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Sunday, February 17, 2013

Jack Nichols biography with blurb of my book review

Jack Nichols biography back book cover - 'Invaluable to future researchers... An essential acquisition.' -- Thomas Kraemer, Founder of the Oregon State University Foundation, Magnus Hirschfeld Fund for sexual orientation and gender identity research

PHOTO: (click photo to enlarge) back cover of Jack Nichols biography includes a blurb of Thomas Kraemer's book review of J. Louis Campbell III, "Jack Nichols, gay pioneer: 'have you heard my message?'" New York: Harrington Park Press, 2007 (Oregon State University library owns a copy). See previous posts OSU Nichols book and Trans Awareness Week (1/16/08) and Jack Nichols book reviews (5/9/07).

Jack Nichols biography book cover PHOTO: cover of book by J. Louis (Jeter Louis) Campbell III (1946), "Jack Nichols, gay pioneer: 'have you heard my message?'" Harrington Park Press (Haworth Press), 2007 -- Oregon State University Valley Library OASIS card catalog number HQ75.8.N53 C36 2007 -- A Google searchable version is now available for the book by J. Louis Campbell, "Jack Nichols, Gay Pioneer: "Have You Heard My Message?" Routledge, 2006 (see "Thomas Kraemer" references on p. xiii and p. unnumbered)

"CONTRIBUTES MUCH NEW KNOWLEDGE about the Twentieth Century gay liberation movement. It is solidly based on unpublished interviews compiled by the author shortly before Nichols died in 2005. Campbell tells the inspirational story of how a self-educated queer boy grew up to achieve an impressive records of 'firsts' as a gay rights activist from the pre-Stonewall Era to the Internet Age. In the 1960s, along with Dr. George Weinberg and homophile activist Frank Kameny, Nichols first challenged the psychiatric dogma that homosexuality is a sickness. Nichols achieved national recognition with his 'Homosexual Citizen' columns for SCREW and as an editor of GAY. His books and Web publication attracted readers worldwide, including those interested in male liberation and gender identity politics. Campbell's exhaustive bibliography is also fun to read because it lists the bawdy headlines written by SCREW Editor Al Goldstein for Nichols' columns. . . . INVALUABLE TO FUTURE RESEARCHERS. . . . An essential acquisition for every LGBT collection.

-- Thomas Kraemer, Founder of the Oregon State University Foundation, Magnus Hirschfeld Fund for sexual orientation and gender identity research" (Quoted from Thomas Kraemer's advance review as posted on Haworth.com May, 2007)

I got to know Jack Nichols quite well as an occasional contributor to his Gay Today online publication. For links to all of the pieces I wrote for him, along with some of my notes, see my previous post Jack Nichols Gay Today Archive (9/12/09) and below:

Frank Kameny, Jack Nichols and George Weinberg riding on Heritage of Pride float

PHOTO: (left to right) Dr. Frank Kameny, Jack Nichols, and Dr. George Weinberg being honored as Grand Marshalls of New York City's 2004 Heritage of Pride Parade.

Starting in the late 1990's, Jack Nichols edited the online publication GayToday.com until shortly before his death early in 2005. (See Search GayToday Archives - February 1997 to 2004 and my previous post Jack Nichols 1938-2005 (9/5/06))

I got to know Jack Nichols quite well as an occasional contributor. For my own notes, links to all of the pieces I wrote for him are listed below with my annotation:

One of Jack Nichols' best friends was Randy Wicker. Jack had me write a piece on Randy, but Jack's health forced him to stop work before it was published. For a draft, see my previous post Randolfe Wicker's plea for gay rights in "Newsweek" July 30, 1962 (4/15/06).

See my previous postings: