The Highest Apple: Sappho and the Lesbian Poetic Tradition

by Judy Grahn

"Lesbian culture may be seen as 'marginal' by heterosexual culture and heterosexual definition. 'Marginal' is a word that implies, like the story of Columbus, that there is one world and it is flat. Fortunately at the heart of these [marginal] groups, one finds an entirely different schema, a map virtually unrelated to the 'flat world' folks. Surely, Lesbian culture is central to Lesbians. Moreover, the work that comes from Lesbian culture, the special perspective, can be central to society as a whole." --from the Introduction

Here, in a poetic examination is the "map" of a round world, of the special perspective of:
Sappho
Emily Dickinson
Amy Lowell
H.D.
Gertrude Stein
Adrienne Rich
Paula Gunn Allen
Audre Lorde
Olga Broumas
and Judy Grahn

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

150 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