Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.
Description
Drawn from the secret diaries and journals of novelist, poet, and university professor Samuel M. Steward, this is a reconstruction of one of the more extraordinary hidden lives of the twentieth century. An intimate friend of Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, and Thornton Wilder, Steward maintained a secret sex life from childhood on, documenting his experiences in vivid (and often very funny) detail. After leaving academe to become tattoo artist Phil Sparrow, Steward worked closely with Alfred Kinsey on his landmark sex research. During the early 1960s, Steward changed his identity once again, this time to write exceptionally literate, upbeat homosexual pornography as Phil Andros. An archive of his papers, lost since his death in 1993, has provided biographer Justin Spring with the material for an illuminating life-and-times biography. More than merely the story of one remarkable man, this is a moving portrait of gay life long before gay liberation.--From publisher description.… (more)
Media reviews
Spring, the author of “Fairfield Porter: A Life in Art,” speculates that Steward’s goal was to create “a single, lifelong body of work through which he hoped to demystify homosexuality for generations to come.” Given that Steward lived in an era in which so much of gay history was hidden
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under mattresses, shoved in the backs of bureau drawers, burnt up in ashtrays and wished away in confessional booths, his desire to document and preserve is in itself as moving as it is rare. Demystification, however, is another matter: his life turns out to have been far too sui generis to exemplify anything except the fact that so much more was going on in gay America than even most gay Americans realized. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member e-zReader
Anyone interested in the history of homosexuality must read this book. Through his biography of Steward, Spring paints a vivid picture of homosexuality in America in the 20th century. It's much more than the story of a life pre and post Stonewall. The book documents a life pre and post World War
Steward completed his PhD at Ohio State University and wrote a critically acclaimed first novel in the 1920's. But, because he refused to self censor or camouflage homosexuality in his writings he was never able to publish much of anything until the late 1960s and early 1970s. Because of the minor success of the early novel he was befriended by notable writers of the day including Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Thornton Wilder, and many others.
His cataloging and documenting of his sexual encounters, starting in the 1920s, led to a long working and personal relationship with Alfred Kinsey and the Institute for Sex Research. (I learned more about Kinsey from reading this book than I ever knew before).
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in 20th century American history, history of homosexuality, sex, tattooing, writing and publishing.
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II, MaCarthyism, the Kinsey Reports, AIDS, and Supreme Court decisions that made it possible for writers like Steward to publish and distribute their works.Steward completed his PhD at Ohio State University and wrote a critically acclaimed first novel in the 1920's. But, because he refused to self censor or camouflage homosexuality in his writings he was never able to publish much of anything until the late 1960s and early 1970s. Because of the minor success of the early novel he was befriended by notable writers of the day including Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Thornton Wilder, and many others.
His cataloging and documenting of his sexual encounters, starting in the 1920s, led to a long working and personal relationship with Alfred Kinsey and the Institute for Sex Research. (I learned more about Kinsey from reading this book than I ever knew before).
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in 20th century American history, history of homosexuality, sex, tattooing, writing and publishing.
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LibraryThing member lilithcat
As the title implies, Steward led quite a varied existence! He grew up in a small Ohio town, got a Ph.D. in English lit, taught in a variety of institutions, including many years at DePaul University in Chicago. He began working as a tattoo artist while there, and when he was eventually fired,
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turned to tattooing full time. He was a good friend to Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas - indeed, he wrote a couple of mystery novels in which they feature. He was Thornton Wilder's occasional lover, had sex with Lord Alfred Douglas and Rudolph Valentino, and a lot of sailors, and kept records of all his encounters (and RV's pubic hair in a reliquary), which led to him becoming a key informant for Dr. Kinsey. Nevertheless, despite his active sexual life, he seems to have led a rather isolated and lonely existence from an emotional standpoint. Spring had access to a huge amount of material that had been stashed in the attic of Steward's executor, so this is really a definitive work, and a good read, as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member IsolaBlue
Biographer Justin Spring should be applauded for his exhaustive research, penetrating insight, and empathy in bringing the life of Sam Steward to a contemporary audience of readers. Spring knows the importance of interesting lives lived on the edge. An individual need not be famous to have a life
Spring gives the various components of Steward's life equal treatment, and the reader while aware that sexual encounters were a very large and important part of Steward's life, never loses track of the fact that the man was a professor, a writer, and an artist. In fact, even his sexual life took on a creative bent as he found new ways to meet men and interesting ways to document them.
In writing of Steward's life, Spring takes his readers through a complete history of gay life in America from the 1920s through the 1980s. As we follow Steward's sexual conquests and his various careers, we are also following gay lifestyles from the closeted and careful times to the breakaway and coming-out decade of the 1970s. In many ways using Steward's fascinating life as a way to trace gay history in America is a brilliant path for Spring to have taken. He uses Steward as the vehicle to present more gay and American history than we might expect from a biography of one man.
Steward may not have been a household name, but he was very friendly with many famous people including Alfred Kinsey. Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, George Platt Lynes, and Thornton Wilder among others. For those who avoid biographies unless there are connections to fame, Secret Historian will not disappoint. And, in many cases, it should be noted that Steward's life was far more interesting that those of his more famous friends.
One of the unique parts of the biography is the emphasis on Steward's time as a tattoo artist. While biographies of gay men, artists, and writers are plentiful, when was the last time anyone read a biography of a tattoo artist? Introducing us to the world of tattooing is an extra gift from Spring who has the admirable talent of being able to discover those with unique lifestyles and pick out the parts that are most interesting, bringing them alive to an audience who might not otherwise know or understand them.
Congratulations must also go to the executor of Sam Steward's estate who may not have known what to do with all of Steward's papers and files, but kept them anyway. If he had not preserved them, Spring would not have had what he needed to research and write this very unusual and commendable biography. We can only hope that more individuals leading quiet but "other worldly" lives leave behind the depth of documentation that Steward left. Stories such as this need to be told, and Steward probably knew that in some way during his lifetime. If he were alive, he would have every right to be proud of Spring's book about his life behind the closed door as well as in front of it.
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worth writing about, and Steward's life was a fascinating collage of sex and artistic creativity - a most potent blend. Spring gives the various components of Steward's life equal treatment, and the reader while aware that sexual encounters were a very large and important part of Steward's life, never loses track of the fact that the man was a professor, a writer, and an artist. In fact, even his sexual life took on a creative bent as he found new ways to meet men and interesting ways to document them.
In writing of Steward's life, Spring takes his readers through a complete history of gay life in America from the 1920s through the 1980s. As we follow Steward's sexual conquests and his various careers, we are also following gay lifestyles from the closeted and careful times to the breakaway and coming-out decade of the 1970s. In many ways using Steward's fascinating life as a way to trace gay history in America is a brilliant path for Spring to have taken. He uses Steward as the vehicle to present more gay and American history than we might expect from a biography of one man.
Steward may not have been a household name, but he was very friendly with many famous people including Alfred Kinsey. Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, George Platt Lynes, and Thornton Wilder among others. For those who avoid biographies unless there are connections to fame, Secret Historian will not disappoint. And, in many cases, it should be noted that Steward's life was far more interesting that those of his more famous friends.
One of the unique parts of the biography is the emphasis on Steward's time as a tattoo artist. While biographies of gay men, artists, and writers are plentiful, when was the last time anyone read a biography of a tattoo artist? Introducing us to the world of tattooing is an extra gift from Spring who has the admirable talent of being able to discover those with unique lifestyles and pick out the parts that are most interesting, bringing them alive to an audience who might not otherwise know or understand them.
Congratulations must also go to the executor of Sam Steward's estate who may not have known what to do with all of Steward's papers and files, but kept them anyway. If he had not preserved them, Spring would not have had what he needed to research and write this very unusual and commendable biography. We can only hope that more individuals leading quiet but "other worldly" lives leave behind the depth of documentation that Steward left. Stories such as this need to be told, and Steward probably knew that in some way during his lifetime. If he were alive, he would have every right to be proud of Spring's book about his life behind the closed door as well as in front of it.
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LibraryThing member rmharris
Drawing on the voluminous material left after Steward’s death—thanks to his habit of compulsively recording many aspects of his life, especially his sexual encounters—Spring has delivered the fullest account of this enthralling writer, professor, tattoo artists, and pornographer we are ever
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likely to have, and written one of the best books of the year. Using Steward’s life, Justin Spring has given us a vivid, in-depth look at gay life before Stonewall, when the “naiveté” of the mainstream about homosexuality allowed gays an odd kind of freedom to pursue “straight” men with impunity, while remaining outsiders in a world where they were not allowed to exist. Brilliantly navigating through the many lives and pseudonyms of Steward, Secret Historian is a remarkable work that shows Justin Spring to be as much of a master seducer as Steward himself. Writing in a compulsively readable style which perfectly complements its subject’s incredible story, he turns what could have easily become a sordid tale of compulsive sex, publishing disappointments, and near misses into a balanced, clear-eyed portrait of a fascinating, complex human being who was, “if nothing else, a man who dared to live his beliefs. Show Less
LibraryThing member ritaer
Interesting and rather sad life of a gay man who was born in the US Midwest in 1909 and died 1993. His literary ambitions were frustrated by the prohibitions on honest portrayal of homosexual relations in the literature of the time. He became involved with Dr. Kinsey's research because of his
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obsessive record keeping about his sexual activities. He was acquainted with a number of writers, including a long friendship with Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Thornton Wilder. He actually met with Lord Alfred Douglas in France and, according to his records had sexual encounters with Rudolf Valentino, who was visiting Columbus, Ohio under his birth name to go unnoticed, and with Rock Hudson when they both worked at Fields Dept. Store in Chicago. His fascination with men in uniform, especially sailors, led him to learn tattooing and set up a shop in Chicago. He later moved to Oakland where he ended up being "official tattooist" for the Hells Angels. He wrote a book on these experiences _Bad Boys and Tough Tattoos_. Unfortunately his life had periods of intense loneliness since he did not believe in the possibility of true romance between men. His particular tastes led him to seek sex from hustlers, many of whom considered themselves straight and only in it for money or favors. This biography attempts to be comprehensive, and so does drag in places, but it would be valuable reading for anyone interested in the evolution of gay culture in the United States. Show Less
LibraryThing member SigmundFraud
not for everyone but interesting man with an interesting if unusual life.
LibraryThing member madamepince
Not my cup of tea, but provacative and well written.
LibraryThing member willmurdoch
Exhaustive and thorough review of a man who lived several lives and recorded everything; especially his sexual encounters. This book is so well written and sourced that Steward's lives seem to coalesce. He was ahead of his time and helped usher in changes of morality by living authentically as he
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was. Show Less
LibraryThing member knownever
A personal game changer of a book for me as it offers a detailed look into what a long, complicated, and varied thing life as a weirdo can be.
As Spring notes in the introduction it is in many ways "a story of obsession, isolation, and failure," so don't come looking for chicken soup for the soul.
Final summation, read it. Then, track down as many Phil Andros novels as you can find.
As Spring notes in the introduction it is in many ways "a story of obsession, isolation, and failure," so don't come looking for chicken soup for the soul.
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In fact, if you're not a queer, tattooed, and/or bdsm freak don't even bother reading it because you'll find little of interest, and even less that seems like "history" in the traditional sense.Final summation, read it. Then, track down as many Phil Andros novels as you can find.
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LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Fascinating biography of a gay man who kept track of all of his sexual partners throughout his life - including some notorious ones (Rock Hudson, Rudolph Valentino to name a couple). As a professor and then a tatoo artist and sex researcher, Steward had to choose between career and love - something
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that resonates with me since I was faced with a similar choice in my day. And since I grew up in a relatively conservative household [like Steward], my background did not provide any strategies for dealing with my homosexuality other than to live an [at least partially] closeted existence - something I have [since] rejected. Warning: this book is definitely *not* for the uninitiated (!). Show Less
LibraryThing member ritaer
The amazing career of a writer who never reached his full potential because same sex relationships were not the stuff of mainstream novels for a writer born in 1909. Steward spend years as a professor of English, befriended many gay writers, such as Thornton Wilder, Gertrude Stein, Andre Gide. He
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kept extensive records of his own sexual activities which he shared with Dr. Kinsey. These included Rudolph Valentino while collecting an autograph in Columbus, Ohio, the future Rock Hudson when they both worked for Fields Department Store in Chicago, and Oscar Wilde's lover, the aging Lord Alfred Douglas on a trip to Europe. He lived much of his life in Chicago, where he abandoned teaching to become a tattoo artist before moving to Berkeley, California, where he became official tattooist for the Hells Angels. He never became a well known writer under his own name, but produced essays and pornography under a variety of pen names. A fascinating and rather sad life. Show Less
LibraryThing member gayla.bassham
Compelling and depressing. Unsettling. An interesting portrait of an all-but-forgotten literary figure. Interestingly, I found the tattooing a little uncomfortable to read about; I had no idea I was so squeamish, but I was squirming during a couple of chapters.
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
What impressed me the most about this fine biography were the intellectual pursuits of Steward. The breadth of his knowledge mirrors the breadth of his experience in the nether world of alternative gay sex. Ultimately the author provides details and weaves them together elegantly that brings out
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the fascinating character that was Samuel Steward. Or should I say multiple characters, as he changed directions several times in his life. Especially interesting was his friendship with Gertrude Stein and his association with Alfred Kinsey. Show Less
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Nonfiction — 2010)
Lambda Literary Award (Finalist — 2011)
Publishing Triangle Awards (Finalist — Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction — 2011)
Stonewall Book Award (Honor Book — Non-Fiction — 2011)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Nonfiction — 2010)
ALA Over the Rainbow Book List (Selection — Memoir/Biography — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2010-08-17
Physical description
496 p.; 9.2 inches
ISBN
0374281343 / 9780374281342
Local notes
OCLC = 574
Google Books
Google Books
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