AmosL
05-11-2008, 07:52 PM
Trachtenberg, Robert. “When I Knew”, Harper Entertainment, 2005.
When They First Knew
Amos Lassen
Robert Trachtenberg collected over 80 anecdotes by gay men and women about when they first new that they were gay. Each of the stories also contains an illustration, cartoon or photograph and this makes the book that much more appealing. The stories are humorous, moving, smart, and clever—they run the spectrum of feeling. It is the courage and defiance in the stories that makes this book such an interesting read. Interesting enough is that the book is the basis for a film of the same time to be broadcast on Showtime on June 25 and then the DVD will go on sale immediately after at Amazon.com.
Trachtenberg has labored to bring together all different aspects of the coming-out process and he has selections from people in all walks of life. There are stories by the famous like Arthur Laurents and B.D. Wong but it is the unknowns—people like you and me—that make this book so special. There are stories about not only when the subjects knew but when their parents knew as well. The book is a vibrant and witty look at something that can be very painful but it is that moment “when they knew” that made the difference.
The stories are reflective and they remind us of a period when being gay was very, very difficult. Yet it also reminds us that it is still not so easy for someone to accept himself or to be accepted by society. People still struggle with sexual identity.
The book should be mandatory reading for all those who deal with youth. The stories are, of course, not all pretty but they all have something to tell us. “When I Knew” captivates and it also teaches but more than all else it allows us to empathize, to love and to care.
When They First Knew
Amos Lassen
Robert Trachtenberg collected over 80 anecdotes by gay men and women about when they first new that they were gay. Each of the stories also contains an illustration, cartoon or photograph and this makes the book that much more appealing. The stories are humorous, moving, smart, and clever—they run the spectrum of feeling. It is the courage and defiance in the stories that makes this book such an interesting read. Interesting enough is that the book is the basis for a film of the same time to be broadcast on Showtime on June 25 and then the DVD will go on sale immediately after at Amazon.com.
Trachtenberg has labored to bring together all different aspects of the coming-out process and he has selections from people in all walks of life. There are stories by the famous like Arthur Laurents and B.D. Wong but it is the unknowns—people like you and me—that make this book so special. There are stories about not only when the subjects knew but when their parents knew as well. The book is a vibrant and witty look at something that can be very painful but it is that moment “when they knew” that made the difference.
The stories are reflective and they remind us of a period when being gay was very, very difficult. Yet it also reminds us that it is still not so easy for someone to accept himself or to be accepted by society. People still struggle with sexual identity.
The book should be mandatory reading for all those who deal with youth. The stories are, of course, not all pretty but they all have something to tell us. “When I Knew” captivates and it also teaches but more than all else it allows us to empathize, to love and to care.