Mark Abramson's 'My Gay History' - A time capsule of the Castro's recent past

  • by Finbar LaBelle
  • Friday November 22, 2024
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Author Mark Abramson
Author Mark Abramson

In his latest book, "My Gay History," Man about the Castro Mark Abramson opens a window to a wealth of personal journal entries from 2003 to 2008. A lifelong diarist, having kept a journal since the age of eighteen, the longtime San Francisco author has mastered the art of reflective writing. He has honed the craft and edited the rest, creating a must-read blueprint for an era that shows the profundity of the prosaic.

For the author of "Beach Reading," a mystery series set in San Francisco's Castro district, the epistolary form proves an inspired choice that works well in Abramson's favor. The day-to-day intimacy of the format lends readers an unfiltered glimpse into Abramson in all of his varied forms.

From sipping on drinks with local legends like Armistead Maupin at iconic gay bars like The Eagle to navigating romantic affairs, attending gay touchstones like the Folsom Street Fair, and dissecting the political and social landscape of The City, his writings are as varied as they are vivid and witty.

The collection exemplifies that a gay man's life, especially in San Francisco, unfolds in a rich tapestry of parks, paloozas, art, drag queens, cruising, and above all, possessing the wit and wisdom to put it all down on the page.

Never without his humor, Abramson titles the opening chapter "As Serious as a Heart Attack" (dated Monday, April 7, 2003), beginning in the UC hospital on Parnassus, where he is just a week into recovering from open-heart surgery. The following descriptions of his life bound to a hospital bed are hilarious and poignant, illustrating the experience with an author's curious eye. The convalescing Abramson is clear about laying out, in quintessential gay fashion, that there is a proper etiquette and unspoken timetable on when it is appropriate to call someone recovering from a heart attack.

Abramson is eventually discharged from the hospital, and the reader is led into a pivotal and uncertain time in his life. He's unemployed, living with an alcoholic roommate, and enduring a grueling year-long Hepatitis C treatment. The setting evokes a "dog day diaries" sentiment — capturing, at times, the mundanity and struggle of simply making it by.

Author Mark Abramson at a recent reading at Fabulosa Books  

Castro memories
Simultaneously, the seemingly more vibrant and free-loving reverie of the Castro lingers in his mind, a symbol of a chapter now behind him and all of San Francisco, which continues to change. Time marches forward, lovers are found and lost, friendships are rekindled, trips are taken, and perspectives are reshaped as he transitions into middle age.

Abramson's entries are as complicated and layered as life itself, sometimes having the gall to show himself as an unsavory character. He blends sweet glimpses of urban magic with raw, unvarnished realities, painting vivid scenes of sweet overheard conversations on public transit or the aftermath of a hookup who stole all the cash from his wallet.

The mix of drama, humor, and genuine intrigue makes the collection hard to put down. It's a testament to finding meaning in chaos and humor in heartache; readers will undoubtedly be hungry for more.

Something intriguing and dramatic is always happening in Abramson's life, but the collection is not without its edifying moments. Complexities arise as Abramson lives through the Bush era, the liberal contradictions surrounding the response to Iraq, and the celebration of gay marriage legalization at City Hall, followed by Proposition 8.

Novelistic memoir
Figures come and go. Funerals are held. Epidemics and pandemics ravage (for a more vivid account, read Abramson's "Arlene Francis and Me: Pandemic Diaries from Castro Street 2020"). Condoms are worn fervently, and then they are forgotten. Youth runs for the back exit more quickly than we think.

Additionally, the book is novelistic, vividly capturing eras and offering readers a front-row seat to snippets of San Francisco history. It evokes familiar faces most locals cherish, from rubbing elbows with famous drag queens to sharing time with iconic writers like San Francisco Chronicle columnist Leah Garchick.

Above all, Abramson's honesty stands out, with the journal entry format allowing his life to serve as both a mirror and a lesson. His book transforms into a piece of living history, capturing how places like the Castro evolve over decades — its faces, rhythms, and crises shifting — while standing with an enduring and indefatigable essence.

A powerful undercurrent of the collection is Abramson's ability to show the reader that life, like fads or political movements, is cyclical and constantly in flux. His collection offers more than stories; it carries wisdom. With candid advice and reflection, Abramson invites readers to dive into his "jumble jaded jingle-jangle journal" and savor the ride.

'My Gay History' by Mark Abramson, $18.95, Minnesota Boy Press
www.markabramson.net


Mark Abramson reads from and signs copies of his books Sun, Dec. 1, 4pm at Fabulosa Books, 489 Castro St. www.fabulosabooks.com

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