Speaking for Ourselves: Short Stories by Jewish Lesbians

Annoyingly redundant, these 18 tales feature a number of Jewish lesbians who are constantly confronting a hostile straight society, both Jewish and Gentile, including parents who can't cope with their daughters' sexual preferences. Indeed, many of the stories are so strident, self-righteous and self-absorbed that they read like diatribes; women here have persecution complexes that go beyond lesbianism. A case in point is Judy Freespirit's ``The Trouble with Theaters,'' an account of 330-pound Malka, who wants to bring her own comfy folding chair to a Jewish film festival rather than squeeze into the skimpy theater seats. Certain that the unsympathetic festival staff will refuse her demand, she plots her revenge. As it turns out, she and her chair are welcome. The book is partially redeemed by moments of humor and poignance. ``A Tendency Toward Rebelliousness,'' by Merril Mushroom, offers spunky anecdotes from old Tante Chana, who greets her lesbian niece by asking, `` Nu ? Any nice maydeles in your life these days?'' and reminisces about her escape from a long-ago unhappy marriage. Zahava edited Lesbian Love Stories . (May)