Nella Larsen ( 1891—1964 ) , a biracial woman born and raised in Chicago, became prominent in the Harlem Renaissance. Her novel Quicksand ( 1928 ) , with early chapters set in Chicago, was widely praised. Margaret Busby, editor of the literary anthology Daughters of Africa ( 1992 ) , hails her as a pioneer in writing about Black female sexuality, noting that Larsen's second novel, Passing ( 1929 ) , not only dealt with "Blacks who ‘pass' for white, but also [ was ] about sexual desire between women." The two women of the story are both from Chicago.
From Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Community, edited by Tracy Baim, Surrey Books, 2008.
