Prayer Warriors: The True Story of a Gay Son, his Fundamentalist Christian Family, and their Battle for his Soul by Stuart Howell Miller
2000
Weight: 8.8 oz
Method of Disposal: Lending Library
This book was an easy and quick read though, of course, it is never "easy" to stomach the homophobia and cruelty put forth by someone's family to their own son. It was easy only in that it was very conversational, was made up of basic language, was fairly short. The author would randomly throw out a joke with his audience that would pull me out of the story very suddenly, and I would actually say out loud, "what?" and then reread the sentence to be sure it was there. These little snippets were usually overtly "gay" and felt unnecessary. Of course, Stuart's family often came out with the more seriously off the wall shit. Here is an exchange where both of them do from page 144:
"Troy retold the story of how an electric fence nearly killed my sister when she was a child and then said, "The lifestyle you have chosen is more dangerous than death by electric shocking. God loves you Stuart. Please do not spit in his face with this homosexual lifestyle you have chosen for yourself.'
I immediately ran outside and searched for a pretty girl to marry, but the closest I could find in West Hollywood was a drunken, gravel-voiced drag queen. 'I don't want to marry,' she said, 'I like my freedom.'"
What?
The author was clearly very involved in the L.A. Community and has a very impressive resume. I had hoped that would make it easier to find out how he was doing 18 years later. I do not really need another book, though this one was a basically good read, but I would love an article about if his family ever came around, and/or if he managed to hold up okay.
I also think this book would have been more powerful to me had I read it when it was first published. So much has changed since then--not to say these things still do not happen--because they do, but I had less access to information and community then. A lot of us did. I was more isolated, though I was not completely alone like some folks in generations before me, and I would have held this account more closely. At 32, I have read many many stories about white, gay men struggling with conservative christian families. I have also, of course, read many more violent coming out stories. Maybe that is the larger thing here, I have read and heard thousands of coming out stories and, while I know they are important, I am not as keen on seeking them out and reading them as I use to be. Any who, I wish the best for Stuart, and I appreciate him sharing his story. I think that, in the right hands, it could be a much more powerful book.
2000
Weight: 8.8 oz
Method of Disposal: Lending Library
This book was an easy and quick read though, of course, it is never "easy" to stomach the homophobia and cruelty put forth by someone's family to their own son. It was easy only in that it was very conversational, was made up of basic language, was fairly short. The author would randomly throw out a joke with his audience that would pull me out of the story very suddenly, and I would actually say out loud, "what?" and then reread the sentence to be sure it was there. These little snippets were usually overtly "gay" and felt unnecessary. Of course, Stuart's family often came out with the more seriously off the wall shit. Here is an exchange where both of them do from page 144:
"Troy retold the story of how an electric fence nearly killed my sister when she was a child and then said, "The lifestyle you have chosen is more dangerous than death by electric shocking. God loves you Stuart. Please do not spit in his face with this homosexual lifestyle you have chosen for yourself.'
I immediately ran outside and searched for a pretty girl to marry, but the closest I could find in West Hollywood was a drunken, gravel-voiced drag queen. 'I don't want to marry,' she said, 'I like my freedom.'"
What?
The author was clearly very involved in the L.A. Community and has a very impressive resume. I had hoped that would make it easier to find out how he was doing 18 years later. I do not really need another book, though this one was a basically good read, but I would love an article about if his family ever came around, and/or if he managed to hold up okay.
I also think this book would have been more powerful to me had I read it when it was first published. So much has changed since then--not to say these things still do not happen--because they do, but I had less access to information and community then. A lot of us did. I was more isolated, though I was not completely alone like some folks in generations before me, and I would have held this account more closely. At 32, I have read many many stories about white, gay men struggling with conservative christian families. I have also, of course, read many more violent coming out stories. Maybe that is the larger thing here, I have read and heard thousands of coming out stories and, while I know they are important, I am not as keen on seeking them out and reading them as I use to be. Any who, I wish the best for Stuart, and I appreciate him sharing his story. I think that, in the right hands, it could be a much more powerful book.
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