Praise

"...a unique book about a subject that has been mostly ignored.... Highly recommended for all libraries and all levels of readers."

--CHOICE, February 1996

"...offers a tapestry of voices to illustrate the variety of responses, consequences, and struggles [of uninfected gay men]. Like a documentary film-maker, Johnston portrays an anthology of glimpsed lives, shattered dreams, and pervasive concerns.... This book is readable, insightful, and relatively undemanding. It is a valiant effort. Written not necessarily for clinicians, it admirably conveys the human element of the quandaries facing HIV-negative gay men."

--FOCUS: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling, December 1995

"[T]he principal way negative men have thus far made themselves visible in public is through confessional narratives about unsafe sex.... Johnston's HIV-Negative eloquently documents the wider variety of experience and self-description in being negative.... [S]taying negative takes work, imagination, a shared repertoire of stories, some common reference points, a sense of being in an emergent culture that will carry us into a future...."

--Michael Warner, Village Voice Literary Supplement, September 1995

"By turns poignant, professional, artistic, and personal HIV-Negative is a necessary and (unfortunately) unique book in the HIV/AIDS corpus.... HIV-Negative tells us that being negative is not a simple thing and that being negative has as many social and emotional ramifications as being positive.... For the lay and professional reader concerned with HIV this is an indispensable volume. It's both useful and peppered with some beautiful writing."

--Lee Hanson, Our Own Community Press, (Norfolk, VA), September 1995

"Will Johnston is a man of extraordinary intelligence and sensitivity and in this work he brings those qualities to a subject that is critical for the gay communities. This investigation will be an important contribution to our individual and community futures."

--Walt Odets, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Berkeley, California;
Author of In the Shadow of the Epidemic

"Johnston's thoughtful interviewing and engaging interpretation yield rich portraits of those who, while considered survivors of the epidemic, have been profoundly marked by it. Nowhere else have I seen such personal exploration of the HIV-negative experience. It's about time these stories were told, and read by all who wish to understand the full scope of the swath cut by AIDS."

--Robb Johnson, M.P.H., Former Coordinator, Living Well Series,
Fenway Community Health Center, Boston, Massachusetts

"A definite contribution to understanding the HIV-negative gay man living in a world devastated by HIV disease. In clear, cogent prose, Johnston successfully leads the reader through the emotional drama of gay men who struggle daily with their HIV-negative status and who speak openly about the pressures they face to become HIV-infected. This book is a must-read for mental-health practitioners as well as HIV and sexuality educators working with gay male clients."

--Chwee Lye Chng, Ph.D., Professor of Health Promotion,
University of North Texas, Denton, Texas

"As real as it gets: compelling portraits of survivors and their attributions about surviving. A unique and important contribution to understanding the impact of the AIDS epidemic, this book illustrates the complexity of the effects of living in the age of HIV beyond 'positive' and 'negative.' It carries an important message for clinicians, professionals, and lay people who want to confront their assumptions about what it means to live in the shadow of AIDS. This book offers an intimate and frank glimpse into the lives of a variety of men who discuss taboo topics heard more often in a clinical setting. Highly recommended."

--Rachel Schochet, Ph.D., Psychologist,
San Francisco, California

"The invisibility of the experiences of HIV-negative gay men finally finds some very personal and public voices in Johnston's book. It is vital that we have resources such as this one that clearly and eloquently address and help to normalize the emotionally disabling issues of disenfranchised grief and ongoing traumatic stress. This timely collection of true stories powerfully depicts the unexplored impact of the HIV epidemic on the struggles of HIV-negative gay men to create their future. This book is important reading for all of us, HIV-negative and HIV-positive, who are affected by AIDS."

--Steven Ball, A.C.S.W. in Private Practice,
New York City, New York

"As a health educator and pre- and post-test counselor, I found this book a wonderful blend of the experiences and opinions of people affected by HIV and AIDS. These narratives of struggle and insight offer perspectives of historical importance and immediate value. I highly recommend this book to educators, trainers, and service providers."

--Gail Beverley, M.Ed.Ph., Coordinator,
HIV Counseling, Testing, and Support Services,
Fenway Community Health Center, Boston, Massachusetts

"This important work opens an uncomfortable dialogue too long ignored. The pervasive issues of survivor guilt, grief overload, and lack of validation for the experiences of HIV-negative gay men must be explored. As a clinician, I hear the voices of HIV-negative gay men struggling to make sense in a senseless time, trying to avoid the seductive traps of substance misuse, descent into depression, and overcommitment to HIV-related causes and agencies.

"Throughout the Southeast, I hear men trying to find how to bridge the gap between HIV-infected and uninfected gay men. In places where stigma about HIV is more pronounced and the social climate less open, there is no place for HIV-negative gay men to be heard. The voices in this book transcend geography and class; the words and feelings speak to a more universal experience."

--James L. Sacco, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.,
Atlanta, Georgia

"An important testament to the 'silent casualties' of the AIDS epidemic. Johnston has brought together the stories of the uninfected, struggling to understand what it means to be living as an HIV-negative gay man during these precarious times. If you're HIV-negative you will see that you are not alone. If you're HIV-positive you will see that both HIV-positive and HIV-negative gay men are living with AIDS and have something important to offer to the struggle, together as brothers."

--Ken Moran, M.F.C.C., Psychotherapist,
Los Angeles, California