MYTHOS: Queer Legends of Greek
Gods and Heroes
LGBT Gay interest.
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Hello! My name is Linda Larson, and I’d like to invite you to participate in an important book project specifically geared to the LGBT community and our supporters. My first book, The CUPBEARERS: The Male Favorite in Antiquity, was funded through this site. My new book, more than two years in the making, is called MYTHOS: Queer Legends of Greek Gods and Heroes. This is a collectible art book for LGBT youth and adults, and our straight supporters, interested in our heritage.
Greek mythology was once the religion of an extraordinary culture-one whose ingenuity and superior intellect forged the foundations of the Western World. The ancient Greeks believed the gods played a major role in the lives of mortals, and their myths were used to explain every-day life.
While Greek myths remain popular, many stories of same-sex love among the gods and heroes have been ignored or dismissed. Greek mythology, as well as Greek history, has fallen prey to “straight-washing”; 1. a reinterpreting, or outright denial of same-sex love in spite of the presented facts. MYTHOS is a collection of stories about male lovers in Greek mythology. Some of the lovers, such as Zeus and Ganymede, are well-known. Others, like Hermes and Amphion, and Theseus and Pirithous are more obscure.
How is this project different from other gay history books?
“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”
- Rudyard Kipling
Many people find history a tedious trial of facts and dates. No matter how interesting a subject may be, it’s easy to lose a reader’s interest. I have always loved illustrated books, and like Jeopardy! star James Holzhauer, who used children’s books to amass his amazing knowledge, I’ve found illustrated stories to be a concise and entertaining way to learn. MYTHOS is a focused segment of a much broader subject depicting the stories of male lovers in Greek mythology through narrative and more than 50 full-color illustrations.
“For centuries, we have used pictures to share information and knowledge. From the earliest humans, who created cave paintings, to Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frieze, to the slightly more pedestrian shopping mall maps we use today, visualization figures prominently in our social history.” 2-Alison Lazenby; in an article about James Holzhauer
The Perks
For this campaign, I’m offering one perk. If you donate $100.00 or more, you will receive a signed copy of MYTHOS, with free shipping, within the continental United States. However, everyone who donates $10.00 or more, will have the opportunity to buy one copy of MYTHOS at a reduced price plus shipping costs. By eliminating unnecessary perks and carefully structuring the budget based on what I’ve learned from the last book, I was able to reduce the amount needed by half.
About the Artist: Linda Ray Larson
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Larson, a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, has worked both as a fine artist and Illustrator. For several years, she has focused on Written in Stone, a book collection based on LGBT history. In 2016 Larson published The CUPBEARERS, Book I of the Written in Stone Collection. She is also the creator of The House of the Faun exhibit at the University of Chicago for the historical conference The Future of the Queer Past. The House of the Faun was also exhibited at Chicago’s Gerber Hart Library and the C. Montgomery Ward Gallery (at the University of Illinois) for LGBT History Month.
The Perks
For this campaign, I’m offering one perk. If you donate $100.00 or more, you will receive a signed copy of MYTHOS, with free shipping, within the continental United States. However, everyone who donates $10.00 or more, will have the opportunity to buy one copy of MYTHOS at a reduced price plus shipping costs. By eliminating unnecessary perks and carefully structuring the budget based on what I’ve learned from the last book, I was able to reduce the amount needed by half.
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Excerpt: Narcissus
“...while Narcissus was hunting in the forest, he stopped to refresh himself at a clear pool. He stooped to drink, and caught his own reflection in the water. Dazzled by his image, and not realizing he was looking at himself, Narcissus tried to reach the beautiful boy in the water. The image dissolved into ripples. Spellbound, he could not look away from his reflection, and yet he could not possess it. Nemesis had punished Narcissus with the perfect revenge: He made him fall in love with the one person he could never have.”
from MYTHOS; the Flower Myths; Narcissus
Written in Stone
The Written in Stone collection is a series of illustrated books depicting the lives of LGBT people, spanning from remote antiquity to pre-modern Europe. MYTHOS is book 2 of the seven-book series. Like The CUPBEARERS, it’s not academic gay history, but creative nonfiction meant to reveal the rich heritage we share. The stories are concise, easy to read, and lavishly illustrated. They provide an introduction to classic stories with LGBT themes. My hope is that this will spark an interest in LGBT people to investigate their own history. People struggling for equality draw strength from their shared culture, traditions, and history. I believe if we are to continue to change our future, and protect what we have already gained, we must also reclaim the past.
Thank you!
If you have made it this far, I thank you with all of my heart. If you’re not able to contribute right now, please tell others who may be interested in this campaign.
ANY SIZE DONATION IS VERY APPRECIATED. TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ILLUSTRATED-GAY MYTHOLOGY-SHORT STORY BOOK
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straightwashing 2. Excerpt: IF A RECORD-SETTING JEOPARDY! WINNER LEARNS FROM CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS, CAN YOU, TOO? Alison Lazenby April 30, 2019, Rootinc.com https://www.rootinc.com/blog/record-setting-jeo...
