The Nearness of Others: Searching for Tact and Contact in the Age of HIV
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.13 (858 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0816691797 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-07-22 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
This is no longer cultural analysis of HIV, but cultural analysis by HIV. A significant breakthrough." —David Halperin, author of How to Be Gay. "In this extraordinary work of personal and social exploration, David Caron devises a new literary form that enables him to touch the reader with his HIV-positivity as well as a new ethics that explains why that touch is both necessary and desirable. Learned, witty, provocative, moving, edifying, and brilliantly written in a simple, conversational style, The Nearness of Others demonstrates the intellectual advantages of b
Poetic and brilliant. Gadget_User These words have made me laugh, cry and grind my teeth in anger. This book is an easy read, even for someone who is not an academic. The author gives fascinating insight on what it means to live in a world where most potential lovers know how hard it is to contract HIV from someone who is undetectable; who know that you can live a long, healthy, normal life with HIV; who know how tolerable and easy HIV medications now are to take; and yet who still, are unwilling to ta
But searching for various forms of contact eventually leads to a profound reassessment of tact as a way to live and a way to think, with our bodies and with the bodies of others.In a series of brief, compulsively readable sections that are by turns moving and witty, Caron recounts his wary yet curious exploration of an unfamiliar medical universe at once hostile and protective as he embarks on a new life of treatment without end. On one level, The Nearness of Others is a personal account of his struggle as a gay, HIV-positive man with the constant issue of if, how, and when to disclose his status. In particular, living with HIV provides an unexpected opportunity to reflect on an age of terror and war, when fear and suspicion have become the order of the day. He describes what it is like to live with a disease that is no longer a death sentence but continues to terrify many people as if it were. Ultimately, Caron eloquently demonstrates a form of disclosure, sharing, and contact that stands against the forces w