Cleve Jones

I am slowly working my way through a backlog of books, and am regretting that I didn't pick this one up sooner.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about the movement for equal rights for LGBTQ people. As a gay man close in age to Cleve, and one who has not been politically active, it reminded me again of the tremendous debt that we LGBTQ people owe those who have been active in fighting for our rights.

As a memoir of his life it also brought back so many of my own memories of the times we've lived through. I had the good fortune to meet the author in the early 2000's when he talked about his work on the Quilt to a conference of gay men meeting in San Francisco. I was impressed then with his easy way with a story and that comes through here in this book.… (plus d'informations)

This is a book I’m reading for my real-world book club, even though I probably won’t be able to attend the meeting when it is discussed. I had seen the miniseries on tv and enjoyed it. I hadn’t been planning to read the book, but I’m glad that I did. It’s excellent.

I’m in the same generation as the author, just a year/school year older than him, and I was in San Francisco, and so much was familiar and brought up memories, and not just within San Francisco, but the country/the world: the war, the politics, the music, the books, the culture/counterculture, the restaurants, the streets & neighborhoods, current events & news & crimes of the era, the public figures, the people, and almost all were familiar and some I hadn’t thought about for a long time. Not this particular sub-culture though I knew a fair amount about it at the time. I couldn’t help but think about what was going on in my life month to month, year to year, as he told his story and told what was going on in the greater world.

I wish he hadn’t changed any names because I am wondering about one man I knew back then and wonder whether he was mentioned in the book but with a pseudonym. A couple more guys too.

Cleve Jones is so personable, and delivers such great storytelling. I found it hard to put this book down, except at times when painful happenings were being covered, and even then.

The author has had an interesting, eventful life.

Even though the book goes in chronological order, there is quite a bit of repetition, but it wasn’t too distracting or annoying.

At the end does touch on our current situation. As I got toward the end I felt more depressed because of what we’re going through right now, but this account does a good job of having the reader see the big picture and seeing the process needed to make positive changes. It’s hard not to get discouraged though fighting the same old battles over and over and over again. This goes for so many issues!

I already knew so much of what I read, though some of the details toward the end of events, during the 21st century, I didn’t know it all, particularly the infighting/disagreements within different groups in the movement, and they remind me more than a bit of the vegan/animal rights/environmental movements, and I’m hoping maybe we can continue to learn from one another.

My emotions were all over the place as I relived the social and personal aspects of my life over these decades. I found it both fun and painful.

I think the pacing and structure were good. The author explains at the end a change he made in how much of what was covered and I do think the choice was good, even though much of the worst of the AIDS epidemic felt skimmed over to me.

A lot of name dropping but he is entitled! And there are always valid reasons for when he does it!

Highly recommended for those who lived it or witnessed it, who lived during these decades, particularly if readers were young adults in the 70s, and also those who are curious about the period and those who want to understand how history makes our present. Through all times and causes/issues. Recommended also for people who enjoy good coming of age and aging memoirs.… (plus d'informations)