Elaine Williams was a lesbian pulp paperback author and editor of the late 50s and early 60s. She wrote under a pseudonym, largely either as Sloan Britton or Sloane Britain.
Personal life
Elaine Williams was born as Elaine H Cumming in Queens, New York City on December 28, 1932. Her father was Alexander L Cumming and her mother was Edna W Cumming. Williams married Ernest E Williams in 1950 and thus changed her name to Elaine Cumming Williams. Together, they had four children and lived in New York City.
Career
Williams became one of the first editors at Midwood Books in 1959. At the same time, Williams began writing her own paperback lesbian pulps under a collection of pseudonyms following a similar pattern: Sloan Britain, Sloane Britain, Sloane Britton, Sloan Britton, and possibly other variations. She published her first two novels in 1959: First Person-Third Sex and The Needle. These books were published by Newsstand Library and Beacon, respectively. Both books contained lesbian or bisexual themes, thus placing Williams' work in the canon of lesbian pulp fiction of the 50s and 60s. Further, Williams' early work contained positive portrayals of lesbian relationships, making her one of the pro-lesbian pulp authors. Along with editing for Midwood Books, Williams began to publish her novels with them as well. Her 1961 novel These Curious Pleasures revolves around a main character named Sloane Britain. It is thought that the plot is somewhat autobiographical of Williams, or at least depicts a lesbian relationship which Williams dreamed of. Also in this book is a character named Harry “Happy” Broadman, who is curiously similar to Midwood Books co-founder and publisher Harry Shorten. Both in real life and fiction, Shorten has been said to have been an unpredictable and at times aggressive man. Williams' inclusion of this character might clue readers into what it was like as one of the first editors and writers at Midwood. Williams published eight other lesbian pulp novels in her career, plus two posthumous short novels published as Midwood Doubles. She was and still is praised for her realistic and sympathetic portrayals of lesbian and bisexual characters, but her later novels are notably more cynical, with dismal endings.
Death
Fellow pulp author Gilbert Fox said of Williams: "Her family refused to accept the fact that she was a lesbian". Through Williams' heterosexual marriage, her family's purported beliefs on lesbianism, and her tragic writings, it can be believed that Williams was never able to freely and publicly be herself. Instead, she turned to writing herself into happy, lesbian relationships under a pseudonym to maintain her safety. Williams committed suicide just six days before her 32nd birthday, December 23, 1963. She had been driving herself and her husband home from a party for her husband's work. Williams apparently lost control of the car and hit a tree head-on, just blocks from their home, killing herself and gravely injuring her husband. She is buried in Barrytown, New York.
