Lilac Time at the Rodeo: Stories of Identity, AIDS & Fashion

by Mark Joseph O'Connell

The subjects of this book are Gay fashion and art practitioners we lost to AIDS. These men because of the stigma attached to their illness, were never properly Halston, Way Bandy, Chester Weinberg. Bright, brilliant, and visionary all, the loss of these men to AIDS was devastating. In some cases, the memory of their oeuvres is fading, in others prurient focus on the narratives of their lives overshadows the work, still others are now forgotten or excised from art and fashion history entirely. This is not only an injustice to their legacies it leaves a disrupted chronology of Queer history. It also leaves some really wild and wonderful stories, as yet, untold. This (illustrated) book not only shines a light on their premature AIDS related mortalities, but it also includes personal reflections from the author, and adds to the record of the vibrant and beautiful work that they produced, and how they lived .

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2021

Reviews

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, educational, and IMPORTANT read for everyone— O’Connell sheds light on talent lost and dismissed among the stigma of the AIDS epidemic through thorough research and touching personal anecdotes. This is a captivating and moving book that I couldn’t put down until I was finished.