Gay Books Make Awards Finals

A memoir about late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe written by a close friend, rock singer Patti Smith, and a biography of "sexual renegade" Samuel Steward are among the nonfiction finalists for the 2010 National Book Awards.

Just Kids is the first foray into prose by punk rock icon Smith, who recalls her youthful relationship with photographer Mapplethorpe before he became one of the most controversial artists of the last century.

Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade by Justin Spring is a biography of Steward, who was a relatively little-known pre-Stonewall figure who managed to lead a fascinating life, including a collaboration with famed sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, and who chronicled his sexual encounters with a number of famous men, including Rudolph Valentino and Rock Hudson.

Among the nominees in the Young People's Literature category is the novel One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, who is the mother of Advocate associate editor Michelle Garcia.