y
kgriffith @AlaMich he‘s such a good helper 🙄😻 6y
kgriffith Whoops, forgot to tag @erinsueg 🤗 6y
Erinsuereads Awww that‘s so fantastic!! I totally love that! That‘s a very powerful experience. 6y
Bklover ❤️❤️ 6y
34 likes4 stack adds9 comments
review
aspectdawnings
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
Pickpick

Just incredible. I‘ve read it before and it makes me cry every time. So powerful and important.

blurb
kgriffith
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

Second book club meeting discussing Stone Butch Blues. Love how conversations flow from the smallest details.

45 likes1 stack add
blurb
kgriffith
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

Book club is at 11:30, 20 minutes away. I‘m not dressed yet. Totally got this. 🙄😬🤓

quote
kgriffith
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

Discussing food and love with my coworkers, and recounting my glorious brunch on Sunday with the wonderful waiter, delicious food, sunny outdoor table, and the peach sangria garnished with nasturtiums, I was reminded of this scene from Stone Butch Blues that always guts me. But in the good way. 💜 #queerbooks

44 likes2 comments
review
SoniaC
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image
Pickpick

An amazingly powerful book about gender, gender identification, and sexuality. But more than anything it's also about trying to survive as an outsider, feeling different, loneliness, isolation, and struggling to matter. It's a book about love. Learning to truly love and how to let yourself be loved. It is heartbreaking and many parts are emotionally hard to read.

Bibliogeekery #transbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 8y
Gezemice Great review! I have been wanting to read this one. 8y
SoniaC @Gezemice oh I highly recommend it. 8y
39 likes3 stack adds3 comments
blurb
SoniaC
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

This book is absolutely heartbreaking.

Zelma Agreed. That was a rough one to read, so emotional and raw. 8y
SoniaC @Zelma very much so. 8y
39 likes2 comments
blurb
Bibliogeekery
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

Free download of Stone Butch Blues at http://www.lesliefeinberg.net/ today in honour of International Day of Trans Visibility. If you haven't already read this important book check it out. #transbooks

Smrloomis Thanks for posting this. It's an amazing book. I stumbled across it years ago and parts of it have stayed with me to this day. Definitely hope others read it, too. It's very moving. 8y
Lindy 💜💜💜 8y
[DELETED] 3144876009 Read it many years ago - very important- especially what the previous generations went through. 8y
Suet624 Thanks! 8y
52 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
betta_c1309
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image
Pickpick

This book wasn't an easy read, but it really changes your perspective. It's so powerful and eye-opening.

quote
betta_c1309
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

blurb
betta_c1309
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

Today I went to the library to return The Scorpion Rules (which I liked, in the end), and ended up reading there The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson in one go (really interesting!). Now I'm reading Stone Butch Blues--I've heard a lot about this book, and surprisingly, my library had it. On a sidenote, when I'll finish it, this would be the 100th book I read this year! Some were quite short, though, so the number isn't as impressive as it might sound...

quote
tkmadden
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

One of my favorite dedications ever, from Feinberg to partner Minnie: "The dirt from your garden is still smudged on my blues. Oh, my love, haven't we written a chapter together since"

#nationalcomingoutday

Bibliogeekery ❤️ 8y
BookishFeminist Love this 💜 8y
Yamich49 ❤️❤️ 8y
30 likes3 comments
blurb
BookishFeminist
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

More awesome #queerbooks to celebrate #NationalComingOutDay! 🌈

I love how much awesome stuff there is out there. #WeNeedDiverseBooks has made a big push in the publishing world when it comes to showcasing more #diversebooks, and it shows. Not that *nothing* existed on this front before, but sometimes activism really goes a long way to make more of a good thing happen. I'm really glad it has. 💕

❤️💛💚💙💜💖

read_diverse_books I'm so lucky to be a reader at this time! 8y
BookishFeminist @read_diverse_books You are!! Even 10 years ago it would have been more difficult to find books on lgbtqia+ experiences, and there was nowhere near the diversity and positivity there is now, especially for different age groups. May it only get better! 🌈 8y
See All 15 Comments
Shortstack I didn't know if I was your girl was LGBT!! Now I want to read it! 8y
BookishFeminist @Shortstack it is! It's trans #ownvoices, even down to the cover model! 8y
Shortstack @BookishFeminist ❤️💛💚💙💜 8y
RealLifeReading Thanks for posting this! I haven't heard of a lot of these. Am of to go see if I can find some! 8y
Broke_Girl_Reads I just started Bi and it's fantastic! Eisner's critical perspective is putting words to some of my experiences and challenging other parts of my worldview. It's totally scratching the gender studies itch I've had since I left school 8y
BookishFeminist @Broke_Girl_Reads That's one of the only ones here I hadn't read! I included it bc of it's awesome reviews and the difficulty in finding books about bisexuality- I'm surprised yet not surprised at all with them being more difficult to find than other lgbt books- bi erasure is a huge problem! I'm looking forward to seeing your review!! 8y
BookishFeminist @RealLifeReading Of course! I've got more collages where this came from too that I'll be posting later if you want more recs. :) I've been on a quest to read more LGBT books so I love sharing my finds with folks! 8y
jveezer I have to check out Bi! Sounds awesome. 8y
BookishFeminist @jveezer Yes!! I'm going to order it too. It sounds amazing! So many great reviews of it. 8y
whatthelog YES Bi Revolution is awesome!! You've got some great picks there 😍 8y
Yayforbooks I had to read Stone Butch Blues for a class in college, and I loved it so much I read it three more times that year. ☺️👍🏽 8y
BookishFeminist @whatthelog Thanks!! Love diverse books 💞💕 8y
223 likes14 stack adds15 comments
blurb
Bibliogeekery
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

#NationalComingOutDay - Reflecting on a few books that were important to my coming out and early days as a young(er) queer person. Sending lots of love to other LGBTTIQQA littens and gratitude to all the straight allies sending love our way! 🌈💜

Broke_Girl_Reads Thanks for all you do to represent the LGBTQ+ community on @Litsy! Your posts are a big reason this app feels so welcoming and accepting. Also I use your #queerbooks tag all the time to find new reads 🙂 8y
Zelma Really great choices! I absolutely love Fingersmith and Stone Butch Blues is such a great book as well. I felt like that gave a voice not often heard in LGBT literature. 8y
See All 6 Comments
Nonaroo I love Sarah Walters! 8y
Bibliogeekery @Broke_Girl_Reads - thanks so much for your very kind words! ☺️ 8y
lisaschulte Read Written on the Body for a modern women writers class. Loved diving into that one! 8y
80 likes6 comments
quote
LovettReads
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

"I was the only expert on living my own life, the only person I could turn to for answers."

blurb
bookishkai
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg

#DiversityMonday, #transbooks, #queerbooks I read this when I was 19 and it gutted me. Not just because of the trans storyline; when I was coming out, it was into a community that was still somewhat separated into butch and femme, that was rife with class differences. Stone Butch Blues spoke to all those parts of me and to those things I never really knew existed. One of those books that everyone needs to read.

Yamich49 Love love love this book! The author actually came and spoke at my college my freshman year. It was amazing. ❤️ 8y
bookishkai @Yamich49 WOW that must have been beyond amazing! 8y
See All 6 Comments
BookishFeminist This looks AMAZING! 8y
bookishkai @BookishFeminist it is amazing, but it's not an easy read at all. 8y
ReadingEnvy Thanks for the reminder; I've always meant to read this. 8y
55 likes7 stack adds6 comments
quote
merhylton
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

...your eyes caught mine and played with me before you set me free

review
bookishkai
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
Pickpick

This book changed the way I thought/think about gender and class. Heartbreaking, groundbreaking, not an easy book to read at all. But absolutely life-changing. Hands down one of my favorite books in the world.

3 likes2 stack adds
quote
Aloyacano
Stone Butch Blues | Leslie Feinberg
post image

I don't want another label either. I just wish we had words so pretty we'd go out of our way to say them out loud.