Aunt Lute Books is an American

multicultural The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for "Pluralism (political theory), ethnic pluralism", with the tw ...

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

press based in San Francisco, California. The publisher also seeks to work with and support first-time authors.

Publishing history

In 1982, Aunt Lute Book Company was founded by Barb Wieser and Joan Pinkvoss in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

.Hoshino, Edith S. ''Feminist Publishing'', in ''International Book Publishing: An Encyclopedia'' editors: Philip G. Altbach & Edith S. Hoshino, 1995, Routledge , p134 Aunt Lute merged with

Spinsters Ink Founded in Upstate New York in 1978 by Maureen Brady and Judith McDaniel, Spinsters Ink is one of the oldest lesbian feminist publishers in the world. It is currently owned by publisher Linda Hill, who purchased the Spinsters Ink in 2005.Press R ...

, another feminist publisher, in 1986, and the two organizations published jointly for several years in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

under the name Spinsters/Aunt Lute. In 1990 the Aunt Lute Foundation was established as a non-profit publishing program. In 1992, Spinsters Ink was purchased by

lesbian feminist Lesbian feminism is a cultural movement and critical perspective that encourages women to focus their efforts, attentions, relationships, and activities towards their fellow women rather than men, and often advocates lesbianism as the logica ...

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

Joan Drury and moved to

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. Aunt Lute continues to operate independently as a nonprofit to the present day.

Titles

Aunt Lute has published a number of high-profile feminist and lesbian authors, including

Audre Lorde Audre Lorde (; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, womanist, radical feminist, professor, and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet," who ...

('' The Cancer Journals''),

Gloria Anzaldúa Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

('' Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza''),

Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz (September 9, 1945 – July 10, 2018) was an American essayist, poet, academic, and political activist. Early life Born Melanie Kaye in 1945 in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, her parents had angli ...

LeAnne Howe LeAnne Howe (born April 29, 1951, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) is an American author and Eidson Distinguished Professor in the Department of English at the University of Georgia, Athens. She previously taught American Indian Studies and English ...

(''

Shell Shaker ''Shell Shaker'' (2001) is a novel by American LeAnne Howe (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma). The novel's plot revolves around two tales of murder involving historical Choctaw political leaders. Set over a 200-year period, it focuses on several generat ...

'', winner of the 2002 Before Columbus American Book Award, and ''Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story''),

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was aw ...

, and

Paula Gunn Allen Paula Gunn Allen (October 24, 1939 – May 29, 2008) was a Native American poet, literary critic, activist, professor, and novelist. Of mixed-race European-American, Native American, and Arab-American descent, she identified with her mother's p ...

. ''Call Me Woman'', the autobiography of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n activist

Ellen Kuzwayo Nnoseng Ellen Kate Kuzwayo (29 June 1914 – 19 April 2006) was a women's rights activist and politician in South Africa, and was a teacher from 1938 to 1952. She was president of the African National Congress Youth League in the 1960s. In 19 ...

, Radmila Manojlovic Zarkovic's anthology, ''I Remember: Writings by Bosnian Women Refugees'', and Cherry Muhanji's

Lambda Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature.The awards were instituted i ...

-winning novel ''Her'' have also been published by Aunt Lute. Other Aunt Lute titles include the first U.S. collection of Filipina/Filipina American women writers and the first collection of Southeast Asian women writers, as well as a number of translated texts.UC Berkeley Bancroft Library, The California Feminist Presses Collection, 2004
/ref> Other titles are listed below: *''A Simple Revolution''; by

Judy Grahn Judy Grahn (born July 28, 1940) is an American poet and author. Inspired by her experiences of disenfranchisement as a butch lesbian, she became a feminist poet, highly-regarded in underground circles before achieving public fame. A major influe ...

*''Alice Walker Banned''; by

*''Beautiful and Dark''; by

Rosa Montero Rosa Montero Gayo (; born 3 January 1951) is a Spanish journalist and author of contemporary fiction. Early life and education The daughter of a bullfighter and a housewife, Montero was born in Cuatro Caminos, a district of Madrid. The contra ...

and

Trans Adrienne Mitchell Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom * ''Trans'' (fil ...

*''Borderlands/La Frontera (Fourth Edition)''; by

*''Call me Woman''; by

*''Cancer Journals''; by

*''flesh to bone''; by

ire'ne lara silva Ire'ne Lara Silva is a Chicana feminist poet and writer from Austin, Texas. Her parents were migrant farmworkers. She has published numerous works of poetry and her short story collection won the 2013 Premio Aztlán Literary Prize. A central ...

*''Gulf Dreams''; by

Emma Perez Emma may refer to: * Emma (given name) Film * ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown * ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Emma'' (1996 TV film), a British television film starring Kate Be ...

*''Haggadah''; by

Martha Shelley Martha Shelley (born December 27, 1943) is an American activist, writer, and poet best known for her involvement in lesbian feminist activism. Life and early work Martha Altman was born on December 27, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York, to parents of ...

*''Hot Chicken Wings''; by Jyl Lynn Felman *''Her''; by

Cherry Muhanji Cherry Muhanji is the pen name of Jeannette Delaine Washington (born April 26, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan), an American writer.

*''The Issue is Power''; by Melanie Kaye Kantrowitz *''My Jewish Face''; by Melanie Kaye Kantrowitz *''Junglee Girl''; by Ginu Kamani *''Lowest Blue Flame Before Nothing''; by Lara Stapleton *''Maidenhome''; by Ding Xiaoqi *''Me as her again''; Nancy Agabian *''Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story''; by

*''The Storyteller with Nike Airs''; by Kleya Forte-Escamilla *''Shell Shaker''; by

*''Send My Roots Rain''; by

Ibis Gomez-Vega The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word f ...

*''Singing Softly/Cantando Bajito''; by Carmen de Monteflores *''Teaching at the Crossroads''; by Laurie Grobman *''Transforming Feminist Practice: Non-Violence, Social Justice, and the Possibilities of a Spiritualized Feminism''; by Leela Fernandes *''The Two Mujeres''; by Sara Levi Calderon *''Teacher at Point Blank: Confronting Sexuality, Violence, and Secrets in a Suburban School''; by

Jo Scott-Coe Jo, jo, JO, or J.O. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Jo'' (film), a 1972 French comedy * ''Jo'' (TV series), a French TV series *"Jo", a song by Goldfrapp from ''Tales of Us'' *"Jo", a song by Mr. Oizo from ''Lambs Anger'' * Jo a fictio ...

*''The Way We Make Sense''; by Dawn Karima Pettigrew *''White Snake and Other Stories''; by

Geling Yan Geling Yan (; born 16 November 1958) is a Chinese-American author and screenwriter. Early life Yan was born in Shanghai, China in 1958. She is the second child of Yan Dunxun and Jia Lin. She has an elder brother Yan Geping (严歌平). Her fath ...

*''The Woman Who Owned the Shadows''; by

Anthologies and collections

*''Babaylan: An Anthology of Filipina and Filipina American Writers" Eds.

Nick Carbo Nick may refer to: * Nick (given name) * A Glossary of cricket terms#nick, cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat * British slang for being arrested * British slang for a police station * British slang for stealin ...

and

Eileen Tabios Eileen Tabios (born 1960) is a Filipino-American poet, fiction writer, conceptual/visual artist, editor, anthologist, critic, and publisher. Early life Born in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Tabios moved to the United States at the age of ten. ...

*''City of One: Young Writers Speak to the World''; by WritersCorps *''El Mundo Zurdo''; Eds.

Norma E. Cantu Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Astronomy *Norma (constellation) *555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy Geography *Norma, Lazi ...

, Christina L. Gutierrez,

Norma Alarcón Norma Alarcón (born November 30, 1943) is a Chicana author and publisher in the United States. She is the founder of Third Woman Press and a major figure in Chicana feminism. She is Professor Emerita of Chicano/Latino Studies at the University of ...

and

Rita E. Urquijo-Ruiz Rita may refer to: People * Rita (given name) * Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984) * Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962) * Rita (Japanese singer) * Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita Places * Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...

*''El Mundo Zurdo 2''; *''El Mundo Zurdo 3''; *''Frontline Feminism''; Ed. Karen Kahn *''Good Girls Marry Doctors''. Ed. Piyali Bhattacharya *''Imaniman: Poets Writing in the Anzaldúan Borderlands'', (2016), Eds.

and

Dan Vera Dan Vera (born South Texas) is an American poet and editor. Career Vera is the author of ''Speaking Wiri Wiri'', (Red Hen Press, 2013) and ''The Space Between Our Danger and Delight'', (Beothuk Books, 2009). His manuscript ''The Guide to Imagi ...

with an introduction by

United States Poet Laureate The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national cons ...

Juan Felipe Herrera Juan Felipe Herrera (born in December 27, 1948) is an American poet, performer, writer, cartoonist, teacher, and activist. Herrera was the 21st United States Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017. Herrera's experiences as the child of migrant farmers ...

*''Making Face, Making Soul/Haciendo Caras''; Ed.

*''New Voices 1''; by DeeAnne Davis, Rabie Harris, and Gloria Yamato *''Our Feet Walk the Sky''; by Women of South Asian Descent Collective (WOSAD) *''Positive/Negative: Women of Color and HIV/AIDS''; Eds. Imani Harrington and Chyrell Bellamy *''Radical Acts: Theatre and Feminist Pedagogies of Change''; Eds. Anne Elizabeth Armstrong and

Kathleen Juhl Kathleen may refer to: People * Kathleen (given name) * Kathleen (singer), Canadian pop singer Places * Kathleen, Alberta, Canada * Kathleen, Georgia, United States * Kathleen, Florida, United States * Kathleen High School (Lakeland, Florida) ...

*''Shadow on a Tightrope''; Eds. Lisa Schoenfielder and

Barb Wieser Barb or the BARBs or ''variation'' may refer to: People * Barb (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * Barb, a term used by fans of Nicki Minaj to refer to themselves * The Barbs, a band Places * Barb, ...

*''Solid Ground''; by WritersCorps *''The Aunt Lute Anthology of U.S. Women Writers, Volume One: 17th through 19th Centuries''; Eds.

Lisa Maria Hogeland Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

and Mary Klages *''The Aunt Lute Anthology of U.S. Women Writers, Volume Two''; Eds.

and Shay Brown *''The Judy Grahn Reader''; By

*''The Unforgetting Heart: An Anthology of Short Stories by African American Women (1859-1993)''; Ed. Asha Kanwar *''Through the Eye of the Deer: An Anthology of Native American Women Writers''; Eds. Carolyn Dunn and Carol Comfort *''Reclaiming Medusa: Short Stories by Contemporary Puerto Rican Women''; Ed. Diana Velez

Awards

Aunt Lute Books was the 2004 - 2005 and the 2005 - 2006 Best of the Small Presses Award granted b
Standards
an International

Cultural Studies Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the political dynamics of contemporary culture (including popular culture) and its historical foundations. Cultural studies researchers generally investigate how cultural practices re ...

Magazine.

External links

Aunt Lute Books

References

{{Authority control Book publishing companies based in San Francisco Feminism in California Feminist book publishing companies Feminist organizations in the United States Mission District, San Francisco Multicultural feminism Organizations based in San Francisco Publishing companies established in 1982 Women in Iowa 1982 establishments in California