The Power of Literature: The Queer Book Diorama Project (Photos)

For many queer people, the first time they encounter someone "like us" in a book, and even in books without explicitly queer characters, can be important to the development of a queer identity. They provide safe places to live out dreams that might otherwise be un-explorable. To celebrate this unique relationship, author Sassafras Lowrey and Founding Director of the Pop-Up Museum of Queer History Hugh Ryan, invited artists from around the world to make dioramas of books that were important in their queer development, which were displayed in the Jefferson Market Branch of the New York City Public Library.

Left: Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown; Artist: Victoria Baker