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UID:Indybay-18845420
SEQUENCE:19005128
CREATED:20211005T205300Z
DESCRIPTION:City Lights Books celebrates the release of a new book by Stephen Reigns, 
 "A Quilt For David", examining the hidden history of a vulnerable gay man 
 whose life and death were turned into tabloid fodder during the early years 
 of the AIDS epidemic.\n\nJoin us for author, Steven Reigns, in conversation 
 with podcaster, Jonny McGovern, \ndiscussing "A Quilt For David".\n\nDate 
 and time: Thursday, Nov 11, 2021 @ 6:00 PM PST\n\nRSVP: 
 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/steven-reigns-in-conversation-with-jonny-mcgovern-tickets-166592511687\n\nSponsored 
 by the City Lights Foundation\n\n\nIn the early 1990s, eight people living 
 in a small conservative Florida town alleged that Dr. David Acer, their 
 dentist, infected them with HIV. David's gayness, along with his sickly 
 appearance from his own AIDS-related illness, made him the perfect 
 scapegoat and victim of mob mentality. In these early years of the AIDS 
 epidemic, when transmission was little understood, and homophobia rampant, 
 people like David were villainized. Accuser Kimberly Bergalis landed a 
 People magazine cover story, while others went on talk shows and made front 
 page news.\n\nWith a poet's eulogistic and psychological intensity, Steven 
 Reigns recovers the life and death of this man who also stands in for so 
 many lives destroyed not only by HIV, but a diseased society that used 
 stigma against the most vulnerable. It's impossible not to make connections 
 between this story and how the twenty-first century pandemic has also been 
 defined by medical misinformation and cultural bias.\n\nInspired by years 
 of investigative research into the lives of David and those who denounced 
 him, Reigns has stitched together a hauntingly poetic narrative that 
 retraces an American history, questioning the fervor of his accusers, and 
 recuperating a gay life previously shrouded in secrecy and 
 shame.\n\n\nABOUT: Steven Reigns, author\n\nSteven Reigns, Los Angeles poet 
 and educator, was appointed the first Poet Laureate of West Hollywood. He 
 has two previous collections, "Inheritance" and "Your Dead Body is My 
 Welcome Mat", and over a dozen chapbooks. Reigns edited "My Life is 
 Poetry", showcasing his students' work from the first-ever autobiographical 
 poetry workshop for LGBTQ seniors. Reigns has lectured and taught writing 
 workshops around the country to LGBTQ youth and people living with HIV. He 
 worked for a decade as an HIV test counselor in Florida and Los Angeles. 
 Currently he is touring The Gay Rub, an exhibition of rubbings from LGBTQ 
 landmarks around the world, and has a private practice as a 
 psychotherapist. He lives in West Hollywood, CA.\n\n\nABOUT: Jonny 
 McGovern, interviewer\n\nJonny McGovern is a comedian, podcaster and the 
 host/ executive producer of the long-running hit TV series “Hey Qween,” 
 which showcases queer stories and performers.\n\n\n\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/10/05/18845420.php
SUMMARY:‘A Quilt for David’: Author Steven Reigns on Persecuted AIDS Victim, Dr. David Acer
LOCATION:Online author talk (FREE)
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2021/10/05/18845420.php
DTSTART:20211112T020000Z
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