Robert Drake (born 1962 or 1963) is an American editor, most well known for his work editing
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
writing. His anthology ''His(2)'' won the
Lambda Literary Award for Anthology in 1998,
and another five of his anthologies have been finalists for the award.
1999 homophobic attack
On January 31, 1999, two men, Glen Mahon and Ian Monaghan, approached him while he sat on his porch in
Sligo, Ireland
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...
.
Drake recognized the men from a bar he had visited earlier in the night and invited them inside.
The men proceeded to beat Drake until he was unconscious, claiming he had flirted with them, though those who knew Drake at the time said such an act would be out of character.
Drake's partner at the time found him the next morning and brought him to hospital where he spent months in a coma.
His friends and family relocated him to Philadelphia, where he began rehabilitation to improve his memory and motor skills to complete everyday tasks.
Mahon and Monaghan "were found guilty in October 1999 of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm and sentenced to eight years in prison."
Due to his traumatic brain injury, Drake uses a wheelchair and has a speech impediment and motor skill impairments.
The story of the attack and Drake's subsequent recovery became the subject of the 2013 documentary ''Where I Am''.
Awards and honors
Publications
Works edited
* ''Indivisible: New Short Fiction by West Coast Gay and Lesbian Writers'', with
Terry Wolverton
Terry Wolverton (born 1954) is an American novelist, memoirist, poet, and editor. Her boo''Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman's Building'' a memoir published in 2002 by City Lights Books, was named one of the "Best Books of 2002" by the Lo ...
(1991)
* ''His'' (1995)
* ''His 2'', with
Terry Wolverton
Terry Wolverton (born 1954) is an American novelist, memoirist, poet, and editor. Her boo''Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman's Building'' a memoir published in 2002 by City Lights Books, was named one of the "Best Books of 2002" by the Lo ...
(1997)
* ''Hers 3'', with
Terry Wolverton
Terry Wolverton (born 1954) is an American novelist, memoirist, poet, and editor. Her boo''Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman's Building'' a memoir published in 2002 by City Lights Books, was named one of the "Best Books of 2002" by the Lo ...
(1999)
* ''His 3'', with
Terry Wolverton
Terry Wolverton (born 1954) is an American novelist, memoirist, poet, and editor. Her boo''Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman's Building'' a memoir published in 2002 by City Lights Books, was named one of the "Best Books of 2002" by the Lo ...
(1999)
* ''Circa 2000: Lesbian Fiction at the Millenium'', with
Terry Wolverton
Terry Wolverton (born 1954) is an American novelist, memoirist, poet, and editor. Her boo''Insurgent Muse: Life and Art at the Woman's Building'' a memoir published in 2002 by City Lights Books, was named one of the "Best Books of 2002" by the Lo ...
(2000)
Works written
* ''The Man: A Hero for Our Time. Book One: Why?'' (1995)
* ''The Gay Canon: Great Books Every Gay Man Should Read'' (1998)
References
1960s births
Living people
Year of birth uncertain
American gay writers
Lambda Literary Award winners
Violence against LGBT people
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