by Scott Peck (1995)
All-American Boy is a compelling story, a beautifully written account of the relationship between a father and son - their fourteen-year estrangement and their ultimate reconciliation. Scott Peck was thrust into the public eye when his father, Marine Colonel Fred Peck, startled the nation with his Senate testimony that he had just learned that his son was gay, and that while he loved his son, he would be loath to see him in the military because of fear of what might happen to him. Scott immediately became the subject of enormous media attention as he eloquently spoke about his own sexuality, his family, and much else. Here is his story, recalling a terrifying childhood in the home of a violently abusive stepfather and the tragic death of an adored and vibrant mother at the age of thirty-seven. It is the testimony of a young man slated for a career as a fundamentalist minister - the quintessential All-American boy - who comes to terms with his own sexuality and the father who had abandoned him. A portrait of two polar opposites - the professional soldier and his outspoken son - it is a powerful and personal document, harrowing and lyrical, the debut of a brilliant young writer whose true story, written with a novelist's flair, is an unforgettable portrait of courage and of forgiveness.
Kenny Fries
Tells two stories: the development of the theory of “survival of the fittest,” as articulated by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace; and the history of his ever-changing, made-to-order, orthopedic shoes. Fries’ argues that the ideas of Darwin and Wallace yield insights into how disability fits into culture; people adapt in order to survive just as species do.
Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon
This work of reference covers figures who have had an impact upon gay and lesbian life throughout recent history, and not merely individuals who were or are themselves homosexual. Unless explicitly stated, no inferences should be made about subjects' sexual orientation.
Helen Brown
Having sworn she'd never get another cat, the author opens her heart to a Siamese who, with her son getting married and her daughter setting off on a personal quest, is just what the household needs during a time of change.
Joy Ibsen
What happens after death? What is the meaning of life? If you have ever wrestled with these questions, or experienced answers, you will want to read this book. When someone we care for dies, we have the fantastic opportunity to experience a glimpse of eternity intertwined with present reality. We stand naked before the unknown, vulnerable--unhindered by usual earth time restrictions and preconceived borders of what is possible and we are open to new experiences, new truths. When ordinary earth time merges with infinity, mortality and eternity come together, the mystery of life deepens and sometimes we can perceive and respond to a reality beyond our usual capacities. Even if it is for only a nanosecond, profound changes can occur which last our entire lives. Our consciousness expands permanently. We are forever more aware of the marvelous complexities and interfacing of life and afterlife--the eternity connection--and open to perceiving its truths in everyday life. Here and Hereafter is a book of stories about life-endings--death; it is also a memoir. The stories are based on real life and death problems-- illness, accidents, errors in judgment, suicide, alcoholism, assassination, old age. The characters in the stories are real people in various roles and stages of life-- baby, child, teenager, college student, wife, husband, grandparent, father, mother, national leader, community leader, teacher, minister, patriarch, poet or politician--and yes, even a dog. Each story stands on its own but like life, the sum is greater than its parts. This book is also about spiritual legacy. What is the spiritual legacy you were given? What about it have you embraced? Enhanced? Discarded? How will you approach your own life-ending? What story can you pass on to others?