Once upon a Time — Michael Ford

Central to the upbringing of many women is the institution of the fairy tale: the picturesque fable designed to convey moral truths to young girls, and prepare them for the demands and responsibilities of marriage and family life. But how relevant to contemporary lesbians are the lessons of these age-old stories? The contributors to Once Upon a Time retell their favorite fairy tales, adding their own surprising and sexy twists. Characters as famous as Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Goldilocks, typically portrayed as powerless over their own fates, are transformed by a magical cast of writers intent on unleashing the hidden power of these archetypal figures.

In addition to exploding the stereotype of the imperiled beauty, several authors appropriate the power of the traditionally male hero by recasting their tales entirely with women, casting a new light on the obscured but omnipresent sexuality of this "innocent" literature. Genuinely subversive and deeply sensual, Once Upon a Time is sure to be one of contemporary lesbian literature's classic collections.

Contributors include: Dorothy Allison, Katya Andreevna, Laura Antoniou, Red Jordan Arobateau, Isobel Bird, Francesca Lia Block, Kate Bornstein, Pat Califia, Christa Faust, Dorsie Hathaway, Corrina Kellam, Jenifer Levin, Heather Lewis, Lee Lynch, Carol Queen, Robin Podolsky, Shar Rednour, Cristina Salat, Joan M. Schenkar, Marcy Sheiner, Linda Smukler, Wickie Stamps, Robin Sweeney, Cecilia Tan, Kitty Tsui, Karen X. Tulchinsky, Mam'selle Victoire