Books by John Preston in Alternative Formats

Sections below:

—Alternative Formats for the General Public
 

* Audio

* Electronic Text

* Large Print

—Alternative Formats for the Blind
 

* Bookshare.org

* National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

* Recording For the Blind & Dyslexic
 

Alternative Formats for the General Public

Conference Recording Service is presently selling audio tapes from a conference for gay and lesbian writers that Preston participated in: OutWrite '93. The panel information is a little sketchy; if anyone can provide more information on panels that Preston took part in during OutWrite '93, please contact me. In the meantime, this panel tape includes Preston:

OutWrite '93: "Censorship." Participants: Preston, Friedman, Tsang, Andriette, et al. Tape number: OUT93-016.

ELECTRONIC TEXT

Two books by Preston, Friends and Lovers: Gay Men Write About the Families They Create and Member of the Family: Gay Men Write About Their Families, can be accessed through the GLBT Life database published by EBSCO.

In addition, GLBT Life indexes three periodicals that Preston regularly wrote for: The Advocate, Christopher Street, and Lambda Book Report. Please note that Preston wrote editorials for nearly every issue of The Advocate in 1975, but these may not have his byline in the database.

The database also contains articles about Preston.

GLBT Life is available through electronic catalogues at many university libraries and some public libraries. Some university libraries will allow anyone to use their electronic catalogues.

LARGE PRINT

Preston's books do not appear to be published commercially in large print at this time. However, the original editions of two of his shorter novels were printed in slightly larger, more legible type, presumably to fill up the space. Both volumes are in 13-point type, rather than the 10-point type that is often used in books. (By comparison, most large-print books are published in 16- or 18-point type.) Both have typefaces that are round and full, rather than the cramped Times New Roman typeface that is common in books. Both books, alas, are out of print in their original editions, but they may be available through used booksellers. Try searching at Abebooks, a database of used booksellers that provides you with information on the editions of the books.

Franny, the Queen of Provincetown. Boston: Alyson, 1983.

The Heir. Austin, Texas: Caliente Press / Liberty Press, 1986.

Alternative Formats for the Blind

At the time that the Preston Project began, only four of Preston's books (Friends and Lovers, Hometowns, Personal Dispatches, and Sister and Brother) had been translated into alternative formats for the blind. The Preston Project is now working to see that all of his books are translated through submissions to Bookshare.org, a non-profit organization that provides books for print-impaired readers. Information on how this is possible is available through Bookshare.org's FAQ.

Below is a list of libraries for the blind that distribute Preston's books.

BOOKSHARE.ORG

An online electronic library for disabled U.S. residents. There is a one-time membership fee and a yearly fee. Books are available in electronic braille and in DAISY format (a kind of electronic text). It is also possible for Americans to buy an embossed braille copy of books without being a member of Bookshare.org.

Bookshare.org home page.

Bookshare.org membership information.

Books available:

Hustling: A Gentleman's Guide to the Fine Art of Homosexual Prostitution. Nonfiction.

Sister and Brother: Lesbians and Gay Men Write About Their Lives. Edited by John Preston and Joan Nestle. Essay anthology.

NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE FOR THE BLIND AND PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED (NLS)

A public library service for disabled U.S. residents. No fee. All three books listed below are available as audio tapes. They are recorded in a four-track format that can only be played on a cassette player designed for the disabled. The cassette player is available free to members of the NLS.

NLS home page.

NLS membership information.

Books available:

Friends and Lovers: Gay Men Write About the Families They Create. Edited by John Preston with Michael Lowenthal. Essay anthology.

Hometowns: Gay Men Write About Where They Belong. Edited by John Preston. Essay anthology.

Personal Dispatches: Writers Confront AIDS. Edited by John Preston. Essay anthology.

To see the catalogue entries for these books, go to the NLS Online Union Catalog and do a search by author or title.

RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC (RFBD)

A library service located in the United States, but available for disabled people throughout the world. There is a one-time registration fee and an annual fee. The book listed below is available as an audio tape. It is recorded in a four-track format that can only be played on a cassette player designed for the disabled.

RFBD home page.

RFBD membership information.

Book available:

Personal Dispatches: Writers Confront AIDS. Edited by John Preston. Essay anthology.

To see the catalogue entry for the book, visit the RFBD Catalog and do a search by author or title.

Gay and Lesbian Books in Alternative Formats. Designed for both sighted and visually impaired readers.

Leather Books in Alternative Formats. Designed for both sighted and visually impaired readers.

Online Resources for Blind and Partially Sighted Readers of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Designed for both sighted and visually impaired readers. It includes links to speculative fiction sites with electronic texts and audio, as well as sites with general information for blind and partially sighted readers.

[ HOME ] [ Topman: Online Writings by and about John Preston ] [ E-mail ]

This text, or a variation on it, was originally published at duskpeterson.com as part of Topman: Online Writings by and about John Preston. Copyright © 2004-5 Dusk Peterson. Some rights reserved. The text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0). You may freely print, post, e-mail, share, or otherwise distribute the text for noncommercial purposes, provided that you include this paragraph. The author's policies on derivative works and fan works are available online (duskpeterson.com/copyright.htm).