Review: The Velvet Anthology, Edited by Fay Jacobs and Elizabeth Andersen

The Velvet Anthology is a wonderful collection of lesbian fiction and poetry with the central theme of including Velvet Lounger, a British reviewer and promoter of lesbian erotica.

Writers MJ Williamz, Annette Mori, Cheryl Head, Cheyne Curry, Karin Kallmaker, Erica Abbott, Donna K. Ford, Lee Lynch, Stefani Deoul and Ann McMan have given us “Velvet”-themed titles like “Velvet’s Touch,” “Velvet’s Guardian Angel,” “Naming Velvet,” “Rocky Horror Velvet,” “Black Velvet and That Little Boi Smile,” and other irresistible titles like “Seize Her Salad, “Fever” and “They Met at a Tea Dance in Texarkana.”

The stories are as creative as their titles. In “Velvet’s Touch,” a very shy Dani reluctantly attends her first book conference with her friend – only to find the love of life in the form of the charming Brit reviewer and panelist, Velvet. In “Recalculating, Velvet,” Velvet, along with her eight inch beige and white gorilla called Monkey, embarks on the third leg of her Velvet Tour, visiting friends in the States. She’s being driven by a friend and admirer who manages to get them stuck in Derby, Rhode Island during the height of leaf-peeping season and the two end up in church playing Bingo.

In “Velvet’s Guardian Angel,” Asima is supposed to be Velvet’s guardian angel but instead, she falls for Velvet and wants to transition from guardian angel to human and manages to negotiate a generous severance agreement with Gabriel for millions of dollars and a Victorian mansion in Provincetown so that she and Velvet can live a happy life together.

Although each story has a lesbian theme, each writer brings something different to the table with each story. Some stories focus more on the theme but others, like “Recalculating,” are downright comic and hilarious, while others still, like “Velvet’s Touch,” sizzle with electric heat. “Rocky Horror Velvet,” which pays homage to the “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” offers something different – a limerick in three stanzas. The compilation covers a wide breadth of emotional range and a surprising degree of vulnerability that goes far beyond mere lesbian sex and erotica.

The collection overall gives us stories showing three-dimensional characters in different settings and from different walks of life, going about their lives in ways that are relevant and believable – all of which make for realistic, enjoyable fiction. Nowhere is this more evident than in “Seize Her Salad,” where Darcy sadly overviews her rapidly disintegrating relationship with Jennifer, all the while attracted to their waitress Kara, as she constructs their Caesar Salad for two. Of course, even realistic and compelling fiction has some over-the-top moments, such as meeting a potential soul mate in The Deluxe Elvis Chapel with the King crooning “The Wonder of You.”

All in all, what makes this such a strong collection is its variety, even if the stories do follow a central theme. The “Velvet” theme is by no means constraining, and if you find one story less satisfying, the next may take you in an entirely different direction. Whether you’re new to the genre or an aficionado, The Velvet Anthology is consistently compelling.