Once upon a time, the love that dared not speak its name inspired many books that "spoke" of that love either openly and proudly or, more often, illicitly and tittilatingly. Ann Bannon, wrote of lesbian love in a series of pulp fiction novels that would later be collectively staged (under the guidance of Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner) as The Beebo Brinker Chronicles. Ann wrote boldly, ground-breakingly, despite her own marriage and because of her own passionate yearnings. At home, Ann Weldy was the author that dared not speak her pen name.

Now, Ann Bannon visits The High Bar to raise a toast to and raise the bar for... lesbian pulp fiction. And, in turn, we raise a toast to Ann Bannon for all she has done for countless women (and men) over the past half century who took solace in her prosaic explorations of love and lust in such a manner to give others the confidence to speak of their own.