Jack and Lem: John F. Kennedy and Lem Billings: The Untold Story of an Extraordinary Friendship

by David Pitts

Jack and Lem explores the enduring friendship between John F. Kennedy and Kirk Lemoyne Billings (aka "Lem"). Jack Kennedy and Lem Billings met at Choate and remained friends until the Dallas gunfire that ended Kennedy's life thirty years later. Featuring interviews with Ben Bradlee, Gore Vidal, Ted Sorenson, friends, family, and many others, award–winning journalist David Pitts begins the story with the early friendship between the men. Though Lem never held an official role in the Kennedy administration, his friendship and insight were much valued, so much so that he had his own room at the White House. This is the story of Jack and Lem and the climate for gays during he Kennedy era — the story of a great friendship that grew and survived against the odds.

384 pages, Hardcover

Published April 25, 2007

Reviews

[John Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Kennedy buff/stan, his life growing up pre-politics and friendship with Lem Billings was admittedly the part of JFK’s life I was the least familiar with. This book does an incredible job detailing their incredible lives together and how influential Lem was in JFK’s life. Spanning almost 50 years and generations of Kennedys while tackling the evolution of gay culture at the same time, I definitely recommend this to anyone who’s interested in the Kennedys!