The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2020)

Please join us on Thursday, October 8, at 5 p.m., for a 2020 Virtual History Book Festival “Spirited Discussion” with Eric Cervini, author of The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2020). Cervini will be interviewed by Paul M. Smith. This event is free but registration is required.

About the book
In 1957, Frank Kameny, an astronomer working for the U.S. Defense Department in Hawaii, was dismissed because he was homosexual. Unlike many who faced the same fate, Kameny fought back, founding the Mattachine Society of Washington, the first organization to protest the systematic persecution of gay federal employees. This story of America at a cultural and sexual crossroads is based on firsthand accounts, recently declassified FBI records, and forty thousand personal documents.

About the author
Eric Cervini, a historian of LGBTQ culture and politics, is a summa cum laude graduate of Harvard who received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Gates Scholar.

Paul M. Smith will interview Cervini. Smith is an attorney who has appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court 21 times. He represented the plaintiffs in the 2003 case of Lawrence v. Texas, in which the Court ruled that laws prohibiting private homosexual activity between consenting adults are unconstitutional.

How to attend the online event
The event will be shared using Zoom—an easy, reliable platform for video and audio conferencing. Here are basic written instructions for using Zoom and a brief video tutorial.

All registered attendees will receive a follow-up email from “LibCal” with Zoom log-in information. If you don’t receive this email after registering, please check your SPAM folder. If you still can’t locate the email, please contact info@historybookfestival.org.

Purchase the book
Please help support local independent bookstores by purchasing this book at Browseabout Books, official bookseller of the History Book Festival. Online sources and digital versions are tempting; however, supporting local brick and mortar shops helps to preserve our vibrant main streets. Drop by Browseabout, order books online, or call the store at 302-226-2665. You also may purchase a copy at biblion in Lewes. Each copy purchased comes with a signed archival bookplate.

About the Festival
2020 Virtual History Book Festival: Bring History Home is sponsored by Delaware Humanities and The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group.

The HBF “Spirited Discussion” is one of the types of programming offered this year at 2020 Virtual History Book Festival: Bring History Home. We are extremely grateful for the virtual venue and assistance in event promotion provided by the Lewes Public Library, in conjunction with the Delaware Division of Libraries and Sussex County Libraries.