Clothespin Fever Press

Clothespin Fever Press was co-founded in 1985 by Jenny Wrenn and Carolyn Weathers. The books published under Clothespin Fever Press focus on lesbian literature written by lesbian authors in order to make lesbians and their ideas and viewpoints more visible, and ranged from short stories, poetry, novels, essays, historical fiction, and memoirs. Wrenn came up with the idea to start the press due to her desire to publish Weathers’ memoir Leaving Texas, after hearing Weathers read it at a Los Angeles bookstore; and the name came from an art piece in the form of a book by Wrenn entitled “White Clothespins”. The work, which would become symbolic of Clothespin Fever Press had a masonite cover that was fastened together with carriage bolts and adorned with clothespins, nails, and bolt nuts. Leaving Texas: A Memoir became their first title published and was released in 1986- immediately selling out of its first printing. Wrenn followed this up by publishing her own memoir/art book entitled Self-Portraits: Viewing Myself as the Adult Child of an Alcoholic. Also published by Wrenn was Lesbianline a newsletter devoted to the small press publishing scene. This newsletter also offered information and news about academic and public libraries.

Their third published book, In a Different Light: An Anthology of Lesbian Writers was a finalist for the American Library Association’s Gay and Lesbian Book Award in 1990; Loss of the Ground-Note: Women Writing About the Loss of Their Mothers was honored by the Women’s Caucus of the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association with the Susan Koppelman honorable Mention Award in 1993; and Black Slip by Terry Wolverton was a nominee for a Lambda Book Award.

The Press initially ran out of Wrenn and Weathers’ home located at 5529 N. Figueroa St. in Los Angeles, and later moved to San Diego before closing in 1996 due to bankruptcy caused by the strain of running a small company with just two people. During their run they published twenty-two books. In 2004, Clothespin Fever Press was honored at the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at University of Southern California as part of an event called “Twenty Years of L-Words” to honor Ann Bradley, the founder of the Lesbian Writers Series.

Sources: Clothespin Fever Press: https://one.usc.edu/archive-location/clothespin-fever-press

GOOD OLD CLOTHESPIN FEVER PRESS, Mazer Archives Newsletter: https://www.mazerlesbianarchives.org/blog/2021/3/29/mazer-archives-april-newsletter-out-of-the-archives-carolyn-jenny-weathers

“Visibility Through Book Publishing: The Story of Clothespin Fever Press” by Jenny Wrenn and Carolyn Weathers. Located in Box 1, Folder 9