Tom Waddell perhaps did more to flout gay stereotypes than any other American. He was not effeminate; he was a world-class athlete. He was also a pheneomenon--a revelation to mainstream America when he appeared with his lover in People and on ABC's 20/20 when he was dying of AIDS. Now, celebrated sports writer Dick Schaap teams up with Waddell to offer an inspiring biography.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Tom Flubacher Waddell, New Jersey-born decathlete in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and founder of the Gay Games, died of AIDS in San Francisco in 1987 at the age of 49, several months after Schaap had started work on this biography. Toward the end of it, by way of explaining why he took on the project, Schaap, sportswriter and author of 29 books, writes that he has always looked for stories that transcend sport, that provoke laughter or tears, surprise or anger. And Waddell's story, the life of a world-class athlete, a doctor specializing in infectious diseases, a gay activist and, with his lesbian partner, a father, is probably suitably provocative. But Schaap seems to have been singularly unprovoked during the nine years he worked on this book, and he leaves the reader squinting between the lines to find out what made Waddell extraordinary. We are given only disorganized scraps of evidence. Waddell's later history is told in his own words, in the form of letters, which he began composing hours after her conception, to his daughter Jessica, who was four years old at the time of his death; the earlier history is filled in by Schaap. But most of the best writing is found at the end of the book, in quotes from interviewees and excerpts from letters written by Waddell's admirers. The narrative as a whole suffers from an apparent lack of editing and from ineffective, haphazard contextualizing. There is much allusiveness, an abundance of non sequiturs and precious little portraiture. Photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Waddell wanted to do everything: he was a college athlete, a member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic team, a military and civilian doctor, and founder of the Gay Games. So when Sara Lewinstein, a prominent San Francisco lesbian activist, asked him to father her child, he enthusiastically agreed. This book is composed of excerpts from Waddell's journal?which he began for daughter Jessica in 1983 and kept until shortly before he died of complications from AIDS in 1987?mixed with a more straightforward biography by TV sports commentator Schaap. Schaap adequately chronicles Waddell's life from his 1937 birth into a working-class New Jersey family, through his struggles with his homosexuality, to his ultimately unsuccessful battle to use the name "Gay Olympics" for the quadrennial games he founded. Along the way, Schaap makes clear his subject's complicated relationships with women and men, his perfectionism, and his idealism. Though the (auto)biography format is not entirely successful, the result is nevertheless an important testament to one of the queer communities' most inspiring role models.?Jim Van Buskirk, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Olympic Athlete Loses Battle Against Aids,
By A Customer
This review is from: Gay Olympian: The Life and Death of Dr. Tom Waddell (Hardcover)
Tom Waddell always planned on writing a book on his life. He thought he had more time, in life, to write about his life. However, his life was abruptly ended at the age of 49, before he could complete his journal about his life. ABC Sportscaster Dick Schapp completes Tom's dream of writing a book. Schapp first became interested in Waddell's life at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Waddell competed against U.S. Decathalon Champion Bill Toomey. While Waddell didn't win a medal, his time at the Mexico City Olympics was somewhat controversial. Waddell campaigned against the opression of African-Americans, in the Southern United States, and drew fire from the U.S. Olympic Committee. In his personal life, Waddell was also making news. After coming out of the closet, Waddell organized what was to have become the "Gay Olympics". However, the U.S. Olympic Comittee would not allow Waddell to use the word Olympic in the title of the games. That litigation began an ongoing legal battle that would not be solved until Waddell's death. In his personal life, Waddell was also controversial. He wanted a child so much, that he and a lesbian conceived what would become his daughter Jessica. He and Sara, another Olympic Athlete, later married. Waddell's dream of seeing his daughter grow up never materialized. He was one of the first to become infected with the HIV virus, and died in 1987. "Gay Olympian" is a moving account of Waddell's life. his love of life, sports, medicine and his daughter. Dick Schapp combines Waddell's Journal to his daughter with the story of Waddell's life. It also paints a disturbing picture of the vindictiveness of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the pain the organization caused in his life. I highly recommend this book
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heartwarming biography,
By Amazon Reviewer (Home) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gay Olympian: The Life and Death of Dr. Tom Waddell (Hardcover)
Tom Waddell is more than just the creator of the Gay Games, he is someone who has dedicated his life to making people feel welcome, making them feel accepted, no matter what is different about them. This is the heartwarming story of a young man who knew the feeling of being "different" and decided to dedicate to fight intolerance and AIDS until the very end, his death. After hearing about the Gay Games, I decided to write a paper for one of my classes about this. I interviewed people who had worked with Tom Waddell, and people who still worked for the Gay Games, that were held that year in my home country, the Netherlands. The story of the 60 year old woman who had never participated in a sports contect before, who wasn't particularly athletic, who didn't win an official prize but who won the prize of being part of something fantastic. The story of the swimmers not getting out of the water to collect their medals, but to cheer for those still in the water.
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