'After Sappho' transcends the mundane constraints of time to weave an intricate mosaic of women's lives and struggles at the cusp of the 20th century. Selby Wynn Schwartz constructs a narrative in cascading vignettes that intersect at various points, each inspired by the Greek poet Sappho's defiant spirit. From Rina Faccio, who abandons her humble origins for the pen, to Romaine Brooks' artistic ambitions taking her to Capri, and Virginia Woolf's relentless pursuit of a fuller life, these women's stories are of metamorphosis and perseverance. They break the shackles of their small, predetermined existences and, through a queer lens, embark upon a quest for creativity, education, and self-identity. In doing so, they not only challenge the status quo but also lay the foundation for the feminists who would follow, all the while paying homage to the eponymous poet who immortalized female desire and intellect in her work.