Left, Gay & Green: A Writer's Life

Allen Young has held a number of interesting careers and roles. He has worked as a reporter for the Washington Post and Liberation News Service, protested the Vietnam War, edited several gay anthologies, joined the "no nukes" movement, and started a commune. Now, from his Octagon House in the North Quabbin region of Massachusetts, he provides insights into his most memorable moments.

Young's journey begins in a surprising place. He grew up on a poultry farm in New York's Borscht Belt. His c...