Thom Gunn: Poet Laureate of the AIDS Epidemic (feat. Michael Nott)

Historical Homos

“I wake up cold, I who

Prospered through dreams of heat

Wake to their residue,

Sweat, and a clinging sheet.”

(The Man with Night Sweats, Thom Gunn, 1992)

Never heard of Thom Gunn? Me neither!

That's because straight people want to destroy us.

Thom was one of the great poets of the 20th century, up there with Philip Larkin and Ted Hughes.

But he's scarcely remembered in the 21st century, because he was:

• gay.
• (end of list)

Join us as we explore Thom's leather-harnessed and LSD-fueled life as a poet of sexual revolution, formal precision, and gay liberation.

In particular, Thom deserves to be remembered for the memorializing poetry he wrote about the AIDS epidemic and his many friends who lost their lives to the disease.

My guest this week is Michael Nott, who has recently published a magnificent biography, Thom Gunn: A Cool Queer Life.

Grab yourself a copy after the episode, and make sure to let us know what you think about Thom's poetry!

If you want more from Historical Homos, you can join our cult at www.historicalhomos.com and follow us on Instagram and TikTok.

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Written and hosted by Bash. Edited by Alex Toskas. Guest host: Michael Nott.