Farewell for now....

Thanks for helping shine light on this vital branch of gay literature

As we previously mentioned in an email to subscribers to give them notice, our essay of April 13, 2023, is unfortunately our last for Maitland’s Vintage Gay Books Newsletter, at least for now. It has been both a pleasure to write and a responsibility to the history of LGBTQIA+ literature that I have taken extremely seriously. Adult gay novels’ depictions of heroic gay characters not seen in mainstream literature is something significant — providing role models and a vision of a world in which an out gay detective, secret agent or astronaut could be a reality. These widely read books were ahead of their time in that respect, and in at least some small way helped to show gay men of that constrained and bigoted era what the future might hold.

In the meantime, I’ll take solace in these kind words that William Maltese, the still-living dean of adult gay novelists, provided me for our media release:

"I’ve come to look upon Maitland McDonagh as one of the few authorities on this period of time that, without people like her, would have faded into oblivion. As both a writer about and republisher of books of the Golden Age of Gay Pulp Fiction — wherein gay literary protagonists were allowed to live normal lives and not end up as clinically depressed victims or suicides — McDonagh is the recognized go-to person for anyone with even a modicum of interest in this field.”

Thank you, William. Thank you, readers. I’ve treasured you all.

Opening image from The Gay Year (Michael De Forrest, as M De F, Lancer Books, 1965; paperback reprint of Woodford Press hardcover, 1949…though the paperback says reprinted from Castle Books, 1949. If anyone knows of any connection between Woodford and Castle, please let me know.)