Born December 14: Hervé Guibert

In his teens Hervé Guibert lied about his age to work at the magazine 20 ans and in his very early 20s leading to a job with Le Monde. He published several books and, at 28, won a César Award for his gay screenplay L'Homme blessé, co-written with its director Patrice Chéreau. It tells a Genet-like tale of young man's doomed first love for a manipulative thief/hustler/pimp whom he later kills. Open about his same-sex affairs since high school, Guibert avoided mainstream gay culture and had significant affairs with Michel Foucault, 29 years his senior, and Thierry Jouno, who was living with a woman, Christine, and their two children. In 1988, four years after Foucault's death, Guibert was diagnosed with aids and began to document his decline, giving rise to his most famous books, including the barely-veiled novel To the Friend Who Did Not Save My Life which describes/betrays secrets about Foucault's S&M and attacks former friend Isabelle Adjani for backing out of a purported promise to film one of his screenplays. Guibert married Christine, who was also HIV+, so that she and Thierry's children would inherit his royalties. Blind and ravaged by the disease, Guibert tried to kill himself the day before he turned 36. He died two weeks later. Thierry followed within six months. Among Guibert's other books eventually translated into English are a spooky gay short novel The Gangsters, the creepier straighter Blindsight, and two collections of journal entries, Compassion Protocol and Mausoleum of Lovers.