Author Talk
It’s also an important addition to the history of gay parents in America and of the particular challenges faced by gay men and women in the years before Stonewall.” —Alysia Abbott, author of Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father, now a Sofia Coppola-produced movie “Affliction is one of the most moving and compelling books I've ever read. His voice disturbingly cheery. Even in my state of shock, it was clear that the weight of his secret had shifted from his shoulders to mine.
Affliction
Affliction: Growing Up With A Closeted Gay Dad is a coming out story told from a perspective that most of us have not considered, from the point of view of a child of a closeted gay father. It is a journey of secrets, not just her father’s sexuality but the secrets all families contend with. It is also a documentary of how parents’ actions influence the family and the children they raise. One of the gifts of memoir is the bridge of empathy it can create between the reader and the writer. That link of humanity can remind us we have more in common with one another than we sometimes believe. REVIEW
Affliction: Growing Up with a Closeted Gay Dad is a poignant, thought-provoking memoir about the effects of a man’s hidden sexuality on his family. Laura and her siblings loved to hear her parents talk about their romantic first meeting and whirlwind courtship at the cusp of WWII. In , at the age of nineteen, Ralph Hall, suicidal, revealed his sexual orientation to his grandmother, knowing she would comfort him. He was out for three years afterwards, until an indiscretion sent him back into the closet. Affliction
“ Affliction is a loving and tender portrait of a relationship and a family. It’s also an important addition to the history of gay parents in America and of the particular challenges faced by gay men and women in the years before Stonewall.” —Alysia Abbott, author of Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father, now a Sofia Coppola-produced movie. Laura Hall. In , at the age of nineteen, Ralph Hall, suicidal, revealed his sexual orientation to his grandmother, knowing she would comfort him. 
Affliction
When at last I had completed my read of Affliction: Growing Up with a Closeted Gay Dad (She Writes Press, ) by Laura Hall, I paused to remember some of what I have learned about the art of memoir over the years. One of the gifts of memoir is the bridge of empathy it can create between the reader and the writer. That link of humanity can remind us we have more in common with one another. Readers who have registered or renewed their pass since 21 March can request items prior to visiting the Library by completing this request form Please enter the shelfmark below on the request form. If your Reader Pass was issued before this date, you will need to visit the Library in London or Yorkshire to renew it before you can request items online.
Affliction
Author Laura Hall will discuss her new memoir, Affliction: Growing Up With a Closeted Gay Dad (She Writes Press, ) which recounts the life story of her gay father, Ralph, from to Hall was 24 when her father came out to her in She learned that in the late s, her father had been in a relationship with a musician in Los. Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip. View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.
Affliction
At twenty-four, while in the army, he met and married Irene. The couple made their home on the San Francisco Peninsula and had four children. Ralph was an attentive husband and father—albeit with an intense interest in interior design, flower arranging, and fine objects—and a diligent worker who rose to payroll accountant at Standard Oil. In , at the age of nineteen, Ralph Hall, suicidal, revealed his sexual orientation to his grandmother, knowing she would comfort him. He was out for three years afterwards, until an indiscretion sent him back into the closet. Affliction
“ Affliction is a loving and tender portrait of a relationship and a family. It’s also an important addition to the history of gay parents in America and of the particular challenges faced by gay men and women in the years before Stonewall.” —Alysia Abbott, author of Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father. .