Peter Gregory McGeheePeter Gregory McGehee (1955–1991)
Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, June 16, 2009. (October 6, 1955 – September 13, 1991)
.

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, 2005. was an American-born Canadian novelist, dramatist and short story writer. Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to Frank Thomas and Julia Ann May McGehee, Peter moved with his family to Little Rock when he was six. He was the second of three children. McGehee played the trombone at Parkview High School in Little Rock where he graduated in 1973. McGehee studied at

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before moving to

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to work in theatre. While living in San Francisco, he wrote his first play and first comedic musical revue ''The Quinlan Sisters'', and later met Canadian activist Douglas Wilson, who became his partner. He moved to

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in 1980 to be with Wilson, and subsequently the couple moved to

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in 1982. However, due to the lack of recognition afforded to

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at the time, he often faced potential deportation because of his citizenship status, twice entering

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with female friends. He briefly moved to

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in 1984, but had returned to Toronto by 1986. He published his first

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

, ''Beyond Happiness'', with Stubblejumper Press in 1985, and premiered his second revue, ''The Fabulous Sirs,'' in 1987. In 1988, McGehee and Wilson were both diagnosed

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-positive. McGehee subsequently wrote two novels, ''Boys Like Us'' and ''Sweetheart'', and a book of short stories, ''The IQ Zoo''. ''Boys Like Us'' was published in 1991, shortly before McGehee's death of

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-related causes; ''Sweetheart'' and ''The IQ Zoo'' were both published posthumously. The novels focused on the life of Zero MacNoo, a character who much like McGehee himself was an American living in Toronto, and his family and circle of friends. Using notes that McGehee had written in preparation for his third novel, Wilson subsequently wrote ''Labour of Love'' before his own death in 1992. That novel was published in 1993.

Books

* ''Beyond Happiness'' (1985) * ''Boys Like Us'' (1991) * ''The IQ Zoo'' (1991) * ''Sweetheart'' (1992)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGehee, Peter 1955 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century Canadian novelists American male novelists 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Canadian male novelists Canadian male short story writers 20th-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights Canadian gay writers Writers from Arkansas Writers from Toronto University of San Francisco alumni Southern Methodist University alumni AIDS-related deaths in Canada American expatriate writers in Canada People from Pine Bluff, Arkansas American LGBT dramatists and playwrights American LGBT novelists Canadian LGBT dramatists and playwrights Canadian LGBT novelists American male short story writers Canadian male dramatists and playwrights American male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Canadian short story writers 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century Canadian male writers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century Canadian LGBT people American gay writers Gay dramatists and playwrights Gay novelists