The audacity of a kiss : love, art, and liberation
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references.

"The Audacity of a Kiss tells the story of Leslie Cohen, from her youth in Queens, New York during the "Mad Men" era of the 1950s, to her young adulthood and coming of age in the turbulent 1960s and 70s, through her involvement in the women's movement and the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of 1970s NYC. Through it all, she narrates with honesty and humor her attempts to reconcile her feelings for other women with her upbringing during a time when the world designated gay people as mentally ill. In 1965, Leslie met Beth, the woman destined to be her life partner, and over the years, they weave through each other's lives until they finally realized what they meant to each other. From the conformity of the 1950s to the Civil Rights movement, the anti-war demonstrations, and the shift to long hair, pot, and women's and gay liberation, their story is set against the backdrop of the upheavals of the 1960s and 70s, and centers in part on Sahara, the groundbreaking women's nightclub Leslie opened with her partners in 1976 NYC. Sahara was the first elegant bar in New York City owned and operated by women for women, rather than being a seedy bar owned and operated by the Mafia, as were many of the gay clubs at the time. They hung contemporary artwork created by women and now hanging in major museums throughout the country. On Thursdays they showcased live acts. Celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, Patti Smith, Pat Benatar, Warren Beatty, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, Adrienne Rich, Rita Mae Brown, and Ntozake Shange appeared there. In a time when much of the world was still very closeted, Leslie and Beth fell in love and posed for George Segal in 1979. The relationship between the history of this famous club, the intense love affair between these two women, and the iconic sculpture, "Gay Liberation" has never been told in its entirety until now"--,Provided by publisher.