Widescreen Dreams Growing Up Gay at the Movies [Paperback]

In 1973, a sweet-tempered, ferociously imaginative ten-year-old boy named Patrick Horrigan saw the TV premiere of the film version ofHello, Dolly!starring Barbra Streisand. His life would never be the same.Widescreen Dreams: Growing Up Gay at the Moviestraces Horrigan’s development from childhood to gay male adulthood through a series of visceral encounters with an unexpected handful of Hollywood movies from the 1960s and 1970s:Hello Dolly!, The Sound of Music, The Poseidon Adventure, Dog Day Afternoon, andThe Wiz.

In 1973, a sweet-tempered, ferociously imaginative ten-year-old boy named Patrick Horrigan saw the TV premiere of the film version ofHello, Dolly!starring Barbra Streisand. His life would never be the same.Widescreen Dreams: Growing Up Gay at the Moviestraces Horrigan’s development from childhood to gay male adulthood through a series of visceral encounters with an unexpected handful of Hollywood movies from the 1960s and 1970s:Hello Dolly!, The Sound of Music, The Poseidon Adventure, Dog Day Afternoon, andThe Wiz.

“[Horrigan’s] personal anecdotes illuminate the complex relationship between film and the imagination.”—Publishers Weekly

“Horrigan transforms a series of his critical writings on film into a touching and insightful look at a gay youth coming of age… This fascinating autobiographical tribute to American film-making is highly recommended.”—Library Journal

"Widescreen Dreamsis a terrific book and an impressive debut."—William J. Mann, author ofThe Biograph GirlandWisecracker

Patrick E. Horrigan lives in New York where he is associate professor of English at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University.  He is the author of a play, Messages for Gary, and lives in Manhattan.