Richard Amory

Richard Amory (October 18, 1927 – August 1, 1981), born Richard Wallace Love, was an American writer from Halfway, Oregon. He obtained a bachelor's degree in sociology from Ohio State University, a M.A. in Spanish from San Francisco State University, and began an uncompleted Ph.D. in Spanish at University of California, Berkeley.^[1] A high school teacher by profession, he achieved success as a novelist in the late 1960s while still a graduate student and before coming out.^[2]

Amory is best known for his 1966 novel Song of the Loon: A Gay Pastoral in Five Books and an Interlude and its sequels, including Song of Aaron and Listen, the Loon Sings.^[3] Variously described as "a gay American version of famous sixteenth-century Spanish pastoral novels"^[4] and "a gay version of The Last of the Mohicans,"^[5] Song of the Loon has been called "one of the most important gay books of the 20th century."^[6] In 1994 one bibliographer estimated that one third of American gay men had read the novel.^[7]

Song of the Loon was adapted as an erotic film in 1970 without Amory's involvement and much to his disgust.^[8] It also inspired a spoof, Fruit of the Loon by "Richard Armory" (in reality veteran porn writer George Davies who wrote under pen names including Clay Caldwell or Lance Lester).^[9]

Amory briefly partnered with fellow authors Dirk Vanden, Phil Andros, Peter Tuesday Hughes, Larry Townsend, and Douglas Dean in an attempt to found the first all-gay publishing company, which was to be called The Renaissance Group. The group was unable to secure funding for the attempt and several of its members ceased publishing shortly thereafter.^[10]

He died in San Jose, California.