Comments
  1. Lithub12/17/1821 min
    4 reads2 comments
    10
    Lithub
    4 reads
    10
    You must read the article before you can comment on it.
    • DellwoodBarker3 years ago

      Rich Read.

      The following stood out, personally:

      It’s hard to imagine Gorey rejoicing in the gay “community solidarity” signaled by a fondness for Firbank. A nonjoiner if ever there was one, Gorey distanced himself from those, like the “very militant” museum curator he knew in later years, who insisted that their queerness was central to their identity. “I realize that homosexuality is a serious problem for anyone who is—but then, of course, heterosexuality is a serious problem for anyone who is, too,” he said. “And being a man is a serious problem and being a woman is, too. Lots of things are problems.”

    • bill
      Top reader of all time
      3 years ago

      I'm totally trippin'. I had no clue that Gorey and O'Hara were friends. These guys are beyond legendary.

      Before I started reading, I thought to myself Okay Bill, give yourself a Saturday morning treat, but you can't post it, because you're literally flooding Readup with gay stuff. But then I read it (what a delight!) and I realized that it's actually super important for more people to hear these kind of stories.

      Plus, if you don't know about Gorey or O'Hara, you're really missing out. In that case, I suggest a quick image search for "Edward Gorey illustrations" and O'Hara's poem "Having A Coke With You."

      These guys were so ahead of their time. I can't believe what they were getting up to a full decade before "Howl," during a time when Harvard was expelling gays. It inspires me to get more aggressive about pushing limits.

      Free-thinkers do a whole lot more than just make the world more interesting and beautiful. They make it more survivable.