From the Author
Dear Reader,
For readers interested in Are You Two Sisters? I am happy to make available the following related works:
- Meet the Author. In this audio recording, I discuss the process of writing Are You Two Sisters? in conversation with Carolyn Ellis at the annual International Symposium on Autoethnography and Narrative, January 2022.
- Are You Two Sisters? A Book Talk with Susan Krieger. In this recording, I explore the book's unique narrative style in conversation with Shelley Correll at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Stanford University, April 12, 2022.
- "Are You Two Sisters? Reflections on a Long-overdue Subtitle," Journal of Lesbian Studies, 25:4 (2021). This article places Are You Two Sisters? in the context of my previous books dealing with issues of lesbianism. PDF or Word version.
- A copy of my brief C.V. that provides a background chronology of times and places relevant to some of the stories in Are You Two Sisters?
Two guide dogs, Fresco and Teela, have wiggled their way onto many of the book’s pages and helped keep me safe over the years. I wish to acknowledge the role of Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California for the invaluable gift of these dogs. For blind readers considering obtaining a guide dog, I recommend Guide Dogs for the Blind or one of the other excellent guide dog training organizations that can be found in the National Federation of the Blind resources directory.
Some years ago, when I started to write about my loss of eyesight as part of my sociological inquiries, I wrote Things No Longer There: A Memoir of Losing Sight and Finding Vision and Traveling Blind: Adventures in Vision with a Guide Dog by My Side. I recommend these two books for those coming to terms with vision loss and the challenge of integrating it into the whole of one’s life. In addition to the print edition, accessible digital versions for the blind are available from Bookshare or by contacting the author.
I first wrote about lesbian relationships in my 1980s study The Mirror Dance: Identity in a Women’s Community, a book whose themes I continue to explore in Are You Two Sisters? I could not have imagined when I wrote that early book that, three decades later, I would again be writing about lesbian self-other relationships, but this time in a very intimate personal voice. The Mirror Dance is available from Temple University Press, and as an eBook by contacting the author. I am happy to include an excerpt from The Mirror Dance here to give readers a sense of that formative work.
As the time of publication of Are You Two Sisters? approached, I worked with Temple University Press and Bookshare in preparing the book in accessible formats for blind and print disabled readers. I am grateful to Temple University Press for providing me with the technical assistance needed, and to Bookshare for their long-term commitment to people with reading barriers. To obtain an accessible version, please contact Bookshare, the publisher, or the author.
The audiobook of Are You Two Sisters? was produced and narrated by Ann Richardson, a professional audiobook narrator who also has commitments to recording for the blind. I worked with Ann as she recorded the individual chapters of the book and marveled at her rendering of my words. Ann’s reading is clear, poignant, and lively, conveying the spirit and intent of the author.
Over the years, my partner Estelle has written several personal songs attempting to convey to me what our relationship has meant to her. Three of my favorites are A Reason to Sing, Open Your Heart, and Close to You, which I am happy to include here, with her permission. I thank Estelle for her understanding, her patience, and her love. She is not exactly the “Hannah” of Are You Two Sisters? but she has provided me with the life experiences from which I could embroider a “Hannah” and, with her in mind, seek to represent the life of a lesbian couple in an intimate manner.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or to share experiences.
Thank you,
Susan