Dustin Lance Black, author of MAMA'S BOY and Academy Award winning screenwriter of MILK | Ep19 BOOKS CONNECT US

Today's guest is Dustin Lance Black: an author, filmmaker and social activist known for writing the Academy Award–winning screenplay of the Harvey Milk biopic MILK, and for his part in overturning California’s discriminatory Proposition 8. His heartfelt, deeply personal memoir MAMA'S BOY explores how a mother and son built bridges across great cultural divides—and how our stories hold the power to heal. Now please join book editor Anna Kaufman in conversation with Dustin Lance Black.
Praise for MAMA'S BOY: Mama’s Boy is a beautifully written, utterly compelling account of growing up poor and gay with a thrice married, physically disabled, deeply religious Mormon mother, and the imprint this irrepressible woman made on the character of Dustin Lance Black. Their extraordinary bond left me exhilarated—it actually gave me hope for the future of the republic, which is no mean feat, given the dark mood of our current moment.” —Jon Krakauer, author of Missoula and Under the Banner of Heaven
“A fast read with witty observations, and all the emotions to go along. . . . [A] testament to the powerful impact a good parent has on children. . . . Black and Mama’s Boy show just how far the unlikeliest of children can go with pure, unabashed grit.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“A fascinating and poignant combination of memoir and family history. . . . Both personal and universal. . . . The most emotional moments come as Black finds himself in personal encounters with those who might be considered obviously antagonistic to his world, including leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and more conservative members of his own family. . . . Finding common ground is indeed the powerful throughline in Mama’s Boy.” —Salt Lake City Weekly