From: MShernoff Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 13:32:38 EST Subject: gay widowers book NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT GAY WIDOWERS LIFE AFTER THE DEATH OF A PARTNER Michael Shernoff, MSW, Editor Foreword by Felice Picano Published by Haworth Press ($14.95 softcover) If you are a recent widower and feeling isolated, this book will help you realize that you are not alone! By bringing forth these stories, Gay Widowers offers bereaved gay men and mental health professionals--in a society where the mourning process is generally a heterosexual construct--a clinical and social overview of the dynamic issues relevant, and perhaps unique to the mourning process of gay men Pre-publication Reviews, Commentaries and Evaluations.... "This inspiring book is not only for those who have experienced the tragedy of losing a partner-it is for every gay man who loves another." -Michelangelo Signorile, Author, Life Outside "The depth of the attachments described in this book is exceeded only by the hunger for life and love that prompts these widowers to move on and become involved in an intimate partnership again." -Betty Berzon, PhD, Author: Positively Gay, Permanent Partners, and The Intimacy Dance "It's all in this book-rage, grief, sex, hope, disorientation, resignation and even humor. A FASCINATING AND DEEPLY MOVING BOOK that illustrates the diverse paths forged by surviving lovers as they move beyond despair and create new lives which offer sustenance and comfort." -Eric Rofes, Author: Reviving the Tribe: Regenerating Gay men's Sexuality and Culture in the ongoing Epidemic "These gut wrenching and ultimately inspiring first-hand accounts by men who buried a lover provide a road map through the social wilderness of gay grief and beyond. Shernoff once again charts new clinical territory." -Rodger McFarlane, former Executive Director of Gay Men's Health Crisis, NYC "...Taken separately, these memoirs overflow with homespun eloquence and wisdom. Together, they weave into something larger--a powerful mosaic reflecting the diversity and breadth of our communal loss, and the depth of our resilience." -Steven Schwartzberg, PhD Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology, Dept. Of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School "...A landmark collection--ostensibly about a very depressing subject--that leads us to a place of joyful transcendence through the same simple process that writing at its best has always utilized--telling the truth, in all its messiness, of where we've been, how much it has hurt, of the mistakes we've made, of the love we've known." - Lawrence D. Mass, Co-founder Gay Men's Health Crisis, NYC, Author: Confessions of a Jewish Wagnerite: Being Gay and Jewish in America; Editor Dialogues of the Sexual Revolution, Volumes ! And II, and of We Must Love One Another or Die: The Life and Legacies of Larry Kramer "Making use of firsthand narratives, the book presents very private views of the raw emotions of gay men who have lived through the loss of their partners." - Robert H. Remien, PhD, Clinical Psychologist/research scientist, The HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University "Provides a human voice to gay widowers who survive a partner's death and a wealth of information--practical, personal, and compassionate--on the complex journey of the grief of gay men, A requirement for gay widowers, service providers and mental health professionals." - Barbara Dane, PhD, Associate Professor, Shirley M. Ehrenkranz School of Social Work, New York University "Anyone who has faced what Shernoff calls 'the yawning gulf of their grief' must read this book, which actually transcends the AIDS epidemic without disavowing it...Makes an important contribution not just to gay sociology ogy, but gay literature, and needs to be part of every thoughtful person's library." -Douglas, Sadownick, Author: Sex Between Men: An Intimate History of the Sex Live of Gay Men, Postwar ro Present and Sacred Lips of the Bronx "Anniversary phenomena, firsts--birthdays, holidays, vacations, dates, kisses, sex, and the first love relationship after the death--all other firsts that affirm the fact of widowerhood are sensitively articulated and portrayed. Gay widowers confronting the issues connected with losing a lover- spouse will find companionship in this book and hopefully get some comfort in the knowledge that others are walking with them." -Martha A. Gabriel, PhD, Associate Professor, Shirley M. Ehrenkranz School of Social Work, New York University, Author: AIDS Trauma and Support Group Therapy "Don't read this book if you're looking for the usual cliches about grief . Read it if you want to see into the souls of men facing the worst experiences of their lives. Read it if you want to understand the real meaning of love and loss--the sorrow, the disorientation, the rage, the rebuilding of life--Has value for everyone capable of loving deeply, regardless of sexual orientation. This book will break your heart and help it heal." -Arnie Kantrowitz, Associate Professor of English, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Author: Under the Rainbow: Growing up Gay Table of Contents Foreword Felice Picano Introduction Michael Shernoff Surviving a Partner's Death Deeply in the Closet George Seabold Do You Have a Partner? Michael Shernoff Postcard From Grief Craig Lucas Excerpts from a Diary Stephen Greco No Return Winston Wilde Tracing Time Townsand Price-Spratlen The Merry Widower Ron Najman A Dream Is More Than A Wish Your Heart Makes Jon L. Clayborne Trading Places: A Hillside Chat with Don Bachardy Eric Gutierrrez Leaving Jim Behind John Longres I'm Not Done Yet Phill Wilson Conclusion: Mental Health Considerations of Gay Widowers Michael Shernoff You can either purchase the book in your local book store or order directly from the publisher by calling 1-800-HAWORTH. Key Words: gay men, homosexuality, widowers, grief, loss, mourning, relationships, love