Young Man From The Provinces:
A Gay Life Before Stonewall
by Alan Helms
"I studied my face in the mirror. I was good-looking, yes, but there were guys at Columbia better looking than I was." - Alan Helms
Alan Helms autobiography narrates the tale of a young, brilliant, and attractive man who moved to New York City in 1955 after escaping a difficult upbringing in the Midwest. Helms was denied a Rhodes scholarship due to his sexual orientation, and following that he quickly rose to fame in the gay underground scene that was frequented by Noel Coward, Leonard Bernstein, and Marlene Dietrich, among many others. Helms outlines the business of being a sex object and its psychological and bodily toll in this extraordinarily detailed and empathetic depiction.
I found the book riveting and beautifully written. a documentation of the LGBT community that, throughout the past 25 years of liberation and the previous 15 years of AIDS, had all but vanished. Even as I realized the differences between Helms and myself I also noted resonances with parts of my life in this personal memoir. Helms sped through the fast lanes lined with famous people, but he knew how to take a step back and gain some perspective. Stunningly humorous, captivating, pitiful, extremely literary, and excruciating to read. In this disrespectful environment, Helms seems to be a gay Everyman whose search for self-awareness, respect, and satisfaction is similar to that of many other disenfranchised persons.
3 comments:
Hi James, This year I have given up book buying and wouldn't you know books are already appearing on my radar that I would like to read and Young Man From the Provinces is one of them. Alan Hepm faced alot of prejudice and homophobia growing up and I sense his family wasn't supportive. Also being so good looking and sought after when he was young could have ended tragically for Alan but he survived because he had the insight and self awareness to plan for the future. Not everyone does and its a lesson for anyone who is young. So I will be searching this book out in the library.
Kathy,
Thanks for your comment. I sort of stumbled upon this book by accident while looking for a novel, but I found his life to be even more interesting than many novels. He was able to negotiate his way through some of what I would call elite social circles. If you like biographies I'm currently reading Joan Peyser's biography of Leanard Bernstein that I would recommend.
Thanks I will check it out.
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