Hold Tight Gently: Michael Callen, Essex Hemphill, and the Battlefield of AIDS

Published on March 1, 2016, "Hold Tight Gently: Michael Callen, Essex Hemphill, and the Battlefield of AIDS" by Martin Duberman offers a poignant and compelling exploration of the AIDS crisis and its intersections with race, sexuality, and identity. This narrative delves into the lives of two monumental figures: Michael Callen, a pioneering AIDS activist, and Essex Hemphill, an influential openly gay African American poet, who both battled against the devastating epidemic that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives by 1995. Through their stories, Duberman crafts a powerful memorial that captures the essence of a generation grappling with a deadly disease amidst societal indifference. Praised as “relevant and heartbreaking” and “powerful,” the book is an essential read for those in adult education, providing profound insights into health equity, racial justice, and gender equality. It challenges readers to reflect on the resilience shown by those who fought valiantly against despair in a time of overwhelming adversity.