Edges, Boundaries, and Connections

by Malcolm Boyd

Discusses aspects of the author's life, and shares his observations on AIDS, mortality, relationships, and religion

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Malcolm Boyd was an American Episcopal priest and author. He was one of the prominent white clergymen in the American Civil Rights Movement in the 60s as well as the anti-Vietnam War movement. In 1977 Boyd came out of the closet, becoming the most prominent gay clergy person to come out. In the 1980s Boyd met the gay activist and author Mark Thompson, who would become his long-time partner. He is the author of more than 30 books.

Crisis in Communication (Doubleday, 1957)

Christ and Celebrity Gods (Seabury, 1958)

Focus: Rethinking the Meaning of Our Evangelism (Morehouse-Barlow, 1960)

If I Go Down to Hell (Morehouse-Barlow, 1962)

The Hunger, the Thirst (Morehouse-Barlow, 1964)

Are You Running with Me, Jesus? (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1965/40th anniversary edition, 2005), became a bestseller

Free to Live, Free to Die (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1967)

Malcolm Boyd's Book of Days (Random House, 1968)

The Fantasy Worlds of Peter Stone and Other Fables (Harper & Row, 1969)

As I Live and Breathe (Random House, 1969)
My Fellow Americans (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1970)

Human Like Me, Jesus (Simon and Schuster, 1971)

The Lover (Word Books, 1972)

The Runner (Word Books, 1974)

The Alleluia Affair (Word Books, 1975)
Christian: Its Meanings in an Age of Future Shock (Hawthorn, 1975)

Am I Running with You, God? (Doubleday, 1977)

Take Off the Masks (Doubleday, 1978; rev. ed. HarperCollins 1993, White Crane Books 2008)

Look Back in Joy (Gay Sunshine Press, 1981; rev. ed. Alyson, 1990)

Half Laughing, Half Crying (St. Martin's Press, 1986)

Gay Priest: An Inner Journey (St. Martin's Press, 1986)

Edges, Boundaries and Connections (Broken Moon Press, 1992)

Rich with Years: Daily Meditations on Growing Older (HarperCollins, 1994)

Go Gentle Into That Good Night (Genesis Press, 1998)

Simple Grace: A Mentor's Guide to Growing Older (Westminster John Knox, 2001)

Prayers for the Later Years (Augsburg, 2002)

A Prophet in His Own Land: The Malcolm Boyd Reader (edited by Bo Young/Dan Vera) (White Crane Books, 2008)

Edited by Malcolm Boyd
On the Battle Lines: A Manifesto for Our Times (Morehouse-Barlow, 1964)
The Underground Church (Sheed & Ward, 1968)
When in the Course of Human Events (with Paul Conrad, Sheed & Ward, 1973)
Amazing Grace: Stories of Lesbian and Gay Faith (with Nancy L. Wilson, Crossing Press, 1991)
Race & Prayer: Collected Voices, Many Dreams (w/Chester Talton, Morehouse, 2003)
In Times Like These…How We Pray (with J. Jon Bruno, Seabury, 2005)

Reviews

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are short reflections from the Revd Malcolm Boyd.

Revd Boyd passed away in Feb 2015 after a very full and extraordinary life. He participated in the civil rights movement, wrote and performed poetry and plays, began his career as a Hollywood insider, and came out as gay in 1977. In this book we have a series of short reflections from his life.

'Edges appear when we find ourselves at dividing lines, points of transition and borders....To edge forward is to make a positive movement.'

'Boundaries can mean enclosure or openness..... representing frontiers or borders, they invite us to exciting exploration confronting new ideas and fresh experiences.'

'Edges and boundaries are rough, challenging terrain but are pathways to enlightenment. When we negotiate the challenge of edges and boundaries we are able to make connections.'

In these reflections Revd Boyd shows how these edges and boundaries have appeared in his life and the ways in which he has been able to make connections. It is an easy to read and a gem of a book, full of insight and wisdom from someone who negotiated really challenging situations in his personal life and did so with great courage and strength of heart.

Some of these reflections are funny such as the time an irritated young Malcolm threw a party for manual staff at his Hollywood work place using the studio budget.
Other reflections show an appreciation for heritage and family, such as when Malcolm has an opportunity to connect with his Jewish ancestry and senses the presence of his Jewish grandfather at the Wailing Wall in Israel. Others show that courage and faith do not come automatically as he finds in his activities on civil rights.

It is comforting as we read about lessons learnt. It reminds us to explore the wisdom and learning from our own paths.

Something simple but enlightening of all of us as we journey through life.