Lorrie Sprecher
Encyclopedia
Lorrie Sprecher is a writer, musician, and activist.
Her debut novel
, Sister Safety Pin, details the life of a 20-something lesbian named Melany as she struggles to come to terms with her sexuality
, her lovers, her future, and her place in the changing world of punk rock. Peppered heavily with references to seminal punk bands, the novel follows Melany through a small series of relationships, attaining her undergraduate degree, and contemplating "if a lesbian... especially a punk lesbian... is supposed to get a Ph.D." Honed with sharp wit, the story unfolds against a backdrop of 1980s California
, New York
, and D.C.; a time when punk rock was shifting faces and the AIDS crisis was exploding amongst the gay community. Widely reviewed,. Sister Safety Pin has become a classic among its lesbian audience.
After the publication of her novel, Sprecher turned her attention to music, forming the one-woman band Sugar Rat. Her music is politically charged, most recently addressing the bombing of Afghanistan
. Her debut album, Rats Have Rights, was released in 2001. In 2002, Sprecher released her follow-up to Rats, entitled The Opposite of Popular. Both albums were self-distributed and are available via iTunes
or Sprecher's website. She has also contributed songs to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
(RAWA).
Sprecher is a vocal member of ACT UP, an organization dedicated to fighting AIDS
, and has been arrested six times in Washington D.C. during various protests.
She holds a Ph.D.
in English literature
from the University of Maryland, where her dissertation was on Gertrude Stein, and is currently working on her second novel, Pissing in a River, and an acoustic
album for Sugar Rat.
Her debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
, Sister Safety Pin, details the life of a 20-something lesbian named Melany as she struggles to come to terms with her sexuality
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, her lovers, her future, and her place in the changing world of punk rock. Peppered heavily with references to seminal punk bands, the novel follows Melany through a small series of relationships, attaining her undergraduate degree, and contemplating "if a lesbian... especially a punk lesbian... is supposed to get a Ph.D." Honed with sharp wit, the story unfolds against a backdrop of 1980s California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and D.C.; a time when punk rock was shifting faces and the AIDS crisis was exploding amongst the gay community. Widely reviewed,. Sister Safety Pin has become a classic among its lesbian audience.
After the publication of her novel, Sprecher turned her attention to music, forming the one-woman band Sugar Rat. Her music is politically charged, most recently addressing the bombing of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Her debut album, Rats Have Rights, was released in 2001. In 2002, Sprecher released her follow-up to Rats, entitled The Opposite of Popular. Both albums were self-distributed and are available via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
or Sprecher's website. She has also contributed songs to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan is a women's organization based in Quetta, Pakistan, that promotes women's rights and secular democracy...
(RAWA).
Sprecher is a vocal member of ACT UP, an organization dedicated to fighting AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, and has been arrested six times in Washington D.C. during various protests.
She holds a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
from the University of Maryland, where her dissertation was on Gertrude Stein, and is currently working on her second novel, Pissing in a River, and an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
album for Sugar Rat.