Pamela McMullin-Messier: Pamela McMullin-Messier is a Ph.D. student in sociology at the University of Southern California. She is currently conducting research on the social construction of population-environment connections and women's rights in non-governmental organizations, particularly on how the discourse has influenced and shaped debate on public policy issues.
Often in discussions of sexuality, particularly in gay and lesbian studies, the aspect of feelings about relationships and sexuality are often forgotten, and instead the main focus of discussion is on the various theories of sexuality, politics and identity. Not that this is bad; however, it leaves us bereft of what is beyond theory. Narratives and works of fiction are often a way to reconnect to the bareness of emotion that is behind the politics of our sexual identities. ANNIE OAKLEY'S GIRL is an example of that reconnection, and it consists of a compilation of short stories by Rebecca Brown. A few of the stories that embody the message of the work will be discussed here.
“Annie” is the inspiration of this collection, as it tells a story of how fantasy can overlap reality. It is a story of a relationship with Annie Oakley. The story is set in modern times, but has the relationship with Annie as being in a past time. Annie did not officially “come out,” but when we examine history, we often have glimpses of people that would tell a different story. Perhaps this is just the fantasy of the young woman, of wanting to be a cowgirl and be like Annie. The relationship seems to be symbiotic, where they both are learning about the other's world. But the young woman leaves Annie's world from time to time and does come back, making it apparent that this is a fantasy. The story takes a turn as this young woman tries to make Annie into something that she's not, which is something that often happens in love. She tries to bring Annie into her everyday life, which fails miserably. The story ends with them both going back to their own worlds and wondering if either will remember with nostalgia. Perhaps this story points out to be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it.
“The Joy of Marriage” demonstrates the facade of relationships that is often portrayed to others, with the participants becoming fooled from the reality. It portrays the nakedness that is often exposed in a dream, where we have no clothes on but no one else seems to notice it but us. In the story, a young couple is off to the country to escape for their honeymoon, and it becomes something of an invasion with the young wife is running around looking for her husband while he is off telling their “story” instead of living it. This story touches on the distance that is created in relationships often with differing expectations, where the facades and stories we build up and tell become escapes from reality and leave us empty in the end.
“Love Poem” is not really a love poem, but instead about a secret. This story focuses on a woman who helps a friend destroy her embodiment of work that has been highly acclaimed in order to collect insurance money. In the midst of the sabotage, the friend suddenly becomes afraid of the dark, but the artist does not want the destruction to become exposed to the light so she can be surprised in its discovery. The story reveals the secrets that we share in love can often be destructive in themselves. “Grief” is an expression of saying goodbye, but not being able to let go and holding on to something that is never to return. It is a story of a lover leaving and her companions holding onto her memories, not wanting to forget. The woman leaves for a trip that her lover and friends have all helped her prepare for, and they lie to themselves believing that she will return. This story is something we can all relate to, as people often come in and out of our lives, and something remains of them with us, yet some part of ourselves becomes lost with that person's departure.
“A Good Man” is the best and most poignant story of this collection, as it touches deeply into the psyche with grief, as we watch through her eyes a friend dying from AIDS. It begins with her friend Jim staying in the hospital to combat pneumonia, which turns into a never-ending stay. The story then turns briefly into flashbacks, setting up how she had been with him as his lover, Scotty, died from AIDS and how their relationship traversed. At one point, Jim discusses the impact that AIDS has had on relationships, that we all have desires, yet “despite what he'd been through with Scott, despite how his dear brotherhood was crumbling, that some of his sibling outlaws would find good love and live in that love openly, and for a good long time…” (103).
The story continues with Jim's progress in the hospital going downhill, and how they are both dealing with the inevitable. Flashbacks continue, going back to gay pride marches and earlier times before the illness set in. Back to the present, Jim is dealing with being an “untouchable” in the hospital, as fear sets in with his illness (the story was written in 1984, fyi). The story ends with the young woman saying goodbye to her friend, remembering him as before. This story gives us something to relate to, in putting a face on the AIDS crisis and the impact the stigma and fear has on our lives.
Short stories are often more non-fiction than fiction, as they are an expression of something deep within all of us, and ANNIE OAKLEY'S GIRL demonstrates this sentiment in the sensitivity that comes across through Brown's narrative. Some of her stories, however, are haunting yet vast and ambiguous in their tone and interpretation, which often leaves the reader confused with the message. As some of her stories are stronger, they all speak the same language - love, disenchantment, and loss. This is something we can all relate to, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. This is something that needs to be addressed more in the GLBT literature; it is as if we exist in isolation of what defines us the most, the people that we love.
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