On this episode, Travis talks with the author, activist, public health and HIV specialist, and Africanist Cary Alan Johnson. In his new novel, Desire Lines, Cary shares a journey through gay New York in the 1980s—the sex, the drugs, and the trauma of AIDS—from the fresh perspective of a young Black man coming of age. While this is a fictional story, the lines are often blurred between the narrator of the story and Cary himself. His hope is for the book to humanize a generation of men who were often seen as less human in the eyes of many. Topics discussed include: Reprocessing trauma, cultural trauma, his work in Africa, being black and gay during the AIDS crisis, how estrangement effects a person's development, gay men's relationships to masculinity, sexual shame, and desire lines.
To connect with Cary:
https://www.caryalanjohnson.com/
Facebook: Cary Alan Johnson
To Connect with Travis:
Email: travisstock03@gmail.com