reviews_and_ramblings | Timothy Huber & William J. Mann

William J. Mann (born August 7) alternates his creative energies between fiction and nonfiction. “The two forms require different strategies and techniques,” he says, “but ultimately I’m faced with the same challenge. I need to find the story and I need to tell it well.” Mann’s comfortable house in Provincetown is one of two homes that he and his husband, Dr. Timothy Huber, a psychologist, maintain. Currently Huber is in New York, setting up a new practice. Until recently, the couple, who married in 2004, spent winters in Palm Springs, California. They’ve since sold their California home and bought a house in Connecticut, the state where Mann grew up.

His biography of Katharine Hepburn, titled Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn, received extraordinary acclaim when it was published in 2006. The Sunday Times (London) called it “definitive.” Historian David Thomson, writing for the New York Observer, said the book “set new standards in movie biography.” Gore Vidal considered it “not only an intriguing portrait of Katharine Hepburn, but also an accurate picture of her Hollywood and the difficult business of stardom.” The New York Times named Kate one of the 100 Notable Books of 2006 Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn was named one of the 100 Notable Books of the Year by The New York Times.

Mann's novels set in Provincetown enjoy a devoted following Just as his nonfiction brings the past vividly to life, Mann’s novels have been praised for their keen insight on the present, especially the lives of gay American men. His first novel, The Men from the Boys, was the best-selling gay novel of 1997, and its long-awaited sequel, Where The Boys Are, published in 2003, continues to enjoy a devoted following from readers. Other novels have received considerable acclaim as well, particularly the offbeat All American Boy.

William J. Mann alternates energies between fiction and nonfiction. “The two forms require different strategies and techniques” he says “but ultimately I’m faced with the same challenge. I need to find the story and I need to tell it well.” Mann’s comfortable house in Provincetown is one of two homes that he and his husband, Dr. Timothy Huber, a psychologist, maintain. They also bought a house in Connecticut, the state where Mann grew up. On September 17, 2013 they celebrated their 25th anniversary.

Mann won the Lambda Literary Award in 1999 for Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, which tells the story of the early Hollywood icon and interior decorator to the stars. The book continues to be popular, and has been optioned as a feature film.

Born in Connecticut, Mann worked briefly in Washington, DC, as a Capitol Hill aide before receiving his Masters degree at Wesleyan University. He has worked as a freelance journalist and editor.

As of early 2008, he is finishing another novel as well as working on “the quintessential story of fame,” he says—a book called How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood.

Source: http://www.williamjmann.com/

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time by Elisa Rolle
Paperback: 760 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1500563323
ISBN-13: 978-1500563325
CreateSpace Store: https://www.createspace.com/4910282
Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/dp/1500563323/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MZG0VHY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Days of Love chronicles more than 700 LGBT couples throughout history, spanning 2000 years from Alexander the Great to the most recent winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Many of the contemporary couples share their stories on how they met and fell in love, as well as photos from when they married or of their families. Included are professional portraits by Robert Giard and Stathis Orphanos, paintings by John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, and photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnson, Arnold Genthe, and Carl Van Vechten among others. “It's wonderful. Laying it out chronologically is inspired, offering a solid GLBT history. I kept learning things. I love the decision to include couples broken by death. It makes clear how important love is, as well as showing what people have been through. The layout and photos look terrific.” Christopher Bram “I couldn’t resist clicking through every page. I never realized the scope of the book would cover centuries! I know that it will be hugely validating to young, newly-emerging LGBT kids and be reassured that they really can have a secure, respected place in the world as their futures unfold.” Howard Cruse “This international history-and-photo book, featuring 100s of detailed bios of some of the most forward-moving gay persons in history, is sure to be one of those bestsellers that gay folk will enjoy for years to come as reference and research that is filled with facts and fun.” Jack Fritscher