Learn the cost of being gay (or perceived as gay) for three
historical figuresNoble Lives examines how sexual orientation
affected the careers of two historical figures generally accepted
as gay, and a third whose sexual identity was in constant question
during his lifetime. This unique book features comprehensive
biographical accounts of Jazz Age author Glenway Wescott, Academy
Award-winning composer Aaron Copland, and Nobel Peace Laureate Dag
Hammarskjold, addressing the relationship between their sexuality
and their achievements in literature, the social sciences, musical
composition, diplomacy, and global politics. Noble Lives is the
first English-language text to thoroughly--and objectively--explore
the troubled sexuality of Sweden's Hammarskjold, the former
Secretary-General of the United Nations. Noble Lives is a colorful
and concise read that puts a historical perspective on the public
and private lives of three important twentieth-century figures:
Glenway Wescott--Author and political progressive, he used his life
to enlighten society through his persistent efforts to enhance the
public's awareness and acceptance of homosexuality. Though his
early work (The Grandmothers, The Pilgrim Hawk) was well-received,
Wescott's career suffered from his inability to write honestly from
his own experiences as a gay man, and his output was limited by the
unwillingness of English-language publishers to release literary
works having same-sex themes. He published his last novel in 1945
and for the next 40 years was something of an elder statesman of
American literature, dealing with censorship laws, defending
controversial members of the literary community, and advancing
ideals of freedom of thought and expression. He worked closely in
the 1950s with Alfred Kinsey, Director of the Institute for Sex
Research at Indiana University, to develop objective research into
gay sexuality. Aaron Copland--Hailed by The New York Times as "the
pioneer of American music," he lived an openly gay life without
regret in an era when the general public held neither his sexual
orientation nor his Jewish background in high esteem. Copland was
accused of promoting gay musicians based on their sexuality rather
than their ability and was rumored to be part of a fraternity of
gay composers--a "Homintern"--but overcame the discrimination he
faced to receive a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, and
presidential medals from three administrations. In the years
following his persecution by Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the Senate's
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Copland produced his most
personal work--The Tender Land, a musical drama thought by most to
be the autobiographical account of a gay man living in conservative
times and perceived as a "coming-out tale." Dag
Hammarskjold--Despite holding a position of public prominence as
Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1953 until his death
in 1961, he managed to withhold even the most minor details of his
personal life from the world. Even his posthumously published
journal, Markings, shies away from any mention of his private life.
Possibly asexual, probably homosexual, Hammarskjold was unable to
accept his sexuality and lived an unhappy, frustrated life of
sexual abstinence, suffering slurs from political figures and the
international media. But though he couldn't resolve his own
internal conflicts, he was masterful at settling external conflicts
as he worked to solve disputes in Palestine, Vietnam, Egypt, and
the Congo.Noble Lives is an invaluable reference source for LGBT
readers, providing an understanding and appreciation of those who
paved the way during an unenlightened and unforgiving time. It's
also an excellent resource for mainstream readers with an interest
in biography and the history of the twentieth
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