Books like Persistence by Ivan E. Coyote

Hilton Als assembles sharp literary and cultural criticism to portray the complex figure he calls "white girls," spanning writers, artists, and public icons.

A decade‑long exploration of butch‑femme dynamics among contemporary lesbians, blending oral histories, fiction, poetry, and fantasy to rethink identity, sexuality, and cultural roles.

Judy Grahn explores gay culture from ancient times to the present, blending history, myth, tribal traditions, occult elements, and personal interviews to illuminate the rich patterns of gay life.

Joan Nestle’s essays chronicle her life as a working‑class, openly lesbian activist, tracing her involvement in the civil rights, feminist, and LGBTQ movements from the McCarthy era to the present.

Ivan Coyote is a celebrated storyteller and the author of ten previous books, including Gender Failure (with Rae Spoon) and One in Every Crowd, a collection for LGBT youth. Tomboy Survival Guide is a funny and moving memoir told in stories, in which Ivan recounts the pleasures and difficulties of growing up a tomboy in Canada’s Yukon, and how they learned to embrace their tomboy past while carving out a space for those of us who don’t fit neatly into boxes or identities or labels. Ivan writes movingly about many firsts: the first time they were mistaken for a boy; the first time they purposely discarded their bikini top so they could join the boys at the local swimming pool; and the first time they were chastised for using the women’s washroom. Ivan also explores their years as a young butch, dealing with new infatuations and old baggage, and life as a gender-box-defying adult, in which they offer advice to young people while seeking guidance from others. (And for tomboys in training, there are even directions on building your very own unicorn trap.) Tomboy Survival Guide warmly recounts Ivan’s adventures and mishaps as a diffident yet free-spirited tomboy, and maps their journey through treacherous gender landscapes and a maze of labels that don’t quite stick, to a place of self-acceptance and an authentic and personal strength. These heartfelt, funny, and moving stories are about the culture of difference—a “guide” to being true to one’s self.

Joan Nestle’s collection examines the intimate and historical "fragile unions" of contemporary lesbian life, blending personal narratives with feminist history to illuminate LGBTQ experience in America.

Ivan E. Coyote’s “Loose End” is a vibrant collection of short stories set in Vancouver’s East End, celebrating diverse, openly queer lives amid everyday moments of coffee, hot rods, and community.

A photographic journey through late‑1980s America that captures the varied lives of gay and lesbian communities, illustrating their efforts to form families, reconcile faith, and confront both racism and homophobia.

A spirited collection of essays that uncovers hidden lesbian histories in literature and society, spotlighting figures like Charlotte Brontë and George Eliot while exploring invisible networks and professional lives.

This book explores how women use the idea of being lesbian to invent themselves and understand their connection in the world.

A powerful anthology of lesbian essays that explores identity, culture, parenting, body politics, and community, reflecting the voices of lesbians across ages, races, and religions.

An edited collection that explores the lives and cultures of Two‑Spirit peoples—Native Americans whose gender and sexual identities transcend conventional categories.

A vibrant anthology of photographs and essays by forty LGBTQ+ teens, each sharing personal reflections on family, friendship, culture, and the journey of coming out.

A powerful memoir of a South African sangoma who, as a lesbian healer, navigates reverence and revulsion, revealing the daily struggles of LGBTQ people and the wisdom of traditional African rituals.