Dustin Lance Black

"From the Academy Award-winning screenwriter and political activist, a candid, vivid, powerfully resonant memoir about growing up as a gay Mormon in Texas that is, as well, a moving tribute to the mother who taught him about surviving against all odds Dustin Lance Black wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk and helped overturn California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, but as an LGBTQ+ activist he has unlikely origins. Raised in a military, Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas, Black always found inspiration in his plucky, determined mother. Having contracted polio as a small girl, she endured leg braces and iron lungs, and was repeatedly told that she could never have children or live a normal life. Defying expectations, she raised Black and his two brothers, built a career, escaped two abusive husbands, and eventually moved the family to a new life in Southern California. While Black struggled to come to terms with his sexuality--something antithetical to his mother's religious views--she remained his source of strength and his guiding light. Later, she would stand by his side when he helped bring the historic gay marriage case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Mama's Boy is a stirring celebration of the connections between mother and son, Red states and Blue, and the spirit of optimism and perseverance that can create positive change in the world"--

A Story from Our Americas

Mama's Boy

Jeanette Winterson

Amrou Al-Kadhi

Pádraig Ó Tuama

Jay Hulme

Erin Clark

Jarel Robinson-Brown

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah

Tamsin Omond

Keith Jarrett

Mpho Tutu van Furth

John L. Bell

Ruth Hunt (editor)

Rev. Winnie Varghese

Lucy Knight

Michael Segalov

Karl Rutlidge

Garry Rutter

Rev Rachel Mann

Judith Kotze

Jack Guiness

Ric Stott

Is it possible to believe in God and be gay? How does it feel to be excluded from a religious community because of your sexuality? Why do some people still believe being LGBT is a sin?

The book of Queer Prophets contains modern-day epistles from some of our most important thinkers, writers and activists: Jeanette Winterson tackles religious dogma, Amrou Al-Kadhi writes about trying to make it as a Muslim drag queen in London, John Bell writes about his decision to come out later in life, Tamsin Omond remembers getting married in the middle of a protest and Kate Bottley explains her journey to becoming an LGBT ally.

Essays from: Jeanette Winterson, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Rev. Winnie Varghese, Keith Jarrett, Jay Hulme, Lucy Knight, Tamsin Omond, Erin Clark, Michael Segalov, Jarel Robinson-Brown, John L. Bell, Mpho Tutu van Furth, Karl Rutlidge, Garry Rutter, Rev Rachel Mann, Judith Kotze, Jack Guiness, Dustin Lance Black, Ric Stott. Afterword: Kate Bottley

21 Writers on Sexuality and Religion

The Book of Queer Prophets

Gilbert Baker

My Life in Color

Rainbow Warrior

Gus Van Sant

His life changed history. His courage changed lives. In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. Academy Award® winner Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk, with Emile Hirsch as Cleve Jones, Josh Brolin as Dan White, Diego Luna as Jack Lira, and James Franco as Scott Smith, under the direction of Academy Award® nominee Gus Van Sant, filmed on location in San Francisco, from an original screenplay by Dustin Lance Black. This Newmarket Shooting Script® Book includes: Exclusive introduction by director Gus Van Sant Complete Shooting Script Scene Notes by Dustin Lance Black An exclusive conversation with Black, Van Sant, and Cleve Jones, one of the original political activists with Harvey Milk Color photo section Complete cast and crew credits Also read Milk: A Pictorial History featuring oral histories, archival photographs, and the story of the making of the film.

The Shooting Script

Milk

Armistead Maupin

This official illustrated companion book features oral histories, archival photographs, behind-the-scenes stills, and the story of the new Focus Features film directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, My Own Private Idaho), starring Academy Award winner Sean Penn (Mystic River, Dead Man Walking) as gay-rights icon Harvey Milk. His life changed history. His courage changed lives. In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. Part I, "The History," covering Milk's life in New York pre-1973 through his death in San Francisco in 1978, features: * a brief history of Harvey Milk * 90 historical photos * and recollections from Milk's many activist friends in his Castro Street neighborhood, campaigns and eventual victory, Prop 6 protests, the Gay Freedom Day Parade, and Harvey Milk's enduring legacy. Part II, "The Movie," details the making of the film, and includes: * commentary by screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who was on the set every day * movie stills, side-by-side with the historical photos they re-create * and behind-the-scene shots of the real historical characters who consulted on or appeared in the film.

A Pictorial History of Harvey Milk

This heartfelt, deeply personal memoir explores how a celebrated filmmaker and activist and his conservative Mormon mother built bridges across today's great divides--and how our stories hold the power to heal. Dustin Lance Black wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk and helped overturn California's anti-gay marriage Proposition 8, but as an LGBTQ activist he has unlikely origins--a conservative Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas. His mother, Anne, was raised in rural Louisiana and contracted polio when she was two years old. She endured brutal surgeries, as well as braces and crutches for life, and was told that she would never have children or a family. Willfully defying expectations, she found salvation in an unlikely faith, raised three rough-and-rowdy boys, and escaped the abuse and violence of two questionably devised Mormon marriages before finding love and an improbable career in the U.S. civil service. By the time Lance came out to his mother at age twenty-one, he was a blue-state young man studying the arts instead of going on his Mormon mission. She derided his sexuality as a sinful choice and was terrified for his future. It may seem like theirs was a house destined to be divided, and at times it was. This story shines light on what it took to remain a family despite such division--a journey that stretched from the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to the woodsheds of East Texas. In the end, the rifts that have split a nation couldn't end this relationship that defined and inspired their remarkable lives. Mama's Boy is their story. It's a story of the noble quest for a plane higher than politics--a story of family, foundations, turmoil, tragedy, elation, and love. It is a story needed now more than ever.

Dustin Lance Black

About

Books

Join the club