The distinction between the two spheres, public and private, had been an insoluble problem over the course of my upbringing, particularly during my teenage years, but even before that, yes, much earlier than that. In my parents’ home – my home, after a fashion – I was always on view, my appearance much commented on, my state of disarray, physical or emotional, remarked on and discussed, any desires or proclivities I had thought secret were unearthed without difficulty and shared without scruple.
