David France (1) (1959–)

I've seen the film by the same title, even shown it in classes but I didn't know David France had also written a book until I stumbled on this scrolling through my library app for Kindle books. It's a very thorough history of the US AIDS crisis and activist responses and impact. France uses archives, interviews, and personal experience. The book is a deep history of the events of the film. How to Survive a Plague would be an excellent resource in any course that is using the film; could even be assigned to students, depending on the course focus. Of course they'll balk at the length –– 640 pages!… (altro)

Bag of Toys, David France's account of the psychological deterioration of chic New York art dealer Andrew Crispo and the 1985 torture murder of male model Eigil Dag Vesti by Bernard LeGeros (on Crispo's orders), is written in a lush style befitting the backdrop of this horrifying true story. There's plenty of glitz, sex and drugs, and the excesses of the Coke Decade will be the strongest selling point for many readers. What fascinates me, however, is Crispo's uncanny ability to evade the consequences of his actions. "It is my opinion," France writes in an introductory author's note, "that the detectives who worked on the murder investigation are profoundly disappointed that Crispo has so far evaded prosecution." Which begs the question: how did he manage to beat the rap?

That Crispo had friends in high places goes without saying...but who, precisely, were his connections? What were they into, and what secrets did they need to protect? LeGeros testified that, after he had shot Vesti, he was urged by Crispo to drink the victim's blood. "We always drink the blood in the cult," Crispo told LeGeros, who complied. LeGeros said that he himself was not a member of this cult, as investigative journalist Maury Terry noted in The Ultimate Evil: "That was restricted to Crispo's rich friends, so far as (LeGeros) knew." This was not a figment of the killer's imagination, as police were aware of Crispo's links to the occult scene associated largely, though not exclusively, with entertainment promoter Roy Radin (whose massive Southampton home was the site of confirmed debauchery, including the drugging and violent assault of actress Melonie Haller). Among the four people convicted of Radin's 1983 murder was professional hitman William Mentzer, whose ties to cult activity in both California and New York were numerous and well established.

The hackneyed term "Satanic Panic" may still be sputtered with contempt by self-styled sophisticates, but the objective reader will ask what cult Crispo was talking about and why he apparently took its practices so seriously. As ever, decide for yourself.… (altro)

The main point I'm taking away from this book is that the biggest killer during the AIDS epidemic was indifference. This book tracks the relentless activism of New York groups, mainly ACT UP and related enterprises. Their passionate advocacy during the crisis was more often met with cold indifference than outright homophobia or bigotry.

France goes to great lengths to illustrate the differences between the worlds occupied by east village gay activists, doctors, researchers, politicians, and the "general public." I can only imagine how alien news of the epidemic must have appeared to most of the country... a blip on their radar, a city phenomenon, then suddenly a gay terror.

PWAs themselves had no choice but to dive headlong into the science and politics of viruses and drugs. They had to become experts--and make unbelievable amounts of hay--to get a seat at the table. Nothing was given to them. They had to forcibly take everything they got. If you needed to be reminded that the people and organizations that have the most power to sustain or destroy life in our society--the government, corporations--care frighteningly little about the health and safety of most people, read this book. It seems at every turn that empathy had to be wrung out of these inflexible institutions like water from a rag.

And this book also makes clear that most of the roadblocks to AIDS research arose for remarkably arbitrary and/or petty reasons. Robert Gallo's insistence on claiming that he discovered HIV is a perfect example. He was only able to do so because he had the American medical establishment at his back. He has blood on his hands. Another example is the "gang of five" researchers at ACTG who refused to study anything but AZT despite it's limited efficacy. They were being paid by AZTs manufacturer for their service. The list goes on, sickeningly long.

Perhaps the most frightening thing about this book, beyond the unimaginable devastation wrought by the plague, is that meaningful institutional change to the way pharma responds to epidemics doesn't seem to have happened. We know about the cruelty and depravity of drug companies and the politicians who support them. The surprising (yet still greatly limited) compassion shown by these companies during the AIDS crisis should be chalked up as a remarkable achievement of the activists, moreso than one of the companies themselves. What happens when the next plague is profitable, and there isn't anyone around to act up? How will drugs get into bodies? How many more will die?

… (altro)

AIDS was supposed to be the next pandemic, A disease that would take out 1 in 4 of the population. So far this virus has claimed around 40 million victims and it is thought that there are around 37 million still carrying the HIV or full blown AIDS virus at present. These are huge numbers. When it surfaced in the early 1980’s in America no one knew anything about it. It was passed from individual to individual through sexual contact and once it had entered into the gay community it spread rapidly. No one knew how to treat the symptoms or even if it was curable. Most people in America, in particular, those of a right wing persuasion could not be described as ‘sympathetic’ of the New York or any other gay community. This was even before men started to start to succumb to this unknown illness, initially thought to be some form of cancer, which was fast becoming an epidemic. It was a huge struggle for the gay community to even gain acceptance a lot of the time, this unknown virus was seen by some to be some sort of punishment. The problem was that this virus was decimating people.

David France brings us this insider’s view from the gay community on the characters that fought for recognition of their rights through the group ACT UP and for the fight that they had for resources for finding out just what this illness was and if it could be cured. This book is not the easiest to read, it is very dense, long and incredibly detailed. However, because of France’s perspective from within the community that suffered the most by reading this, you will gain an insider's perspective on the devastation that was wreaked on the gay community in the early 1980s. He lost partners and many close friends and associates to the virus and this made him do what he could do best, write. He describes the pretty despicable action by the American team of scientists undertaking research after the French team at the Institut Pasteur discovered the HIV-1 virus, and how Burroughs Wellcome developed AZT; supposedly the drug that would help those suffering. Problem was, it didn’t work. They made a fortune and still, people died. In their thousands.

Thankfully modern drugs mean that the disease is manageable, but this book is a reminder of a time that should not be forgotten.… (altro)