Love, longing, and Queer Desire: The Ancient Voice of Sappho

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Hello Creatives,

Step back in time with us as we celebrate Pride Month 2022 through the timeless, passionate verses of Sappho – the ancient Greek poetess whose name has become synonymous with female love and desire.

Shrouded in mystery due to the passage of nearly 2,600 years, much of Sappho's work has been lost to time.
Yet what remains offers a breathtaking glimpse into a world where love between women was captured with extraordinary beauty and emotional precision.
From the island of Lesbos (where the term "lesbian" originates), Sappho's poetry speaks of attractions to various women with such vivid imagery and raw emotion that her words feel startlingly modern.

During this episode, we journey through several of her most powerful works. Experience "A Hymn to Venus," where Sappho calls upon the goddess of love to ease her heart's turmoil.
Feel the ache of separation in "Anaktoria," where a beloved woman is compared to the "red-fingered moon rising at sunset."
Perhaps most striking is "Sappho 31," which captures the physical sensations of jealousy and desire with such accuracy that readers across millennia have recognised their own experiences in her words – the failing voice, the fire beneath the skin, feeling "as pale as grass, as close to death as that."

What makes these poems so remarkable is how they transcend time to speak directly to our hearts today.
When Sappho writes of heartbreaking farewells or the overwhelming physical response to seeing someone she desires, we understand completely.
Her voice forms part of the foundation of LGBTQ+ literary history, reminding us that queer love and longing have always been worthy of beautiful expression.

Have you experienced these powerful emotions that Sappho captured so perfectly? Leave us a star review on Spotify and share your thoughts in the comments – it only takes five seconds and would mean the world to us.

Sleep Tight,

Florence x

The music in this episode is Stars & Trees by Outside The Sky

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Sleepless Creatives is hosted by Florence St Leger, and produced by Canary Studios.
The opening theme is Reflection by Birds of Norway.