Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir

Paul Monette

Mar 2014 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

“An eloquent testimonial to the power of love and the devastation of loss” from the National Book Award–winning author of Becoming a Man (Publishers Weekly).

In 1974, Paul Monette met Roger Horwitz, the man with whom he would share more than a decade of his life. In 1986, Roger died of complications from AIDS. Borrowed Time traces this love story from start to tragic finish. At a time when the medical community was just beginning to understand this mysterious and virulent disease, Monette and others like him were coming to terms with unfathomable loss. This personal account of the early days of the AIDS crisis tells the story of love in the face of death.

A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, Borrowed Time was one of the first memoirs to deal candidly with AIDS and is as moving and relevant now as it was more than twenty-five years ago. Written with fierce honesty and heartwarming tenderness, this book is part love story, part testimony, and part requiem.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Paul Monette including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the Paul Monette papers of the UCLA Library Special Collections.

Ratings and reviews

This is a profoundly moving memoir of the battle waged by author Monette and his companion, Roger Horwitz, as the latter is diagnosed with, and, fights, AIDS, from 1984 to 1986. Monette has crafted a detailed portrait of his relationship with Roger, their circle of family and friends, and, their respective work lives (Monette as a screenwriter and novelist; Horwitz as an attorney running a solo practice). Although the memoir can be somewhat depressing at times, given the inherent seriousness of the subject matter and the inexorable decline in Roger's health, the book also provides an optimistic affirmation of the great love that existed between Paul and Roger, their passion for poetry, literature, ancient cultures, travel and nature, and, their lust for life. The memoir really is a love story, at its core. As a straight man, I obviously recognize this book's provenance and importance as a chronicle of a gay-centric experience and an existential struggle in the 1980's, but, I think that this book still holds rewards, emotional poignancy and relevance for everyone, gay and straight, as a chronicle of what it's like to care for a loved one stricken with a fatal illness -- be it AIDS, cancer, or, whatever. The importance of supporting and loving family members in such a struggle is underscored by this book, as Horwitz's parents lend critical and unwavering support. This memoir is ultimately a chronicle of devotion between two people with a deep love for each other.

Although this is a memoir of the HIV/AIDS epidemic beginning in the early 80s, I think that many people misread the purpose of this book. It (in my opinion) epitomizes strength and love through adversity. It also pays homage to his lover Roger. This book is encouraging, to say the least for anyone who has fought, or is fighting a critical illness alongside a loved one.

About the author

Paul Monette (1945–1995) was an author, poet, and gay rights activist. Born in Massachusetts and educated at Yale University, he moved with his partner Roger Horwitz to Los Angeles in 1978 and became involved in the gay rights movement. Monette’s writing captures the sense of heartbreak and loss at the center of the AIDS crisis. His first novel, Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll, was published in 1978, and he went on to write several more works of fiction, poetry, and memoir. Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir, the tender account of his partner’s battle with the disease, earned him both PEN Center West and Lambda Literary Awards. In 1992, Monette won the National Book Award in Nonfiction for Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story, an autobiography detailing his early life and his struggle with his sexuality. Written as a classic coming-of-age story, Becoming a Man became a seminal coming-out story. In 1995, Monette founded the Monette-Horwitz Trust, which honors individuals and organizations working to combat homophobia. Monette died in his home in West Hollywood in 1995 of complications from AIDS.