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When We Rise: My Life in the Movement
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir & Autobiography (2017)The partial inspiration for the forthcoming ABC television mini-series from Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, executive producer Gus Van Sant, and starring Guy Pearce, Mary-Louise Parker, Carrie Preston, and Rachel Griffiths.
Born in 1954, Cleve Jones was among the last generation of gay Americans who grew up wondering if there were others out there like himself. There were. Like thousands of other young people, Jones, nearly penniless, was drawn in the early 1970s to San Francisco, a city electrified by progressive politics and sexual freedom.
Jones found community--in the hotel rooms and ramshackle apartments shared by other young adventurers, in the city's bathhouses and gay bars like The Stud, and in the burgeoning gay district, the Castro, where a New York transplant named Harvey Milk set up a camera shop, began shouting through his bullhorn, and soon became the nation's most outspoken gay elected official. With Milk's encouragement, Jones dove into politics and found his calling in "the movement." When Milk was killed by an assassin's bullet in 1978, Jones took up his mentor's progressive mantle--only to see the arrival of AIDS transform his life once again.
By turns tender and uproarious--and written entirely in his own words--When We Rise is Jones' account of his remarkable life. He chronicles the heartbreak of losing countless friends to AIDS, which very nearly killed him, too; his co-founding of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation during the terrifying early years of the epidemic; his conception of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the largest community art project in history; the bewitching story of 1970s San Francisco and the magnetic spell it cast for thousands of young gay people and other misfits; and the harrowing, sexy, and sometimes hilarious stories of Cleve's passionate relationships with friends and lovers during an era defined by both unprecedented freedom and possibility, and prejudice and violence alike.
When We Rise is not only the story of a hero to the LQBTQ community, but the vibrantly voice memoir of a full and transformative American life--an activist whose work continues today.
Born in 1954, Cleve Jones was among the last generation of gay Americans who grew up wondering if there were others out there like himself. There were. Like thousands of other young people, Jones, nearly penniless, was drawn in the early 1970s to San Francisco, a city electrified by progressive politics and sexual freedom.
Jones found community--in the hotel rooms and ramshackle apartments shared by other young adventurers, in the city's bathhouses and gay bars like The Stud, and in the burgeoning gay district, the Castro, where a New York transplant named Harvey Milk set up a camera shop, began shouting through his bullhorn, and soon became the nation's most outspoken gay elected official. With Milk's encouragement, Jones dove into politics and found his calling in "the movement." When Milk was killed by an assassin's bullet in 1978, Jones took up his mentor's progressive mantle--only to see the arrival of AIDS transform his life once again.
By turns tender and uproarious--and written entirely in his own words--When We Rise is Jones' account of his remarkable life. He chronicles the heartbreak of losing countless friends to AIDS, which very nearly killed him, too; his co-founding of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation during the terrifying early years of the epidemic; his conception of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the largest community art project in history; the bewitching story of 1970s San Francisco and the magnetic spell it cast for thousands of young gay people and other misfits; and the harrowing, sexy, and sometimes hilarious stories of Cleve's passionate relationships with friends and lovers during an era defined by both unprecedented freedom and possibility, and prejudice and violence alike.
When We Rise is not only the story of a hero to the LQBTQ community, but the vibrantly voice memoir of a full and transformative American life--an activist whose work continues today.
291 pages, Hardcover
First published November 29, 2016
240 people are currently reading
8134 people want to read
About the author
Cleve Jones
4 books48 followersCleve Jones (born October 11, 1954) is an American AIDS and LGBT rights activist. He conceived the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, which has become, at 54 tons, the world's largest piece of community folk art as of 2016. In 1983, at the onset of the AIDS pandemic Jones co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, which has grown into one of the largest and most influential People with AIDS advocacy organizations in the United States.
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September 4, 2017
When the trailers for the When We Rise miniseries came on TV, I knew instantly that I had to watch it, and I knew that it would make me sob. So my mom was in Cuba for a week back in March, I had the entire house to myself, and there was a record breaking snowstorm that snowed me in for days. So, I finally plunked down and binged that entire show in a day and I sobbed for like 75% of the 8 hours. After I naturally went and googled the shit out of everything I had learned and I discovered that there was a book and I instantly knew I had to buy it and read it.
That mini series has stayed with me ever since I saw it. I think about it often, I rewatched the entire thing last night when I was in the middle of the book because I really just wanted to freshen up on things. Because of my love for this and everything I've learned about the LGBT movement since I watched it, I have a special place in my heart for Cleve Jones and his story. So while I found some faults in this book, I really cant imagine it getting less than 5 stars and a spot on my favourites shelf. I recommend it up and down to every single person because I think that it carries a lot of messages and honestly makes you re-evaluate the things in life that you value and fight for.
So to touch upon the book just slightly, I thought the writing was easy to read and very down to earth. I will say, this is a very political memoir but it's written in "politics for dummy" type language. (for more information about the political aspect, read the edit down below) And I mean there's a lot of non-political stuff too, but i'd say about half is political. Also, this is probably something that bothers me because of the fact that I never read memoirs, but there was a lot of personal details I didn't see the point to. The first half was basically every man Cleve met and every section about that person ended with "and then we fucked" which I thought was a bit unnecessary. Then again it kind of made me understand a bit more of the culture and life style of people at the time and why AIDS spread so quickly.
I also found the first 15 years outlined in this was very detailed and descriptive, taking 80% of the book, and the years from like 1990 to 2015 were covered in the last 60 pages or so. It just felt a little rushed towards the end and I can't tell if that's from Cleve not wanting to go into more details about AIDS, or if less just happened in general.
I did find the end section kind of sad for Cleve though. There's a few years before Milk came out where Cleve essentially gets pushed out of everything he helped build and it is heartbreaking to hear that happened but at the same time, he went on to do so much after that period so it got more uplifting.
Overall I just adored this. I feel like I'm connected to Cleve Jones and that he just shared something personal with me. I am definitely going to revisit this, and watch the mini series over and over again, as I think this is such an important story to tell.
Edit: someone commented asking about the political aspect and whether he talks about his political views. I am going to add my comment:
He never specifically states his political views. He presents them merely as people who are running for specific positions and who he is supporting. But as a supporter of the LGBT movement the people he supports is really not a surprise. BUT he never once bashes any political groups. He talks about the various US presidents in a very generic sense. He never mentions whether he supports them or not. So it's not preachy or anything. It's political in the sense that he mentions the politics of the time but doesn't really preach one side or the other. I loved that about it!
That mini series has stayed with me ever since I saw it. I think about it often, I rewatched the entire thing last night when I was in the middle of the book because I really just wanted to freshen up on things. Because of my love for this and everything I've learned about the LGBT movement since I watched it, I have a special place in my heart for Cleve Jones and his story. So while I found some faults in this book, I really cant imagine it getting less than 5 stars and a spot on my favourites shelf. I recommend it up and down to every single person because I think that it carries a lot of messages and honestly makes you re-evaluate the things in life that you value and fight for.
So to touch upon the book just slightly, I thought the writing was easy to read and very down to earth. I will say, this is a very political memoir but it's written in "politics for dummy" type language. (for more information about the political aspect, read the edit down below) And I mean there's a lot of non-political stuff too, but i'd say about half is political. Also, this is probably something that bothers me because of the fact that I never read memoirs, but there was a lot of personal details I didn't see the point to. The first half was basically every man Cleve met and every section about that person ended with "and then we fucked" which I thought was a bit unnecessary. Then again it kind of made me understand a bit more of the culture and life style of people at the time and why AIDS spread so quickly.
I also found the first 15 years outlined in this was very detailed and descriptive, taking 80% of the book, and the years from like 1990 to 2015 were covered in the last 60 pages or so. It just felt a little rushed towards the end and I can't tell if that's from Cleve not wanting to go into more details about AIDS, or if less just happened in general.
I did find the end section kind of sad for Cleve though. There's a few years before Milk came out where Cleve essentially gets pushed out of everything he helped build and it is heartbreaking to hear that happened but at the same time, he went on to do so much after that period so it got more uplifting.
Overall I just adored this. I feel like I'm connected to Cleve Jones and that he just shared something personal with me. I am definitely going to revisit this, and watch the mini series over and over again, as I think this is such an important story to tell.
Edit: someone commented asking about the political aspect and whether he talks about his political views. I am going to add my comment:
He never specifically states his political views. He presents them merely as people who are running for specific positions and who he is supporting. But as a supporter of the LGBT movement the people he supports is really not a surprise. BUT he never once bashes any political groups. He talks about the various US presidents in a very generic sense. He never mentions whether he supports them or not. So it's not preachy or anything. It's political in the sense that he mentions the politics of the time but doesn't really preach one side or the other. I loved that about it!
May 27, 2019
This is a book I’m reading for my real-world book club, even though I probably won’t be able to attend the meeting when it is discussed. I had seen the miniseries on tv and enjoyed it. I hadn’t been planning to read the book, but I’m glad that I did. It’s excellent.
I’m in the same generation as the author, just a year/school year older than him, and I was in San Francisco, and so much was familiar and brought up memories, and not just within San Francisco, but the country/the world: the war, the politics, the music, the books, the culture/counterculture, the restaurants, the streets & neighborhoods, current events & news & crimes of the era, the public figures, the people, and almost all were familiar and some I hadn’t thought about for a long time. Not this particular sub-culture though I knew a fair amount about it at the time. I couldn’t help but think about what was going on in my life month to month, year to year, as he told his story and told what was going on in the greater world.
I wish he hadn’t changed any names because I am wondering about one man I knew back then and wonder whether he was mentioned in the book but with a pseudonym. A couple more guys too.
Cleve Jones is so personable, and delivers such great storytelling. I found it hard to put this book down, except at times when painful happenings were being covered, and even then.
The author has had an interesting, eventful life.
Even though the book goes in chronological order, there is quite a bit of repetition, but it wasn’t too distracting or annoying.
At the end does touch on our current situation. As I got toward the end I felt more depressed because of what we’re going through right now, but this account does a good job of having the reader see the big picture and seeing the process needed to make positive changes. It’s hard not to get discouraged though fighting the same old battles over and over and over again. This goes for so many issues!
I already knew so much of what I read, though some of the details toward the end of events, during the 21st century, I didn’t know it all, particularly the infighting/disagreements within different groups in the movement, and they remind me more than a bit of the vegan/animal rights/environmental movements, and I’m hoping maybe we can continue to learn from one another.
My emotions were all over the place as I relived the social and personal aspects of my life over these decades. I found it both fun and painful.
I think the pacing and structure were good. The author explains at the end a change he made in how much of what was covered and I do think the choice was good, even though much of the worst of the AIDS epidemic felt skimmed over to me.
A lot of name dropping but he is entitled! And there are always valid reasons for when he does it!
Highly recommended for those who lived it or witnessed it, who lived during these decades, particularly if readers were young adults in the 70s, and also those who are curious about the period and those who want to understand how history makes our present. Through all times and causes/issues. Recommended also for people who enjoy good coming of age and aging memoirs.
I’m in the same generation as the author, just a year/school year older than him, and I was in San Francisco, and so much was familiar and brought up memories, and not just within San Francisco, but the country/the world: the war, the politics, the music, the books, the culture/counterculture, the restaurants, the streets & neighborhoods, current events & news & crimes of the era, the public figures, the people, and almost all were familiar and some I hadn’t thought about for a long time. Not this particular sub-culture though I knew a fair amount about it at the time. I couldn’t help but think about what was going on in my life month to month, year to year, as he told his story and told what was going on in the greater world.
I wish he hadn’t changed any names because I am wondering about one man I knew back then and wonder whether he was mentioned in the book but with a pseudonym. A couple more guys too.
Cleve Jones is so personable, and delivers such great storytelling. I found it hard to put this book down, except at times when painful happenings were being covered, and even then.
The author has had an interesting, eventful life.
Even though the book goes in chronological order, there is quite a bit of repetition, but it wasn’t too distracting or annoying.
At the end does touch on our current situation. As I got toward the end I felt more depressed because of what we’re going through right now, but this account does a good job of having the reader see the big picture and seeing the process needed to make positive changes. It’s hard not to get discouraged though fighting the same old battles over and over and over again. This goes for so many issues!
I already knew so much of what I read, though some of the details toward the end of events, during the 21st century, I didn’t know it all, particularly the infighting/disagreements within different groups in the movement, and they remind me more than a bit of the vegan/animal rights/environmental movements, and I’m hoping maybe we can continue to learn from one another.
My emotions were all over the place as I relived the social and personal aspects of my life over these decades. I found it both fun and painful.
I think the pacing and structure were good. The author explains at the end a change he made in how much of what was covered and I do think the choice was good, even though much of the worst of the AIDS epidemic felt skimmed over to me.
A lot of name dropping but he is entitled! And there are always valid reasons for when he does it!
Highly recommended for those who lived it or witnessed it, who lived during these decades, particularly if readers were young adults in the 70s, and also those who are curious about the period and those who want to understand how history makes our present. Through all times and causes/issues. Recommended also for people who enjoy good coming of age and aging memoirs.
June 20, 2017
When most of Americans exalted at the news that marriage equality was finally the law of their land, the world joined in the celebration. #LoveWins trended for days after the proclamation. And the religious right stayed in their homes clutching their pearls while they prayed for everybody’s souls.
Now I sit here with worry. Because among all the other disturbing things that are happening in the States right now, there is something else simmering on the stove of this ridiculous administration: the new VP is a huge proponent of conversion therapy for gay people. I wouldn’t put it past them to enact something as heinous as sending kids to a gay camp to cure them of their burgeoning homosexuality. Adding to the worry is the vacant SCOTUS seat which, judging by the cabinet members President Shit For Brains has been installing, will more than likely be filled by another bigot. (I feel like I’ve been angry since November and I’m not even sorry. ) For now, at least, the marriage equality is safe (fingers crossed).
When We Rise is a memoir that needs to be read by everyone. It comes at an anxious, but much-needed time. If the November election has taught us anything, it’s that our marches help fire up a revolution in our own little way. It doesn’t start as a raging inferno. It begins in small sparks. Cleve Jones’ role in the LGBTQ equality was an accumulation of a lifetime of fighting for recognition spurred on by the beatings he’s gotten as a teenager and his parents’ inability to acknowledge him for what he truly was. Yet despite his parents’ shunning, and the bruises he’s endured, his bitterness was noticeably absent.
He was a man who grew up at an age where sexual promiscuity, gratuitous drug use, and decadence was pertinent. A man who didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life other than to make the next buck that will sustain him for the immediate time. He moved from Arizona to San Francisco when his father let him know exactly what he thought of his sexuality. He would travel the world and switch between San Francisco and Europe. So when did his revolution began? I got the impression that everything fell on his lap. Not that it was easy, mind you. You’d care to know that even though San Francisco was the epicenter of it all, none of it was easy.
The emergence of AIDS in the 80s was when we see him go through griefs for the losses of his friends and lovers. It was during this time when he would be in the biggest fight of his life – literally and figuratively. The number of deaths due to AIDS back then rose to an unfathomable number. Their fight for equal rights stalled all thanks to the prejudice and backlash they’ve gotten because of AIDS. Conservatism and Reagan were in office. And funding for research and cure was not a priority even though it was killing Americans at an inconceivable rate. It would take years and a Democrat in office before America actually paid attention.
When We Rise is a great book to read if you ever need a starting point to understanding the fight that they’ve long since waged. It’s interesting to see the birth of the revolution that wasn’t well received in the State of California at first. Surprising, considering that California is the cradle of progressive government in the country. Mr. Jones highlighted the many struggles and triumphs that the movement has gone through over the years. The men and women who helped brought forth an awareness to their cause that eventually paved the way for the progress that the American LGBTQ community experiences nowadays. It was great to learn that Nancy Pelosi has been such a long time supporter of equality for the LGBTQ.
Cleve Jones’ memoir chronicles the never-ending fight that the community faces. Along the way, he’ll meet countless of valiant people willing to fight alongside with him. He imparts a message that couldn’t come at a better time than now. That it takes more than one march to fight for your rights, against the injustices of the world, and for what you believe in.
Now I sit here with worry. Because among all the other disturbing things that are happening in the States right now, there is something else simmering on the stove of this ridiculous administration: the new VP is a huge proponent of conversion therapy for gay people. I wouldn’t put it past them to enact something as heinous as sending kids to a gay camp to cure them of their burgeoning homosexuality. Adding to the worry is the vacant SCOTUS seat which, judging by the cabinet members President Shit For Brains has been installing, will more than likely be filled by another bigot. (I feel like I’ve been angry since November and I’m not even sorry. ) For now, at least, the marriage equality is safe (fingers crossed).
When We Rise is a memoir that needs to be read by everyone. It comes at an anxious, but much-needed time. If the November election has taught us anything, it’s that our marches help fire up a revolution in our own little way. It doesn’t start as a raging inferno. It begins in small sparks. Cleve Jones’ role in the LGBTQ equality was an accumulation of a lifetime of fighting for recognition spurred on by the beatings he’s gotten as a teenager and his parents’ inability to acknowledge him for what he truly was. Yet despite his parents’ shunning, and the bruises he’s endured, his bitterness was noticeably absent.
He was a man who grew up at an age where sexual promiscuity, gratuitous drug use, and decadence was pertinent. A man who didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life other than to make the next buck that will sustain him for the immediate time. He moved from Arizona to San Francisco when his father let him know exactly what he thought of his sexuality. He would travel the world and switch between San Francisco and Europe. So when did his revolution began? I got the impression that everything fell on his lap. Not that it was easy, mind you. You’d care to know that even though San Francisco was the epicenter of it all, none of it was easy.
The emergence of AIDS in the 80s was when we see him go through griefs for the losses of his friends and lovers. It was during this time when he would be in the biggest fight of his life – literally and figuratively. The number of deaths due to AIDS back then rose to an unfathomable number. Their fight for equal rights stalled all thanks to the prejudice and backlash they’ve gotten because of AIDS. Conservatism and Reagan were in office. And funding for research and cure was not a priority even though it was killing Americans at an inconceivable rate. It would take years and a Democrat in office before America actually paid attention.
When We Rise is a great book to read if you ever need a starting point to understanding the fight that they’ve long since waged. It’s interesting to see the birth of the revolution that wasn’t well received in the State of California at first. Surprising, considering that California is the cradle of progressive government in the country. Mr. Jones highlighted the many struggles and triumphs that the movement has gone through over the years. The men and women who helped brought forth an awareness to their cause that eventually paved the way for the progress that the American LGBTQ community experiences nowadays. It was great to learn that Nancy Pelosi has been such a long time supporter of equality for the LGBTQ.
Cleve Jones’ memoir chronicles the never-ending fight that the community faces. Along the way, he’ll meet countless of valiant people willing to fight alongside with him. He imparts a message that couldn’t come at a better time than now. That it takes more than one march to fight for your rights, against the injustices of the world, and for what you believe in.
June 23, 2017
Right now I don't feel like I want to pick up this book again.
Let's be honest : I've read 34% of this book and so far it's just him talking about every guy he ever had sex with . . . Fascinating.
Maybe I will pick it up later, or maybe I won't, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Let's be honest : I've read 34% of this book and so far it's just him talking about every guy he ever had sex with . . . Fascinating.
Maybe I will pick it up later, or maybe I won't, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
March 18, 2017
Required reading for anyone in the LGBTQ+ movement! It's so well written and entertaining, it's easy to forget it's a historical account. It helps put the current era in context. LGBTs have always fought hard to earn even acknowledgment, let alone respect. Nothing has ever come easy, but giving up isn't an option.
November 8, 2017
A little scattered, but interesting. This is really a memoir, a pulling together of thoughts and memories, than a detailed recollection of the LGBTQ rights movement through the 1970's and the AIDS epidemic in the 80's and early 90's. Jones is a great writer, and even if I didn't learn a ton about the history of the queer activism movement, I did get a strong sense of how Jones bounced through those years, some very dark and heavy, but with a vibrant community of friends, lovers, and compatriots. As a queer person now, I feel deep gratitude for his work and so many activists' efforts over the last 40+ years. What a long road.
I listened to the audio version, and I recommend that. It was nice to hear Jones read his own words.
I listened to the audio version, and I recommend that. It was nice to hear Jones read his own words.
March 5, 2017
Wonderful book that I read in two days. It's written clearly, and clear sightedly and covers his childhood, student days, time with Harvey Milk, AIDS and through to proposition 8.
I loved the beginning where Cleve writes about how he is among the last generation of gay Americans who grew up wondering if there were others out there like himself, and how finding the gay movement in San Francisco saved his life (he even had pills saved in case he was 'found out'.)
There are so many dreadful things that happen in Cleve's life - of course the murder of Milk and the death of so many friends from AIDS - but he mainly focuses on community and how we rise against these terrible things. So while this could have been quite the traumatic read, Cleve somehow manages to make it uplifting and hopeful - although often the pure horror does cut through as he writes about the quilt project:
"Many of those who had been there to help us with the first display were dead now. Their shoes were filled by another wave of volunteers. Then they died. That's how we lived then. Our friends died; we made new friends; then they died. We found new friends again; then watched as they died. It went on and on and on."
He ends on hope - hope for the community and for justice and equality - it's a great book in how important grassroots politics is and how together we can do anything.
I did feel like the more recent stuff around laws ended up being a little list-like for me which would be possibly a bit easier to follow if you are US based. I would also have liked to have more pictures - especially of all the cute guys! Oh, and there's humour here too! There's fun and there's a celebration of life. Looking forward to seeing the TV show that's been made since this.
I loved the beginning where Cleve writes about how he is among the last generation of gay Americans who grew up wondering if there were others out there like himself, and how finding the gay movement in San Francisco saved his life (he even had pills saved in case he was 'found out'.)
There are so many dreadful things that happen in Cleve's life - of course the murder of Milk and the death of so many friends from AIDS - but he mainly focuses on community and how we rise against these terrible things. So while this could have been quite the traumatic read, Cleve somehow manages to make it uplifting and hopeful - although often the pure horror does cut through as he writes about the quilt project:
"Many of those who had been there to help us with the first display were dead now. Their shoes were filled by another wave of volunteers. Then they died. That's how we lived then. Our friends died; we made new friends; then they died. We found new friends again; then watched as they died. It went on and on and on."
He ends on hope - hope for the community and for justice and equality - it's a great book in how important grassroots politics is and how together we can do anything.
I did feel like the more recent stuff around laws ended up being a little list-like for me which would be possibly a bit easier to follow if you are US based. I would also have liked to have more pictures - especially of all the cute guys! Oh, and there's humour here too! There's fun and there's a celebration of life. Looking forward to seeing the TV show that's been made since this.
December 14, 2016
I take back everything I've written this year because this is decisively the most important book of 2016. While it has been a devastating year politically there have been many strong, life-altering books written by the likes of Colson Whitehead, Gloria Steinem and Irvine Welsh. Books, like music have a tendency to carry me through the dark times. And if seeing the rise of Donald Trump did not move you to tears and action then this piece most certainly will. I was starting to think I was dead inside until I read Gloria and Cleve and witnessed the shameful event on 11/9. I seriously have not cried this much since I first saw Steel Magnolias back in '89.
February 24, 2017
Knowing your roots is important. While there is so much rich history of the LGBTQ civil rights movement to be read, Cleve Jones's first hand account of his activism in San Francisco is awe-inspiring. For anyone who has watched Emile Hirsch portray Jones in the movie "Milk," "When We Rise" is a stand out testament to just how much of an impact Jones had on this movement. Cover to cover, these are the stories that must be read by our brothers and sisters in arms.
At one point, Jones writes, "For our new movement, for our emerging little communities, we needed legends, shared histories of our people's struggles that would help unite a people so separated y distances and division." Jones was speaking of Harvey Milk; but after this, Jones will forever be a legend, a history that I will be proud and fervent in sharing.
At one point, Jones writes, "For our new movement, for our emerging little communities, we needed legends, shared histories of our people's struggles that would help unite a people so separated y distances and division." Jones was speaking of Harvey Milk; but after this, Jones will forever be a legend, a history that I will be proud and fervent in sharing.
March 22, 2017
This is Cleve Jone's story. It never goes into great depth but it reads like you're sitting at a coffee shop and he's simply telling you the story of his life. It's heart breaking, funny and important.
June 15, 2023
Will never be the same again. Heart? Shattered. Brain? Broken. Life? Changed forever. Go read this masterpiece, Cleve Jones is certainly one of the most important figures in lgbt history
September 14, 2017
It was a pretty neat experience reading the latter half of When We Rise while visiting a friend in San Francisco since this book can also be categorized as a love letter to the city.
Walking the streets of the protest path, passing Twin Peaks, a night out at The Mix - I definitely felt the draw of San Fran and raised my glass to the heroes I was reading about. I even took a recommendation from the book. After reading about Cleve catching up with a friend at Cafe Flore, I made my way there for an excellent brunch. His meet up took place in the 70s, but it's still there on the corner of Market/Noe streets and I highly recommend.
I really enjoyed the last 50 pages where we get Cleve's experience after the biggest events. When he moves to the Sonoma coast and is surrounded by a tight-knit community of people living with AIDS for a year or two. When he wrestles with feeling somewhat forgotten and finds his way back. When he sees the live shot of the White House lit in rainbow colors after the 2015 Supreme Court marriage decision. (That last moment resulted in some airplane tears on my flight back home. Felt like his whole life had been leading up to that. So deserved.)
I do have to give one disclaimer for friends that are planning to read this. I paused around page 120. Something felt off. There would be pages and pages dedicated to some attractive guy Cleve would successfully bed while his thoughts about someone like Anita Bryant would get a paragraph or two. After this happened multiple times, I actually checked Goodreads and saw Jeff Francis' review here that I echo. He had loved hearing Cleve discuss his life and the movement on Fresh Air, but then found the book a bit disappointing. From his review: "Most all the narrative is consumed with reminisces of hook-ups, travels and recreational drug use. Yes, some of this would be necessary to understand the culture that birthed the movement, granted, but this is really not that. It’s more Jones boasting about how cool he was... a technique of memoir I just don't find very interesting."
So I was kind of coasting through this at the beginning since I picked up on that tone as well, but the second half redeemed it for me.
Walking the streets of the protest path, passing Twin Peaks, a night out at The Mix - I definitely felt the draw of San Fran and raised my glass to the heroes I was reading about. I even took a recommendation from the book. After reading about Cleve catching up with a friend at Cafe Flore, I made my way there for an excellent brunch. His meet up took place in the 70s, but it's still there on the corner of Market/Noe streets and I highly recommend.
I really enjoyed the last 50 pages where we get Cleve's experience after the biggest events. When he moves to the Sonoma coast and is surrounded by a tight-knit community of people living with AIDS for a year or two. When he wrestles with feeling somewhat forgotten and finds his way back. When he sees the live shot of the White House lit in rainbow colors after the 2015 Supreme Court marriage decision. (That last moment resulted in some airplane tears on my flight back home. Felt like his whole life had been leading up to that. So deserved.)
I do have to give one disclaimer for friends that are planning to read this. I paused around page 120. Something felt off. There would be pages and pages dedicated to some attractive guy Cleve would successfully bed while his thoughts about someone like Anita Bryant would get a paragraph or two. After this happened multiple times, I actually checked Goodreads and saw Jeff Francis' review here that I echo. He had loved hearing Cleve discuss his life and the movement on Fresh Air, but then found the book a bit disappointing. From his review: "Most all the narrative is consumed with reminisces of hook-ups, travels and recreational drug use. Yes, some of this would be necessary to understand the culture that birthed the movement, granted, but this is really not that. It’s more Jones boasting about how cool he was... a technique of memoir I just don't find very interesting."
So I was kind of coasting through this at the beginning since I picked up on that tone as well, but the second half redeemed it for me.
December 17, 2016
Jones does an excellent job of balancing his personal story (told with humor and humility) and the hyper-dramatic political drama through which he lived (told with clarity and concision). There is, alas, far too much in the earlier chapters about traipsing around Europe in the 1970s, but otherwise the book is uniformly entertaining and a must-read for students of Gay Lib.
June 21, 2022
This book was great! A memoir from someone who was actually there, who is honest enough to tell you that this is what he remembers (and memory can be tricky). I always love learning the stories of the early Gay Rights Activists, and it’s wonderful to read a book that makes me proud of who I am.
March 23, 2017
Maybe not quite a five star rating but I really liked this one and the inside perspective to gay rights pre and post-AIDS. The years right after the AIDS epidemic were pretty heartbreaking. He recounts watching his entire neighborhood and hundreds of his friends painfully die. He talks about how they had such huge volunteer turnover for the AIDS Memorial Quilt project because all the volunteers would die. Also, I was reminded what a puritanical upbringing I had because I couldn't believe how much random sex he had. So much. :)
January 25, 2018
I picked up this book hoping for a well-written recollection of the gay rights movement. Instead I got anecdotes about Cleve Jones' sexual encounters and drug usage. If Jones had been a young gay during the 2010s, he'd be one of those insufferable, superficial, sex-obsessed, size queen, drug-using gays that you go to extreme lengths to avoid on Grindr. It really is unfortunate that his writing and personality embody every negative stereotype of gay men. Granted, the second half of the book gets to the actual topic of the gay rights movement, but at that point Jones had already lost me.
If Jones had wanted to tell us about the importance of the movement, he could have done without (and I'm certain I've missed many):
Pg. 12: Smoking joints in a high school parking lot
Pg. 25: "...if you were lucky, out would come the perfect boy with a big cock..."
Pg. 28: Exchanges sex for a street map with a gas station clerk.
Pg. 38: "...As the guests arrived I added my secret ingredient: LSD."
Pg. 49: Smoking hashish and rolling joints in a park.
Pg. 57: Having random sex in a bathhouse.
Pg. 58: "...Tommy had a dick like a mule."
Pg. 61: Taking psilocybin mushrooms and driving.
Pg. 62: Has sex with a hitchhiker.
Pg. 64: Gets a blow job from a stranger in Montreal.
Pg. 70: Has sex in a cemetery with a stranger. (I wish I were kidding.)
Pg. 74: Sexual encounter with a stranger on a train.
Pg. 80: Has apparently loved someone else this whole time.
Pg. 82: Sexual encounter with stranger on a beach.
Pg. 86: Has sex with acquaintance soon after landing in Egypt.
Pg. 90: Has a "low-key affair" in Innsbruck.
Pg. 96: Friend claims he'll bring back 5-6 kilos of hashish from Afghanistan.
Pg. 100: Regularly having sex after clubbing.
Pg. 107: Got high and ate a lot.
Pg. 117: Has sex with his former lover's current boyfriend.
Pg. 121: Marveling at/smoking hashish blocks.
Pg. 122: Does LSD and describes the trip for two pages.
If Jones had wanted to tell us about the importance of the movement, he could have done without (and I'm certain I've missed many):
Pg. 12: Smoking joints in a high school parking lot
Pg. 25: "...if you were lucky, out would come the perfect boy with a big cock..."
Pg. 28: Exchanges sex for a street map with a gas station clerk.
Pg. 38: "...As the guests arrived I added my secret ingredient: LSD."
Pg. 49: Smoking hashish and rolling joints in a park.
Pg. 57: Having random sex in a bathhouse.
Pg. 58: "...Tommy had a dick like a mule."
Pg. 61: Taking psilocybin mushrooms and driving.
Pg. 62: Has sex with a hitchhiker.
Pg. 64: Gets a blow job from a stranger in Montreal.
Pg. 70: Has sex in a cemetery with a stranger. (I wish I were kidding.)
Pg. 74: Sexual encounter with a stranger on a train.
Pg. 80: Has apparently loved someone else this whole time.
Pg. 82: Sexual encounter with stranger on a beach.
Pg. 86: Has sex with acquaintance soon after landing in Egypt.
Pg. 90: Has a "low-key affair" in Innsbruck.
Pg. 96: Friend claims he'll bring back 5-6 kilos of hashish from Afghanistan.
Pg. 100: Regularly having sex after clubbing.
Pg. 107: Got high and ate a lot.
Pg. 117: Has sex with his former lover's current boyfriend.
Pg. 121: Marveling at/smoking hashish blocks.
Pg. 122: Does LSD and describes the trip for two pages.
February 28, 2019
Maybe 3.5. This was definitely super interesting! You can’t really tell someone how to write their memoir but he spent so much time on the 70s and then things sped up really fast and he was flying through a lot of the years I was most interested in hearing about. Also, though he made some valid critiques of ACT UP I think part of his dislike of them was annoying respectability politics. Also omfg so much name dropping. It’s true he met and worked with a lot of cool well known people! Definitely interested in reading about POC and trans activism around HIV and queer liberation in this era soon.
September 5, 2018
I don't even know where to begin with Cleve Jones' beautiful memoir, When We Rise. First, hearing Cleve tell his story felt intimate and just right. The audiobook was a great vehicle to absorb the book. I loved how he wove his personal life journey with his awareness of the importance of the LGBT movement and its place alongside of many other important movements such as women's rights, worker's rights, and support for other cultures and people around the world. He balanced the book by celebrating his friendships, loves, and sexuality while mourning the loss of nearly everyone he knew in San Francisco during the worse part of the AIDS crisis. I laughed, I cried. I kept on crying. And ultimately I was and continue to be inspired by what one man did with his life. We need books like Cleve's now more than ever. To remind us that the fight we fight today is connected to the fight we have fought throughout our lives. And that arc of history MLK, Jr. so eloquently spoke of continues to bend towards justice. So happy to have spent time with Cleve Jones in his satisfying memoir.
Read
December 20, 2022Como la serie no puede verse en España en ningún canal y le tengo muchas ganas me animé con el libro.
Lo he tenido que dejar porque no es mi momento, me estaba gustando mucho pero es muy tipo documental con referencias históricas que me obligaba a prestar toda mi atención.
Lo dejaré para otro momento que esté yo más relajada .....(si eso llega algún día 😂 !!)
Lo he tenido que dejar porque no es mi momento, me estaba gustando mucho pero es muy tipo documental con referencias históricas que me obligaba a prestar toda mi atención.
Lo dejaré para otro momento que esté yo más relajada .....(si eso llega algún día 😂 !!)
March 17, 2017
I started reading When We Rise shortly after watching the miniseries on ABC with the same name. I found the book to be much richer in the details of the author's memories of childhood, and coming of age as the struggle for LGBT rights hit the national stage. While the miniseries included life stories from others in the movement, the book is Cleve Jones' memoir, and focuses on his story. He and I are close in age, and I appreciated comparing his experience with my own - his in the west, mine mostly in the Southeast. He writes like he is talking to you, telling his story. This writing style enhanced the intimacy of his sharing, and made the story even more interesting. The greatest compliment I can give a work of art is that it inspires my own creativity. This book has done that, and is helping me as I work on my own memoirs in the LGBT rights movement, and the fight to survive AIDS. Thank you, Cleve Jones, for sharing, and for encouraging others to do the same. You are a hero.
June 19, 2022
heb dit boek nou al 4 jaar ofzo en ben 3x begonnen met lezen maar ik haakte altijd snel af. Het is me eindelijk gelukt. ten eerste zeker interessant om te lezen echter heeft cleve jones het veel te veel over zichzelf. het is zijn boek sure maar hoef toch niet te weten dat ie op vakantie ging enzo. goed. als het ging over politieke actie was het wel goed maar ook dat vond ik soms wat oppervlakkig. soms had ie t over iets tragisch en dan was de volgende zin iets van 'maakt niet uit want ik had een knappe twink gevonden om te neuken' en dat haalde zo erg weg van het verhaal. soms kwam het ook fictief over, maar dat kan liggen aan de schrijfstijl. verder ook ja erg wit perspectief. gewoon blij dat ik m eindelijk heb gelezen
August 27, 2018
Born just months before me, the author Cleve Jones writes "I was born into the last generation of homosexual people who grew up not knowing if there was anyone else on the entire planet who felt the way that we felt. It was simply never spoken of. There were no rainbow flags, no characters on TV, no elected officials, no messages of compassion from religious leaders, no pride parades, no "It Gets Better," no Glee, no Ellen, no Milk. Certainly no same-sex couples with their kids at the White House Easter Egg hunt. Being queer was sick, illegal, and disgusting, and getting caught meant going to prison or a mental institution. Those who were arrested lost everything--careers, families, and often their lives. Special police units hunted us relentlessly in every city and state. There was no good news...By twelve years old I knew that I needed a plan. The only plan I could imagine was to hide, never reveal my secret, and, if discovered, commit suicide."
I remember it well. I remember being in high school and sneaking to look at my parent's copy of Reuben's book, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask, and reading the only description I could find anywhere about what what it meant to be gay. That description was enough to make any gay kid hide forever. But, as horrifying as that book was, in all fairness, the American Psychiatric Association still listed homosexuality as a mental disease when the book was published.
But then, Jones and other LGBTQ people learn how to they are not alone. In fact, we are found across the world, across religions and cultures, across ages and races. We are everywhere.
The early part of the book describes Jones's youth and his "finding himself" but soon focuses on his growth into activism in San Francisco of the 70s. Some of his work as an activist included his work with Harvey Milk, fighting California's Proposition 6 which would have banned gays and lesbians from teaching in the public schools, and his creation of the AIDS Names Project and quilt, a community project that now weighs 54 tons and memorializes over 85,000 Americans who died of AIDS.
Cleve Jones's memoir helps us appreciate the creation of the "out" community and the further development of gay culture as people left the closet in growing numbers during 1970s to the present, and helps us understand the political movement that brought us to greater acceptance (and a growing backlash) today. The book also explores, to some of extent, the old question that still has no clear answer: are we LGBTQ people a distinct minority or are we like everyone except for who we have sex with?
Though this is a memoir, it is a book that inspires in today's political climate. As LGBTQ persons face a growing backlash from Trump supporters and right-wing Christians, it is clear we will need to come together as an LGBTQ community, and that we will need to intersect with other vulnerable communities so we not just resist, but that we progress.
As Jones reminds us, we may be diverse, but we are still a distinct community that has come far, but also has far to go. Our place at the table is not yet secure and while we fight to remain, we must also not give up who we are just to blend in and be accepted. We must still live our lives with integrity.
----------
I remember it well. I remember being in high school and sneaking to look at my parent's copy of Reuben's book, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask, and reading the only description I could find anywhere about what what it meant to be gay. That description was enough to make any gay kid hide forever. But, as horrifying as that book was, in all fairness, the American Psychiatric Association still listed homosexuality as a mental disease when the book was published.
But then, Jones and other LGBTQ people learn how to they are not alone. In fact, we are found across the world, across religions and cultures, across ages and races. We are everywhere.
The early part of the book describes Jones's youth and his "finding himself" but soon focuses on his growth into activism in San Francisco of the 70s. Some of his work as an activist included his work with Harvey Milk, fighting California's Proposition 6 which would have banned gays and lesbians from teaching in the public schools, and his creation of the AIDS Names Project and quilt, a community project that now weighs 54 tons and memorializes over 85,000 Americans who died of AIDS.
Cleve Jones's memoir helps us appreciate the creation of the "out" community and the further development of gay culture as people left the closet in growing numbers during 1970s to the present, and helps us understand the political movement that brought us to greater acceptance (and a growing backlash) today. The book also explores, to some of extent, the old question that still has no clear answer: are we LGBTQ people a distinct minority or are we like everyone except for who we have sex with?
Though this is a memoir, it is a book that inspires in today's political climate. As LGBTQ persons face a growing backlash from Trump supporters and right-wing Christians, it is clear we will need to come together as an LGBTQ community, and that we will need to intersect with other vulnerable communities so we not just resist, but that we progress.
As Jones reminds us, we may be diverse, but we are still a distinct community that has come far, but also has far to go. Our place at the table is not yet secure and while we fight to remain, we must also not give up who we are just to blend in and be accepted. We must still live our lives with integrity.
----------
September 23, 2020
i love cleve jones and i think his message is so important. this book was fascinating and heartbreaking and uplifting and beautiful
[post-reread review] i really truly think every gay person needs to read this book. it’s not only a heartbreaking, hilarious, raw, interesting, and very human take on a man’s experience in the middle of the lgbtq civil rights movement, but it is also a call to action. the overall message this book offers is that we need to fight. as an activist, cleve has seen that advocacy, riots, petitions, and campaigning work in the face of injustice. it is so important to know about your community’s history, and this is exactly the book that lgbtq people need to read to get a sense of that
[post-reread review] i really truly think every gay person needs to read this book. it’s not only a heartbreaking, hilarious, raw, interesting, and very human take on a man’s experience in the middle of the lgbtq civil rights movement, but it is also a call to action. the overall message this book offers is that we need to fight. as an activist, cleve has seen that advocacy, riots, petitions, and campaigning work in the face of injustice. it is so important to know about your community’s history, and this is exactly the book that lgbtq people need to read to get a sense of that
February 13, 2017
Essential reading for anyone interested in politics, activism, the history of the gay rights movement and/or the AIDS crisis. It is wrenching, funny, enraging, depressing, and hopeful—and maybe most importantly, a primer for movement building. Stop what you're doing and read this book now.
February 19, 2017
Thank you, Cleve Jones for writing this. The final two-thirds or more, especially, should be required reading for every LGBTQ person or civil rights activist, period.
May 20, 2020
As the fight for gay and lesbian rights shifts away from marriage and towards transgender Americans, the first generation of gay and lesbian activists is beginning to age and die out. Cleve Jones was one of the first members of the gay and lesbian liberation movement of the 1970s and was one of Supervisor Harvey Milk's inner circle. This memoir of his life from his childhood to the famous Supreme Court decision of Obgerfell v. Hodges will be an invaluable tool for historians and the next generation of activists to remember what came before and just how hard the struggle was.
One of the best things about this book is that Mr. Jones always tries to put his tale in the context of the times he lived through. Periodically throughout the book, Mr. Jones will mention major historical moments that were going on at the same time, such as the Vietnam War, the assassination of John Lennon, the election of Ronald Reagan, etc. This saves the book from being too myopic in its view of the times and should help readers contextualize the gay liberation movement in its broader context.
This is definitely not a book for the easily offended. Mr. Jones is very upfront about his sexuality from the beginning and recounts his many sexual partners. There aren't any graphic depictions in here, but I can imagine some readers being turned off by it. Also, the most interesting parts of this book are when Mr. Jones becomes a full-fledged activist, but it takes well over half of the book for that to happen. That is not to say that the first half is not interesting at all, just that it is not the most interesting half.
Overall, this was a great memoir to read and i would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the gay liberation movement of the last half of the 20th century.
One of the best things about this book is that Mr. Jones always tries to put his tale in the context of the times he lived through. Periodically throughout the book, Mr. Jones will mention major historical moments that were going on at the same time, such as the Vietnam War, the assassination of John Lennon, the election of Ronald Reagan, etc. This saves the book from being too myopic in its view of the times and should help readers contextualize the gay liberation movement in its broader context.
This is definitely not a book for the easily offended. Mr. Jones is very upfront about his sexuality from the beginning and recounts his many sexual partners. There aren't any graphic depictions in here, but I can imagine some readers being turned off by it. Also, the most interesting parts of this book are when Mr. Jones becomes a full-fledged activist, but it takes well over half of the book for that to happen. That is not to say that the first half is not interesting at all, just that it is not the most interesting half.
Overall, this was a great memoir to read and i would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the gay liberation movement of the last half of the 20th century.
January 9, 2021
This is a living, breathing document of LGBT history. Cleve Jones was at the centre of so many movements — the gay and lesbian liberation movement of the 1970s, the AIDS crisis, the fight for marriage equality — and it is a gift to hear his first hand experience. For example, his first hand experience of finding Harvey Milk shot dead is chilling while hearing him talk about how the movements literally saved his life numerous times is heartwarming. Reading this book reminded me that activism matters and makes a difference. It also reaffirms what I have always believed in — all of these movements for LGBT equality is like a ladder that I can stand on knowing I can be out and proud and married all because of the work of people like Cleve Jones. One quote that I want to remember from this book is when Cleve Jones talks about how the AIDS crisis changed the way gay people viewed marriage. He writes, “Long seen as unattainable and ‘just a piece of paper,’ marriage was now understood as a vital, even life-saving right. We looked around us, at the lives we were living. We saw the loving partners caring night and day for their dying lovers; dressing the wounds, emptying the bedpans, changing the IV lines. We saw their devotion and said, ‘What do you mean this isn’t a real marriage? Fuck you. This is exactly what real marriage looks like.’” Oh, my heart. For it all — the right to love, to dance, to marry, to work, to march, to rise, to just be — thank you, Cleve.
June 1, 2017
*4.5 stars
One of the most emotional, powerful memoirs I've ever read.
It's a personal account of primarily gay liberation and as inclusive, and broad, as one man's perspective can be. It's stretches beyond that as well, through the AIDS crisis, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Prop 8 and finally achieving marriage equality in 2015. As I reached the end of the book, towards Prop 8 and DOMA, it was easy to recall my own feelings and personal memories of each event as a teenager; it's a difficult thing to remember that not even 10 years ago (2008), Obama campaigned to vote yes on Prop 8 and all the major LGBT organisations thought same sex marriage was a pipe dream to be tackled decades down the road. The tide has turned so quickly that it feels longer - from Cleve Jones' memoir, it'd be easy to conclude that how quickly things change is the only thing that can be guaranteed.
Anyway, as someone interested in (and studying) social and political sciences who plans to end up in 'story telling' of some kind, this memoir was right up my alley.
One of the most emotional, powerful memoirs I've ever read.
It's a personal account of primarily gay liberation and as inclusive, and broad, as one man's perspective can be. It's stretches beyond that as well, through the AIDS crisis, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Prop 8 and finally achieving marriage equality in 2015. As I reached the end of the book, towards Prop 8 and DOMA, it was easy to recall my own feelings and personal memories of each event as a teenager; it's a difficult thing to remember that not even 10 years ago (2008), Obama campaigned to vote yes on Prop 8 and all the major LGBT organisations thought same sex marriage was a pipe dream to be tackled decades down the road. The tide has turned so quickly that it feels longer - from Cleve Jones' memoir, it'd be easy to conclude that how quickly things change is the only thing that can be guaranteed.
Anyway, as someone interested in (and studying) social and political sciences who plans to end up in 'story telling' of some kind, this memoir was right up my alley.
April 1, 2019
As a young gay person in this country, Cleve Jones has always been one of my personal heroes. He fought for my rights, and the rights of so many others, for his entire life. He continues to do so today. This book was a beautiful chronicle of his life- from the hippie summers to the horror of the AIDS epidemic. I loved how this book talked about his lovers and friends without ever losing sight of the overall historical picture. It constantly talked about oppression and wrongdoings against many groups besides gay people, and I really respect that attitude towards intersectionality. The excerpts from his speeches made me want to cry, or scream, or riot, and he retained a humble tone throughout. This book is an amazing account not only of Jones' life, but of the gay community in San Francisco as a whole. Please, please, read this book. I promise you will not be disappointed.
April 7, 2025
True rating: 3.5
I thought the book was incredibly informative, picked it up and listened to the entire book in a day. I did forget the this book was technically about activism since we hear more about Cleave Jones self discovery journey for the first half of the book. It’s not until much later that we hear about his active involvement in the work and much much later when we hear about the AIDS crisis, which is why I picked up the book. Over all I loved the book mainly because it contextualizas a lot about our history and how queer folk have lived their lives in the past, and how it really isn’t so different to the experiences of many of us today.
I thought the book was incredibly informative, picked it up and listened to the entire book in a day. I did forget the this book was technically about activism since we hear more about Cleave Jones self discovery journey for the first half of the book. It’s not until much later that we hear about his active involvement in the work and much much later when we hear about the AIDS crisis, which is why I picked up the book. Over all I loved the book mainly because it contextualizas a lot about our history and how queer folk have lived their lives in the past, and how it really isn’t so different to the experiences of many of us today.
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