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A review by bashsbooks
We Both Laughed in Pleasure: The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan by Lou Sullivan
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Lou Sullivan's diaries made me laugh, cry, scream, scratch my head, text my friends in the middle of the night... I think everyone should read them. He has a really casually poetic style to his writings, and peering directly into his diaries is so intimate. His quote, "They told me at the gender clinic that I could not live as a gay man, but it looks like I will die as one," is going to stay with me for a long time (I've been reciting it to everyone). What an amazing man. How devastating it is that we lost him so young. How lucky we were to have him when we did.
I will say, I didn't love all the stylistic choices the editors made - I wish there had been clearer markers of the passing time, and the footnotes were a little sparse.
I will say, I didn't love all the stylistic choices the editors made - I wish there had been clearer markers of the passing time, and the footnotes were a little sparse.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting
Minor: Incest, Police brutality, Car accident, and War
-Death of siblings
-Graphic descriptions of Sullivan's decline due to HIV/AIDS
-Car accident is actually a motorcycle accident
-Does it count as deadnaming if he is literally referring to himself? I don't really think so, but you decide for yourself.