October is LGBTQ+ History Month
First celebrated in the United States in 1994, LGBTQ+ History Month is a month-long celebration in October of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer history. It also honors the ongoing history of queer and trans rights. Below are ten books that celebrate the lives of both real (and fictional) LGBTQ+ people of the past. A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar: Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief, who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye on her biggest mark yet—the RMS Titanic, the most luxurious ship in the world. But she isn’t interested in…
20 Books By Your Favorite Podcast Hosts
Yesterday, I was trying to convince a friend that we had to see a movie because “a lot of people had told me it was really great,” but, when pressed, I admitted “people” was just the host of a podcast I had recently listened to. In fact, I frequently find myself making this confession or prefacing an anecdote, fun fact, or recommendation with, “So I heard on this podcast...” More often than not, I’m talking about BPL’s flagship podcast Borrowed. Podcasts are one of my favorite sources of information because they, like books, are educational and accessible, and foster a…
Teen Book Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
When I stumbled upon the book Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, written by Benjamin Alire Saenz, I immediately felt seen as a person. Not only was it my first piece of queer literature, it served as a love letter for Mexican-American queer adolescents– a revolutionary concept to me at the time. The book follows two Mexican-American teenagers exploring facets of their identity when grappling with cultural norms, social conformity, and hidden family secrets, in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. Aristotle and Dante meet in a public pool, where Dante teaches Ari…
LGBTQ+ History Resources at the Center for Brooklyn History
LGBTQ+ History Month Reads
October is LGBTQ+ History Month in the United States. We celebrate the history and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community across the country. Here are five amazing books that capture the many lives and experiences of queer and trans people of our past. FICTION Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to…
Brooklyn's Lost Saltwater Oasis
Hidden Ephemera in the Clippings Files
Beyond the stanchions, in the center of the Brooklyn Collection, sit two rows of cabinets. Clocking in at 110 drawers, they contain a collection of newspaper clippings that are finally getting some much-needed attention. The clippings files include folders with obscure labels such as "Local Color" and "Brooklyn Spirit", and the subjects they cover—the aforementioned included—are cataloged in a 447-page Word document. It is also one of our best-kept secrets. Though we use the clippings files to answer many reference questions, they are so sprawling and voluminous that even a…