On Being Different

<b>The groundbreaking work on being homosexual in America—available again only from Penguin Classics and with a new foreword by Dan Savage</b><br><br>Originally published in 1971, Merle Miller’s <i>On Being Different</i> is a pioneering and thought-provoking book about being homosexual in the United States. Just two years after the Stonewall riots, Miller wrote a poignant essay for the <i>New York Times Magazine</i> entitled “What It Means To Be a Homosexual” in response to a homophobic article published in <i>Harper’s Magazine</i>. Described as “the most widely read and discussed essay of the decade,” it carried the seed that would blossom into <i>On Being Different</i>—one of the earliest memoirs to affirm the importance of coming out.<br><br>For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. <p>Originally published in 1971, Merle Miller's <i>On Being Different</i> is a pioneering and thought-provoking book about being homosexual in the United States. Just two years after the Stonewall riots, Miller wrote a poignant essay for the <i>New York Times Magazine</i> entitled "What It Means To Be a Homosexual" in response to a homophobic article published in <i>Harper's Magazine</i>. Described as "the most widely read and discussed essay of the decade," the article was developed into the remarkable short book <i>On Being Different </i>- one of the earliest memoirs to affirm the importance of coming out.<br><br>Merle Miller (1919-1986) was an editor at <i>Harper's Magazine</i>, <i>Time</i> and <i>The Nation</i> and was the bestselling author of several books, including the novel <i>A Gay and Melancholy Sound </i>and <i>Plain Speaking</i>, a biography of Harry S Truman.<br><br>Dan Savage is the internationally syndicated columnist of 'Savage Love' and the author of several books.<br>Charles Kaiser is an author, journalist and blogger. His books include <i>1968 in America </i>and <i>The Gay Metropolis</i>.</p>