Forty Years In The Closet: A Memoir - Tapa blanda

Each essay in this collection is not a chapter. The patchwork construction of this book is not necessarily in order of theme or in order of time. It is a quilt; a faded tapestry; reminding you of times past; memories that run together, clouding the truth. Having worn edges and faded colored threads, they seem to disappear from the fabric of reality. The stories are all basically true, yet I will admit are prone at times to the whims of fiction and the fancies of exaggeration. They are told by Christopher Sergeant, about his family and his travails of "Forty Years in the Closet" trying to find the courage to accept his sexuality. As with the stories in the section titled, "Illness and Healing," they follow Chris tripping along the road, kicking and screaming learning the truth about himself. The narrative is often amusing, and yet poignant. It may be inspirational knowing he survives this trek. Amidst all the gory wit and sarcasm, he survives the Sixties and the Sergeant family saga.

Mr. Sampson started writing narrative non-fiction essays in the fall of 2011 when a friend of his was dying and in a lot of pain. Writing about his own experience, he realized that he might have a talent. Last summer he was published three times. Prime Mincer, Cactus Heart, and Gambling the Aisle found him worthy of their journals, including him in the company of some great new American authors Over the last year he has written over twenty essays about his trials and travails trying to face up to the reality that he is a gay man; always was and always will be homosexual. Turning sixty this past year, there was a bell ringing, a clarion call warning me that time is moving on. The result is Forty Years in the Closet. Mr. Sampson has earned a BA and MFA from the University of Southern California Chris resides by the beach in Delaware with his partner of twenty years, Jeff and their dog, Jesse.