The Black and White of It

A magnificent collection of stories that bravely and honestly explore issues of race, class, sex, love, and being lesbian in America

Ann Allen Shockley’s work has been widely praised for its honest portrayals of lesbian life, and now the author takes an even closer look at the singular world of women in love. But the stories that make up The Black and White of It address much more than simply the female gay experience: They cast a brilliant light on race issues and prejudice, on the emotional barriers that divide women and men, on the polarizing distinctions of class and culture, and on family as a force for both good and ill.

These are powerful stories of love and desire, intolerance and denial. Here, a bright, vivacious young coed attempts to bring light and love back into the sad life of a lonely middle-aged English professor. An ambitious African American congresswoman refuses to admit the truth about her sexuality, thereby jeopardizing her very special—and secret—relationship with her devoted female assistant. Shockley plunges the reader into the eye of the storm when a gay black woman brings her white lover home to meet the family on Thanksgiving.

Whether exploring the ugly, deep-seated prejudice living under the surface of an academic lesbian community, relating the antebellum tale of a southern female plantation owner mesmerized by her newly acquired slave girl, or recalling the sweet, sensual awkwardness of a first date, Ann Allen Shockley writes with unabashed truthfulness, poignancy, and insight. Her stories will long be remembered by gay and straight readers alike.