Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in English and Writing Studies

Department

English

First Reader/Committee Chair

Robert Kyriakos Smith

Abstract

1957’s Odd Girl Out, a novel written by Ann Bannon, reminds readers, past, present and future, of the ever-growing need for positive queer representation. This project’s main goal is to take a look at the genre of Pulp Fiction novels of the 1950s, and examine how queer representation – specifically lesbian representation – has been written. Paul Thompson’s Masculinity in Lesbian “Pulp” Fiction is a text I use throughout, as it not only examines the genre overall, but also delves into Bannon’s ever-growing impact, providing much-needed context for the novels. While the genre of Pulp Fiction novels, queer or not, has usually been viewed as something trashy and a low-brow, and not a particularly valid form of entertainment, the impact of the genre cannot be ignored. I will use Odd Girl Out in order to take a look at the history of this genre, including the tropes and how authors often had to compromise their endings. Next, using Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021), I explore the ways in which readers and authors today view the genre.. Author Malinda Lo uses her characters to note how essential lesbian representation in literature is . Reading a novel akin to Odd Girl Out leads Lo’s protagonist, and many others like her, to realize that queerness not only exists, but is an experience more universal than one would think. Overall, I put an emphasis on the importance of lesbian representation, as well as overcoming gender expectations and stereotypes. I analyze the evolution from Bannon to Lo, and how we can continue to expand the conversation in the future.

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