Owen Levy on his revelatory writings about gay life

Today, Mission is joined by author and New York pioneer Owen Levy. From growing up in Brooklyn to being mentored by poetry vanguard Marianne Moore and working a variety of jobs in the arts, Levy’s life is full of stories, some of which he shares with us today. His first novel, A Brother’s Touch, which came out in 1982, was a smash-hit, detailing his life as a young Black African-American male in New York post-Stonewall. It became the first mass-market, best-selling gay novel after a favorable review by the New York Times and still lives on as a literary favorite, among his other work.

Tune in as Owen Levy talks to us about publishing a novel about the gay experience in the midst of the HIV crisis and his experience with receiving reviews from different audiences. The author also talks to us about his relationship with his mentor Marianne Moore while growing up in Brooklyn. Levy additionally delves into his experience moving to Germany and living both the European and American experience.

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FIND OWEN
Website: owenlevy.com

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Karina: @missionmagazine
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Website: missionmag.org

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