Elisa Rolle presents "Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time"

The Second Tuesday Lecture Series is the oldest and longest running cultural event of The LGBT Community Center (GayCenter.org) in New York City.


208 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 620-7310

Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Doors open at 6:30, Presentation at 7:00

Elisa Rolle presents "Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time" with six couples from the book

Days of Love is a massive undertaking, a 700-page non-fiction book that features more than 500 LGBT couples throughout history. Presented in a generally chronological order, couples from history include:

-- Religious figures, such as Jean, bishop of Orleans & Raoul II, Archbishop of Tours (1086 to 1117), as well as Aleister Crowley & Herbert Pollitt (in the 1890's)

-- Early American colonists, such as Mary Vincent Hammon & Sarah White Norman (1633 to 1654)

-- Authors and philosophers, such as Fanny Blood & Mary Wollstonecraft (1775 to 1785) as well as Margaret Mead & Rhoda Metraux (1955 to 1978)

-- Politicians and lawyers, such as Abraham Lincoln & Joshua Fry Speed (1837 to 1865) as well as Barbara Jordan & Nancy Earl (1967 to 1996)

-- Arts and the theater, such as Louise Abbema & Sarah Bernhardt (1875 to 1923) as well as Greta Garbo & Mercedes de Acosta (1931 to 1960)

Each couple is given a postcard style description and picture. The individual stories range from historically interesting to politically important to whimsically charming. The many pages of acknowledgement of lesbian and gay couples from every station in life build a powerful narrative of love and partnership through history.

Nine individuals from six modern couples featured in Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time will appear with Elisa to celebrate their appearance in the book and their ongoing relationships:

• Charles Silverstein (author of The Joy of Gay Sex, who is featured in the book with his late partner William Bory -- together 20 years)
• Christopher Bram (author of The Father of Frankenstein and Eminent Outlaws) & Draper Shreeve (filmmaker) -- together 36 years
• Jeffrey Costello & Robert Tagliapietra (creators of our favorite fashion house: Costello Tagliapietra) -- together 21 years
• Fay Jacobs (author and journalist) + Bonnie Quesenberry (dental-medical laboratory administrator) -- together 33 years
• Ulysses Dietz (museum curator and author, who has been with his partner Gary Berger for 40 years)
• Vincent Virga (author of the gay gothic romance Gaywick and an introduction to this book, who has been with his partner, the novelist James McCourt for 50 years)

The 740-page trade paperback book (as shown below with a sample page-spread) is available online from CreateSpace and Amazon:

CreateSpace Store: www.createspace.com/4910282
Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/1500563323/

      

A couple of the photos from the book, showing the range of images and couples presented. In 1985, photographer Robert Giard set out to create an archive of gay and lesbian portraits. Many of his photos are prominently featured for the modern couples.

      

Elisa Rolle lives in Italy where she actively reviews books and writes articles. She is the originator of the annual online Rainbow Awards. See www.reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/ for more information about her.