White, Edmund

(US, 1940– )

Edmund White's subject is male homosexuality in American society. His novels are often autobiographical, and can be read as a series covering each stage of the author's life. A Boy's Own Story (1983) is a sensitive account of an adolescent coming to an awareness of his own sexuality in an inhospitable environment, while its sequel, The Beautiful Room is Empty (1988) follows the same character to the birth of the gay liberation movement. The Farewell Symphony (1997) is a lament for those who died of AIDS during the 1980s. Caracole (1985) is the story of a young gay man finding his way through the rituals of adult life, and Skinned Alive (1995) is a collection of stories. White has also written a biography of Jean Genet, and two collections of essays.

Jean Genet, Alan Hollinghurst, Adam Mars-Jones  WB