It’s Valentine’s Day - a holiday that started out as a commemoration of a Christian martyr named Valentine, whose backstory is frankly 90% hypothesis, but may have involved marrying illicit couples, healing the sick and a series of gory ways to die. We have English poet Geoffrey Chaucer to thank for connecting the holiday with romantic love. Other wordsmiths followed his lead, including William Shakespeare, forever linking romance with the middle of February. As a commercial holiday, St Valentine’s Day really took off in 1840, with the introduction of the postage stamp - nearly 400,000 valentines were sent the next year. Kind of a big deal. It is a HUGELY popular holiday - and a problematic one, since it typically elevates heterosexual, cisgender love at the expense of queer and trans experiences. Luckily, art and love cannot be stopped. We have a treasure trove of awesome love stories for your perusal - whether you’re with your boo, your bestie or by yourself on February 14th, know that love is for everyone.
If You’re Looking For A Classic…
Look no further than Virginia Woolf’s Orlando. This book is an extended love letter to Vita Sackville-West, Woolf’s lover, and spans four centuries as the hero/ine changes gender and pursues sexual relationships with men and women.
If You’re Not Sure You’re Looking For A Book Or A Movie…
Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters, is a Gothic mystery novel that became an excellent BBC mini-series. Dealing with themes of love, betrayal, poverty and redemption, this epic novel switches between the perspective of the two lovers.
If You’re Looking For A Coming Of Age Story…
Juliet Takes A Breath, by Gabby Rivera, is not only about first love and growing into your own identity. The book is fun to read, but brings up big questions of privilege and class in activist spaces in a way that keeps you thinking long after the last page.
When A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words…
Blue Is The Warmest Color, before it was a critically acclaimed film, was an astoundingly beautiful graphic novel. Lots has been written about Blue already but fair warning - both film and comic are total tearjerkers.
If You Want To Cry Happy Tears…
The Way He Looks is a Brazilian coming of age story about a blind teenager whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of a new classmate. This movie is funny, sweet and optimistic in all the best ways.
