The Impact of Primary Sources on Lesbian Literature and History: Applying Primary Source Literacy Skills
Sponsored by AM
Recorded on 11/16/2022
Posted in The Authority File
Episode 293
In the third episode of this four-part series, Rachel Friars, a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University, parses out the unique demands of both the archives and primary source databases. She explains the primary source literacy needed to overcome the barriers of archival research—notably, the urge to take any source at face value, instead of considering the rich cultural and historical context needed to situate each resource. In addition, Rachel unpacks the ethical needs of the archives, such as the importance of proper citation and the pitfalls of overgeneralization. Last, Rachel discusses how she plans to incorporate primary sources into the classroom, and the enthusiasm she’s already received from undergraduates first encountering queer archives.

About the guest:
Rachel M. Friars
Doctoral Candidate, Department of English Language and Literature
Queen’s University
Rachel M. Friars is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Her current work centers on neo-Victorianism and nineteenth-century lesbian literature and history, with secondary research interests in life writing, historical fiction, true crime, and the Gothic. Her work on lesbian historical fiction has been published with Palgrave Macmillan, The Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies, Lexington Books, Crime Studies Journal, Queer Studies in Media and Popular Culture, and is forthcoming in The Palgrave Handbook of neo-Victorianism.
Enjoy the conversation? Listen to the rest of the series:
- Introductions and Approaching the Materials
- Anne Lister and “Slowing Down” in the Archives
- The Evolution and Significance of Queer Archives
Check out our previous podcast series with AM, Primary Source Literacy.
Missed an episode? We’ve got you covered:
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates!
Check out the Authority File Round-Up on our blog, Open Stacks!
Related Posts
-
GEJ and Using Documentary Films in Instruction: Classroom Applications and Expanding Perspectives
Sponsored by Global Environmental Justice Documentaries Project
-
GEJ and Using Documentary Films in Instruction: Developing the Film List and Teacher’s Guides
Sponsored by Global Environmental Justice Documentaries Project
-
GEJ and Using Documentary Films in Instruction: Background, Recruitment, and Feedback
Sponsored by Global Environmental Justice Documentaries Project