In Memory of Sonny Wainwright, Isaaca Siegel, Marge Barton, Nancy Johnson, Gloria Anzaldua, Audre Lorde: The Opening Pages

Sonny and Laryn London, LHA, early1980s

Sonny, Greenwich Village, NYC, 1950s

Cover Photo by Roz Pulitzer

People in the Book

(Women alphabetized by the first names)*

  Artists and Writers (No longer living) [1983]:

Anais Nin, Camille LeBlanc, Djuna Bjarnes, Eleanora Duse, Jane Chambers, Joan Kelly, Louise Bogan, Margaret Anderson, Virginia Woolf, Vita Sackville-West

  Children:

Iva Hacker—daughter of Marilyn, Kate Larkin—daughter of Joan, Lydia Ellen Wainwright—daughter of Sonny, the children of Sari Seiff, the children of Shirley and Stanley Fleisher

  Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York (HIP) Staff:

Warren B. Lautman—MD (General Practice), Daniel Luger—MD (General Surgery), Daniel Maklansky, MD (Roentgenology), Freddie Medina—RN, Herman R. Nayer –MD (Administration), Sydney M. Silverstone—MD (Roentgenology)

  Husbands

Carl Hinrichs—husband of Edith, Al London—husband of Rose, Dr. David Mechanic—husband of Linda, Alex Moskowitz (d. 1983)—first husband of Anna, Sam Zuriff—second husband of Anna

  Mount Sinai Hospital Staff:

Cely Wilfinger—RN (Neo-Plastics), Claudette Bentley—RN (Private Duty), Joseph Glass—MD (Hemotology), James Holland—MD (Chief and Chair of Neo-Plastics), Monica Diamond-Carcavalla—RN (Senior Clinical), Nathaniel Wisch—MD (Hemotology), Roy Jones—PhD MD (Assistant Professor of Neo-Plastics), Ward Cunningham- Rundles—MD (Neo-Plastics at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center)

  Neighbors:

Blanche Willinger (d. 1983), Hi Willinger MD, Sam Willinger, MD

  Pets

Sunshine (St. Andrew’s Northern Sunshine)—West Highland Terrier, Nelson (Admiral Lord Nelson)—West Highland Terrier,  Sheba (distinguished American mixed-breed)—one-half Husky and one-half German Shepherd

  School District 4 (East Harlem, Manhattan)

Tony Alvarado—former District 4 Community Superintendent and present Chancellor of the New York City School System, David Bluford—Principal of Junior High School 13 in Manhattan, Bob Kingsley—Assistant Principal of Junior High School 13 in Manhattan

  Women

    Family of Birth:

Anna Zuriff—mother of Sonny and Edith, Edith Hinrichs—sister of Sonny and mother/aunt to Lydia, Gladys Mechanic Halper—daughter  of Tillie and sister to David also first cousin of Sonny, Linda Mechanic—first cousin (by marriage) of Sonny and sister-in-law of Gladys, Tillie Mechanic—sister of Anna and mother of Gladys and David also aunt to Sonny

   Feminist Writers’ Guild (Box 184, Village Station, New York, NY, 10014) [address no longer functional]

         National Steering Committee: June Eggler, Katheleen Burton, Kathy Kendall

         New York Chapter Steering Committee: Ingrid Hughes, June Eggler, Rebecca Lewin, Sue Willis

  Gay Women’s Alternative (4 W. 76^th Street, New York, NY 10023) [No longer in existence]: Fran Snowder, Isaaca Siegel, Linda Grishman, Marge Barton       

   Identity House (544 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10001): Roz Pulitzer

   Lesbian Herstory Archives (PO Box 1258, New York, NY 10001, 212-874-7232 [both out of date now]): Deborah Edel—founder, Joan Nestle, founder, Mabel Hampton

    Lesbian Illness-Support Group (New York City): Ava Alterman, Deborah Edel, Dinah Utah, Joan Nestle, Karyn London, Kathy Goeller, Linda Trueheart, Nancy Johnson, Roz Pulitzer

    Platelet Donors: Alexandra Matusinka, Anne Laird-Blanton, Christine Gubitosi, Dava Weinstein, Diane Wormser, Esther Waldman, Fran Snowder, Joan Larkin, Morgan Gwenwald, Nancy Robertson, Robin Bastau

    Artists and Writers: Amber Hollibaugh, Audre Lorde, Barbara Hammer, Barbara Kerr, Batya Bauman, Bertha Harris, Blanche Wiesen-Cook, Charlotte Balfour, Cherrie Moraga, Cherly Clarke, Clare Coss, Cynthia Ozick, Deborah Edel, Ellen Marie Bissert, Emily Warn, Esther (E. M. Broner), Eudora Welty, Fay Chiang, Gloria Anzaldua, Irena Klepfisz, Jana Harris, Jewelle Gomez, Joan Larkin, Joan Nestle, Judy Grahn, Karyn London, Kay Boyle, Linda Smukler, Mari Alshuler, Marie Ponsot, Marilyn Hacker, Marilyn Tessler, May Sarton, Miriam Diaz-Diocaretz, Nancy Bereano, Peg Bryon, Rena Blumberg, Sara Pyle, Shebar Windstone, Shirley Walton Fischler, Toi Derricotte, Tracy O’Kates, Virginia Scott

  Seven Poets Collective (A project of the NYC Chapter/Feminist Writers’ Guild): Amina Munoz, Anne Corey, Elissa Malcohn, Kate Brandt, Linda Grishman, Judith Horam

  Womanbooks (201 W. 92^nd Street, New York, NY 10025) [No longer in existence]: Amber Hollibaugh, Batya Bauman, Karyn London--owner and founder, Lynne Johnson, Lucy Boyd, Sharon Anderson

  Special Friends: Camille Clay, Carol Leudesdorf, Connie Kapelov, Connie Signor, Cora London, Diane O’Connor, Elaine Fine, Essie Elias, Frances Clayton, Ina Alterman, Janet Shur, Judy O’Neill, Leslie Bernstein, Marlene Feingold, Marjorie Ullman, Meredith Jordan, Norma Kraus, Rose London, Rosemary Walsh, Sari Seiff, Susan Ainge, Toney Salmere

Every one written about on the following pages is real, and not to be confused with fictitious characters. I apologize for any omissions—it was impossible to include by name the hundreds who helped me through this stage of my journey!  

Back Book Cover Comments

“In this remarkable record we are with one brave woman as she fights for life…

We watch a group of her friends make up a support team, and over a period of six months,

see that she is supported in every possible way. This work, full of pain and struggle

as it is, is suffused by love and comfort. What a gift Sonny

has given us!”

May Sarton

“Sonny’s voice is here, speaking words I am compelled to hear,

an enduring story. Sometimes painful, sometimes soaring,

always specific and essential, An honest, courageous and

sustaining book!”

Audre Lorde

“Sonny is my teacher in faith and persistence, in the

determination to survive, to recover, and to write.

To tell our secrets. And not to have to do it alone.

…Women need this!”

Joan Larkin

*In the Lesbian Herstory Archives, all books were alphabetized by the author's first names to break the rule of patriarchal lineage. They still are.