Dan Savage's Reading List

"Gore Vidal’s “Julian,” his historical novel about the last pagan emperor of Rome, and Mary Renault’s “Persian Boy,” another historical novel, this one about a eunuch slave boy who falls in love with Alexander the Great after he conquers the Persian Empire, may be my two favorite novels. I’ve read them both at least four times each."

"Gore Vidal’s “Julian,” his historical novel about the last pagan emperor of Rome, and Mary Renault’s “Persian Boy,” another historical novel, this one about a eunuch slave boy who falls in love with Alexander the Great after he conquers the Persian Empire, may be my two favorite novels. I’ve read them both at least four times each."

"But the last novels I read were Hilary Mantel’s “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies,” both of which I enjoyed tremendously. So, let’s just say that Mantel is my favorite living novelist?"

"But the last novels I read were Hilary Mantel’s “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies,” both of which I enjoyed tremendously. So, let’s just say that Mantel is my favorite living novelist?"

"The last really good piece of gay fiction that I read was Mark Merlis’s “American Studies.”"

"Strange as it sounds, the paperback edition of Mart Crowley’s 1968 play “The Boys in the Band.” But “The Boys in the Band” gave me hope. I read that play and figured: “O.K., one day I’ll come out and I’ll have lovers and friends. I’ll just try to find better ones.”"

"“End This Depression Now,” by Paul Krugman."

"It seems self-serving, but all high-school and middle-school teachers should be required to read “It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living.” It’s a collection of essays by contributors to the It Gets Better Project. There are stories in the book by kids who were saved by something as seemingly trivial as a kind word or gesture from a single teacher."

"Also, Aaron Hartzler’s “Rapture Practice,” a terrific new memoir about growing up gay in a fundamentalist Christian home and community. Hartzler was a guest on my podcast, and I just finished his book — it’s terrific."

"Also, “United States,” a collection of Vidal’s essays (including “The Birds and the Bees,” which I consider one of the best essays ever written about sex), was the first gift I gave to Terry after we started dating."