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Andrew Sean Greer is an American novelist and short-story writer. The New York Times called his 2008 novel The Story of a Marriage “lyrical” and “inspired.” His first novel, 2001’s[…]
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His writing is universal, and so are his politics.

Andrew Sean Greer: I don’t think I’m a gay activist.  I used to be.  I used to be, like, Act Up back in the day, you know, lying down on the sidewalk and getting chalk drawn around me, but I think I got a little more general about it when the Bush administration came in.  I saw that there were much bigger rights
being trampled than just mine particularly.  There were general civil rights and that was what I really focused on.

Question: Who are you supporting for president?

Andrew Sean Greer:  Barack Obama.  You know, I was an Edwards guy at first because he talked about poverty, which I think is really the only issue to be talking about, but once he dropped out I was definitely Obama.  I saw all my friends so inspired by him and I sort of saw there was a feeling like there could be a move forward after feeling for so long that if we could just stop it, the Bush administration, that would be enough.  If we could just stop it, I would be fine.  But suddenly the idea that someone who actually said things that I thought, like his speech on race was exactly how I feel.  There could be a politician who would say that out loud, I never dreamed I could support that because I don’t have a fantasy about politicians.  I kind of think well, they’ll get close enough.  You know, they won’t ever really do exactly what I want, but on this I always thought I lived in a bubble, but most of America seems to believe it too and that’s so optimistic and I have to follow the optimism.


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