Cirrus@Austlit

'The mid-seventies - and satin baggies and chunky platforms reigned supreme. Jethro Tull did battle with glam-rock for the airwaves. At an all-boys Catholic school in Melbourne Timothy Conigrave fell wildly and sweetly in love with the captain of the football team. So began a relationship that was to last for fifteen years, a love affair that weathered disapproval, separation and, ultimately, death. Holding the Man recreates that relationship. With honesty and insight it explore the highs and lows of any partnership: the intimacy, constraints, temptations. And the strength of heart both men had to find when they tested positive to HIV.' (Publisher's blurb)

'This is the compelling story of Jonathan, a charming teenager who turns into a fearful and tormented young man; it is also the heart-rending story of a mother facing the realisation that her child is going mad. First published in 1991, this book has become a classic, and is as moving and as relevant today as it ever was. This 1998 edition has been updated with a new Foreword from the author detailing the effects this book has had on society, both in Australia and worldwide; a new Afterword which discusses the advances in treatments for schizophrenia and developments in community attitudes and programs for mental illnesses in general; and a new, up-to-date section on Where to Go for Help.' (Publication Summary from revised 1998 edition)