Lesbian Rule: Cultural Criticism and the Value of Desire

247 Pages·2003·10.865 MB·English

by  Amy Villarejo

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Lesbian Rule
NEXT WAVE:
NEW DIRECTIONS
IN WOMEN’S STUDIES
AserieseditedbyInderpal
Grewal,CarenKaplan,
andRobynWiegman

Lesbian Rule
CULTURAL CRITICISM AND
THE VALUE OF DESIRE
AmyVillarejo
DukeUniversityPress
DurhamandLondon
2003
©2003DukeUniversityPress
Allrightsreserved.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesof
Americaonacid-freepaper$
DesignedbyAmyRuthBuchanan
TypesetinScalabyTseng
InformationSystems,Inc.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-
in-PublicationDataappearon
thelastprintedpageofthisbook.
Publicationofthisbookwasmade
possiblebyasubventiongrantedbythe
HullMemorialPublicationFundof
CornellUniversity.
Contents
Acknowledgments,vii
Introduction,1
1.LesbianRule,27
2.DroitsdeRegards/RightofInspection:
ForAgnesandInezAlbright,55
3.ArchivingtheDiaspora:
ALesbianImpression,83
4.AbsolutQueer:Cubaand
itsSpectators,123
5.ForbiddenLove:Pulpas
LesbianHistory,159
Conclusion:StraighttoVideo,191
Notes,209
Index,231

Acknowledgments
Thoughthefaultsofthisbookaremyown,Iowethanksandgiveitwith
pleasure to a number of organizations, thinkers, makers, friends, and
familymembersfortheirinspiration,support,advice,confidence,and
care.BegunasadissertationattheUniversityofPittsburgh,thisproject
wassupportedtherebyaMellonFoundationgrant.PaulBovéreadthe
dissertationcarefullyandremainsastronginterlocutorinthebook’sim-
plicitaddress;ColinMacCabeprovideddualinspirationasanacademic
memberofmycommitteebutalsoasaresourcefortheissuesofinde-
pendentmediaandmediaeducationthatarecentraltothepresentincar-
nation.GayatriChakravortySpivakgraciouslyagreedtoremainonmy
committeefromadistance;hercareinreadingcloselyinstructsmyown
effortsconstantly,andIdependonherthoughtinwhatfollows.
Marcia Landy, who directed the dissertation from which this book
springs,hasbeenmorethanateacher,anintellectualmentor,andacom-
rade.Ihopewhatliesbetweenthesepagesbearssometraceofherques-
tioningandrelentlessintellectualwork.Iremainsimplygratefulforher
presenceinmylife.
WhileatCornell,IhavereceivedgenerousgrantsfromthePresident’s
Council on Cornell Women and from the Society for the Humanities.
ProductionofthisbookwassupportedbytheHullMemorialPublication
FundofCornellUniversity.Faculty,staff,andstudentmembersofthe
newly named Program in Feminist,Gender and Sexuality Studies, the
LesbianGayBisexualStudiesProgram,andtheDepartmentofTheatre,
Film,andDancenurturedtheprojectaswell,andIamgratefultobelong
tothesewonderfullydifferentcommunities.Graduateandundergradu-
atestudentsinallthreeareashavechallengedme,butIoweparticular
thankstomysuccessivewavesofundergraduatesinmycourseonthe
historyandtheoryofdocumentaryandexperimentalfilm;theyhelped
meenormouslytoredrawthecontextforthisbook.
Iamalsoespeciallythankfultothosemakersandorganizationswho
viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
madetheirresourcesandtimeavailabletome:toPeggyGilpin;tothe
officesofUlrikeOttingerforgraciouspermissiontoreprinttheimages
fromExileShanghai;totheSanFranciscoJewishFilmFestivalandAtara
Releasing;toFrameline;toWomenMakeMovies;totheLesbianHer-
storyArchives;toDavidJohnsonforChainedGirlsandTheLavenderLens;
to Barbara Hammer for an encouraging word at the Persistent Vision
conference;toLynnFernieformakingForbiddenLoveandfor,withEllen
Flanders,organizingthatconference;andtoAnnBannonforherread-
ingandrecollections.ThankstoEllisHansonandDukeUniversityPress
forpublishinganearlierversionofchapter5inOutTakes.Thanksalsoto
ErikRentschler,DavidBathrick,andNewGermanCritiqueforaccepting
aversionofchapterthreeforpublication.
FromPittsburghonward,Ihavebeensubmergedinagroupoffriends
withwhomthinking,hoistingbeers,talking,playing,reading,andpub-
lishinghavebeenindistinctactivities,notonlyduetothebeersbuttothe
seamlessnessoftheknit.Thegroup’sboundariesremainpermanently
unclear, but here’s a start: Joy Van Fuqua, Sally Meckling, Madhava
Prasad,AnnaMcCarthy,RichCante,AngeloRestivo,MaryBethHaralo-
vich, Steven Cohan, Ina Rae Hark, Alex Doty, Cathy Davidson, Mimi
White,AnnCvetkovich,TaraMcPherson,JoséMuñoz,LynnSpigel,Patty
White,JodyGreene,DebbieZimmerman,RubyRich,DianaReed,Kara
Keeling, Jackie Byars, Eric Zinner, Tom Waugh,Vanessa Domico . . .
In Ithaca, the overlapping set of my coconspirators includes Rebecca
Schneider,DavidBathrick,PattyZimmermann,GinaMarchetti,Byron
Suber,Tim Murray,Vincent Grenier, Biddy Martin, Ellis Hanson, and
MaryFessenden.MatthewTinkcombelongsintheintersectingarcsof
thisVenndiagram;healoneknowshowmuchI’veleaneduponhim,and
I’dlikehimtoknowhowmuchfunIhavewithhim.MarciaandStanley
Shostak,arefriends,andfriendswhoaskallthehardquestions.Ithank
themforthat,forcountlesseveningsaroundtheplexiglasstableandfor
theircompanionship.
KenWissokershowedinterestinthisprojectearlyon,andhisfaith
initsgrowthsustainedmeduringtherevisionprocess.AsIhavecome
toknowhimasaneditor,Ihavealsobeenhonoredbyhisfriendshipand
havecometorelyonhisjudgmentandinsight.Theanonymousreaders
of the manuscript while in still in dissertation form gave me the gifts
of serious consideration and rigorous criticism; I could not have had
better readers and better suggestions. Also at Duke,Christine Dahlin
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
andLeighAnneCouchguidedmethroughtheproductionprocesswith
careandgrace.
Myparents,DonandMernaVillarejo,arealsomodelsofbeing-in-the-
worldforme;theircommitmenttochange,theirsenseofresponsibility
inthinking,andtheirskillsatplayinghardsetthebarhigh.Ithankthem
forthefigurativeandrealfueloverthepasttenyearsespecially.Finally,
thereisnowaytodescribemygratitudeandloveforAndreaHammer,
withwhomIamaccumulatingyearsintheforwardaswellastheback-
warddirection,whomadeofahouseonanunfamiliarspitoflandahome
inwhichtofinishthisbook,whodailymakeslifeajoy,andwhomakes
beinganactivityfortwo.(Orfive—thankstoallthecritters,Slash,Taag,
andthelateQuinceforadditionalcuddles.)