Finished "We Set the Night on Fire: Igniting the Gay Revolution" by Martha Shelley
Shelley's writing is straightforward and unadorned, but she paints a wonderful picture of queer / lesbian / activist life in NYC in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and her first person account of events and happenings, from the ground floor of the queer rights revolution, the dawn of the movement, is riviting for someone fascinated with the era. So much freedom, so much possibility, I'm a bit envious... and, her analysis of how the economy made it possible for people to do activist work and art on a limited, part-time income, and still survive (even with sacrifice) dovetails very much with Fleming's account of how it was possible for him to have autonomy and independence only a little later in 1970s NYC. 100% worth picking up (and a copy should be available via the Santa Monica Public Library, as I returned this yesterday afternoon / Sunday).
We Set the Night on Fire: Igniting the Gay Revolution by Martha ShelleyTags: reading, smpl, library-books, history, memoir, lgbtqia, queer, finished-reading
Finished "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" by Keith Fleming
For all the tales of trauma embedded in this book, as I was finishing it off, my strongest impression was of sweetness... Keith's openly gay "Uncle Ed" (a relatively young Edumnd White) was a profoundly generous, kind, and thoughtful person. Really, the kind of person any young person could use as a mentor and guide. How to dress properly, for example, is something I never really learned.
Other impressions: my God, the 1970s were so profoundly different, open, and unregulated. Teenagers could get real jobs, rent apartments, go places, do things, on their own without adults noticing or caring (and the economy allowed that). So many aspects of life were so profoundly different from today that it's hard to even know where to begin detailing them. Profoundly different even from my own youth only a decade later in the 1980s (but after the AIDS epidemic, which I think is not given enough credit for it's cultural impact, also Reagan, of course, had a huge cultural impact). Most obviously, the open and casual sexuality that the AIDS epidemic killed. Also, yikes, the sexual exploitation of teenagers, particularly young women, by older men. Eww. Ugh.
The book itself is a literary tour de force, full of brilliantly written, keenly observant prose. Honestly, it leaves me a bit green with envy as a so-called writer. If you can find a copy (there'll be one available at the Santa Monica Public Library in a day or so, and memoir, history, and queerness are all things you can deal with, or enjoy reading about, grab it. Be warned, however, if this squicks you: semi-graphically (but not pornographically) described teenage sexual adventures on the part of the boy and his girlfriend and their friends and associates, with each other, and others, is part of the package. Also, the whole book is one giant trigger warning for teenage trauma, abuse (mental, physical, sexual), and mental illness (and systems that deal badly with all of these things).
The Boy With the Thorn in His Side by Keith Fleming
Tags: reading, smpl, library-books, history, memoir, lgbtqia, queer, finished-reading
What I'm Currently Reading (August 2026)
My current focus is finishing two physical books I picked up from the Santa Monica Public Library in June, for Pride Month, via the corresponding display in the Main Library:
- We Set the Night on Fire: Igniting the Gay Revolution by Martha Shelley
- The Boy With the Thorn in His Side: A Memoir by Keith Fleming
They're both fascinating first hand accounts of growing up in 1960s (Shelley) and 1970s (Fleming) America and how the changing social mores and customs of the era impacted children and young adults. Memoir is not my typical fare, but I make an exception for first person queer history. Both of these are definitely recommended reads.
Shelley is one of the founders of the modern queer rights movement, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Front. The book extends from her childhood to her young adulthood as a queer rights activist in late 1960s, early 1970s New York and California. I'm in Chapter 19, where we're introduced to the Gay Liberation Front (about halfway through). The book (so far) details her youth as the child of immigrants and young adult life, how she explored being lesbian (and what that looked like back then). She was intersected all sorts of interesting people and events (Stonewall, the Sullivan Institute cult, worked for Robert De Niro's mother before he became famous). She had a relationship with famous bi+ activist Stephen Donaldson aka "Donny The Punk" which caused quite a bit of stir, as they were each spokespeople for lesbian and gay rights groups, respectively (identities != behavior, as this makes clear).
Fleming's book intersects with the queer world primarily through his account of his life with his uncle, Ed White, a famous author (whose works were also on display), who was, per the book flap, "completely caught up in the beehive of social and sexual activity of 1970s gay Manhattan." Fleming's lucid prose provides a fascinating first hand glimpse into the life of a portion of the city's queer community in that era. I'm about three-quarters of the way through the book, where Fleming has been living with his uncle for a bit, and his girlfriend Laura has just managed to escape captivity in a convent (not kidding). I think she is about to come live with them (haven't gotten to that part yet). The book also documents Fleming's experience in various psychiatric facilities, and is a damning account of the often abusive and exploitative nature of psychiatry / psychology (used as a tool for social control of otherwise rational people). Fleming's ability to turn a phrase, to recall the details of events and paint a verbal picture, is marvelous. His prose is luminous and lush, a pleasure to read on its own.
I'll post about the other stuff I'm reading / have been reading once I finish these two off (hopefully tonight).
Tags: reading, smpl, library-books, history, memoir, lgbtqia, queer