Live like a lesbian: in solidarity. This little episode gives you a brief and desperately incomplete introduction to the happening that was the 25th Lesbian Lives conference. Under the magnificent motto “Solidarity!” so many wonderful talks, workshops, walks and connections took place, I could not even begin to claim an exhaustive summary. I do, however, have recordings from a keynote by the extremely funny and deeply clever Val McDermid and I get to share with you the visceral energy of wordsmith FELISPEAKS. You will also find out about the line-up of queer scholars whose brief interviews I will share with you over the next few weeks.

You absolutely must follow @felispeaks on Instagram and @valmcdermic on Twitter and if you have an extra like, why not share it with @queerlitpodcast and @Lena_Mattheis.



Most texts, places and people mentioned:

Val McDermid

https://www.valmcdermid.com/

Felicia Olusanya FELISPEAKS

https://www.felispeaks.com/

“The Thing” by FELISPEAKS

Philip Sidney

Edmund Spenser

Plato

Kate Millett’s Sexual Politics

The Portobello Bookshop

@PortyBooks (Twitter and Instagram)

bell hooks

Olu Jenzen

Susan Stryker

Tzeli Hadjidimitriou

Skala Eressos

LINC

@LINC_Ireland (Instagram) @LINCwomen (Twitter)

Crawford Art Gallery

Cork LGBT Archive

@corklgbtarchive (Instagram) @CorkLGBTHistory (Twitter)

Orla Egan

@orlaegan1 (Twitter)



Questions I will be reflecting on:

1. What is solidarity? Where can we see it in literature?

2. How can I lead a more solidarity-oriented life?

3. What does ‘lesbian’ mean these days? Which parts of the label do I subscribe to?

4. Where is the line between scholarship and activism? Is there one?

5. How was this the 25th Lesbian Lives conference and it took me 31 years of living to go to my first one?