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Holiday-themed 2017 albums a mixed bag

Sia, Hanson, Fantasia among pop acts tackling Xmas standards

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Christmas albums, gay news, Washington Blade

This year’s holiday-themed albums are a mixed bag. Kaskade has one of the best; many others will have limited appeal beyond the various acts’ core fan base.

Every holiday season, shoppers are inundated with a seemingly endless choice of festive new musical offerings to add to the family’s traditional repertoire. This year is no exception with multiple new releases that cater to just about every style imaginable. We’ve examined 10 of the most prominent new holiday offerings and ranked them in descending order as most to least essential new additions to your holiday music library. (Christmas albums 2017)

No. 1. Kaskade ‘Kaskade Christmas’

The Chicago-based EDM titan Kaskade might seen an odd choice to create a Christmas album, but he delivered a surefire winner, easily the must-own holiday album of the 2017 season. “Kaskade Christmas” is made for adding to that holiday party mix, elegant, festive and uber-cool. Kaskade’s electronic rhythms are stripped-down and painted with Christmasy touches throughout and the vocalists he brings in keep with the chilly minimalism that is a nice contrast to the often over-the-top boisterousness of a typical holiday album. Two particular standouts are classic ballads: “Silent Night” features a sweet vocal performance by Ilsey, and “Holy Night” is Christmas cool, a seamless blend of the traditional and modern. This album was obviously a labor of love for Kaskade and he’s created the essential holiday soundtrack for those classier and elegant gatherings where you want holiday, but not anything close to the crap that blares over department store speakers.

2. Gwen Stefani ‘You Make it Feel Like Christmas’

Gwen Stefani has managed energetic ska/rock during her earlier days with No Doubt and then managed the transition to Top 40 dance/pop solo star. For her first holiday album, “You Make it Feel Like Christmas,” Stefani takes on the role that she’s always managed to fill no matter what style she’s singing: entertainer. “You Make it Feel Like Christmas” is a a glossy frivolity, all smiles and cheer, with an engaging old-school vibe and sparkling vocals. The songs are mostly standards: “Silent Night,” “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Baby” (well, duh), and “the modern standard, Wham’s “Last Christmas.” Naturally, there’s a duet with her hunky beau Blake Shelton, the upbeat and jubilant “You Make it Feel Like Christmas.” Stefani delivers a knockout of a Christmas album, fun and classy, elegant and bursting with holiday cheer. If you add one Christmas album to your library this year, you could do far worse than “You Make it Feel Like Christmas.”

3. Leslie Odom, Jr. ‘Simply Christmas’

Tony Award-winning star of “Hamilton,” Leslie Odom, Jr. delivers the sweetly soulful “Simply Christmas.” Odom is obviously going for a classic vibe and he achieves this down to the black and white album photo that could have been lifted straight from an earlier generation. Odom’s supple voice shines as he runs through mostly familiar classics, with a few lesser-known gems thrown in for variety. Odom’s take on “The Christmas Song,” a carol that’s been performed and recorded countless times, is particularly reverent and sublime. “Simply Christmas” is heavy on the ballads, so if you’re going for upbeat holiday party music this might not be the best choice, but for a romantic evening in front of the fireplace it couldn’t be more perfect.

4. Cheap Trick ‘Christmas Christmas’

Legendary power-rockers Cheap Trick are the latest rockers to put their stamp on the holidays and they turn in a solid effort on “Christmas Christmas.” The songs are mostly lesser-known tracks, although they do tackle a couple ballads: “Silent Night” doesn’t quite work, but their bluesy take on “Please Come Home for Christmas” is a delight. The rockers are best, though, especially “Run Rudolph Run,” “Merry Christmas Darlings” and the epic “Merry Xmas Everybody.” Cheap Trick’s “Christmas Christmas” will likely never be considered a classic holiday album, but it’s certainly a worthy effort by a venerable band still going strong.

5. Fantasia ‘Christmas After Midnight’

“American Idol” favorite Fantasia goes for the elegant romantic side of the holiday with a sophisticated set of classics and lesser-known tunes that’s pleasant enough, but doesn’t really live up to its full potential given the dynamic power of Fantasia’s voice. It’s a little too smooth and over-produced. Still, it’s far from a disaster and there are moments of pure joy. Fantasia’s jazzy saunter on “The Snow is Falling” is great, and “Merry Christmas, Baby” is the song on which her sparkling personality shines through the brightest. Yeah, we get another dose of “The Christmas Song,” “Silent Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and Fantasia’s renditions are pretty if unmemorable. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is performed as a duet with Cee-Lo Green, and while Fantasia nails the pert attitude in her vocal, the song itself never quite gets beyond its usual creepiness. “Christmas After Midnight” feels like it could have been more impactful, but it’s not awful by any means. Fantasia fans will love it; appeal beyond that is limited.

6. Lindsey Stirling ‘Warmer in the Winter’

Violinist Lindsey Stirling offers up her dazzling musical skills on “Warmer in the Winter,” a mostly light-hearted collection heavy on the fun. An early highlight is a cleverly arranged take on “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” featuring popular teen vocalist Sabrina Carpenter. There are also moments of breathtaking beauty, such as Stirling’s angelic instrumental renditions of “Carol of the Bells” and “What Child is This” (although technically the song was “Greensleeves” before the lyrics were written much later, so if it’s instrumental it shouldn’t really be titled “What Child is This” …. Eh, whatever. It’s beautiful). The shrillness of Stirling’s violin does kinda grate after a while, so this album might be better suited for a shuffle mix rather than listening all the way through.

7. Alabama ‘American Christmas’

Country legends Alabama released their classic “Christmas,” a 1985 collection that has become a standard, thanks in part to the smash “Christmas in Dixie.” For their latest, “American Christmas,” Alabama adds four originals to a mix of standards that also includes a new version of “Christmas in Dixie.” A mix of religious and secular tunes, “American Christmas” is an earnest collection that doesn’t really grab you, but is perfectly fine for background music or as part of a mix to play on Christmas morning. Perhaps, inevitably though, there is one maudlin ballad: “First Christmas Without Daddy.” It’s poignant, but for those of us who quickly flip through “Blue Christmas” and prefer holiday music not drenched in sadness, it’s not likely to be at the top of our holiday playlist. The album as a whole is solid if predictable, which perhaps is the point. With Alabama you know what you’re gonna get and that ain’t necessarily a bad thing.

8. Sia ‘Everyday is Christmas’

It must have seemed like a sure thing: pop phenom Sia, one of the top purveyors of pop gold these days both as a songwriter and performer, teaming up with uber-producer and songwriter Greg Kurstin on a collection of newly written Christmas songs with a modern pop sheen. A holiday album of all new originals is a bit unusual these days, as people are largely traditionalists when it comes to Christmas and like to hear their standards. It can work, though, if this songs are good enough. On “Everyday is “Christmas,” alas, they just aren’t. It’s a bit like tinsel that’s supposed to make your tree all shiny and festive but instead turns it cheap and tacky. “Puppies are Forever” (yeah, really) is about as odious a throwaway as you’ll find, “Ho Ho Ho” tries to be festive but Sia’s overly mannered vocals never convey anything other than an affinity for autotune. The ballad “Underneath the Mistletoe” is nice enough, but by and large “Everyday is Christmas” falls flat.

9. Hanson ‘Finally It’s Christmas’

Two decades ago, back when they were still a teen-pop sensation, Hanson released the now-standard holiday collection “Snowed In.” Now in their 30s, the trio delivers the long-awaiting follow-up, “Finally It’s Christmas” and it’s not quite so quite. It’s overproduced, forced and never transcends its rather bland formula. Not much personality or sincerity to be found. The song selections are uninspired as well: did the world really need another version of the already migraine-inducing “Wonderful Christmas Time”? Sir Paul still has yet to atone for unleashing that atrocity upon the world and Hanson renders it, if anything, even more annoying. Their attempt at a Christmas-rock “Til New Years Night” is limp and the obligatory cover of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” has all the personality of water-down eggnog (without rum). Unless you’re a Hanson aficionado (and apparently they do exist), “Finally It’s Christmas” can safely stay in its shrinkwrap. “Snowed In” is by far the better of the two, with the younger version of the trio actually managing to instill some enthusiasm and holiday spirit, unlike this leaden collection.

10. ‘The Star (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’

Sony Pictures’ critically panned animated Christmas film “The Star” has an accompanying soundtrack that is, well, as bad as the firm purportedly is (and I make no claims to having seen it, but the reviews are pretty harsh). Most of the tracks are performed by gospel or contemporary Christian artists and it’s a mixed bag. Casting Crowns perhaps owns the gem of the collection with the beautiful “His Eye is on the Sparrow” and country singer Jake Owen does a nice job on “What Child is This?” Zara Larsson doesn’t quite have the gravitas to pull off a convincing “Mary, Did You Know?” (check out Cee-Lo Green’s definitive version from a few years back instead). The big opening ballad and title song, “The Star” by Mariah Carey, is insipid and dreary. There are a few tracks worth downloaded from your favorite online retailer, but the album as a whole is spotty.

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Doug Spearman takes his chance

‘Noah’s Arc: The Movie’ debuted on Paramount+ last month

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(Photo courtesy of Paramount+)

There’s no question that when Patrik-Ian Polk’s series “Noah’s Arc” premiered on Logo 20 years ago, it was a groundbreaking creation. The story of a group of Black gay men and their wonderful friendship. The titular arc was that of the cute main character, Noah (Darryl Stephens), and his close-knit circle of friends, including Chance played by gay actor Doug Spearman. This compelling and loving fraternity may, in fact, be what brought viewers back repeatedly, including a 2008 movie, “Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom,” as well as the 2020 “Noah’s Arc” short, and now, a new full-length feature “Noah’s Arc: The Movie,” debuting on Paramount+ on June 20. In the movie, filled with equal measures of laughs and tears, Chance, who has faced a devastating loss, finds his dependable friends there, ready to support and comfort him at a moment’s notice. I had the pleasure of speaking with Spearman the morning of the streaming premiere of “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.”

WASHINGTON BLADE: Doug, since the early 2000s, when the “Noah’s Arc” series premiered on Logo, you have been playing the character of Chance, including in the latest installment, “Noah’s Arc: The Movie.” What was it about Chance that appealed to you as an actor?

SPEARMAN: When Patrik (-Ian Polk) called me to ask me to play him (Chance), I was at JFK airport in the baggage claim, waiting for a suitcase. He explained what the part was. The thing that stuck out to me was the fact that Chance was in a long-term relationship with another Black man. And, they had a child; they had a 4-year-old daughter named Kenya. I had never seen two Black gay men raise a child on TV before. I thought it was the most revolutionary thing I’d ever seen. I immediately thought I’ve got to do this because that was something nobody had seen. I thought it was incredibly important to take the part.

BLADE: “Noah’s Arc: The Movie” was, once again, written and directed by Patrik-Ian Polk, who you just mentioned, is the creator of the entire franchise. What’s the secret to your long-standing working relationship?

SPEARMAN: [Laughs] the whole team, all of us, are like a band of brothers. We fight like brothers, we come together like brothers, we hash things out, we talk, because we’re all very different from our characters. I think the challenge of playing these guys and then uplifting these men, playing a part, especially something written by Patrik, is like solving a math equation. There’s always a challenge that’s enjoyable for me as an actor: to try to find out what it is that Patrik wants, and then how do I do it.

BLADE: I think you do a very good job of it.

SPEARMAN: Thank you very much

BLADE: In the years between “Jumping the Broom” and the new full-length movie, many changes have occurred, and the story addresses some of them, including gay widowhood, which is something that the aging community is now confronting, as well as mental health issues. Please say a few words about how you approached those subjects in the new movie.

SPEARMAN: I had a lot of loss in my life, right before we started shooting. Two months before we started shooting the first series, my mother died. I was going through the grief process through that whole first season. Since then, I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. In fact, when we started shooting the second season, the second week we were shooting, my ex died of a heart attack. I was having to fold that into what I was doing with my life on the set and off the set. You’ve got to show up and you’ve got to do your work. The first two seasons of “Noah’s Arc” are always tinged with the memory of grief. So, when I had to deal with the death that Chance faces (in the new movie), which is a significant death in his life, it wasn’t that hard to reach back, especially the scene in the graveyard. It was something that I unfortunately could pull from personal experience.

BLADE: Shifting gears, the movie features delightful cast surprises, including Jasmine Guy and TS Madison. Did you have a chance to interact with either or both when they were on set?

SPEARMAN: No, I didn’t have any scenes with Jasmine, and I missed her. I wish I had gotten to see her because I actually got to direct Jasmine for a CBS promo shoot for “Queen,” back in the early ‘90s. I had a huge crush on her when she was on “A Different World.” So, I really would have liked to reconnect. But TS and I got to see each other every day because I was in all her scenes. It was extraordinary being around somebody like that. That is one outspoken woman!

BLADE: Even though Beyoncé never makes an appearance in the movie, there’s a lot of talk about her. Would you say you are a Beyoncé fan?

SPEARMAN: Yes! I’m breathing! Yes, I’m a Beyoncé fan. I actually got the chance to meet her. I knew her mom. Her mom was extraordinary to me. She is in the second movie I directed. She also gave us a wedding gown to use in the very first scene of the movie. That family is extraordinarily important to me. Not only just to be a fan, but to be somebody who’s gotten to know them and work with them and see how hard they work. I don’t think anybody works as hard as Tina or Beyoncé.

BLADE: There was a recent news item about gay actor Benito Skinner of the Amazon Prime series “Overcompensating” being told not to bother auditioning for straight roles. As an out actor yourself, how important do you think it is for queer characters to be portrayed by queer actors, and vice versa?

SPEARMAN: Being queer is a multifaceted identity. There’s no one kind of queer person. I think finding the best actor that’s your first circle of casting. I think one of the joys about being an actor is that you get to play different parts. I play straight guys all the time. Dads and husbands and things like that. I think a lot of people are told not to do it. In fact, I wouldn’t be Chance if the actor who was originally cast as Chance hadn’t been pulled out of the series by his agents because they didn’t want him to play a gay character.

BLADE: That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing that. Without giving away too much, the ending of the movie is a little ambiguous, even ending with a question mark. If there was a “Noah’s Arc: The Movie” sequel, would you come back for that?

SPEARMAN: Yeah! A lot of it would depend on what Chance’s journey is going to be like. Patrik and I have conversations like that all the time. He’s very interested and supportive of input. I hope I would be, as we all would be, part of the creative growth with these characters. They live in Patrik’s head, and he writes them, but we’re the ones who have to flesh them out. It’s a conversation, it’s always a conversation.

BLADE: You are currently performing in Molière’s “The Imaginary Invalid” as part of the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane. What has this experience been like for you?

SPEARMAN: It’s extraordinary! I started on stage when I was seven. There’s nothing like working with a live audience and having that immediacy. I’m working with an extraordinarily talented cast in a really great play, and I have some of the best scene partners I could ever want.

BLADE: Are there any upcoming film or TV projects you’d like to mention?

SPEARMAN: I’m still a writer, and I’m still a director, and I’ve still got scripts that I would like to make. I have a little something that’s a cross between “Treme” and “Bridgerton” that I want to do. I’m always trying to figure out what the next thing is.

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Visit Cambridge, a ‘beautiful secret’ on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

New organization promotes town’s welcoming vibe, LGBTQ inclusion

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Cambridge, Md., is home to quaint shops, restaurants, and Victorian homes on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. (Photo courtesy James Lumalcuri)

CAMBRIDGE, Md. — Driving through this scenic, historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, you’ll be charmed by streets lined with unique shops, restaurants, and beautifully restored Victorian homes. You’ll also be struck by the number of LGBTQ Pride flags flying throughout the town.

The flags are a reassuring signal that everyone is welcome here, despite the town’s location in ruby red Dorchester County, which voted for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris by a lopsided margin. But don’t let that deter you from visiting. A new organization, Proudly Cambridge, is holding its debut Pride event this weekend, touting the town’s welcoming, inclusive culture.

“We stumbled on a beautiful secret and we wanted to help get the word out,” said James Lumalcuri of the effort to create Proudly Cambridge.

The organization celebrates diversity, enhances public spaces, and seeks to uplift all that Cambridge has to share, according to its mission statement, under the tagline “You Belong Here.”

The group has so far held informal movie nights and a picnic and garden party; the launch party is June 28 at the Cambridge Yacht Club, which will feature a Pride celebration and tea dance. The event’s 75 tickets sold out quickly and proceeds benefit DoCo Pride.

“Tickets went faster than we imagined and we’re bummed we can’t welcome everyone who wanted to come,” Lumalcuri said, adding that organizers plan to make “Cheers on the Choptank” an annual event with added capacity next year.

One of the group’s first projects was to distribute free Pride flags to anyone who requested one and the result is a visually striking display of a large number of flags flying all over town. Up next: Proudly Cambridge plans to roll out a program offering affirming businesses rainbow crab stickers to show their inclusiveness and LGBTQ support. The group also wants to engage with potential visitors and homebuyers.

“We want to spread the word outside of Cambridge — in D.C. and Baltimore — who don’t know about Cambridge,” Lumalcuri said. “We want them to come and know we are a safe haven. You can exist here and feel comfortable and supported by neighbors in a way that we didn’t anticipate when we moved here.”

James Lumalcuri and Lou Cardenas sailing in Cambridge, Md. The couple bought a second home there and are spreading the word about the town’s pro-LGBTQ culture. (Photo courtesy the couple)

Lumalcuri, 53, a federal government employee, and his husband, Lou Cardenas, 62, a Realtor, purchased a Victorian house in Cambridge in 2021 and embarked on an extensive renovation. The couple also owns a home in Adams Morgan in D.C.

“We saw the opportunity here and wanted to share it with others,” Cardenas said. “There’s lots of housing inventory in the $300-400,000 range … we’re not here to gentrify people out of town because a lot of these homes are just empty and need to be fixed up and we’re happy to be a part of that.”

Lumalcuri was talking with friends one Sunday last year at the gazebo (affectionately known as the “gayzebo” by locals) at the Yacht Club and the idea for Proudly Cambridge was born. The founding board members are Lumalcuri, Corey van Vlymen, Brian Orjuela, Lauren Mross, and Caleb Holland. The group is currently working toward forming a 501(c)3.

“We need visibility and support for those who need it,” Mross said. “We started making lists of what we wanted to do and the five of us ran with it. We started meeting weekly and solidified what we wanted to do.”

Mross, 50, a brand strategist and web designer, moved to Cambridge from Atlanta with her wife three years ago. They knew they wanted to be near the water and farther north and began researching their options when they discovered Cambridge.

“I had not heard of Cambridge but the location seemed perfect,” she said. “I pointed on a map and said this is where we’re going to move.”

The couple packed up, bought a camper trailer and parked it in different campsites but kept coming back to Cambridge. 

“I didn’t know how right it was until we moved here,” she said. “It’s the most welcoming place … there’s an energy vortex here – how did so many cool, progressive people end up in one place?” 

Corey van Vlymen and his husband live in D.C. and were looking for a second home. They considered Lost River, W.Va., but decided they preferred to be on the water.

“We looked at a map on both sides of the bay and came to Cambridge on a Saturday and bought a house that day,” said van Vlymen, 39, a senior scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton. They’ve owned in Cambridge for two years.

They were drawn to Cambridge due to its location on the water, the affordable housing inventory, and its proximity to D.C.; it’s about an hour and 20 minutes away.

Now, through the work of Proudly Cambridge, they hope to highlight the town’s many attributes to residents and visitors alike.

“Something we all agree on is there’s a perception problem for Cambridge and a lack of awareness,” van Vlymen said. “If you tell someone you’re going to Cambridge, chances are they think, ‘England or Massachusetts?’”

He cited the affordability and the opportunity to save older, historic homes as a big draw for buyers.

“It’s all about celebrating all the things that make Cambridge great,” Mross added. “Our monthly social events are joyful and celebratory.” A recent game night drew about 70 people.

She noted that the goal is not to gentrify the town and push longtime residents out, but to uplift all the people who are already there while welcoming new visitors and future residents. 

They also noted that Proudly Cambridge does not seek to supplant existing Pride-focused organizations. Dorchester County Pride organizes countywide Pride events and Delmarva Pride was held in nearby Easton two weeks ago.

“We celebrate all diversity but are gay powered and gay led,” Mross noted.  

To learn more about Proudly Cambridge, visit the group on Facebook and Instagram.

What to see and do

Cambridge, located 13 miles up the Choptank River from the Chesapeake Bay, has a population of roughly 15,000. It was settled in 1684 and named for the English university town in 1686. It is home to the Harriet Tubman Museum, mural, and monument. Its proximity to the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge makes it a popular stop for birders, drawn to more than 27,000 acres of marshland dubbed “the Everglades of the north.”

The refuge is walkable, bikeable, and driveable, making it an accessible attraction for all. There are kayaking and biking tours through Blackwater Adventures (blackwateradventuresmd.com).

Back in town, take a stroll along the water and through historic downtown and admire the architecture. Take in the striking Harriet Tubman mural (424 Race St.). Shop in the many local boutiques, and don’t miss the gay-owned Shorelife Home and Gifts (421 Race St.), filled with stylish coastal décor items. 

Stop for breakfast or lunch at Black Water Bakery (429 Race St.), which offers a full compliment of coffee drinks along with a build-your-own mimosa bar and a full menu of creative cocktails.

The Cambridge Yacht Club (1 Mill St.) is always bustling but you need to be a member to get in. Snapper’s on the water is temporarily closed for renovations. RaR Brewing (rarbrewing.com) is popular for craft beers served in an 80-year-old former pool hall and bowling alley. The menu offers burgers, wings, and other bar fare.

For dinner or wine, don’t miss the fantastic Vintage 414 (414 Race St.), which offers lunch, dinner, wine tasting events, specialty foods, and a large selection of wines. The homemade cheddar crackers, inventive flatbreads, and creative desserts (citrus olive oil cake, carrot cake trifle) were a hit on a recent visit.

Also nearby is Ava’s (305 High St.), a regional chain offering outstanding Italian dishes, pizzas, and more.  

For something off the beaten path, visit Emily’s Produce (22143 Church Creek Rd.) for its nursery, produce, and prepared meals.

“Ten minutes into the sticks there’s a place called Emily’s Produce, where you can pay $5 and walk through a field and pick sunflowers, blueberries, you can feed the goats … and they have great food,” van Vlymen said.

As for accommodations, there’s the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (100 Heron Blvd. at Route 50), a resort complex with golf course, spa, and marina. Otherwise, check out Airbnb and VRBO for short-term rentals closer to downtown.

Its proximity to D.C. and Baltimore makes Cambridge an ideal weekend getaway. The large LGBTQ population is welcoming and they are happy to talk up their town and show you around. 

“There’s a closeness among the neighbors that I wasn’t feeling in D.C.,” Lumalcuri said. “We look after each other.”

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James Baldwin bio shows how much of his life is revealed in his work

‘A Love Story’ is first major book on acclaimed author’s life in 30 years

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(Book cover image courtesy of FSG)

‘Baldwin: A Love Story’
By Nicholas Boggs
c.2025, FSG
$35/704 pages

“Baldwin: A Love Story” is a sympathetic biography, the first major one in 30 years, of acclaimed Black gay writer James Baldwin. Drawing on Baldwin’s fiction, essays, and letters, Nicolas Boggs, a white writer who rediscovered and co-edited a new edition of a long-lost Baldwin book, explores Baldwin’s life and work through focusing on his lovers, mentors, and inspirations.

The book begins with a quick look at Baldwin’s childhood in Harlem, and his difficult relationship with his religious, angry stepfather. Baldwin’s experience with Orilla Miller, a white teacher who encouraged the boy’s writing and took him to plays and movies, even against his father’s wishes, helped shape his life and tempered his feelings toward white people. When Baldwin later joined a church and became a child preacher, though, he felt conflicted between academic success and religious demands, even denouncing Miller at one point. In a fascinating late essay, Baldwin also described his teenage sexual relationship with a mobster, who showed him off in public.

Baldwin’s romantic life was complicated, as he preferred men who were not outwardly gay. Indeed, many would marry women and have children while also involved with Baldwin. Still, they would often remain friends and enabled Baldwin’s work. Lucien Happersberger, who met Baldwin while both were living in Paris, sent him to a Swiss village, where he wrote his first novel, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” as well as an essay, “Stranger in the Village,” about the oddness of being the first Black person many villagers had ever seen. Baldwin met Turkish actor Engin Cezzar in New York at the Actors’ Studio; Baldwin later spent time in Istanbul with Cezzar and his wife, finishing “Another Country” and directing a controversial play about Turkish prisoners that depicted sexuality and gender. 

Baldwin collaborated with French artist Yoran Cazac on a children’s book, which later vanished. Boggs writes of his excitement about coming across this book while a student at Yale and how he later interviewed Cazac and his wife while also republishing the book. Baldwin also had many tumultuous sexual relationships with young men whom he tried to mentor and shape, most of which led to drama and despair.

The book carefully examines Baldwin’s development as a writer. “Go Tell It on the Mountain” draws heavily on his early life, giving subtle signs of the main character John’s sexuality, while “Giovanni’s Room” bravely and openly shows a homosexual relationship, highly controversial at the time. “If Beale Street Could Talk” features a woman as its main character and narrator, the first time Baldwin wrote fully through a woman’s perspective. His essays feel deeply personal, even if they do not reveal everything; Lucian is the unnamed visiting friend in one who the police briefly detained along with Baldwin. He found New York too distracting to write, spending his time there with friends and family or on business. He was close friends with modernist painter Beauford Delaney, also gay, who helped Baldwin see that a Black man could thrive as an artist. Delaney would later move to France, staying near Baldwin’s home.

An epilogue has Boggs writing about encountering Baldwin’s work as one of the few white students in a majority-Black school. It helpfully reminds us that Baldwin connects to all who feel different, no matter their race, sexuality, gender, or class. A well-written, easy-flowing biography, with many excerpts from Baldwin’s writing, it shows how much of his life is revealed in his work. Let’s hope it encourages reading the work, either again or for the first time.

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