Hold Tight Gently: Michael Callen, Essex Hemphill, And The Battlefield of AIDS

"Martin Duberman deftly navigates the biographies of two gay artists — Michael Callen and Essex Hemphill — to illuminate what he describes as the “battlefield of AIDS” during the early years of the epidemic. Callen, a white musician based in New York, and Hemphill, a black poet based in Washington, D.C., were crucial members of their respective communities. Based on countless interviews and letters as well as Callen’s extensive archives, Duberman personalizes history to devastating effect."