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Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death
From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a lively and engaging biography of the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States, a man fiercely committed to protecting all minorities
"This elegantly written and well-researched book recovers the Jewishness that has too often been erased or glossed over in the mythologizing of a gay icon."—Helene Meyers, Tablet
Harvey Milk—eloquent, charismatic, and a smart-aleck—was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, but he had not even served a full year in office when he was shot by a homophobic fellow supervisor. Milk’s assassination at the age of forty-eight made him the most famous gay man in modern history; twenty years later Time magazine included him on its list of the hundred most influential individuals of the twentieth century.
Before finding his calling as a politician, however, Harvey variously tried being a schoolteacher, a securities analyst on Wall Street, a supporter of Barry Goldwater, a Broadway theater assistant, a bead-wearing hippie, the operator of a camera store and organizer of the local business community in San Francisco. He rejected Judaism as a religion, but he was deeply influenced by the cultural values of his Jewish upbringing and his understanding of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. His early influences and his many personal and professional experiences finally came together when he decided to run for elective office as the forceful champion of gays, racial minorities, women, working people, the disabled, and senior citizens. In his last five years, he focused all of his tremendous energy on becoming a successful public figure with a distinct political voice.
About Jewish
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.
In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.
More praise for Jewish
"Excellent" –New York Times
"Exemplary" –Wall Street Journal
"Distinguished" –New Yorker
"Superb" –The Guardian
"This elegantly written and well-researched book recovers the Jewishness that has too often been erased or glossed over in the mythologizing of a gay icon."—Helene Meyers, Tablet
Harvey Milk—eloquent, charismatic, and a smart-aleck—was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, but he had not even served a full year in office when he was shot by a homophobic fellow supervisor. Milk’s assassination at the age of forty-eight made him the most famous gay man in modern history; twenty years later Time magazine included him on its list of the hundred most influential individuals of the twentieth century.
Before finding his calling as a politician, however, Harvey variously tried being a schoolteacher, a securities analyst on Wall Street, a supporter of Barry Goldwater, a Broadway theater assistant, a bead-wearing hippie, the operator of a camera store and organizer of the local business community in San Francisco. He rejected Judaism as a religion, but he was deeply influenced by the cultural values of his Jewish upbringing and his understanding of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. His early influences and his many personal and professional experiences finally came together when he decided to run for elective office as the forceful champion of gays, racial minorities, women, working people, the disabled, and senior citizens. In his last five years, he focused all of his tremendous energy on becoming a successful public figure with a distinct political voice.
About Jewish
Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present.
In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.
More praise for Jewish
"Excellent" –New York Times
"Exemplary" –Wall Street Journal
"Distinguished" –New Yorker
"Superb" –The Guardian
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2018
36 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
About the author
Lillian Faderman
28 books341 followersLillian Faderman is an internationally known scholar of lesbian history and literature, as well as ethnic history and literature. Among her many honors are six Lambda Literary Awards, two American Library Association Awards, and several lifetime achievement awards for scholarship. She is the author of The Gay Revolution and the New York Times Notable Books, Surpassing the Love of Men and Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers. (photo by Donn R. Nottage)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 5, 2021
When I first listened to the audiobook of Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death by Lillian Faderman published by Yale University Press in 2018, I thought I knew about Harvey Milk and would just be getting a refresher, something I could pass along. Harvey Milk is the gay leader who was assassinated in 1978 when he was 48. Having held a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for nearly a year, he was the first openly gay man to hold elected office in the United States. He was dubbed the Mayor of Castro Street — the gay neighborhood in San Francisco where Milk eventually moved and made his home.
As is described in the epilogue of the book, Milk was larger in death than he was in life.
His murder — along with the then San Francisco Mayor George Moscone — galvanized the LGBT community across the nation and the world. The anger that erupted after his murderer received a less than two-year sentence was too long-suppressed gay anger and it could not be denied.
His death changed a lot of lives — including mine, including yours.
The new information that I found in this book was in the details of his complex background and in the Jewish identity of this man who was raised in Long Island New York, a place that was rife with anti-Semitism during the holocaust when he and his family would listen to the news on the radio, fearful that the Holocaust could spread to America.
The book, which is part of Yale University’s Jewish Lives series, points out that Harvey Milk was informed by Tikkun olam — the Jewish philosophy of repairing the world. After he came out and was radicalized in San Francisco, he was always concerned about the disenfranchised and rose to elected office by building coalitions.
He was, in many ways, ahead of his time in understanding the power of uniting — or what is now called intersectionality.
He was accused by the (largely unsuccessful) gay establishment of the time as muddying the waters by focusing on the rights of all oppressed groups and not only on gay rights. But Harvey persisted. And he succeeded in furthering gay rights only as someone who was not concerned with “fitting in” and upending the status quo could. When I read Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death by Lillian Faderman published by Yale University Press, I knew I was reading about an important part of LGBTQ history but I didn’t know how important it was until the last page was turned.
As is described in the epilogue of the book, Milk was larger in death than he was in life.
His murder — along with the then San Francisco Mayor George Moscone — galvanized the LGBT community across the nation and the world. The anger that erupted after his murderer received a less than two-year sentence was too long-suppressed gay anger and it could not be denied.
His death changed a lot of lives — including mine, including yours.
The new information that I found in this book was in the details of his complex background and in the Jewish identity of this man who was raised in Long Island New York, a place that was rife with anti-Semitism during the holocaust when he and his family would listen to the news on the radio, fearful that the Holocaust could spread to America.
The book, which is part of Yale University’s Jewish Lives series, points out that Harvey Milk was informed by Tikkun olam — the Jewish philosophy of repairing the world. After he came out and was radicalized in San Francisco, he was always concerned about the disenfranchised and rose to elected office by building coalitions.
He was, in many ways, ahead of his time in understanding the power of uniting — or what is now called intersectionality.
He was accused by the (largely unsuccessful) gay establishment of the time as muddying the waters by focusing on the rights of all oppressed groups and not only on gay rights. But Harvey persisted. And he succeeded in furthering gay rights only as someone who was not concerned with “fitting in” and upending the status quo could. When I read Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death by Lillian Faderman published by Yale University Press, I knew I was reading about an important part of LGBTQ history but I didn’t know how important it was until the last page was turned.
February 5, 2023
I read this book a long time ago, but I will never forget it.
Very detailed, and interesting to read about Milk’s intersectional identity, being that he was both gay and Jewish.
Also interesting to read about his life and political activism in the Castro district of SF.
Harvey Milk seems like he was a passionate, loving, theatrical, impulsive, lonely, lovable, brilliant, hard working, successful, wonderful man.
Very detailed, and interesting to read about Milk’s intersectional identity, being that he was both gay and Jewish.
Also interesting to read about his life and political activism in the Castro district of SF.
Harvey Milk seems like he was a passionate, loving, theatrical, impulsive, lonely, lovable, brilliant, hard working, successful, wonderful man.
June 19, 2018
Loved this biography of Harvey Milk! I've been a part of the fight for LGBTQIA civil rights, so learning more about his approach and struggles felt very meaningful. In particular, my spouse ran or advised on 9 statewide campaigns to defend inclusive non-discrimination ordinances in Michigan against anti-gay challenges. She also founded a statewide organization to fight through the political process for queer civil rights (Michigan Equality -- now Equality Michigan -- long story). My spouse is also Jewish.
Thus, many parts of the book felt intensely personal and relevant to my own life. As some other reviewers have pointed out, Milk's Jewishness has not been covered in detail before and I found his ongoing conflicts with his brother sadly familiar (Harvey did not marry, carry on the family name thru children, nor observed his faith, and dared to have his mother cremated). Yet his Jewish ethics, particularly Tikun Olam, were brought out as influential to his fight for gay civil rights. I don't think Faderman mentioned these, but two other deeply held principles include "You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it," and "If I am only for myself, who am I? " both of which I am sure influenced him (and us).
The best part for me were A Serious Political Animal where Milk's amazing political acumen through four campaigns was described in detail. Fascinating and so familiar. Other things which shocked and interested me were the side notes about the People's Temple and Jim Jones, plus the early rejection of the established gay community. Struggles where we "kill and eat our own" are also so sadly familiar and continue to the present day unabated. The section which described his assassination moved me to tears.
As others have said, Faderman's writing is deliciously accessible and easy to read. I have ready many of her other books and I'm in the middle of the formidable tome, "The Gay Revolution." Well written history is about my favorite genre, so I'm a big fan of Faderman.
A last note, another lesbian Jewish writer published a collection called, "A Letter to Harvey Milk" (Leslea Newman). I need to reread that but I remember it fondly and recommend it!
Thus, many parts of the book felt intensely personal and relevant to my own life. As some other reviewers have pointed out, Milk's Jewishness has not been covered in detail before and I found his ongoing conflicts with his brother sadly familiar (Harvey did not marry, carry on the family name thru children, nor observed his faith, and dared to have his mother cremated). Yet his Jewish ethics, particularly Tikun Olam, were brought out as influential to his fight for gay civil rights. I don't think Faderman mentioned these, but two other deeply held principles include "You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it," and "If I am only for myself, who am I? " both of which I am sure influenced him (and us).
The best part for me were A Serious Political Animal where Milk's amazing political acumen through four campaigns was described in detail. Fascinating and so familiar. Other things which shocked and interested me were the side notes about the People's Temple and Jim Jones, plus the early rejection of the established gay community. Struggles where we "kill and eat our own" are also so sadly familiar and continue to the present day unabated. The section which described his assassination moved me to tears.
As others have said, Faderman's writing is deliciously accessible and easy to read. I have ready many of her other books and I'm in the middle of the formidable tome, "The Gay Revolution." Well written history is about my favorite genre, so I'm a big fan of Faderman.
A last note, another lesbian Jewish writer published a collection called, "A Letter to Harvey Milk" (Leslea Newman). I need to reread that but I remember it fondly and recommend it!
August 6, 2018
crisp writing-- feels like real time--current
very in depth bio
very in depth bio
May 31, 2018
Lillian Faderman has written a biography, "Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death", which is part of the "Jewish Lives" series. The book does add a bit more about Milk's Jewish identity than other biographies might contain, but it is a conventionally written biography.
Harvey Milk seemed almost like a comet streaking through the night skies. Brilliant, impatient, at odds with others while attracting them, never seeming satisfied with the status quo - all attributes that contributed to his short, turbulent life and his many accomplishments. Born and raised in Woodmere, NY, Harvey knew early in life that he was gay. While he never came out to his parents, he lived a somewhat open gay life in his middle years, and completely open after the age of 40 or so. He and various boyfriends bounced around, living in Texas, New York and other places, before finally settling in San Francisco's Castro district. It was in the Castro that Harvey Milk found his calling. He went into local politics, rallying the gay community behind him. But Milk was not a "gay politician"; he was a "politician who was gay". There's a difference in those two labels and Milk was proud of his leadership in the non-gay community.
Milk ran in three elections to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. The first two races for system-wide and he lost each race. The third race was to a Board that had been broken up into districts. Milk won in his home district and joined the Board. He was assassinated about a year later by rival Dan White, who also killed the mayor, George Mascone.
Lillian Faderman's bio is a well-written look at a man who was not a saint. He seemed to have a penchant for picking young men as partners and lovers who needed more love and attention than Harvey could give. He was a lousy businessman - "Castro Camera" never made much money and he was often wanting. But he was a man who inspired others with his speeches and writings and led the men (and women) of the Castro to fight for gay rights. He died and was honored as a great man.
Harvey Milk was murdered in 1978. That date is important because the AIDS epidemic began in the early 1980's. I've often wondered if Harvey Milk had not died when he did, would he have - perhaps - become a leader in the fight against the disease. "What would Harvey do?"
Harvey Milk seemed almost like a comet streaking through the night skies. Brilliant, impatient, at odds with others while attracting them, never seeming satisfied with the status quo - all attributes that contributed to his short, turbulent life and his many accomplishments. Born and raised in Woodmere, NY, Harvey knew early in life that he was gay. While he never came out to his parents, he lived a somewhat open gay life in his middle years, and completely open after the age of 40 or so. He and various boyfriends bounced around, living in Texas, New York and other places, before finally settling in San Francisco's Castro district. It was in the Castro that Harvey Milk found his calling. He went into local politics, rallying the gay community behind him. But Milk was not a "gay politician"; he was a "politician who was gay". There's a difference in those two labels and Milk was proud of his leadership in the non-gay community.
Milk ran in three elections to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. The first two races for system-wide and he lost each race. The third race was to a Board that had been broken up into districts. Milk won in his home district and joined the Board. He was assassinated about a year later by rival Dan White, who also killed the mayor, George Mascone.
Lillian Faderman's bio is a well-written look at a man who was not a saint. He seemed to have a penchant for picking young men as partners and lovers who needed more love and attention than Harvey could give. He was a lousy businessman - "Castro Camera" never made much money and he was often wanting. But he was a man who inspired others with his speeches and writings and led the men (and women) of the Castro to fight for gay rights. He died and was honored as a great man.
Harvey Milk was murdered in 1978. That date is important because the AIDS epidemic began in the early 1980's. I've often wondered if Harvey Milk had not died when he did, would he have - perhaps - become a leader in the fight against the disease. "What would Harvey do?"
June 27, 2022
The author never tries to make Milk a saint and is quite willing to point out Milk’s broken love life, his sometimes overweening ambition, and the internecine conflict within the gay community.
Personally, I was in junior high in the Bay Area when Milk was murdered along with Mayor Moscone. Coming as it did soon after the Jonestown suicide of over 900, and the subsequent riots over the Dan White verdict all conspired in my junior high mind an awakening.
The bigger, adult world I realized was quite a crazy place. These events opened my eyes, and I was never that younger person again.
Personally, I was in junior high in the Bay Area when Milk was murdered along with Mayor Moscone. Coming as it did soon after the Jonestown suicide of over 900, and the subsequent riots over the Dan White verdict all conspired in my junior high mind an awakening.
The bigger, adult world I realized was quite a crazy place. These events opened my eyes, and I was never that younger person again.
August 24, 2018
A well-researched and detailed biography of a complex man, engaging, accessible and balanced. I enjoyed the first half more than the second, as some of Milk’s later political exploits weren’t as interesting for me as his earlier and more personal life, but overall I found this an excellent biography which I heartily recommend.
March 19, 2019
When I first saw there was a biography of Harvey Milk published in 2018, I was confused because my impression was we already had so many of them. Turns out that's not really so! The only really substantial one is Randy Shilts' Mayor of Castro Street, and that was published in the early 80s. I haven't read Shilts' book, but judging by And the Band Played On and how recent Milk's passing was at the time of writing, Shilts is much more of a journalist than a historian. He's writing to the moment more than for perpetuity. Things are too fresh for some information to be written about in a historical way. So a new biography was very much called for. The documentary and the biopic--and maybe Cleve Jones's memoir too--must have given me a false impression about the glut of work based on Milk. (Though, to be fair, the focus on him does feel outsized when compared to other activists whose legacies are underappreciated.)
I really enjoyed Faderman's writing in The Gay Revolution, and it's just as good here. It covers some great and interesting details that other media based on Milk's life doesn't touch on enough: Namely, his relationship with his Jewish identity (this is part of a Jewish Lives biography series after all), the optics of his tendency to date much, much younger men, his varying personas that he adopted throughout his life, and his life pre-Castro Street. There are even smaller bits that I think other works tend to overlook too, the general tying-in-with-the-times details like Jim Jones's People's Temple, which Milk naively supported.
It's fast, comprehensive, very readable, and still worth checking out even if you think you know all there is to know about Milk. It's less sentimental in its depiction than others, which I think is important. We too often try to make those who change history for the better out to be saints, when they can be as flawed and messed up as the rest of us.
I really enjoyed Faderman's writing in The Gay Revolution, and it's just as good here. It covers some great and interesting details that other media based on Milk's life doesn't touch on enough: Namely, his relationship with his Jewish identity (this is part of a Jewish Lives biography series after all), the optics of his tendency to date much, much younger men, his varying personas that he adopted throughout his life, and his life pre-Castro Street. There are even smaller bits that I think other works tend to overlook too, the general tying-in-with-the-times details like Jim Jones's People's Temple, which Milk naively supported.
It's fast, comprehensive, very readable, and still worth checking out even if you think you know all there is to know about Milk. It's less sentimental in its depiction than others, which I think is important. We too often try to make those who change history for the better out to be saints, when they can be as flawed and messed up as the rest of us.
March 27, 2021
This was the first queer men's book club pick I joined last month. I've of course seen the Gus Van Sant movie, and then last year I watched the 1984 Oscar winning documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk, which is stunning. I am inspired by Milk's guts and gusto, and I was happy to read this 2018 biography.
Faderman does a solid job of telling the full arc of Milk's story, from childhood to assassination. This is a part of a Jewish Lives series, and while it doesn't delve too deeply into Milk's religious beliefs, I'm sure her focus delves deeper than earlier bios. I also appreciate that she doesn't over-dwell on his death. His murder at the hands of Dan White is an appalling display of white male privilege (the Twinkie Defense--wtf?!) and could be the basis of a whole other book. She gets the point across without deflecting from her purpose.
I would still recommend you watch the documentary--I appreciated those live images and Milk's voice in my head as I was reading. Anyone interested in important change makers would find this an engaging book; it makes you wonder how much more Milk would have done, especially in response to the AIDS epidemic, if he would not have been killed. What a loss.
Faderman does a solid job of telling the full arc of Milk's story, from childhood to assassination. This is a part of a Jewish Lives series, and while it doesn't delve too deeply into Milk's religious beliefs, I'm sure her focus delves deeper than earlier bios. I also appreciate that she doesn't over-dwell on his death. His murder at the hands of Dan White is an appalling display of white male privilege (the Twinkie Defense--wtf?!) and could be the basis of a whole other book. She gets the point across without deflecting from her purpose.
I would still recommend you watch the documentary--I appreciated those live images and Milk's voice in my head as I was reading. Anyone interested in important change makers would find this an engaging book; it makes you wonder how much more Milk would have done, especially in response to the AIDS epidemic, if he would not have been killed. What a loss.
November 2, 2022
I really enjoyed this unflinching biography of Harvey Milk! It felt like a fair summation of his life and experiences without shying away from the moments where he made mistakes. My one thing to nitpick about is the final paragraph was wild and questionable, but I still think all in all this was a great biography!
September 22, 2018
A great read, and no surprise there, since it's written by author and historian Lillian Faderman. And what a fascinating life Harvey Milk had! A lot of heartbreak, and also a lot of varied experience before his life was cut short. This is a volume in the Jewish Lives series from Yale University Press, and the author draws the connection between the Jewish concern for social justice, as well as Milk's experience of discrimination growing up, and his later political advocacy for the outsider and the oppressed. Once he found his political calling, he basically gave up everything, eventually including his life, to make a difference in the world. But the book doesn't shy away from his human faults, either, so you get a well-rounded picture. An admirable portrait of an important figure in queer history, and a reminder that we can still learn from his politics now. Highly recommended.
January 13, 2021
I really loved this. it had been on my tbr since fall of 2019, when I decided to do a big project on Milk for national history day, but I finally picked it up on friday after I decided to do (another) project on him for school. Despite already knowing most of the information in here, I found it enjoyable and engaging. I'd also never read any full account of his life that went into this much detail (especially about his early, pre-1970s life), which I really appreciated. This book also doesn't shy away from more messy or unappealing aspects of Milk, which I also appreciated. I also sped through this for my standards and it held my attention in a way not a lot of books do.
I'd really recommend this, it's both informative without being boring and I think anyone wanting to know more about the LGBT rights movement in the US or Milk as a person would find it useful.
I'd really recommend this, it's both informative without being boring and I think anyone wanting to know more about the LGBT rights movement in the US or Milk as a person would find it useful.
November 11, 2018
This is an informative and insightful biography, but it was somehow a bit dull for me at times. I think I should have read it in a different state of mind because I accidentally fell asleep two separate times while listening to the audiobook. The first time I rewound it, but on the second occasion I couldn’t summon the energy. Like I said, I think the problem was more with me than the book itself because so many of the other reviews are entirely positive.
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5 out of 5 stars
September 6, 2020
Harvey Milk was an early influencer for the LBGTQ community, and the first publicly elected gay politician. He served on the San Francisco city council until he was murdered by Dan White, a council member that considered Milk a threat to society. Milk encouraged gays to come out of the closet and register to vote. He had a premonition of his early death, and a turbulent home life but he is remembered for encouraging gay pride in a time when Middle American was ashamed of their sons and daughters. Many of them flocked to the Bay Area to feel the acceptance that was not available in other communities.
April 20, 2022
i found this to be an interesting and engaging read! there were some things i would have loved more information on, but this felt well-rounded, and clearly very well researched. would recommend!
February 17, 2023
really loved it, very well written and interesting !
January 26, 2023
I got educated (ꈍ‿ꈍ)
November 9, 2018
Very well done. Historically, I haven't been a huge reader of nonfiction, as inattention keeps me from absorbing facts. But this was very accessible and easy to follow. A fascinating man, and a fascinating biography. Minority history isn't taught as it should be, and I'm exceptionally grateful to historians who keep us educated on our own pasts.
November 18, 2020
(I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
This is an engaging, accessible biography that offers some new angles from which to examine the life of Harvey Milk. Faderman places Milk's Jewish identity at the forefront of his story, showing how Milk's Jewishness influenced his activism and life. It's not an aspect that I've seen scholarship on Milk examine much before, so I liked the fresh angle.
There's a frank examination of Milk's flaws and foibles. Faderman looks at the little tragedies of Milk's life that were of his own making, such as his eternally doomed romantic life, with Milk always coming back to broken young men, hoping he could save them. And it's clear that things like Milk's love of the spotlight did both good and ill.
Looking at the notes, this book seems to correct a few errors present in Randy Shilts' "The Mayor of Castro Street.
All in all, I enjoyed this biography very much and I think it's useful work of queer scholarship.
This is an engaging, accessible biography that offers some new angles from which to examine the life of Harvey Milk. Faderman places Milk's Jewish identity at the forefront of his story, showing how Milk's Jewishness influenced his activism and life. It's not an aspect that I've seen scholarship on Milk examine much before, so I liked the fresh angle.
There's a frank examination of Milk's flaws and foibles. Faderman looks at the little tragedies of Milk's life that were of his own making, such as his eternally doomed romantic life, with Milk always coming back to broken young men, hoping he could save them. And it's clear that things like Milk's love of the spotlight did both good and ill.
Looking at the notes, this book seems to correct a few errors present in Randy Shilts' "The Mayor of Castro Street.
All in all, I enjoyed this biography very much and I think it's useful work of queer scholarship.
July 8, 2018
A maverick. A mensch. A something else that starts with the letter m but is unprintable. These three adjectives begin to describe Harvey Milk, the first openly Gay man to be elected to public office in CA. The energy from the three M's girds Lillian Faderman's balanced and insightful biography. Milk was also profane, passionate, persnickety and (like every human being) inordinately complex. All at the same time (usually). Milk, the product of an industrious and observant Jewish family on Long Island, was quite peripatetic as a young man. After college, he taught, served in the U.S. Navy and worked on Wall Street. But he was unsatisfied with his life. When he turned 40, he suffered a true midlife crisis; it led him to dedicate himself to do something meaningful with his life. He moved to San Francisco. His lover Scott Smith followed him. Together they settled in the city's Castro section, where they opened and ran a photography store. Over time, Harvey became the Castro's conscience. He actively pushed and fought for neighborhood improvements, as well as for a more vocal LGBT voice. While it fine tuned his political antennae, he didn't grow politically SOLO FIDE. Rather, he grew thanks to a cadre of devoted associates and volunteers, the most important of whom was Scott. He was THE love of Harvey's life. Harvey was elected to San Francisco Board of Supervisors, on his third try, in 1977. He campaigned AND supervised in prose (there was no subtle poetry in Harvey Milk). He strengthened the city's Gay voice and forcefully proclaimed to the powers-that-be that it must be listened to. Via politics and public service, Harvey Bernard Milk found his voice. His epiphany mirrored Bobby Kennedy's, who found HIS during his fateful presidential campaign in 1968. Both men's dynamism and ardor were cut short by assassin's bullets; Harvey was shot and killed by ex-SF Supervisor Dan White on November 27, 1978. His martyrdom fueled an angry, visible legacy that has only risen in the nearly four subsequent decades. He kicked down the closet door with both feet and off its hinges, which has propelled LGBTQ people to live openly, serve openly and do such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in. Openly. Faderman's insightful, emotional and explosive biography shows Harvey Milk in all of his maverick-ness. Warts and all.
June 10, 2021
Harvey Milk lived many different lives before becoming the first openly gay politician in California:
"There were seemingly many Harveys as he drifted for years through various stages, fumbling to find the niche from which he could fulfill the high, vague aspirations of his childhood. There was Harvey the supermacho college jock and navy deep-sea diver. Harvey the high school math teacher and earnest mentor to young people. Harvey the buttoned-down Wall Street securities research analyst and cheerleader for the protolibertarian presidential candidate and darling of the right wing Barry Goldwater. Harvey the long-haired, bead-wearing hippie. Harvey the actor, associate producer, and gofer to a Broadway celebrity. Harvey the businessman and leader of a business community. Harvey the progressive politician and gay icon. Each earlier “life” represented some genuine (if contradictory) aspect of Harvey Milk—and in each transformation he thought for a while that he had found himself. But it was only in his final life, as an openly gay politician, that he discovered who he had wanted to be all along."
"He championed workers, women, racial minorities, the disabled, senior citizens—all who suffered at the hands of the fat-cat insiders. He fought hard for San Francisco’s strong gay rights ordinance; and he fought equally hard for rent control and the city’s divestment from apartheid South Africa. Harvey Milk’s politics were strongly influenced by his gay identity. But just as deep an influence was his Jewish identity, and especially the values that liberal Judaism holds dear."
Harvey Milk might be most famous for his prophesy: ""If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door in the country." Milk would be proud to see the shattered remains of closet doors strewn about America.
If you'd like to know more about Harvey Milk, I suggest Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death by Lillian Faderman (@lillianfaderman).
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"There were seemingly many Harveys as he drifted for years through various stages, fumbling to find the niche from which he could fulfill the high, vague aspirations of his childhood. There was Harvey the supermacho college jock and navy deep-sea diver. Harvey the high school math teacher and earnest mentor to young people. Harvey the buttoned-down Wall Street securities research analyst and cheerleader for the protolibertarian presidential candidate and darling of the right wing Barry Goldwater. Harvey the long-haired, bead-wearing hippie. Harvey the actor, associate producer, and gofer to a Broadway celebrity. Harvey the businessman and leader of a business community. Harvey the progressive politician and gay icon. Each earlier “life” represented some genuine (if contradictory) aspect of Harvey Milk—and in each transformation he thought for a while that he had found himself. But it was only in his final life, as an openly gay politician, that he discovered who he had wanted to be all along."
"He championed workers, women, racial minorities, the disabled, senior citizens—all who suffered at the hands of the fat-cat insiders. He fought hard for San Francisco’s strong gay rights ordinance; and he fought equally hard for rent control and the city’s divestment from apartheid South Africa. Harvey Milk’s politics were strongly influenced by his gay identity. But just as deep an influence was his Jewish identity, and especially the values that liberal Judaism holds dear."
Harvey Milk might be most famous for his prophesy: ""If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door in the country." Milk would be proud to see the shattered remains of closet doors strewn about America.
If you'd like to know more about Harvey Milk, I suggest Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death by Lillian Faderman (@lillianfaderman).
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July 2, 2020
Frankly I don't have much to add here that isn't part of the broad consensus on Goodreads about this book: much like The Gay Revolution, the writing is lucid and crisp, and her assessment of the people in her histories is level-headed by eschewing hagiography, instead finding sympathy among the flawed and flaws among the sympathetic. She is a subtle chronicler of the methods by which history rhymes, rather than beating you over the head with contemporary parallels. Both this book and The Gay Revolution analyze very effectively the symbiosis between mainstream and radical queer movement politics without giving short shrift especially to the latter. The police, as always, are irredeemable pricks through this book, and Faderman gives us a gracious summation of the urgency of the riots after Milk's assassination, a refreshing antidote the poison of white American rhetoric against not just rioting, but the understanding of its root causes. Lastly, Milk's flaws are absolutely fascinating, if at times even horrifying (four partners dying of suicide; a strange camaraderie with Jim Jones), but most importantly worth knowing. I'm so glad we have as staunchly humanist a historian as Faderman.
February 28, 2024
This is another great addition to the JEWISH LIVES series from Yale University Press. Milk was a hero to the LGBTQ community and a martyr. He was the first openly gay man to be elected to political office. There were a few openly gay women who were already serving in public office when he was elected a City Supervisor in San Francisco. He knew, like Martin Luther King Jr. before him, that he could be a target for violence but that did not stop him. After he was elected, he fought the Brigg's Initiative which was a statewide proposition to ban gays from teaching positions. He warned the gay community the language being used to promote this was like the language Hitler used against the Jews. Unfortunately, such language is being used today against the LGBTQ community by religious fundamentalists and their political allies. One person who came out against the initiative was Ronald Reagan. Milk was an imperfect man but a man of intelligence, compassion and one of tremendous courage and not only a hero to me but a true American Hero. Lillian Faderman's beautifully written biography should be a classic.
January 15, 2019
I have read many books about Harvey Milk . Hands down this is my favorite. Lillian Faderman, a brilliant historian who writes about the lives of gays and lesbians, did an excellent job of allowing us to see Harvey Milk as a charismatic, compassionate, skilled politician as well as a flawed human being. Although I knew a lot about Harvey's political life and the passion he brought to organizing for change I knew less about who he was as a person and the flaws and struggles he brought to the table. This makes me appreciate him even more since he was able to use all that he had, good and bad, to take risks and help others to take those risks too.
I came out to my parents a few days before Harvey Milk was shot. It was shocking and frightening but as I watched the people of San Francisco mourn and love each other and fight when his murderer was found guilty I knew that I had just witnessed a community take more power and also, do as Harvey Milk did; make change, have fun and come out.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book and give it an honest review
I came out to my parents a few days before Harvey Milk was shot. It was shocking and frightening but as I watched the people of San Francisco mourn and love each other and fight when his murderer was found guilty I knew that I had just witnessed a community take more power and also, do as Harvey Milk did; make change, have fun and come out.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book and give it an honest review
May 17, 2018
I received this as a ARC from NetGalley.
I didn't feel like this added much that was not already covered in Randy Shilts' The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, but I appreciated how readable Lillian Faderman's books always are. Her books are always very well researched and cited and she makes it read like popular nonfiction.
I also appreciated the full story of Galen McKinley being told. I stumbled upon the story of his life while processing the Tom O'Horgan Papers and it's a story that has never left me. He's mentioned like twice in Shilts' book but in Faderman's book you get a more complete story of Galen and his importance in both O'Horgan and Harvey's lives.
I didn't feel like this added much that was not already covered in Randy Shilts' The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, but I appreciated how readable Lillian Faderman's books always are. Her books are always very well researched and cited and she makes it read like popular nonfiction.
I also appreciated the full story of Galen McKinley being told. I stumbled upon the story of his life while processing the Tom O'Horgan Papers and it's a story that has never left me. He's mentioned like twice in Shilts' book but in Faderman's book you get a more complete story of Galen and his importance in both O'Horgan and Harvey's lives.
February 16, 2019
Listened to the book on tape, it was fabulous. Harvey Milk died over 40 years ago, yet the themes he explored in his too-short political career --of rights and dignity for all, of affirming our diverse identities -- are as current as they were at that time.
Harvey Milk was not perfect, but he was inspiring in many ways and certainly ahead of his time. As someone who grew up in the SF Bay Area but was too young to understand the significance of these events at the time, I appreciated returning to this time.
Harvey Milk was not perfect, but he was inspiring in many ways and certainly ahead of his time. As someone who grew up in the SF Bay Area but was too young to understand the significance of these events at the time, I appreciated returning to this time.
March 28, 2019
Great read! The writing is very engaging, and I learned so much. I really didn't know anything about Harvey Milk going in (I saw the Sean Penn movie years ago), so I found it utterly fascinating. I had no idea he did so many things with his life before becoming a politician. I also appreciated that it focused heavily on his life and his legacy, giving very little space to his untimely death. That really felt important to me. It's short and succinct, an excellent find that I picked up from my library's "new" shelf.
August 1, 2019
I really thought this book was informative but an enjoyable read. Milk really embodies what it is to be real and so inspiring. The really leaves the reader with hope and as a member of the LGBT community myself, his story really gives me hope. After all, that was Milk's legacy: hope. Hope is never silent. And that really resonates with me. I recommend this everyone from all walks of life. Inspired!
June 23, 2021
I enjoyed this biography of former SF Supervisor Harvey Milk and what led him to his office. I hadn't realized how he ended up in SF and his rise to popularity in the area. There was also an interesting discussion of Jim Jones and the People's Temple, which was in the news at that time and Milk and Mayor Moscone had had a connection with Jones before the tragedy. It was nice hearing about the history of SF politics as well as Milk's life in general.
June 22, 2022
Great book that truly showcases how much Harvey Milk brought LGBTQIA+ individuals out of the dark and into the light. This also shows us how much more needs to be done. I cried multiple times during this book. Harvey's quote "if a bullet should enter my brain, may it destroy every closet door". still carries so much power and unfortunately, that was the price Harvey paid. Said at his service and I am paraphrasing "Harvey carried the scars of all oppressed people".
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