The Quiet Courage of Lesbian
Image-Making

The film premiered the year I graduated from high school, though I didn’t see it in a theater. That came later, after I had begun quietly discovering lesbian pulp novels and cautiously seeking out stories that hinted at a life I barely knew was possible. A few years later, I rented Desert Hearts on VHS from Blockbuster. My girlfriend and I watched it on my beaten-up futon, sharing a bowl of popcorn, pausing the tape now and then to make out, bracing ourselves for the ending we’d been taught to expect.

Back then, lesbian characters rarely survived their own stories. We assumed one of them would lose her mind, turn violent, or be punished for daring to love another woman. Instead, something extraordinary happened. The story didn’t betray its characters. It didn’t flinch. It let them live. It let them choose each other.

I was stunned. And instantly in awe of filmmaker Donna Deitch. She had created something I didn’t yet have language for, but desperately needed. A future. Possibility. Proof.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that decades later, I would still be watching that film once a year. And now, as we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Desert Hearts, I feel a powerful sense of déjà vu. Not just because the film endures, but because its quiet courage still matters. It reminds me how rare and how revolutionary it is to see ourselves reflected with dignity, tenderness, and hope. Looking back, I’m sure Desert Hearts influenced my decision to start Curve magazine. I wanted to help create the kind of stories I had once searched for—stories rooted in possibility, hope, and love.

And over the years, Curve covered all things Desert Hearts-related, from its original theatrical release by the Goldwyn company through the DVD by lesbian distribution company Wolfe Video to the Criterion Collection, where it is distributed today on its 40th Anniversary. Our 1994 article celebrated the 40th anniversary of the original novel Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule, on which the film is based.

That’s why I hope you’ll take time to read our editor, Merryn Johns’ interview with Donna Deitch. Johns and Deitch go way back, and the conversation offers an intimate look at what it took to make Desert Hearts, and why the film continues to resonate with viewers and filmmakers forty years later.

And if you missed our Film Club live conversation between actor/comic Jane Lynch and Donna Deitch celebrating the film and its milestone anniversary, you can catch the replay. It was a lively, heartfelt exchange between long-time friends, and truly didn’t disappoint. I was wowed to learn that Jane Lynch has watched the film over 50 times!

2026 marks Curve’s 35th anniversary! When I think back to myself on that futon, watching Desert Hearts and bracing for the ending, I can see how much that moment shaped what came next. Curve came from the same need to hear stories that let us live, love, and imagine ourselves fully. Thirty-five years later, that intention still guides everything we do.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to share something new we’re introducing across the Curve quarterly and our social media channels. We’ll now be featuring editorial and imagery from our Curve Fellows. This month, we’re spotlighting Laila Annmarie Stevens’ powerful editorial and photojournalism inspired by Audre Lorde’s life in St. Croix.

While some Fellows will appear in the Curve quarterly, others will be contributing across our social platforms, expanding how our emerging journalists’ voices are seen, heard, and amplified.

And finally, one HUGE win for Curve. Nearly ten years ago, our Instagram account was hacked, and we lost the handle @CurveMag. After all these years, and with the help of a very special friend, you can once again find us there. Give us a follow, if you don’t already—it’s the best way to keep up with our news.