Corinne Manning’s acclaimed short story collection We Had No Rules boldly embraces queer identity and storytelling in a way that rejects mainstream expectations and censorship.
The collection’s second story, “Gay Tale,” opens with the narrator’s candid declaration: “Oh, fuck it. I’m writing lesbian fiction.” This unapologetic tone sets the stage for Manning’s exploration of queer experiences and challenges the literary world’s conventions around sexuality and representation.
In the story, the narrator frequently breaks the fourth wall, directly addressing readers who might be hesitant or judgmental about lesbian-centered narratives. Manning’s writing invites readers into an intimate space of self-examination and honesty, reflecting the author’s own journey.
Manning revealed that We Had No Rules emerged after confronting feedback on an earlier novel that criticized the book for featuring “too many queer characters.” “I realized I had been trying to write a mainstream book,” Manning explained in a recent interview, “and had been censoring myself to make queerness more digestible. When I finally stopped censoring, I wrote those first words: ‘Oh, fuck it. I’m writing lesbian fiction.’”
That moment marked a turning point. Manning embraced queerness “flagrantly,” allowing the stories to freely explore themes often avoided or sanitized in mainstream literature. The result is a collection that is both witty and poignant, breaking societal “norms” and celebrating complexity within queer communities.
We Had No Rules also grapples with the nuances of community — its support and its shortcomings. For example, the story “Ninety Days” depicts a painful breakup and the isolation that follows, highlighting tensions even within queer communities. Manning discusses how whiteness influences these dynamics, noting that “even amongst white queers, there are ideals of community that sometimes fail.”
Published in 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Manning’s work has become part of a growing body of literature that enriches the LGBTQ+ shelf — once considered a niche section but now recognized as a vibrant space of creativity and storytelling innovation.
The KUOW Book Club is featuring We Had No Rules this month, with a special episode of Meet Me Here airing Thursday that includes an interview with Manning.
Looking ahead, the KUOW Book Club will continue its focus on diverse voices with Seattle author Daniel Tam-Claiborne’s debut novel Transplants, a story about identity and belonging on a university campus in rural China.
