BGSQDBureau of General Services—Queer Division
BGSQD
JoinSebastian Stuartas he reads fromWhat Wasn’t I Thinking?: A Memoir Of Rebellion, Madness and My Mother.The reading will be followed with a conversation between Sebastian and authorStephen McCauley.
“Sebastian Stuart’s dazzling memoir held me in its thrall like the best kind of novel. His mastery of suspense and his inherent humanity make for one electrifying read. And, like all good memoirists, he made me reexamine my own life along the way.” –Armistead Maupin
“A madcap and a captivating, deeply moving chronicle of madness—a combination ofThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,Franny and Zooey,andThe Bell Jar.” —Kevin Sessums, author ofMississippi Sissy
“A gripping read—as sad and sweet as life itself.” —Edmund White
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Sebastian Stuarthad a heady childhood. His brilliant, acerbic mother was the Entertainment Editor ofLifemagazine and his father was an Oscar-nominated filmmaker. James Baldwin was a dinner guest and Bette Midler paid a courtesy call. Yet beneath the glittering parties, the family was haunted by unspoken tragedy. By age fifteen Sebastian was dropping acid and turning tricks for money. He found friendship and solace with his cousin Tina, an aspiring poet and striking beauty who was signed by the Ford modeling agency. When Tina began to exhibit symptoms of schizophrenia, Sebastian was torn between a desire to save her and the fear of losing himself in her madness. From San Francisco in the ’70s to New York in the AIDS-ravaged ’80s, Stuart’s quest for self-discovery leads to a sad and shocking understanding of his family history and the price of grief denied. And, ultimately, it leads to redemption. By turns hilarious, irreverent and heartbreaking,What Wasn’t I Thinking?is an unflinching evocation of loss and forgiveness.
Sebastian Stuarthas published nine novels, including a national bestseller published in eight languages, a New York Times bestseller and a Book of the Month Club selection. His novelThe Hour Betweenwas an NPR Season’s Readings selection and won the Ferro-Grumley Award as best LGBT novel of the year. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Stephen McCauleyis the author of six previous novels, includingThe Object of My Affection,True Enough, andAlternatives to Sex. Many have been national bestsellers, and three have been made into feature films.The New York Times Book Reviewdubbed McCauley “the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen”, and he was named a Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture. His fiction, reviews, and articles have appeared inThe New York Times,The Washington Post,Harper’s,Vogue, and many other publications. He currently serves as Co-Director of Creative Writing at Brandeis University. He has several properties listed on Airbnb in Massachusetts and New York and owns a total of zero toss pillows.