The Total Femme

I’m halfway through Isaac Fellman’s 2022 novel, Dead Collections, and Elsie has not (yet?) referred to herself as a femme, but I’m going to call it. Elsie is bi, was married to a butch lesbian, is attracted to butch all over the place, and falls for the main character of the novel, Sol, who is a trans man. And a vampire, which it turns out Elsie also rather likes.

Here’s Sol’s description of her when they first meet:

            … she was all stiffness and solidity. A tall woman, big, in a stiff green velvet dress whose skirt stood out from her hips. Some big women are loose and soft, with a creamy invitingness – I mean not of attitude or personality, but a coincidence of how their body’s built. Elsie’s body was of denser stuff, and her face was matte and inexpressive, and her brown hair in a curly bob was very much “done.”

And later, when they’ve gotten to know each other more:

            I pressed my face to her broad shoulder. God, I love a girl you can rest on.

 Deep gratitude to Isaac for loving Elsie onto the page. For giving her strength and anxieties and grief and horniness and a full and intricate queer life. Thank you for adding to the all-too-short roster of queer femmes in literature!

Every Friday, I showcase a queer femme goddess. I want to feature you! Write to me at thetotalfemme@gmail.com and let me shine a spotlight on your beautiful, unique, femme life! If you’ve written a femme story or poem or song, oh, please let me post it!

At the Total Femme, my intention is to post three or four times a week: Meditations for Queer Femmes on Monday, Pingy-Dingy Wednesday on Wednesday, Femme Friday on Friday, and (new for spring 22!) the occasional Sometimes On A. Rather than play catch-up in a stressful fashion on those weeks when life prevents posting, I have decided to just move gaily forward: if I miss a Monday, the next post will be on Wednesday, and so on. Thank you, little bottle of antibiotics for inspiring me in this! (“…if it’s almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Don’t take a double dose to make up for a missed one.”) And…as I go through life life life, I will post as I am able, Mabel.