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Quentin Crisp (1908
- 1999)
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 The
Naked Civil Servant by Quentin
Crisp
In 1931, gay liberation was not a movement--it
was simply unthinkable. But in that year, Quentin Crisp made the
courageous decision to "come out" as a homosexual. This
exhibitionist with the henna-dyed hair was harrassed, ridiculed
and beaten. Nevertheless, he claimed his right to be
himself--whatever the consequences. The Naked Civil Servant is
both a comic masterpiece and a unique testament to the resilience
of the human spirit.
 Resident
Alien : The New York Diaries by Quentin
Crisp
Crisp has done it again! Just when you think
you're a maven on things-BOOM- he publishes his diaries! What a
scandal, although I am sure some blue nosed puritan proofreader
somewhere omitted some of the more "Corrupting
evidence", Mr. Crisps personality and always charming style
and wit still manage to rise above the parchment at every turn.
This is an ideal "Holiday" gift for a friend to take
along when on a long flight or travel to make the time seem to
"Fly by", as it did for me when I enjoyed it the first
time...My Word!,...I think I shall go and read it again now. Mr.
Crisp is timeless and indefatigable... and like "Miss Jean
Brodie", still in his "Prime" time! Kudo's once
again and, Bravo, Mr. Crisp, You are "La Divine'"
indeed! -- Anonymous Review
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Interview by Keith Phipps for The
Onion
Excerpt:
Quintin Crisp: People say to me,
"When did you come out?" But I was never in! When I was
about six, I was swanning around the house in clothes that
belonged to my mother and my grandmother which I'd found in an
attic, saying, "I am a beautiful princess!" What my
parents thought of this, I don't know. But they bore it. And the
real problem was not my sin, but my unemployability. So I went out
into the world when I was about 22. I wrote books and I
illustrated books and did book covers, and I taught tap-dancing,
and I was a model in the art school. I had no ability for any of
those things, but what else could I do? You see, it may be true
that artists adopt a flamboyant appearance, but it's also true
that people who look funny get stuck with the arts. And that's
what happened to me. And then I came here, and I'd written several
books before I got here--The Naked Civil Servant and so on.
When I got here, I just went on doing the same things. I wrote
books. I haven't illustrated anything here, because now I'm too
old to make drawings. I don't see well enough, and my hand isn't
steady enough. But that's how I came here...
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Chris Mitchell goes for lunch with Quentin Crisp
- March 1996
Excerpt:
Quentin has often asked himself the same
question about gay militancy, a position which has caused him
problems in the past. During a performance of his show An
Evening With Quentin Crisp in California, Quentin relates how
"several young men were very angry with me. When I asked why,
they said, 'You haven't once directly asserted that you're gay
this evening.'" Quentin arches a neatly penciled eyebrow.
"You'd think to look at me would be enough. Obviously not.
And that is why I do not march. I have realized I represent
nothing grander than my own puny self. I am first and last an
individual, not a spokesman for any group. I have lived my life
with my sexuality clearly apparent. I cannot do any more."
The provocation of Quentin's attire should not be underestimated,
even in these supposed liberal times. With a mixture of
incredulity and relish, Quentin relates a story from the Edinburgh
festival several years ago: "A young man was performing a
show where he impersonated me on stage, complete with clothes,
make-up and accent. When he walked out into the street still
dressed as myself, he was physically attacked!"
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By Judy Rosen for Solon.com
Excerpt:
The death of Quentin Crisp represents the end
not just of a life but of a lifestyle -- the subject he claimed as
his area of expertise. He titled one of his books "How to
Have a Lifestyle"; his one-man show, "An Evening with
Quentin Crisp," which was to have opened in Manchester on
Nov. 22, was essentially one long lecture on that heady topic. For
Crisp, "having a lifestyle" meant living a stylized
life. There was artifice in his every gesture and utterance; his
entire existence was a performance. He was the late 20th century
embodiment of a turn-
of-the-
century archetype: the bohemian flâneur, the arty, outrageously
dressed stroller of the boulevards who negotiates a hostile world,
surviving on his guile and witticisms...
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Quentin Crisp's appeal goes beyond the gay
community which rightly affords him Royal status. Everyone who
admires wit and courage is a natural admirer. This web site will
present you with new ways of enjoying Quentin's eccentric view of
the world around him...
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This is the "official" website for
Quintin Crisp.
Even the seemingly indestructible Quentin Crisp
had to die sometime. His great friend Penny
Arcade once made him promise to live to be 100 but he later
phoned her to ask to be released from the pledge. He wanted to die
at 90 and got his wish with just a few weeks to spare...
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Names Index:
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
Q R
S T
U V
W X
Y Z
| Authors
Index | Scholars
Index |
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