Hi. I’m Maggie, Victor’s great-niece and the Executive Director of the Victor J. Banis Family Foundation.
Prior to Victor’s passing in 2019, I knew he was a writer and had read a few of his books. We had a few discussions about his books and writing but nothing in depth. It wasn’t until after he passed and I began to read what other people had written about him (Michael Bronski, Professor of the Practice in Media and Activism in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, at Harvard University and Fabio Cleto, Professor of Cultural History and English Literature at the University of Bergamo, Italy) that I began to understand how prolific and crucial he was to the literary revolution of the 1960s. He published over 200 books and short stories over a span of 6 decades. He covered several genres: gothic terror, science fiction, romance, erotica, gay detectives, and mysteries.
I inherited all the books he had when he passed, have collected several more, and have his flash drives which contain many of his books that were published, and several that were not. I was amazed and overwhelmed with information! I’m still trying to figure it all out. I am in possession of over 100 individual books (paper and digital copies). His flash drives contain several original manuscripts, different versions of the same book, and rarely are things titled in a logical (maybe only to Victor), linear manner.
I want to read all his books. I want to truly understand my uncle and his work. At this point, I have more questions than answers. I wish I had done this while he was still alive… or that he was still alive so I could ask him questions.
I didn’t know how to begin processing all the information I have. I considered reading by genre but that wouldn’t work because I don’t know what genre some of his books fall under. Some books blur the lines. I also thought about grouping my readings by pseudonym or in order of release. But, as Rogers and Hammerstein said, “Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. When you read you begin with A, B, C…” you get the rest. So that’s what I’m doing.
By going in semi-alphabetical order, one really don’t know what one is going to get from one book to the other. “A” books alone include: romance, terror, gay, lesbian, humor, erotica, and science fiction.
Some of the subject matter makes me uncomfortable – rape, incest, etc. – but life is not always comfortable. History is filled with “uncomfortable” moments. To truly understand a person, event, or episode in history, one must hear about and accept things that make you feel uncomfortable. Ignoring it doesn’t make it any less true.
I don’t have a Maplethorpe print hanging in my living room, but I respect him as an artist and those that appreciate his art. Richard Wright is one of my favorite authors. Parts of his books are very uncomfortable but it’s a part of his story. Amish romance novels make me uncomfortable; I choose not to read it. All these artists have the right to tell their stories and express themselves through their art. As a reader or patron, it is my right to not read a book or walk out of the theatre before the play the ends.
I’m not here to justify, defend, or explain what Victor meant by these books or why he wrote these stories. People have said his books “did not age well,” but what does that mean? Few, if any books really do. The 1960s were a different time. Hopefully we have evolved as humans. My mission is to read as many of his books as I can, give a brief history of each book, my 2 cents, and a short excerpt. It’s a bit of a personal journey for me and I invite everyone to come along…you can jump on or off whenever you choose!
Comment and give me your 2 cents. Friendly comments and/or constructive criticism is preferred! If anyone has read any of his books and would like to give your own review, please let me know. I hope you enjoy.
