Sarah Schulman’s “Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993”

By LARB Radio HourMay 21, 2021

Sarah Schulman’s “Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993”
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Sarah Schulman joins Kate and Eric to discuss her new book, Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993. A longtime activist, Sarah participated directly in the history she chronicles. In 1987 she joined the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, known as ACT UP, in New York City. Let the Record Show focuses on ACT UP’s organizational tactics, its diverse range of members and intersecting causes, and its profound impact on policy and public consciousness at a time when the United States government was barely addressing the AIDS crisis. The book builds on over 200 oral histories Sarah and her collaborator and fellow ACT-UPper Jim Hubbard conducted with members. In a glowing review, Parul Sehgal of The New York Times wrote, “This is not reverent, definitive history. This is a tactician's bible.”

Also, Helen Oyeyemi, author of Peaces, returns to recommend James Robertson’s To Be Continued, or, Conversations with a Toad.

LARB Contributor

The LARB Radio Hour is hosted by Eric Newman, Medaya Ocher, and Kate Wolf.

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