Quatrefoil Library in St. Paul is one of the few GLBT lending libraries in the country. It’s a small operation with limited hours, but it has been an important resource for the entire community. The mission of Quatrefoil is to promote understanding of GLBTQ issues and culture and foster an appreciation of diversity and history and the value of communities. Their collection includes thousands of books, DVDs, audiotapes, newsletters and periodicals reflecting GLBT and Queer experiences.
To pique readers’ interest, the folks at Quatrefoil put together a diverse list of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and plays written by GLBTQ authors of color — all of which are available in the Quatrefoil collection.
1. “The Woman Who Owned the Shadows” by Paula Gunn Allen
2. “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin
3. “Harmless Medicine” by Justin Chin
4. “Rice: Explorations into Gay Asian Culture and Politics” by Song Cho
5. “Dark Reflections” by Samuel R. Delany
6. “Blackbird” by Larry Duplechan
7. “Q & A: Queer in Asian America” by David L. Eng
8. “Becoming Two-Spirit: Gay Identity and Social Acceptance in Indian Country ” by Brian Joseph Gilley
9. “Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day: Poems” by Nikki Giovanni
10. “The Gilda Stories” by Jewelle Gomez
11. “Butterfly Boy: Memories of a Chicano Mariposa” by Rigoberto Gonzalez
12. “B-Boy Blues” by James Earl Hardy
13. “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted: A Memoir” by E. Lynn Harris
14. “Ceremonies: Prose and Poetry” by Essex Hemphill
15. “Selected Poems” by Langston Hughes
16. “Zami: A New Spelling of My Name” by Audre Lorde
17. “Pangs of Love: Stories” by David Wong Louie
18. “Bésame Mucho: New Gay Latino Fiction” ed. by Jaime Manrique and Jesse Dorris
19. “Rainbow Boys” by Alex Sanchez
20. “The Truth That Never Hurts: Writings on Race, Gender, and Freedom” by Barbara Smith
21. “Outrageous” by Shelia Ortiz Taylor
22. “Tortilleras: Hispanic and U.S. Latina Lesbian Expression” by Lourdes Torres
23. “Virtual Equality: the Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Literature” by Urvashi Vaid
24. “The Other Side” by Jacqueline Woodson
25. “Porcelain, and A Language of Their Own: Two Plays” by Chay Yew
To learn more about these titles or to check these books out, visit the Quatrefoil Library. You can also search the catalog online by clicking here.
