My Lives

My Lives is Edmund White's unconventional autobiography that breaks from chronological format to explore different aspects of his life through themed chapters. White recounts his experiences as a gay man coming of age in mid-20th century America through sections focused on specific relationships, locations, and periods. The memoir covers White's development as a writer in New York and Paris, his romantic relationships with men, his battle with HIV, and his connections with cultural figures of his era. Through a mix of personal reflection and cultural commentary, White documents the evolution of gay identity and community from the 1950s through the present day. The segments examining art, literature, travel and sexuality paint a portrait of an intellectual life lived during transformative decades in American society. White's frank examination of memory, desire, and identity reveals how personal experience intersects with broader social and cultural movements.

Readers emphasize White's candid writing style and intimate portrayal of his relationships, sexual encounters, and evolution as a gay man. Many note his detailed accounts of 1960s-70s New York cultural life and AIDS crisis experiences. Readers liked: - Raw honesty about mistakes and personal flaws - Historical context of gay life pre/post-Stonewall - Literary references and writing insights - Complex mother-son relationship portrayal Readers disliked: - Repetitive sexual content - Disorganized chronology - Name-dropping of cultural figures - Self-indulgent tone in later chapters Several reviews mention struggling with White's explicit descriptions while appreciating his cultural observations. One reader noted: "The frank sexuality overshadowed the more compelling stories about art and literature." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (50+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.7/5 (100+ ratings) The memoir's reception splits between those valuing its historical record and those finding it too focused on sexual exploits.

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🔖 Edmund White wrote My Lives as an unconventional memoir, organizing it by themes rather than chronologically, with chapters like "My Shrinks" and "My Women" 📚 The book candidly discusses White's experiences during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, during which he lost many friends and was diagnosed as HIV-positive himself ✍️ White is considered one of the founding fathers of gay literature, and My Lives explores his journey as a gay writer during times when such openness was rare 🌍 The memoir details White's time living in Paris for 16 years, where he wrote biographies of Jean Genet and Marcel Proust while becoming deeply immersed in French culture 🎭 Throughout My Lives, White describes his friendships with notable cultural figures including Michel Foucault, Susan Sontag, and Vladimir Nabokov