Loud, Out, and Personal

Photography by Christopher Makos / From Lance Out Loud by Pat Loud, copyright (c) 2012, published by Glitterati Incorporated. www.GlitteratiIncorporated.com

Explaining Lance Loud is like trying to explain the will-o'-the-wisp, says his mother, Pat Loud, in the introduction to Lance Out Loud, a collection of photos, essays, and artwork related to America's first gay reality star.

The Loud family shot to fame in 1973, when they featured in the 12-part PBS reality-style documentary, An American Family (see Out's Ultimate Gay TV Timeline), but what made it extraordinary for the time was the candid spectacle of a young man discovering and embracing his sexuality. Loud died in 2001, but this treasure trove assembled by his mother and his friend, the photographer Christopher Makos, evokes his mischievous, witty, and beguiling spirit.

There will be an author signing and reception at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh on November 9.