However, Oscar Wilde's rosy cheeked youth was no longer rosy or youthful and a bit of a pretentious bore, but by blowing him Steward reportedly felt a "spiritual" connection to Wilde. On his European tour Steward also lunched with Thomas Mann who he said "radiated genius." He visited ( and blew ) Alfred Lord Douglas. They called him 'Sammy' and would remain close to him their entire lives. Toklas who both took a maternal shine to the young, slight, and utterly charming Steward. With a relatively successful book under his belt the young scholar set sail for Europe. He then transferred to The State College of Washington where at the end of the year he was dismissed due to the questionable content of Angels on the Bough, specifically his sympathetic portrait of a woman of easy virtue.Īlways a determined autograph collector and correspondent, Steward had been in contact for a few years with Gertrude Stein as well as several other literary figures. With few sexual distractions, Steward managed to write the well received though somewhat scandalous novel of bohemian life 'Angels on the Bough' ( 1937 ). Upon graduation Steward began teaching at Carroll College in Helena Montana. His most sensational experience during his university days was blowing silent screen legend Rudolph Valentino in his hotel room when 'The Great Lover' came through town promoting his latest film. These included falling in with a "bohemian crowd," drinking, and reading renegade poetry. Steward painstakingly kept his Stud File until well into his 60s.Īn extremely promising student, Steward loved literature almost as well as he loved extracurricular activities. This is also where, in the mid 1920s, Steward began his meticulously recorded Stud File, a card detailing his every sexual encounterthe man's name and description, the date, the specifics of the encounter, and what sort of sex occurredoral, anal, mutual masturbation, etc. Reading about "inverts," Steward recognized himself, accepted it and decided to go from there.Īfter high school Steward moved to Columbus where he attended Ohio State University. An avid reader, it was around this time that Steward stole a copy of Havelock Ellis' Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume II: Sexual Inversion from the library. He felt no guilt or shame for his deeds and, in fact, considered it honorable to bring pleasure to so many. In puberty Steward started giving blow jobs to the boys of Woodfield as well as a few tenants at the rooming house. His mother died when he was very young and his father was a drug addicted Sunday school teacher unable to properly care for Steward or his sister. Upon reading Secret Historian, it's clear that even if Steward wasn't the most prolific or consistent of his contemporaries, he may well have been the most book-worthy.īorn in Woodfield, Ohio, in 1909, Steward was raised in a boarding house by his three spinster aunts. However, Spring's new biography may change all that, revealing that Steward's incredible contribution may have been his forthright documentation of gay sexual behavior in an era typically associated with guilt, repression, and silence.
Indeed it may have been his proximity to these giants that eclipsed his own fame. He's been seen as a curio, a character, and a good storyteller who met and befriended a lot of famous people. He never really fulfilled his early literary promise. Steward has never been given his due in the annals of gay literature and with good reason. It's quite simply the gay history book of the year not only for the fascinating central figure of Steward and Spring's painstaking research, but also for its expert use of Steward's life as a means of revealing the larger reality of gay life in the pre-Stonewall era. Justin Spring's new biography of Samuel Steward, Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade' ( Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2010 ) is a smart, juicy and absolutely riveting read. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates.This article shared 4271 times since Wed Sep 29, 2010īy Justin Spring $32.50 Farrar Straus and Giroux 496 pages You have chosen this person to be their own family member.
Year should not be greater than current year
Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Sorry! There are no volunteers for this cemetery. GREAT NEWS! There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos You may not upload any more photos to this memorial
0 kommentar(er)
