Monette, Paul

▪ American writer

born October 16, 1945, Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.

died February 10, 1995, Los Angeles, California

      American author and poet whose work often explored homosexual relationships and the devastating effects of the AIDS epidemic. He was best known for his autobiographies, Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir (1988) and Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story (1992).

      After graduating from Yale University (B.A., 1967), Monette taught English at several institutions before publishing his first poetry collection, The Carpenter at the Asylum, in 1975. It was followed three years later by his debut novel, Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll, a comedy involving a homosexual couple's attempt to claim a dead woman's estate. His other prose works include The Gold Diggers (1979), the murder mystery The Long Shot (1981), and Lightfall (1982). Though Monette later described the novels as “glib and silly,” they were praised for their believable characters and strong plotlines.

      Monette's work took a more serious turn in 1985, after his companion, Roger Horwitz, died of AIDS. He began concentrating on the effects of the deadly epidemic in such novels as Afterlife (1990) and Halfway Home (1991) and in the poetry collection Love Alone (1988), which featured elegies for Horwitz. Monette's relationship with Horwitz also formed the basis of Borrowed Time, a moving account of his companion's death that was a critical and commercial success. In Becoming a Man, Monette described his early struggles with his sexuality and the impact of being diagnosed as HIV positive. The best-selling work was a celebration of gay life, and it earned the National Book Award. Monette's other works include the poetry collection No Witnesses (1981) and Last Watch of the Night: Essays Too Personal and Otherwise (1994). Sanctuary, a political fable, was published posthumously in 1997.

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