It Was Vulgar and It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic by Jack Lowery

4.58 AVERAGE

elizelizeliz's review against another edition

4.5
i listened to this almost non-stop. i needed this so much, this reflection of how LITERALLY 10 PEOPLE took thoughtful, considered, radical action and worked in alliance to make a really outsized impact. they did it while scared, angry, sick, sad, and while knowing that they were worthy of joy. you should absolutely read this book.
hallescolette's profile picture

hallescolette's review against another edition

4.75
challenging reflective medium-paced
Every queer person should read this. It's a beautiful telling of a terrible time in history. The call at the end was moving.
danflan9's profile picture

danflan9's review against another edition

5.0
informative inspiring sad

rhysdb's review against another edition

4.0
hopeful informative medium-paced

anita_ana's review against another edition

4.0
Important and interesting. It could use a little bit of editing, but we powered through.
em_ory's profile picture

em_ory's review against another edition

5.0
emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
ezismythical's profile picture

ezismythical's review against another edition

4.0
emotional informative reflective medium-paced
knifecrow's profile picture

knifecrow's review against another edition

5.0
fast-paced
me, a non-crier, wept two or three times reading this book. written with clarity, propulsion, and extraordinary tenderness. and just enough dishing. 

love and rage. 

wednesdey's review against another edition

5.0
challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Amazing book, done very thoughtfully. Definitely needed to take breaks once in a while, due to the heavy reflection and memories brought on by this book.

Quotes:
"...performing anger effected change and theater could be more than just spectacle. " -- chapter 3 
Regarding poster "Read My Lips". "Lip reading is a cross-sensory experience, trying to use one's eyes to compensate for what should be heard by the ears. Read my lips, which is to say, trust your eyes. Believe what you see rather than listening to the static. To say "read my lips" is a bid for attention first, then focus, a commandment to not look away, an immensely powerful gesture since this was a poster designed to appear in a city street,an environment with an infinite number of ever-changing distractions." -- chapter 4

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myrrhoir's profile picture

myrrhoir's review against another edition

4.75
dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced