Gay Men and Women Who Enriched The World- Book review

Factory book review:

Gay Men And Women Who Enriched The World

Thomas Cowan

Thomas Cowan’s wonderful book Gay Men And Women Who Enriched The World is a chronicle of the lives of 40 famous people in history who just happened to be gay. Every one of the men and women showcased in this volume have made important contributions which have helped mold our world. This book is essential reading for everyone; not only for the members of the gay community, who would see this volume as a celebration of gay accomplishments; But also for the small, pea-brained, right wing people who think that being gay is a perversion and all about sex. This collection is cross-cultural and spans the time line from 356 B.C. to 1987 A.D..

This book begins with the life of the greatest military strategist of all time; Alexander the Great. It discusses his life, labors and loves. Alexander the Great was at one time the ruler of one of the greatest empires in history. And who says gays don’t belong in the military?

There were a couple of surprises in this book, at least for me. I didn’t know Herman Melville, who wrote Moby Dick, was gay! I mean, I should have figured it out after reading Billy Budd and Typee, but perhaps I was naive back then.When I told my girlfriend, she said: “Of course he was gay! Why do you think Captain Ahab was following a huge sperm whale for?”

I was also surprised to find out Bessie Smith was a lesbian. One of the greatest entertainers from the 20’s and 30’s, she was well known for the song “T’Ain’t Nobody’s Biz-Ness If I Do.” She was great.

Among other people “outed” by the book are: Plato, Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, Lord Byron, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein, T.E. Lawrence, Margverile Yourcenar, James Baldwin, Tennessee Williams, Andy Warhol and Michael Bennett,

At the beginning of the book, the author defines what he considers to be gay. Many of the people he writes about in the book were actually bisexual, but he refers to them as gay because of the long-term relationships they had with members of their same sex. As a prime example, he looks at Oscar Wilde who championed the cause of homosexuality and ‘camp” but was also married to a woman and fathered many children, yet had many male lovers.

So my problem with the book is this: Why not call the book Bisexual Men And Women Who Enriched The World? We bisexuals need at the recognition we can get. But the book is good enough as it is. 

The book features some offbeat caricatures of the people chronicled. The caricatures are drawn by Michael Willhoile and they look mysteriously like the ones found in the The New Yorker.

Overall, this is an important book that everyone should read (especially gay-bashing fools who think homosexuality is all about limp wrists). Homosexuals are as important to society as everyone else and should be treated equally with respect and dignity so that they can develop their talents and continue to make more fantastic contributions to life than this book already lists. 

By the way, this book is not comprehensive. Many, many, many thousands of homosexual pioneers were left out intentionally for two reasons: 1) space limitations and 2) the author wanted to focus on a cross-cultural group of 40 persons whom he deemed to be the most influential. 

On a final note, I would like to thank everyone who supported me through my “grave moments’ and especially to Leah Karnatski for the inspiration, support, love, cigarettes, soda and friendship she so willingly supplies. I consider you a true friend!