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Finding aid of the Kevin Brew Journals
1993-17
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Table of contents
Title: Kevin Brew papers
Dates: 1970-1992
Collection number: 1993-17
Creator:
Brew, Kevin
Collection Size:
0.5 Linear Feet
1 manuscript box
Repository:
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
San Francisco, California 94105
Abstract: Journals of Kevin Brew, a man who died of HIV. Brew was born in Queens, New York and moved to San Francisco in 1975. These
journals detail activities of every day life, the onset of the AIDS epidemic, Brew's own course of treatment, as well as reactions
to national events such as the election of President Reagan and the murder of John Lennon.
Physical location: Stored at the Archives of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society in San Francisco, California.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection open for research.
Copyright to unpublished manuscript materials has been transferred to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
[Identification of item], Kevin Brew Papers, 1993-17, The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
Donated to the GLBTHS by Marie A. Grabec, sister of Kevin Brew, August 13, 1993.
Kevin Brew was born in Queens, New York, on April 7, 1950. He moved to San Francisco in August of 1975, and lived there until
his death from AIDS on March 28, 1993. It is unclear why Brew moved to San Francisco, although his journals imply a search
for a "simpler" life. Sunshine was also a motivation. His career/work is not specified in his writings, or in his Bay Area
Reporter obituary, dated April 15, 1993. His greatest interest appears to have been doing art work, mainly collage. A skimming
of his journals suggests that Kevin had turbulent relationships with his friends and family. He seemed to be an extremely
intelligent and sensitive man who expressed feeling generally frustrated and unappreciated by many of the people in his life.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Kevin Brew Papers consist of 6 bound journals and a folder of loose journal pages. The full range of the writing is from
January 7, 1970 to March 5, 1992. The Journals are inconsistent in detail and there are large gaps of time between entries.
They appear to have been for personal use only.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
AIDS
San Francisco (Calif.)
Persons With AIDS