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The Autobiography of John C. Graves Many Roads Traveled: The Autobiography of John C. Graves; self-published; 481 pages; $20. For copies of the book, contact Dr. Graves at gravjon@aol.com; add $5 for shipping and handling.
On the other hand, both journalism and history reward the screamers and the shouters, people who do little but draw a lot of attention to themselves. Thus while historians sing the praises of a Craig Rodwell or a Jim Fouratt or a Sylvia Rivera, they ignore the ones who made the coffee and took the minutes and provided the funds that kept the Gay Liberation Fronts and the Gay Activists Alliances in business. It's about time that our community recognizes such individuals. John Cowperthwaite Graves is one of those individuals who make things happen for all of us. He is also an extraordinary man; one of our community's great hearts and minds.
In 1990 Graves moved to Fort Lauderdale, though he continues to spend his summers in Provincetown. Now a Floridian, Graves has since gained recognition as a philanthropist, head of community groups like GUARD (Gays United to Attack Repression and Discrimination) and the Stonewall Library and Archives, a social leader and gracious party host. (I've worked with Dr. Graves in both of the above-mentioned organizations. I've also had the privilege of being a guest at his annual winter parties.) In 1971 John C. Graves published his doctoral dissertation, The Conceptual Foundations of Contemporary Relativity Theory. He also wrote, while a professor at MIT (1972), Undergraduate Housing in the 1970s, popularly known as the "Graves Report.” If Graves wrote any books during the next three decades, he's kept them to himself, while he devoted his public life to other pursuits. Many Roads Traveled: The Autobiography of John C. Graves, is thus of a different generation than its much older siblings; the product of a mature and experienced mind. Though all autobiography is vanity, Graves's varied life and many experiences justify this book. Graves also hopes his book would "set the record straight" as to the various community controversies he participated in, both in Florida and in Massachusetts, and give the world a more balanced look at a gay man's life than those provided by the screamers and the shouters. Those who expect a book full of sex, drugs and discos will find "Many Roads Traveled" to be a disappointment. Graves was not a Golden Boy like Alan Helms; nor did he make a career out of hiring hustlers like Roger Brown (just to name two gay academic autobiographers). Like Graves himself, Many Roads Traveled goes along at a leisurely pace, and will not please those who want a quick climax. Some chapters, especially those of a scholarly or philosophical or religious nature, are too technical for the average reader.
At the beginning of this essay, I wrote about the unsung heroes of our community, who are seldom recognized. Happily, this is not the case with John C. Graves, who has been the well-deserved recipient of awards and honors in Florida and Massachusetts. Nor is Many Roads Traveled the last chapter in his life. For John Graves is still with us, still active, and still committed to making our world a better place to live. May he continue to do so for many years to come. |
The gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender movement has many unsung
heroes; people who run the various groups and make things happen. Rarely are
these people given the recognition they deserve.
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