Demolition, Sign, Common Language Bookstore, 317 Braun Court, Kerrytown Neighborhood, December 2, 2024 Photographer: Steve Jensen
Year:
2024
Demolition, Common Language Bookstore, 317 Braun Court, Kerrytown Neighborhood, December 2, 2024 Photographer: Steve Jensen
Year:
2024

AADL Talks To: Steve Culver, Publisher of the LGBTQ+ focused Magazine Out Post

In this episode, AADL Talks To Steve Culver. Steve first visited Ann Arbor in his early 20s, and soon began his publishing career in Ann Arbor at the Ann Arbor News. In 1990, he released the first issue of his LGBTQ-focused publication Ten Percent, which later became the Michigan Tribune and finally Out Post. Steve reflects on 34 ½ years of covering Ann Arbor & Southeast Michigan’s queer community, how his publication has changed over the years, and broader changes in Ann Arbor’s social scene.


Ann Arbor District Library's LGBTQ+ Walking Tour

The Ann Arbor District Library’s LGBTQ+ Walking Tour documents historical locations important to the queer community, pulling from interviews with community members in podcasts like AADL’S Gayest Generation, LGBTQ+ Washtenaw oral histories, and other archival collections. We heard from community members about their favorite hangouts over the decades, including bars, bookstores, and sites of political advancement for LGBTQ+ rights. This tour walks you through important locations, some of which have changed over the years and may no longer exist.

Common Language Bookstore Sells Books at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival

Year:
c.1994
Children's Section of Common Language Bookstore, March 1993

Year:
1994
Kate Burkhardt and Lynden Kelly, Co-Owners of Common Language Bookstore, January 1994

Year:
1994

LGBTQ+ Washtenaw Oral History Project - Lynden Kelly
Lynden Kelly, who goes by Kelly (she/her), was born in 1954 in suburban Detroit. In 1972, she moved to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan. She became involved in countercultural organizations and collectives such as the Ann Arbor Tenants Union and the People’s Wherehouse, a wholesale warehouse for the Michigan Federation of Food Co-ops. She recalls visiting LGBTQ+ spaces in Ann Arbor and beyond, including the U-M Gay Advocates’ Office (now called the Spectrum Center), Canterbury House, the Rubaiyat, and the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. From 1990 to 2003, she and business partner Kate Burkhardt ran Common Language Bookstore, which catered to feminist and LGBTQ+ readers, on Fourth Avenue. Kelly also discusses gender roles, coming out to her parents, marriage equality, and co-founding Ann Arbor Queer Aquatics (A2QUA), a queer swimming group.

Common Language Bookstore Moves To 215 South Fourth Avenue, October 1993 Photographer: Linda Wan

Year:
1993
Lynden Kelly Paints New Space For Common Language Bookstore, October 1993 Photographer: Linda Wan

Year:
1993