The Einstein of Sex: Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld by Daniel Brook

OUR VENUE FOR MARCH WILL BE AT KEVIN'S HOME NEAR DOWNTOWN BERKELEY, A FEW BLOCKS FROM BART.

Upcoming books and meetings:
Sunday, Mar 8, 2026: The Einstein of Sex by Daniel Brook
Sunday, Apr 12, 2026: Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
Sunday, May 10, 2026: The American by Henry James
Sunday, Jun 14, 2026: I Am My Own Woman by Charlotte von Mahlsdorf
Sunday, Jul 12, 2026: Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance by John Waters
Sunday, Aug 9, 2026: TBD

A portrait of a lost thinker, German-Jewish sexologist and activist Magnus Hirschfeld.

Journalist Daniel Brook retraces Hirschfeld’s life and legacy of one of the great visionaries of the twentieth century. In an era when gay sex was a crime and gender roles rigid, Hirschfeld taught that each of us is a unique mix of masculine and feminine. Through his public advocacy for gay rights and his private counseling of patients, he became the intellectual impresario of Berlin’s cabaret scene.

Through harrowing antisemitic persecution and a pivotal late-in-life interracial romance, he showed us that race, like gender, is a human invention.

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This is a casual gathering of gay men held on the second Sunday of the month. We have fun and stimulating discussions about quality gay literature while sharing a potluck meal.

Books are selected by participants several months in advance, and the only requirements for attending are to RSVP, to bring food and/or a beverage to share, and to have read a substantial part (at least half) of the book being discussed.

If you're coming, please add a "comment" on this page saying what you'll be bringing for the potluck, so we're less likely to end up with only one type of food. Store-bought food is fine!

Gather at 2:00 for potluck; discussion begins at 3:00 and ends by 4:30.
Event is at a private residence a few blocks from downtown Berkeley BART, and space is limited, so be sure to sign up soon!