The Life and Death of Ryan White

“Paul M. Renfro’s excellent new book is part of an equally worthy and important revisionist tradition. . . . Such works seek to deconstruct the dominant myths that were made to stand in for a more complete understanding of the epidemic—and reveal what such narratives have long occluded.”—New Republic

“Thoughtful . . . . A compact and knowledgeable study of the “poster boy” of the AIDS epidemic.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A rich history. . . . Renfro uses Ryan White’s life, death, and legacy to encourage readers to think critically about how the framing of disease is deeply contested and how dominant cultural narratives—and their influence of public policies—can perpetuate stigma and discrimination in different subpopulations. . . . The Life and Death of Ryan White will be an engaging read for anyone interested in health policy. Its broader lessons on the framing of disease, representation, industry special interests, and stigma would make this a great addition to many undergraduate or graduate courses in US health policy, determinants of health, and infectious disease.”—Health Affairs

“When it comes to media coverage of HIV, few Americans have garnered as many headlines as Ryan White. But there is a difference between the person and the cultural figure . . . . [Renfro] plumbs the depths of those contrasts [and] puts the late AIDS activist’s life into context.”—POZ Magazine

“A unique lens to HIV/AIDS history as a scholar of childhood. . . . Renfro’s valuable study offers a warning to today’s activists regarding the ongoing resurrection of harmful narratives about queer people as vectors of disease . . . [and] shows that while the appeal to safe symbols like Ryan White in the struggle for health justice may be politically expedient, it also risks doing harm to the communities most in need of support.”—Synapsis

“[Renfro’s] social construction of HIV/AIDS provide a clear demonstration of the need for a strong nonprofit sector to serve and advocate for populations and causes that are often overlooked in political and social realms focused on maintaining power or representing majority interests.”—Administrative Theory & Praxis

“Renfro’s account of White and the debates surrounding his life and death offers a much-needed chapter in the history of HIV/AIDS and the legacies of inequality in late twentieth-century America.”—American Historical Review

“Renfro’s fascinating and empathetic book offers us a history of the construction of the “innocent” face of AIDS, a construction with profound symbolic and material consequences for those who were not considered innocent but rather blameworthy. A novel and important contribution to the history of HIV/AIDS and late-twentieth-century political culture more broadly.”—Margot Canaday, author of Queer Career:  Sexuality and Work in Modern America

“A vibrant look at the dangerous narratives of innocence, power, and celebrity that emanated from one teenager’s life. Whether or not you grew up with the media accounts of Ryan White’s battle, this book will force you to question the frameworks and silences in the struggle for health care, compassion, and justice for people living with HIV and AIDS. A must-read for anyone who wishes to live in a world where all are cared for and cared about, regardless of who they are.”—Marcia Chatelain, author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America

“An illuminating addition to AIDS history. Renfro reveals how the personal charisma and resiliency Ryan White showed in his fight for life was used to create a false division between so-called innocent and guilty people with AIDS, and how this, in turn, furthered cliches about white working-class people and homophobia. Thoughtful and helpful in understanding how standing tropes of stigma were created and maintained.”—Sarah Schulman, author of Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987–1993