Vandalism reveals a lot about a community as a man attempts to systematically destroy the San Francisco Public Library's (SFPL) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books. One immediately contemplates the virulent nature of the attack, and how disturbing it is to attempt to destroy a group's entire literary and cultural record.
Jim Van Buskirk, SFPL's program manager, recalls that the incident was "pretty nerve-racking" because he felt it was not "that big a leap from carving up books to carving up people."
Perhaps the most human part of the piece describes a book whose inscription on the title page ("To Richard with good warm wishes from Robert") was slashed through by the vandal.
What once represented hatred and intolerance became a site of joy and community outpouring as artists and San Francisco residents turned their loss into an artistic exhibit.
This piece is touching and personal, dark and disturbing, but in the end pure inspiration. It also reminds its audience that the library is inherently a political space.
Comment for
"Queer Youth Challenges (encore)" (deleted)
Review of Queer Youth Challenges (encore) (deleted)
This program is an insightful look into an overlooked LGBT issue, the disproportionate number of LGBT youth in foster care. LGBT youth in foster care face a desperate lack of social services and often find themselves in abusive and neglectful situations. There?s not adequate safe housing for the large numbers of LGBT youth who are forced to leave their homes as a result of conflicts around their sexuality. The program shows the variety of problems that ensue when foster parents discriminate against their LGBT foster children, including the effects it has on straight-identified foster children. The program?s narration largely dominates the direction of the topic, and firsthand accounts are surprisingly short but very valuable.
Certainly contemporary, the documentary reveals a great deal about gay life of the past century. At a time when many young gay men grow up with little knowledge of their own community or history, the documentary provides a wealth of knowledge and information in an organized way.
Comments by Patrick Keilty
Comment for "How To Destroy A Book"
Patrick Keilty
Posted on September 27, 2006 at 11:28 PM | Permalink
Review of How To Destroy A Book
Vandalism reveals a lot about a community as a man attempts to systematically destroy the San Francisco Public Library's (SFPL) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books. One immediately contemplates the virulent nature of the attack, and how disturbing it is to attempt to destroy a group's entire literary and cultural record.
Jim Van Buskirk, SFPL's program manager, recalls that the incident was "pretty nerve-racking" because he felt it was not "that big a leap from carving up books to carving up people."
Perhaps the most human part of the piece describes a book whose inscription on the title page ("To Richard with good warm wishes from Robert") was slashed through by the vandal.
What once represented hatred and intolerance became a site of joy and community outpouring as artists and San Francisco residents turned their loss into an artistic exhibit.
This piece is touching and personal, dark and disturbing, but in the end pure inspiration. It also reminds its audience that the library is inherently a political space.
Comment for "Queer Youth Challenges (encore)" (deleted)
Patrick Keilty
Posted on May 30, 2006 at 08:56 AM
Review of Queer Youth Challenges (encore) (deleted)
This program is an insightful look into an overlooked LGBT issue, the disproportionate number of LGBT youth in foster care. LGBT youth in foster care face a desperate lack of social services and often find themselves in abusive and neglectful situations. There?s not adequate safe housing for the large numbers of LGBT youth who are forced to leave their homes as a result of conflicts around their sexuality. The program shows the variety of problems that ensue when foster parents discriminate against their LGBT foster children, including the effects it has on straight-identified foster children. The program?s narration largely dominates the direction of the topic, and firsthand accounts are surprisingly short but very valuable.
Comment for "RN Documentary: Pride and Prejudice"
Patrick Keilty
Posted on April 24, 2005 at 11:30 AM | Permalink
Review of RN Documentary: Pride and Prejudice
Certainly contemporary, the documentary reveals a great deal about gay life of the past century. At a time when many young gay men grow up with little knowledge of their own community or history, the documentary provides a wealth of knowledge and information in an organized way.