James Lord (1922–2009)

Stunning portrait of the artist. Paean to the "unfinished" and the difficulty of ever completing a piece of art to satisfaction. Especially moving to reconsider as I struggle with letting go of the page proofs for my forthcoming memoir Love Junkie -- my last chance to alter the text. Profound and stirring biography that spans the inspired, perverse, focused and restless life of one of the great artists of all time imo.

Interesting and compelling, this is the story of a young man, confused about his sexual identity, who joins the air force in the Second World War and ends up in Intelligence. After much writerly angst, he comes to accept his sexuality before being shipped to Europe where he earns a bronze star for reasons unclear even to himself. There is a Catch 22 quality to the military world he depicts, complete with black marketeers and self-serving officers. Lord has a talent for antagonizing those show more superiors, however, and ends up being assigned to interview Displaced Persons (DPs) not covered by the Geneva Convention, and then German POWs. His descriptions of the starvation and appalling conditions while these people were under American care is sobering and depressing.

Unfortunately, Lord's convoluted sentences and general writing style seem self-consciously "intellectual" to me. This undercuts the apparent honesty of the recalled life. Nonetheless, this memoir is a worthwhile read and a rare window into the gay subset of the greatest generation. show less

A fascinating look into the creation of a work of art. Lord's episodic account of his conversations with the artist as he sits for a portait are lively and funny.

I skipped the portrait of Acton and Giacometti brothers. I am only interested in Balthus and James Lord delivers. A superior vignette of his relationship with Balthus.

Cocteau's portrait was revealing and I appreciate that Lord exposes the good and bad in his subjects.