Kalmus, Sage (ed.) Hashtag Queer: LGBTQ+ Creative Anthology. Vol. 1. Qommunicate Publishing. 2017. $12.99. 238p. PB. ISBN 978-1-946952-01-1

…we like to say the term queer is only useful until it’s no longer useful-that is, until it’s no longer necessary to identify ourselves by our otherness in order to find acceptance and equality in this world.”  page vi.

This anthology is a collection of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and scripts, written by and about the LGBTQ+ community. Volume One of this anthology tackles “common human passions and trials” (viii) which is evident from the very first page. The book opens with “1957” a short story that reminds us that queer folx occupy all types of spaces. “First/Then” tugs at the shared fear/experience of violence for being queer, and reminds us that sometimes, all you need to make a day better is your mom. Paige Zubel addresses sexual assault in “Studies Show Cigarettes Kill”, and “A Life Enriching Community” creates space for us to ponder what it will be like when we age, and how to find our queer community in the retirement homes of South Florida.

The layout of the book is unique, having the table of contents organized by type of work written, rather than the order they appear in the book. If read like a traditional book, the layout of the works encourages the reader to expand their literary consumption from perhaps non-fiction, to scripts or poetry.

This book is recommended for anyone interested in stories focused on the queer experience or written by queer authors.

Miranda Dube

See review of Hashtag Queer, volume 3 at https://www.glbtrt.ala.org/news/archives/4295