The GLBTRT has been reviewing books and movies in its newsletter since the early 1990s. Trace the evolution of queer publishing through these historic reviews. This review was originally published in Vol. 3, No 3 & 4 Spring/Summer 1991.
The Alyson Almanac: A Treasury of Information for the Gay and Lesbian Community. Alyson, 1990. Second edition. Paper. $8.95. (ISBN 1-55583-019-6)
Similar in style and layout as the more famous Book of Lists series by Wallace and the Gay Book of Lists by Rutledge, the Alyson Almanac is more topic-specific than the former and more serious than the latter. The index is by name, subject and title, making it easy to browse for areas of interest.
The book is divided into chapters of varying topics ranging from “Highlights of History” to “A Dictionary of Slang and Historical Terms” to a Congressional report card provided by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Other sections offer general advice on books, movies, travel agents and in important areas such as seeking the right therapist. The weakest section, which occupies over 80 pages, concerns people who are, were, or may have been gay or lesbian. The key phrase here is “may have been.” Like many other similar collections of lists the reader is presented with evidence, some convincing, some not, about a well-known individual’s supposed homosexuality or bisexuality. While this section is great fun to read, and it is clear whether the individual has acknowledged their sexuality or not, the overall effect weakens the Almanac’s value to librarians as a serious reference tool. Even with this one weakness, this is an excellent source for information on the gay and lesbian community.
The Almanac was compiled by the staff of Alyson Publications with contributions from various individuals and organizations, some credited in the chapters, some not. The publisher note states plans to issue updates “every year of two.” Let’s hope they follow through. Recommended.
Reviewed by T.R. Salvadori
Glassboro Public Library
Glassboro, New Jersey
