Reviews for Look Back in Joy: Celebration of Gay Lovers

The average rating for Look Back in Joy: Celebration of Gay Lovers based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-10-18 00:00:00 Tom Proko Malcolm Boyd was an American priest in the Anglican/Episcopalian Church. He started his career working in Hollywood, then entered the priesthood, participated in the civil rights movement, and came out as gay in the seventies. He was fearless or at least he found a way to deal with his fears, because coming out when in the priesthood was not easy especially in the seventies. Revd Boyd was also a prolific writer and poet. This book contains a series of reflections about Malcom's past loves. I suppose he wrote these as a way of expressing what it means to love as a gay man. His reflections are short and illustrate his passion, his loneliness and frustration but also his joy and immense capacity to love and be loved. In an indirect way we get to see how Malcolm also touched the lives of men who met him, some of whom were clergy or involved in the church, many of whom were deeply closeted and sometimes married to women. His writing shows the complexity of being gay at a time when it was unaccepted in society, and the challenge of sustaining stable and loving relationships when society condemned such relationships. As I read this I could feel the shame and fear of those men and also the joy, courage and strength of Malcolm Boyd and his willingness and struggle to be both honest and open. He seemed to have had so many relationships and encounters and I did wonder why, but I suppose for such a prominent and gifted person making these connections was very much a part of who he was because of the very nature of his work and ministry, and because of his charisma. Revd Malcolm Boyd passed away earlier this year at the age of 91 but he lived a very full life and his life has spanned the era of change. He saw change through his activity in the Civil Rights movement and anti-war movement, he experienced change in the Church and also experienced change in his life as a gay man. I think it is living and experiencing this immense change that gives his writing an edge, passion and a kind of rawness. He writes about life and love in all its fullness, both ups and downs. He captures the human need for intimacy and the complex nature of desire. Simple writing but powerful and also challenging. But if it wasn't it wouldn't be Malcolm Boyd.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-11-16 00:00:00 Norbert Matthias Karl Sensitive and well written historical fiction novel.