The Highest Apple: Sappho and the Lesbian Poetic Tradition

by Judy Grahn

Revised and updated edition of Judy Grahn's groundbreaking book on the lesbian poetic tradition. In 1985, Judy Grahn boldly declared that lesbians have a poetic tradition and mapped it from Sappho to the present day in the groundbreaking book, THE HIGHEST APPLE. In this new and updated edition of THE HIGHEST SAPPHO AND THE LESBIAN POETIC TRADITION, Grahn revisits the original text with her characteristic ferocious intellect, passion for historical research, careful close readings, and dynamic storytelling. Grahn situates poetry by Sappho, Emily Dickinson, Amy Lowell, H.D., Gertrude Stein, Adrienne Rich Paula Gunn Allen, Audre Lorde, Pat Parker, and Olga Broumas as central to lesbian culture--and more radically as central to society as a whole. This new edition of THE HIGHEST SAPPHO AND THE LESBIAN POETIC TRADITION includes Grahn's in depth analysis of poetic work by her friend and comrade Pat Parker and suggests a transactional approach to poetry as uncovering layers of the self. Grahn assembled this text in conversation with two younger lesbian poets, Alicia Mountain and Alyse Knorr, demonstrating the continued relevance and dynamism of THE HIGHEST APPLE for contemporary readers. A new introduction by Grahn, a foreword by Alyse Knorr, and editor notes by Alicia Mountain along with six responses by contemporary poets Donika Kelly, Kim Shuck, Serena Chopra, Zoe Tuck, Saretta Morgan, and Khadijah Queen highlight the on-going significance of THE HIGHEST APPLE to readers, writers, and thinkers. "Poetry was important to the women's movement and especially so to Lesbians. More than one Lesbian has been kept from floundering on the rocks of alienation from her own culture, her own center, by having access, at least, to Lesbian poetry. . . .Through the centuries, our poetry has held that position in the branches of its lines, in fragments, and in the code of imagery. It is time, now, to begin to reveal that tradition."

--From Judy Grahn's Introduction to The Highest Apple Literary Nonfiction. Poetry. Essay. Literary Criticism. LGBTQ+ Studies. Women's Studies.

Genres: Poetry, Lesbian, LGBT, Nonfiction, History, Feminism, Queer

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

"Lesbian poetry leads itself to its own foundations, and to this idea: the universe is alive, is a place, and we can unite with it; in fact it is essential that we do so. We can build a place for ourselves in it, so long as we understand the stones to be each other; we can reach our long-held apple, the one Sappho held back on the highest branch for us."

An interesting read about the lesbian poetic tradition and its role in lesbian culture. I especially enjoyed the author's interpretation of Emily Dickinson's room as her own island of Lesbos, where she "carried on a one-woman dialogue with the lovers she could not actually gather into her life."

[theperksofbeingmarissa ;) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, like some reviews said, the language is dated. I still enjoyed reading this. I did find it a bit repetitive at times.

I read the updated version, and I really loved the "Responses" section of the book! Serena Chopra's piece is my favorite!

*3.5 rounded up!

[l · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's very much of its time: "When a woman unites with the female in the universe she feels it inside of herself, and she perceives its willful powers, as Sappho must also, when she prayed to those powers to aid her in her purposes." Matriarchies, the whole thing.

It did direct me to some lesbian texts I hadn't heard of though! HD's essay on Sappho is lovely.

[fausto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marveolus book! The Highest Apple is a cultural history of lesbian poetry, as the author states in the introduction, originally this book was to be a chapther in her famous "Another Mother Tongue" but the richness of the lesbian poetry tradition has a lot of material for many and many books, as the title states the link of all the poets is its "tradition" origin in Sappho's work, Grahn analyzes the motives and topics of lesbian poetry, and by the way she proposes a way of analize lesbian poetry as an "island of women counciousness" I have to say that at least in both the US and my country (Mexico) there has been existed a long and strong lesbian poetry tradition, but surprisingly enough there is almost anything written on lesbian poetry criticism, so this book, along with the work of Elly Bulkin, is a must read for anyone really interested in the topic.
My only complain is that she can encompass more iconic authors like Pat Parker or Elsa Gidlow.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

read the new release for class. shout out furthering the lesbian poetic tradition, the reprint has essays praising and critiquing the original work which is lit

[Wendy Underhill]

one of the most important books ever written