Archive for the ‘Non-Fiction: Gay & Lesbian’ Category

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

ISBN: 0618871713
232 pages
published in 2006.

My “Literature And Sexualities” course this semester is responsible for me reading this ‘graphic memoir’. It tells the story of Alison Bechdel (yes, the author) and her experiences growing up, coming to terms with her sexuality and, coincidentally the sexuality of her father as well, who seemed to have been hiding his own sexuality until the day he was hit by a truck (a death that Alison herself saw as a suicide).

I never expected to be so excited by this book. When I saw we were going to be reading a graphic novel in my literature course, I got a bit peeved because, well, it’s a LITERATURE course, goddamnit! Where are my novels?! But I was so pleased with this. It has made me love my professor even more than I already did. So far, her books for the class have been incredibly good. The ease with which I found myself relating to Alison (and, oddly, some of her habits – such as the OCD she describes as a child) helped draw me into the books. Her illustrations are just perfect. The allusions to literature that this memoir is THICK with helps appeal to me as a reader and an English major as well as another gay person.

She is not just a good writer, as her story is compelling and well written, but an impressive artist as well. This is a very important book, I think. I feel privileged in that I was able to learn about her life.

Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs

ISBN: 031242227X
304 pages
published in 2002.
August 21th – September 1st.
You can buy this book at this link.

This was recommended to me by a couple of friends and obviously got a lot of media coverage a few years ago, so I figured I would pick it up and give it a chance. It’s not a completely awful book, but I definitely don’t see why it was as sensational as it became. I mean, certainly he had a particularly horrific childhood, but it’s not as though it’s entirely UNHEARD of for someone to have such a questionable youth. It makes me wonder how blind the world really is at times.

Anyway, it’s a memoir of the author’s, who describes his childhood with a crazy mother and his being adopted by a psychiatrist’s family and the dysfunction of everything that follows. It also speaks about his early acceptance of being gay and his extremely unhealthy sexual relationship with an older man. Augusten does seem to have a good sense of humor about everything that he speaks about, which is applaudable but not an altogether unheard of coping mechanism. So I don’t really see him as particularly unique in that regard.

His writing style is decent, interesting, easy to follow, and there is definitely a good amount of description, but I must admit that so much of it seems so over-the-top and theatrical and perfectly composed that I wonder how much of it is fabricated. I’m sure the bulk of the story and the baseline that it all runs within is for the most part true, but I’m sure there is a lot of speculation about certain details that he may or may not have remembered correctly. Anyway, it was an entertaining book. I don’t know who I would recommend it to but it’s interesting to read from a social and psychological perspective. It definitely wouldn’t be nearly as captivating to anyone I think if it was published as fiction, however.

Reports From The Holocaust by Larry Kramer

ISBN: 0312114192
291 pages
published in 1989.
July 25th – August 12th.
You can buy this book at this link.

tl;dr

Not really. TBH, I don’t have much to say. It was overly hysterical and annoying to read. Which is why it took me a freaking decade to get through. I really don’t think I’m fond of Kramer. I mean, I know, I know, things were crazy back then, but he is really just off the crazy charts.

PS: Did you hear he insists on wearing turquoise every single day? My friend told me all about it, and it happens to be true. He thinks it will keep him healthy or something.

No, I’m not surprised, either.