Wow! What an extraordinary series. 13 seasons, over 100 episodes. When I learned about it, I thought I would just listen to a few, maybe people I had heard of, like Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, Bayard Rustin, Harry Hay, well known gay history makers. And there are plenty of them in the episode guide. But I soon learned that the names I had never heard of were just as interesting, sometimes more interesting to listen to. Edith Eyde is a revelation. She wrote a lesbian zine in 1947 (not a typo, 1947). She also wrote gay parodies of popular songs and original songs, too. This line struck me: “She must wear a mask on her heart And live in a world apart. “ I’m now systematically listening to every episode. They are fairly short, easy to listen to on a morning walk or in the car running errands. One thing that makes these so good is that they are well edited from old tape recordings, starting in 1989. Eric Marcus was in his 30s when he started doing these interviews, and quit his job at CBS to write a book from them (also he had been told a gay person was never going on camera). The production values are excellent, Marcus is a talented interviewer and a good listener. He expertly contextualizes each interview before and after playing the recording. This series is a national treasure, worthy of many listening hours.
