Portrait of a Marriage--Before Gay Liberation

The story of a legendary same-sex marriage between two of New York’s most admired art-world AND Broadway stars.

Shayne was a Broadway actor who went on to produce many hit TV shows and retired as President of Warner Brothers Television in 1986.

Sunshine has been a successful and celebrated artist and sculptor. The two trade off writing every chapter—a dual memoir!

Double Life covers both of their coming-of-age stories: childhood snippets, how they met, and lots of honesty around their relationship’s ups and downs.

The second half is kind of like "Ill-Equipped for a Life of Sex"—truthful, but not uncomfortable.

Within their careers and relationships, there is a solid history of the entertainment worlds with plenty of gossip; from Marlon Brando on Broadway to the New York art scene in the 1950s and 60s to TV and "The Dukes of Hazzard."

Double Life has hit a nerve among longtime gay couples, particularly men, who ask, “Where are we? How come there are no stories about us?” It’s completely delightful and real—I can see why this has been a sleeper hit.

5 people found this helpful

meaningful and special

How delightful it is and so good to read warm, caring, and romantic stories about gay men.

1 person found this helpful

Needed Two Narrators

I'm really enjoying this. It's an interesting insiders' look at Broadway, Hollywood, and gay life in the 50s on. The obvious thing here is that since is a dual biography, switching back and forth between two people, there should have been two readers, making it easier to track who's speaking.

1 person found this helpful

The best!!

Best story ever! Not pretentious or boastful, just honest. A beautiful look into the lives of two men who loves each other through everything their lives dealt out.

Awesome and uplifting

I was moved by the love these two men have for each other if only the rest of us could follow there example.

love!

I feel so more assured in my relationship of 10 years after listening this dually told love story.

Great love story

But I never knew there were so many superlatives in the English language. They lived an interesting life and spoke from the heart. The name dropping was truly part of their story and not to impress. They were monogamist but as they conveyed their tale through the AIDS epidemic they cast no judgments towards individuals that lived a more promiscuous lifestyle. I recommend this book.

Delicious

The book contains a dizzying array of anecdotes by two men whose lives have intersected with those of some of the most notable celebrities of the art, advertising and show business. The gossip is there, but never mean-spirited - and this is an invaluable recounting of life in New York and Los Angeles’s inner circles during the 50s, 60s and 70s. This is a treasure trove of celebrity stories you’ll want to repeat at dinner parties for months to come.

It is also the story of two men who kept their relationship alive through the good and bad times when homosexuality was still taboo — until they finally had the right to really be themselves and marry. The prose can be a little purple at times, but hats off to Alan and Norman for telling their story in a very entertaining and moving book.

Blessed

Most people don't ever experience genuine unconditional love like these to have. How Blessed you both are. As for me I always cry and wonder if I'll ever have that blessing of finding true unconditional love.

Interesting Book

I was surprised to enjoy this as much as I did given that I don't know these people. it was very well written and the narration was perfect. I would recommend it if you like a bit of inside Hollywood thrown in to your story.