Secret City
The Hidden History of Gay Washington
Lavin Exclusive Speaker
No one is too ordinary to change the world. The biggest social revolution of our time—the transformation of gay people from oppressed minority to equal members of society—was brought about not only by public activists, but also by the quiet, tireless work of gay people behind the scenes. Award-winning journalist and essayist James Kirchick chronicles the sweeping history of this positive change, highlighting the stories of unsung gay heroes, in his instant New York Times bestseller Secret City. If we stand up for our right to express ourselves freely, James says, we’ll create a world where no one has to live a lie: “the story of the secret city is the story of openness triumphing over concealment.”
James Kirchick is the instant New York Times bestselling author of Secret City, a magisterial history of the gay subculture in Washington, D.C.—how it survived underground, and how its unsung heroes fought for acceptance in a world stacked against them. Secret City was named one of the New York Times’s 100 Notable Books of the Year for the unprecedented way in which it surveys the broad sweep of 20th century American politics through a gay lens. James expertly brings the era and its characters—from spies to White House aides—to life with vivid anecdotes and meticulous research, giving us the guidebook and tools that we need to effect equally powerful social change. Ultimately, James proves that transparency and open debate were the most crucial elements in this social revolution—today, he says, freedom of expression remains “the greatest tool oppressed minorities have to secure their equal place in society.”
Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington skyrocketed onto the New York Times bestseller list, garnering praise from all quarters. It was named one of the New York Times’s 100 Notable Books of the Year. In a starred review, Booklist called it “an inspiring and overdue tribute to the brave individuals who fought for acceptance in a city and government long pitted against them.” The Washington Examiner said that “It is, in many ways, one of the most human works of history written this decade so far. Secret City has raised the bar for the genre.” By looking back on how far we’ve come since barely a lifetime ago, James inspires us to go further, showing us how we too can play a role in securing a fair and just society for everyone.
James’s first book, The End of Europe, examined the challenges Europe is facing, including rising anti-Semitism and nationalism. Leading political science scholar Robert Kagan called it “a powerful, penetrating, and elegant analysis of the present state of Europe.” James is a columnist for Tablet Magazine and a contributing writer for Air Mail, as well as a Nonresident Senior Fellow for the Europe Center at the Atlantic Council. He has reported on issues of human rights, gay rights, politics, and culture from over 40 countries, and has received the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s Journalist of the Year award. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, and The Atlantic, to name a few.