Product Description

Long before the 1999 publication of Duane Simolke’s book Holding Me Together, many of its poems and essays had appeared in publications and on Web sites. Simolke began finding readers from around the world, especially for the long essay that opens Holding Me Together, "Reactions to Homophobia."

Dann Hazel used "Reactions" as one of the resources for his book Witness: Gay and Lesbian Clergy Report from the Front. Edited by Paul Harris, the book From Our Own Lips: The Book of GLBT Quotations includes a quote from "Not Worth Dying Over," another essay from Holding. Not long after Holding’s publication, StoneWall Society gave the book a Pride in the Arts Award.

Now, Simolke presents a revised, second edition. The updated version of "Reactions to Homophobia" integrates new research, from hate crimes in Canada to the ex-gay movement in the United States. With the first edition of Holding, Simolke had left out some poems he wanted to add, because he felt they needed more work; those poems appear in the second edition. He also added introductory notes that give background to some of the works.

While not all the book’s essays and poems focus on gay issues, the overall collection reflects gay pride, celebrates gay relationships, and embraces a more universal desire for tolerance and understanding.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1395783 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 206 pages

Ronald L. Donaghe, best-selling author of the gay novels All Over Him and Common Sons
"Duane Simolke's seminal work Holding Me Together is a gratifying mixture of scholarship, art, and personal expression."

From the Publisher
The first edition of Holding Me Together received a StoneWall Society Pride in the Arts Award. Simolke’s publisher, iUniverse, named it one of their Editor’s Choice selections.

This revised, second edition begins with an updated version of his multi-part essay "Reactions to Homophobia," followed by poems and short essays on a variety of topics, such as writing, AIDS, religion, violence, family, friendship, and gay relationships. It also includes several new or newly revised works.

Many of the works in this collection also appeared in various magazines and newsletters. Though Holding Me Together focuses heavily on gay themes, it also examines universal themes and will appeal to a countless readers.

From the Author
Contents of Holding Me Together
*Part One: Reactions to Homophobia, A Long Essay.

*Part Two: Poems.

Chasing Seagulls. Rainbow. Editing. Children in the Streets. Friday Afternoon Spectrum. Reception. Album. Also. Separated. Who Does God Hate? second year. Cross. Songs In Sign Language. Anne Bradstreet. Denial. Elephant On An Opera Stage. Two Rapes. Hero. The Same Lips. Detour. Question. Faces, Faces. Forgotten. Sock Poem. Higher Education. Haiku. TV Haiku. Cities Don't Build People. The Gardener. Family. Bareback. Cocoon. Process. The Ex-Me Movement. Storm. Spelunker. The Escape Artist. Pharisee. The Loss. Daughter. Cycle. The John Doe Family. Angels and Razors. Home.

*Part Three: Short Essays.

How "Children in the Streets" Wrote Itself. Adding To The Hurt. If. Family Reunion. Out of the Closet and Into the Community. Not Worth Dying Over. Dear Editor. Siblings. The Bible and Gays. America Today. Violence.

*Appendix: Should We Follow These Verses?

Customer Reviews

Demolishes bigotry!
This book attacks and dissects all the hateful crap people say about homosexuals. It also presents really cool images of gays. But the focus isn't limited to gay people. It also looks at people in general and offers hope.