Travels in a Gay Nation: Portraits of LGBTQ Americans

Acknowledgments

ix Acknowledgments This book would never have been written without the invaluable help of many people who offered me information, suggestions, leads, hospitality, and all manner of other assistance and encouragement. First and foremost, I wish to thank the 102 persons who graciously and generously granted me an interview. In addition to the fortyfour whose profiles ultimately were included in Travels in a Gay Nation, fifty-eight others deserve my recognition and deep gratitude. They are Franklin Abbott, Angel Abcede, Yolo Akili, John Amaechi, Don Bachardy, Tracy Baim, Kate Bornstein, Gary Burton, Alexander Chee, Alice Dan, Durk Dehner and Sharp, Lea DeLaria, Laura Esquivel , Kimberly Fisher, Rudy Galindo, Nancy Garden, Ann Giagni, Judy Grahn, Carter Heyward, Ray Hill, Alice Hom, Lucy Horne (Swami Dhumavati), Tonda Hughes, Kevin Jennings, Alice Kuzniar, Lou Lambert, Charles Leslie, Susan Love, Michael Lucas, Armistead Maupin, Tim McFeeley, Kathleen McGuire, Maura Melley, Charles Middleton, Tim Miller, David Mixner, Michael Nava, Thomas Pasatieri , Terri Phoenix, David Plante, Julie Rhoad, Jeffrey Roberson, Ned Rorem, Paul Rudnick, Alex Sanchez, Scott Turner Schofield, Mark Segal, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Bob Smith, Kennedy Smith, James Spada, Ross Terrill, Virginia Uribe, Patrick Webb, Ed White, and Bob Witeck. I hope many, if not all, of them will appear in a future volume. For their kind hospitality while I was on the road, I wish to thank Jonathan Tucker, Kate Ritchie, Bryan O’Rourke and Alan Orenbuch , David McCarthy and Joe Ignatowski, Fred Fiandaca, Rob Andrews and Ron Shiloh, Tom and Betty Linker, Rodger Broadley and Joe Quinn, and Bruce Wile. I also wish to thank Bill McLaughlin, Meg Connolly and Tom Saunders, AnnMarie Longobucco, Roger Savonen and Drew DeRose , George Mansour, Steven Ralston, Ludwig von Hanh, Linda Dusman and Susan McCully, John Mitzel, Alan Rivera, Jack Gantos, Josh Bloom, Wendy Wheeler, Claudia Gonson, Marcie Richardson, David Imming and Dale Mitchell, Monique Truong, Ny Martin, Kelly O’Grady, and Chris Kennelly. Special mention should go to those unsung heroes, the librarians at Harvard’s Widener Library, Boston University’s Mugar Library, and the Boston Public Library, whose guidance and professionalism on numerous visits I much appreciate. I also owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my two splendid IT guys, Geoff Greenberg and Bill Castell, who literally saved this book on more than one occasion. Finally, very special thanks to six people who very directly made this book possible: Andrew Corbin, who provided the initial impetus for the project; Richard Marshall, who early on, when I was discouraged , told me the words I needed to hear; Jim Berkman, head of school at Boston University Academy, who awarded me the school’s Metcalf Fellowship, which provided invaluable release time from teaching; Owen Andrews, who carefully read portions of the manuscript and offered keen feedback; Robert Allen, my agent; and last but by no means least, Raphael Kadushin, acquisitions editor at the University of Wisconsin Press. I am enormously grateful to his ongoing faith in my work and enthusiastic commitment to this book. Raphy is a gift to the world of LGBTQ studies. x Acknowledgments Travels in a Gay Nation ...