One of These Things First
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.27 (646 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1536618179 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 397 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-01-20 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Kennedy; a snooty, suicidal architect; and a seductive young contessa. From New York Times best-selling author Steven Gaines comes a wry and touching memoir of his trials as a gay teen at the famed Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic. With a gimlet eye and a true gift for storytelling, Gaines captures his childhood shtetl in Brooklyn, and all its drama and secrets, like an Edward Hopper tableau: his philandering grandfather with his fleet of Cadillacs and Corvettes; a giant, empty movie theater, his portal to the outside world; a shirtless teenage boy pushing a lawnmower; and a pair of tormenting bullies whose taunts drive Gaines to a suicide attempt. For listeners who love stories of self-transformation, One of These Things First is a fascinating memoir in the vein of Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted and Augusten Burroughs' Running with Scissors. One of These Things First is a poignant reminiscence of a 15-year-old gay Jewish boy's unexpected trajectory from a life behind a rack of dresses in his grandmother's Brooklyn bra-and-girdle store to Man
I could not put it down." (Steven Petrow, columnist, Washington Post)A poignant and funny book that proves it does get better. Anderson, Chicago Tribune)“A fun read flush with anecdotes.” (Dan Ackman, Wall Street Journal)“Throughout this addictive narrative, Gaines weaves a captivating history.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))“Gaines skillfully unravels Manhattan’s social fabric” (New York Observer)PRAISE FOR Fool's Paradise: “A fun yarn about a bunch of charming scammers and swindlers with garish tastes" (Miami Herald)“An entertaining chronicle” (Carl Hiaasen, cover of New York Times Book Review)“A gossipy social history of scan
. He's a co-founder of the Hamptons International Film Festival and lives in a small hamlet on the East End of Long Island. Steven Gaines is the author of Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons; The Sky's the Limit: Passion and Property in Manhattan; Simply Halston
"Highly recommend" according to Amazon Customer. One Of These Things First is fascinating, funny, heartbreaking, and inspiring. I laughed out loud more than once! This is not your usualmemoir. It features larger than life characters from movie stars to salesgirls in a bra and girdle store who all play a part in shaping the author as he negotiates his way from life in 1960's Brooklyn to the halls of a posh psychiatric clinic. Absolutely a must read for anyone whom has ever questioned the life they're leading and the lives they could have led.. Intimacy is Crazy I read Steven Gaines' memoir during the hottest August I can remember - perhaps a parallel to his description of the August he spent in a famous NYC psychiatric facility. It made me feel a certain closeness to this sad young man, obviously brilliant, yet alone, scared and at odds with what he knew to be true.Mr. Gaines bares his soul and an awful lot more in this striking and touching memoir. It will take me a while to digest the full meaning of the disclosures and emotions of this book, but it's very honesty and openness is a gift. Bravo, Steven, and thank you for sharing this extremely intimate story of your life.. carilynp said beautifully written, gems of a memoir to come along. Author Steven Gaines’ ONE OF THESE THINGS FIRST is one of the most compelling, beautifully written, gems of a memoir to come along. As a Jewish child growing up in Brooklyn in the 50s, Gaines is troubled from the get-go. He is aware that he is ‘different’ and feels overwhelmed by the feelings that he has but too ashamed to admit to his family what is going on. After a botched attempt at suicide and an unfortunate experience with a not-so-understanding psychiatrist, he finds, on his own, the place where he needs to be. Thankfully, a family member, who has the means to take care of the cost and an und