Jack and Lem - by David Pitts (Paperback)

About the Book

"Jack and Lem explores the enduring friendship between John F. Kennedy and Kirk Lemoyne Billings (aka "Lem"). Jack Kennedy and Lem Billings met at Choate and remained friends until the Dallas gunfire that ended Kennedy's life thirty years later. Featuring interviews with Ben Bradlee, Gore Vidal, Ted Sorenson, friends, family, and many others, award -- winning journalist David Pitts begins the story with the early friendship between the men. Though Lem never held an official role in the Kennedy administration, his friendship and insight were much valued, so much so that he had his own room at the White House. This is the story of Jack and Lem and the climate for gays during he Kennedy era -- the story of a great friendship that grew and survived against the odds."--

Book Synopsis

Jack and Lem explores the enduring friendship between John F. Kennedy and Kirk Lemoyne Billings (aka "Lem"). Jack Kennedy and Lem Billings met at Choate and remained friends until the Dallas gunfire that ended Kennedy's life thirty years later. Featuring interviews with Ben Bradlee, Gore Vidal, Ted Sorenson, friends, family, and many others, award -- winning journalist David Pitts begins the story with the early friendship between the men. Though Lem never held an official role in the Kennedy administration, his friendship and insight were much valued, so much so that he had his own room at the White House. This is the story of Jack and Lem and the climate for gays during he Kennedy era -- the story of a great friendship that grew and survived against the odds.

Review Quotes

Instinct
"Finally--proof that a 'mo lived in the White House...This simple-to-digest study features fascinating, firsthand accounts from Camelot...What we leave with is that inevitably haunting question: Had he lived, what more could JFK have done for the progression of human rights?"

San Francisco Chronicle, 11/22/13
"[An] excellent book...Essential reading for those seeking that which shaped JFK's indelible personality."

About the Author

David Pitts has been senior writer at the U.S. Information Agency/Voice of America, and has written for publications including the Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Christian Science Monitor. He lives in Washington, D.C.