FAIRYBOY

Retiree Glaser shares memories of growing up in 1950s and ’60s New York City and his later career in media as an out gay man.

The author first lays the foundations of his life, then reveals, through memory, the ways that he progressively opened himself up to the world. This openness came with an increasing amount of  risk, as well as reward, as he revealed his sexual orientation to his family, to his friends, to his community, and, in 1994, over the air to the entire nation; he worked extensively in local TV news, and, later, as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight. (As he notes, “I have too many anecdotes about 30 years as an out reporter to include here—there is enough material for another whole book.”) From the start, Glaser speaks with remarkably candid clarity and genuineness about topics that are sometimes emotionally difficult. As is true with many memoirs and personal essays, he begins by speaking directly to the reader, outlining how he will use language throughout the book, noting that it’s “easier” to use terms with which he’s familiar, and that he means no offense in their use: “I…find something rewarding in studying the terminology of earlier days: sexual inversion, deviant sexual behavior, sodomite, homophile, etc.,” he says, and he has an appreciation for terms such as “fag, dyke, homo, fairy and the like” that were once “used against us.” This early conversation serves an important, twofold purpose: First, of course, it prepares readers for how Glaser will relate to them for the rest of the work, but secondly, it effectively draws them close by identifying the storyteller as prepared to present an honest self-portrait. This makes for a wonderfully natural storytelling experience, and he rewardingly reinforces his recollections with citations from academic articles, films, and other sources to show that his experiences are only part of something much larger. Overall, the book is likely to appeal to anyone seeking to learn a bit of gay history via the framework of a revealing personal remembrance.

A striking account of one person’s life in a changing community.