1957–1994
360 W. 22ND ST.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ASSOTTO SAINT
REVIEW OF SPELLS OF A VOODOO DOLL
PERSONAL REMINISCENCE OF A FRIEND OF SAINT'S
ON BLACK GAY LITERATURE, 1984
BIOGRAPHY OF COMPOSER JAN HOLMGREN, SAINT'S PARTNER
Assotto Saint (born Yves Lubin) was a Haitian-born poet, playwright and activist whose explicitly black themes made him one of the most important literary voices in the burgeoning gay literary movement of the late 20th Century. To his fellow Haitians, who had also directly experienced the ugliness of the Francois Duvalier era, he offered a spiritual sanctuary, as "a grand, tall queen" who could be both big brother and mother. In addition to his work as a writer, Saint was a passionate advocate for the writings of others in his community, creating his own Galiens Press, and editing The Road Before Us: 100 Gay Black Poets. During his lifetime, he was able to publish two collections of his own writing, Stations and Wishing for Wings. Honoring him for their annual literary award, LAMDA described Saint as "one of the fiercest spirits ever to grace the planet." He died at the age of 36.