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Sunday, August 22, 2010

MY QUEER WAR ILLUSTRATED

MY QUEER WAR

James Lord wrote his last book MY QUEER WAR, a memoir of his soldier years during WWII. James's entire life was shaped and transformed by his experience. He was haunted by the war. He wrote three novels about the war, none published.  When he talked about the war, the Nazis, the internment camps, he waved his hand in the air, his voice trailing off, anyway...
James died one year ago, August.  He wrote me several letters saying he was busy writing and then rewriting the book. Told me he finished the book, in the middle of the night after he got up to take a piss.

I've read some reviews and they are pretty poor.  The NY Times review was by a friend/acquaintance ruminating on the fascinating expatriate, James Lord.  He spends only a few good paragraphs on the book. The rest of the reviews, say the book suffers from its "purple prose." The book is not overwritten.  This is James's style.  I guess it is not in vogue.  My hope is that young people will find this work as it is; brutally honest and full of life.   Just as James was.