Jack Fritscher and other musings

[wink]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 3:30am

Just reread SOME DANCE TO REMEMBER after letting it lie on my bookshelf for years. Although Fritscher disclaims that he is the author of "Maneouvers" or any of the main characters, I wonder how similar he is to any of them.

I've always been inexplicably drawn to male gay love stories. I'm sure part of it is the eroticism of two men together, but I'm not sure why they are more fascinating to me than male-female ones considering I'm a straight female.

So now I have to ask, any more good books that chronical the gay eighties either as fiction or journal?

I also reread Rock Hudson's story a few weeks ago. He was the first AIDS death I'd ever heard with a name attached to it. The second was my father's brother.

I remember in my early twenties AIDS was the most shocking and scariest thing I'd ever heard of. I've seen many people in advanced stages of AIDS since and still find it as horrifying. And yet in my midwest community, AIDS is only mentioned in connection with charities and hospices in such a blase way. Sometimes I think the downside of public awareness of disease is that it makes people less reactionary to its management. Almost every car I see has a magnetic ribbon in support of breast cancer, troops, drug awareness, etc. but no AIDS ribbons. When did the concern, at least within my community, wear off?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 8:35am

I wasn't the biggest fan of Some Dance to Remember, but I did love the character "Kick." I would very highly recommend "Close to the Knives" by David Wojnarowicz. And "Eighty-Sixed" by David Feinberg.

[DG]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 8:51am

You might find "My Own Country", by Abraham Verghese, of interest. It is the first-person account (and a true story) of a doctor who treats early AIDS patients in a small town in Tennessee.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 9:18am

His juicy and self-important Mapplethrope biography is a good balance to Patricia Morrisroe's somewhat boring one.