Dancing Ledge

From his sexual awakening in postwar England to life in the sixties and beyond, Derek Jarman tells his life story with the in-your-face immediacy that became his trademark style in both his films and writing. Accompanied by nearly one hundred photographs of Jarman, his friends, lovers, and inspirations, the candid accounts in Dancing Ledge provide intimate and incredibly vivid glimpses into this iconoclastic filmmaker's life and times.

Derek Jarman's stunning account of his life and art.

Publishers Weekly

Originally published a decade ago in England under the title Queerlife, this brutally candid memoir by British artist and filmmaker Jarman offers a glimpse into the making of such controversial films as Sebastiane , The Tempest and Caravaggio. Writing in a diary format, Jarman jumps back and forth in time, discussing his acceptance of his homosexuality at age 16 (he was born in 1942) and his strong belief that a fully realized sexuality must drive art and politics. Interwoven with accounts of the financial and emotional hardships of a life devoted to filmmaking are explicit descriptions of sexual explorations conducted around the globe. Diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1986 (this was dealt with more fully in an earlier memoir, At Your Own Risk ), Jarman advocates sexual caution but resists renouncing his past and continues to preserve gay history through his art. Photos not seen by PW. (July)

One of England's foremost filmmakers, Derek Jarman (1942-1994) wrote and directed many feature films, including Sebastiane, Jubilee, Caravaggio, and Blue, as well as numerous short films and music videos. He was a stage designer, artist, writer, gardener, and an outspoken AIDS and queer rights activist in the UK and the United States. His books include At Your Own Risk, Modern Nature, and Smiling in Slow Motion, all available from the University of Minnesota Press.