At the time, the Fund was the educational arm of the National Gay Task Force (which had not yet added “& Lesbian” to its name). I’m speaking before one thousand gay and lesbian activists at a black-tie, $100-a-plate dinner in New York City’s Plaza Hotel, sponsored by the Fund for Human Dignity. I almost gave up at The Fur Person (1957). So I accepted the invitation and then proceeded to read systematically through all of her work. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing (1965), quite wonderful. Well, on second reading I found them, Journal of a Solitude (1973) and Mrs. Could the hair-raising stories about Sarton’s temper be true? Before declining the invitation I decided to reread two of her too-many books that I remembered having liked-somewhat. Doherty) and I was curious to see if I could manage it gracefully. With all of this in mind I wondered if I could do her justice.īut I love to give speeches (probably because I was in love with my high school speech and drama teacher, Mrs. I thought she published altogether too much, and also that she complained a lot. This was not only because I wasn’t a huge fan of Sarton’s writing-which I fully realized back then was tantamount to blasphemy in some lesbian circles-but also because friends had spoken of her world-class temper. IN APRIL 1984, when a call came asking if I would do a tribute speech to May Sarton (1912–1995) at the annual awards dinner of the Fund for Human Dignity, I hesitated.
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