Edythe Eyde — aka Lisa Ben, aka Tigrina — was America’s most lovably eccentric renaissance woman

Sci-fi writer, illustrator, cat lover and pioneer lesbian ‘zine publisher

“If a cute curvaceous queer

Wants to share her glass of beer,

Who am I to say ‘My dear, I’m not that way!’

But, I’m always true to you, darling, in my fashion,

Yes, I’m always true to you, darling, in my way.”

- ‘Always True To You, Darling, In My Fashion.’ Song parody by Edythe Eyde, 1950s

As early as 1935, 14-year-old Edythe Eyde knew she was different. Not only did she nurse a most unladylike craving for the occult; particularly witchcraft and black magic, but she found herself attracted to girls, and not guys.

“My first real lesbian love was in high school,” she wrote in a 1997 interview for Gay Today at Badpuppy.com. “I was very much taken with her … She was fifteen … I loved her dearly, and we would hug each other and that sort of thing, she was so spontaneous in her hugs and kisses. We were so innocent about it and so joyous.”

A square peg

When she was growing up on a ranch near Fremont, California during the Depression…