Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987–1993

Few activist organizations of the late 20th century have had the impact of ACT UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. Novelist and playwright Schulman was herself intimately involved in the group, and has written a deeply personal account of its heady years. ACT UP’s New York chapter is the mother chapter of 148 groups worldwide; Schulman says it was the site of incredible creativity, research, and leadership. She states that she is not a trained historian, but her skilled use of oral histories, combined with solid research into earlier social movements, provide a complete history of ACT UP, from its founding in 1987 to the present day. The writing is given a personal touch with the inclusion of profiles and oral histories of notable people, such as chemist Iris Long and HIV/AIDS researcher Mark Harrington. These portraits, together with the historical context offered throughout, prove the lasting influence of ACT UP and have a lot to teach readers about activism today. Schulman reminds us that ACT UP still exists because the HIV/AIDS crisis is not over.