Featured Serial: Out/Look
A Groundbreaking Queer Magazine
Hello everyone, Eric here.
I wanted to showcase a serial in our collection which I found very interesting when I first started researching it. The serial is Out/Look National Lesbian & Gay Quarterly, and it was one of the first publications I ran into when processing the AQA serial collection. Out/Look was a groundbreaking queer magazine and had made significant impacts throughout its short time in circulation. Out/Look was published between 1987 and 1992 by the OUT/LOOK Foundation, and there were only 17 issues of this magazine ever made (GLBT Historical Society, n.d.). However, despite this five-year span, the impact which Out/Look had has cemented its place in queer history.
The Magazine was first published in San Francisco in the spring of 1988 and was founded by Jeffrey Escoffier as well as co-edited by E.G. Crichton (Lesbian Poetry Archive, n.d.). The magazine would later inspire the OutWrite conferences which were held between 1990 and 1992 and hosted a number of influential figures with activist Allen Ginsberg being one such figure (GLBT Historical Society, n.d.; Lesbian Poetry Archive, n.d.). The magazine contained segments addressing issues ranging from the AIDS outbreak, activism, queer fashion and so much more (Lesbian Poetry Archive, n.d.). With stunning visuals ranging whether they be photographs or drawings in each issue, to the eye capturing cover art, Out/Look stands out from other queer literature from this period. Outlook was also notable for its broadly inclusive subject matter as well as how the magazine’s content was able to bridge “the gap between academic and creative writing” (GLBT Historical Society, n.d.). The range in topics and issues discussed during its short run, provides a snapshot into queer culture of the late 1980s to the beginning of the 1990s, highlighting issues which were pertinent then, and some which are still present to this day.
There are a few other cultural heritage institutions which have in their collection this serial and also have made exhibits around Out/Look magazine. The GLBT Historical Society Museum had formed the OUT/LOOK Preservation Fund aimed at the preservation of the organizational records of the OUT/LOOK Foundation and other materials which document the magazine among other aspects of the organization (GLBT Historical Society, n.d.). Another institution, the Lesbian Poetry Archive have also created a database for all articles from each of the 17 issues of Out/Look, (Lesbian Poetry Archive, n.d.). Even The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center, has copies of this publication in their collections which researchers can make an appointment to access (National Museum of American History, n.d.).
I encourage all of you to come and check out this publication too, whether you’re a researcher, or just some one interested in queer literature. The Arizona Queer Archives has 13 physical issues of Out/Look in our possession which you can interact with from our “AQA” serial collections. The Arizona Queer Archives open hours are every Friday from 3pm to 6pm where you can either request specific materials or browse our collections at your leisure. If you are unable to make it to our open hours, you can always contact us and schedule an appointment with an archivist at azqueerarchives@gmail.com. Till next time everyone, we hope to see you soon.
References
GLBT Historical Society. (n.d.). OUT/LOOK Preservation Fund. GLBT Historical Society. https://www.glbthistory.org/outlook-fund
Lesbian Poetry Archive. (n.d.). Lesbian poetry archive entry. https://www.lesbianpoetryarchive.org/book/export/html/309
National Museum of American History. (n.d.). Archival item: SOVA NMAH AC-1146 REF3235. Smithsonian Institution. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/archival-item/sova-nmah-ac-1146-ref3235