Ann Bannon

Ann Bannon in 1983

American author

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Native name
Born	Ann Weldy Birth date -1st March 1966 Joliet, Illinois, U.S.
Died
Resting place
Pen name
Nickname
Occupation	Author, professor
Language
Nationality	American

Ann Bannon (born September 15, 1932) is an American author and professor, best known for her series of lesbian pulp fiction novels known as the Beebo Brinker Chronicles. These works, published between 1957 and 1962, are considered landmark texts in LGBT literature.

Early Life

Ann Bannon was born Ann Weldy in Joliet, Illinois. She attended the University of Illinois, where she earned her bachelor's degree in French and English literature. She later pursued a master's degree at Stanford University.

Career

Bannon's writing career began in the late 1950s when she was inspired by the works of Vin Packer and Patricia Highsmith. Her first novel, Odd Girl Out, was published in 1957. This book was followed by I Am a Woman (1959), Women in the Shadows (1959), Journey to a Woman (1960), and Beebo Brinker (1962). Collectively, these novels are known as the Beebo Brinker Chronicles.

Beebo Brinker Chronicles

The Beebo Brinker Chronicles are a series of novels that explore the lives and loves of lesbian characters in the 1950s and 1960s. The series is named after the character Beebo Brinker, a butch lesbian who becomes a central figure in the later novels. The books are notable for their candid portrayal of lesbian relationships and the challenges faced by the LGBT community during that era.

Later Life and Legacy

After the publication of her novels, Bannon took a hiatus from writing to focus on her academic career. She earned a Ph.D. in linguistics and became a professor at California State University, Sacramento. Her novels experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, leading to their reissue and recognition as important works in LGBT literature.

Personal Life

Ann Bannon was married to a man during the time she wrote her novels, and she has spoken about the complexities of her own sexual identity. She has since become an important figure in the LGBT community, often speaking at events and conferences.

Bibliography

• Odd Girl Out (1957)
• I Am a Woman (1959)
• Women in the Shadows (1959)
• Journey to a Woman (1960)
• Beebo Brinker (1962)

See Also

• Lesbian literature
• LGBT history
• Pulp fiction

External Links

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