Scribbled Recommends: Pride Edition
Academic texts
The Tragedy of Heterosexuality by Jane Ward
Incredibly readable and approachable whilst also introducing complex and interesting conversations around the patriarchy with a queer view on the extent of the damage of heteronormativity
Queer Phenomenology by Sara Ahmed
A dense but fascinating reflection on orientations in our world, how our viewpoints change when our orientation does, and what hand desire has in all of this. Definitely a challenging read, but a rewarding one
Novels
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Her debut novel, nominated for the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction where Peters was the first openly trans woman to be nominated for the award. A nuanced and moving novel about relationships between womanhood and motherhood that is unapologetic in its transness and queerness
Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor
A novel about a shapeshifter in 1990s America, who uses their shapeshifting abilities to explore gender and queer identities. Its snappy and incredibly likeable prose creates a yearning for queer community which the novel plays with throughout
Poetry
The 17-Year-Old & the Gay Bar by Danez Smith
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/92050/the-17-year-old-the-gay-bar
Cenzóntle by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo
https://www.theparisamerican.com/poetry163.html
once a marine biologist told me octopuses have three hearts by Denice Frohman
https://poets.org/poem/once-marine-biologist-told-me-octopuses-have-three-hearts
Films
Challengers
Written by Justin Kuritzkes, directed by Luca Guadagnino: an intensely fun and cheekily erotic film about an all consuming relationship and rivalry between three tennis players
Bottoms
Written by Rachel Sennot and Emma Seligman, directed by Emma Seligman: a stupidly silly comedy about two queer girls starting a fight club at their school so they can both get girlfriends.
But I’m a Cheerleader
Written by Brian Wayne Peterson and directed by Jamie Babbit: a heavily stylized cult classic that is both silly and sensual about a cheerleader figuring out her identity after being sent to conversion therapy
Bertie Pearson (they/he) is a writer, artist, and all round silly man originally from the deep north (Sheffield) now located in West London. They are interested in exploring sex, relationships, and anything that's stupid enough to make them laugh. Find them on instagram @thecloudsarecold or message them for their hinge profile