Events
Author Talk: Michael Lee, PhD '15 Reads from 'When the Band Played On'
Randy Shilts was the first openly gay reporter to cover LGBTQ+ issues for a major newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle. His trailblazing journalism included the bestselling book and HBO movie And the Band Played On, which told the story of how the U.S. government played politics with the early HIV/AIDS crisis.
Author Michael Lee’s biography, "When the Band Played On: The Life of Randy Shilts, America's Trailblazing Gay Journalist," tells the intimate story of Shilts’ life, emphasizing his controversial legacy as a change agent, who used his journalism to amplify the voices of medical providers, public health researchers, patients, and activists who were trying desperately to get the public to take a terrifying new disease seriously.
Michael Lee, an alumni of the SSW PhD program, will read from his book and speak about his research and writing process. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Attendees can enter a drawing to win a free copy of the book; six copies will be distributed to lucky winners.
Refreshments will be available.
- 5:00 Door open and refreshments available
- 5:30 Author Michael Lee will read from his book, and discuss his research and writing process
- 6:30 Q&A
- 7:00 Meet the author and book signing
*The School of Social Work strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request any type of accommodations in order to fully participate, please contact Crystal Heimer by October 5.
**Continuing education credit is available for licensed social workers
Michael Lee, PhD is the critically-acclaimed author of When the Band Played On: The Life of Randy Shilts, America's Trailblazing Gay Journalist.
Michael earned his PhD in Social Work from the University of Minnesota in 2015. His interest in Randy Shilts came during his Doctoral studies, when he was researching the origins of gay and lesbian community services before the discovery of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s.
With enthusiastic support from his School of Social Work mentors, he embarked on a project that would take ten years from initial research to publication. This included hundreds of hours in several library archives, including the U of MN’s Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection, and in-depth oral history interviews with more than 70 individuals. Michael also holds a BA in English and MSW in Organizational and Community Practice from Michigan State University. He teaches graduate courses for Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota while serving as a grant writing consultant to several local and national nonprofits.
Michael wishes to thank several former SSW faculty who encouraged him at the beginning of this journey, including Megan Morrissey, Jean Quam, Liz Lightfoot, Colleen Fisher, David Hollister, and the late (great) Helen Kivnick.
Photographs taken at the event may be used in University of Minnesota print and online publications, promotions, or shared with the CEHD community.
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