The Very Heart of It

From the renowned novelist, journalist, and critic, an exquisite collection of journal entries from the 1980s and '90s, tracking a young, gay author’s literary coming of age during the AIDS crisis

In 1983, Thomas Mallon was still unknown. A literature professor at Vassar College, his days were spent traveling from Manhattan to campus, reviewing books to make ends meet, and searching the city for his own purpose and fulfillment. The AIDS epidemic was beginning to surge in New York City, the ever-bustling epicenter of literary culture and gay life, alive with parties, art, and sex.

Though he didn’t know it, everything would soon change for Mallon. Riding the success of his first book, A Book of One’s Own, he became a fixture within the city’s literary scene—crossing paths with cultural giants, becoming an editor at GQ, and writing critically acclaimed books—all of which he captured through daily journals. But in some ways, it was the worst possible time for a gay coming of age in the city. One of his lovers succumbed to AIDS, and the illness of others was both a heartbreaking reality and a constant reminder of his own exposure.

Tracing his own life day by day, Mallon catalogued all that those years encompassed: the hookups, intensifying politics, personal tragedies, as well as his own blossoming success and eventual romantic happiness. The Very Heart of It is a deft and bewitching look into the daily life of one of our most important literary figures, and a keepsake from a bygone era.