
Secret Historian
The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade
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Narrated by:
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Sean Runnette
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By:
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Justin Spring
Drawn from the secret, never-before-seen diaries, journals, and sexual records of the novelist, poet, and university professor Samuel M. Steward, Secret Historian is a sensational reconstruction of one of the more extraordinary hidden lives of the 20th century. An intimate friend of Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, and Thornton Wilder, Steward maintained a secret sex life from childhood on and documented these experiences in brilliantly vivid and often very funny detail.
After leaving the world of academe to become Phil Sparrow, a tattoo artist on Chicago’s notorious South State Street, Steward worked closely with Alfred Kinsey on his landmark sex research. During the early 1960s, Steward changed his name and identity once again, this time to write exceptionally literate, upbeat, pro-homosexual pornography under the name of Phil Andros.
Until today he has been known only as Phil Sparrow, but an extraordinary archive of his papers, lost since his death in 1993, has provided the material for an exceptionally compassionate and brilliantly illuminating life-and-times biography. More than merely the story of one remarkable man, Secret Historian is a moving portrait of homosexual life long before Stonewall and gay liberation.
Justin Spring is a writer specializing in 20th-century American art and culture and is the author of many monographs, catalogs, museum publications, and books, including Fairfield Porter: A Life in Art and Paul Cadmus: The Male Nude.
©2010 Justin Spring (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...




















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Riveting
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Superb biography
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What made the experience of listening to Secret Historian the most enjoyable?
First and foremost, its content, which has been very under-chronicled. Secondly, the narrator, who has has a very clear voice, and speaks at a good speed. He sounds educated and a bit literary. All good points.Who was your favorite character and why?
Samuel himself for being such a magical child and adult. The big cheese in the Chicago homo wrestling scene (I forget his name now), Alice B Tolkas and more.Have you listened to any of Sean Runnette’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Sorry to say that I haven'tWas this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Absolutely !!!!Very Revealing and Secretive Indeed
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Fabulous Contribution
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"Healing Power of Truth"
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Highly recommend!
Masterful Re-claiming of a remarkable figure in gay history
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Definitely an excellent read and I feel more rounded by having been exposed to each step of his struggle during very difficult times.
Thought Provoking and a Touch Depressing
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Stud file
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Stark, Revealing, Honest, Sad
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I have one caution: Steward was fluent in French and several passages are spoken beautifully by the narrator but do not include a translation. Indeed as he was a very educated scholar, there are also Latin and Greek quotes and phrases used (and not just ones typically peppered in English narrative) where no translation is supplied and I just had to assume were profound.
I am definitely buying the print version, but this is great in audio version as well as I exclaimed and laughed repeatedly as the story unfolded.
Important part of American history
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