Written by I took a break for a few days, but now I’m back to reviewing great books. I’ll have more on that specific statement in another post, but today I want to review October 2011 release of noted Dr. Charles Silverstein’s biography/memoir, For the Ferryman
Why is Doctor Silverstein noted? Well, if his name doesn’t ring a bell, it should. He’s the psychologist wholly responsible for convincing the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality as a “mental disorder” from their diagnostic manual. He’s celebrated in the LGBT community for that (and he always will be) and for his ongoing activism.
Silverstein calls this book a “personal history” and, indeed, it is. It’s more than a memoir, it’s history. His and ours as a community or, as another reviewer puts it, “as a family”. He writes about the very personal: his struggles in life, in work, and in his love life and specifically in his love life with partner William Borey, his (much) younger partner who fought – or chose not to fight – addictions. You’ll weep for this man. At the same time, you’ll cheer with him as he moves mountains for us as a community.
He’s 100% gay activist. He lives it. He walks his talk. His example is motivational. Read “For the Ferryman“. You’ll feel his story pour through you. I did!
