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How to Become a Virgin
Unabashedly famous after nearly fifty years of obscurity, Crisp writes of the consequences of the film, "The Naked Civil Servant," his recent life as a celebrity, and his love affair with North America
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1981
12 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
About the author
Quentin Crisp
35 books120 followersQuentin Crisp, born Denis Charles Pratt, was an English writer, artist's model, actor and raconteur known for his memorable and insightful witticisms. He became a gay icon in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant, brought to the attention of the general public his defiant exhibitionism and longstanding refusal to remain in the closet.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 4, 2010
This is the sequel to The Naked Civil Servant, in it Mr. Crisp tells of his life after the book was published, and how the TV version came about, and then his first trip to the U.S. The many little tours and theatre appearances of “An audience with Quentin Crisp” are described as sometimes disappointing to both Mr. Crisp and the audience, as he doesn’t always give the answers they want to hear. Yet he seemed to totally thrive on this new life of celebrity;
“I am seen and heard therefore I am. The more often and the more clearly I am seen and heard, the more fully I feel that I am alive”
On the TV Naked Civil Servant:
“Mr. Hurt wore five wigs in order to pass from innocence( a rich mouse colour) through depravity ( scarlet) to senility (discreet mauve).”
On getting photographed ( he loved it):
“At a party given in honour of Miss Midler at the Waldorf Hotel, I was led across the room to meet her. We shook hands and exchanged a few gracious phrases to give the photographers time to gather round us. Then standing as close to her as I dared, I turned towards the largest camera and smiled. Very quietly Miss Midler whispered, ‘That’s right baby. Do the whole bit.’
I have followed her instructions ever since.”
“I am seen and heard therefore I am. The more often and the more clearly I am seen and heard, the more fully I feel that I am alive”
On the TV Naked Civil Servant:
“Mr. Hurt wore five wigs in order to pass from innocence( a rich mouse colour) through depravity ( scarlet) to senility (discreet mauve).”
On getting photographed ( he loved it):
“At a party given in honour of Miss Midler at the Waldorf Hotel, I was led across the room to meet her. We shook hands and exchanged a few gracious phrases to give the photographers time to gather round us. Then standing as close to her as I dared, I turned towards the largest camera and smiled. Very quietly Miss Midler whispered, ‘That’s right baby. Do the whole bit.’
I have followed her instructions ever since.”
July 8, 2010
Wild & Wow, this guy can put so many of us to shame. Witty, vivacious, strong minded and strong willed, he really lived the way he wanted to and made a buck and a name for himself along the way
In 1981 age 80, he up´d and left the UK bound for New York, stayed in the Chelsea Hotel intitialy and then he with few possessions and found a small apartment in Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Its a no holes barred read, sometimes annoying, sometimes eye opening but a very interesting read none the less.
In 1981 age 80, he up´d and left the UK bound for New York, stayed in the Chelsea Hotel intitialy and then he with few possessions and found a small apartment in Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Its a no holes barred read, sometimes annoying, sometimes eye opening but a very interesting read none the less.
Read
June 30, 2018An unnecessary though largely pleasant addendum to Crisp’s previous autobiography, The Naked Civil Servant, dealing with the famed Bohemian homosexual’s life after he attained celebrity status. It’s not much of a book, really, and I suppose I could only recommend it to Crisp completists, which I guess as it turns out, I am, because I thought there was a lot of funny stuff in here.
March 25, 2024
I first came across Quentin Crisp via the song ‘Englishman in New York’. I’ve probably heard the song a few hundred times before I realised it was inspired by him. Once I found out who it was about it took me a few more years to read up on him, and a few more after that before my interest was piqued.
My initial intentions for this review was to compare a good chunk of it to the Naked Civil Servant, but I’ve decided against it. I will highlight how this book feels more positive and with a more optimistic outlook at the end. In this account Quentin goes from strength to strength following the success of the Naked Civil Servant. What happens essentially is that Quentin finds himself whisked up on a bandwagon of public speaking all over the world, leaving England for the first time at almost 70 years of Age! The message here is that even in the winter of his life (or anyone else’s) you don’t know what good fortune could be lurking and more importantly to take it, especially when it’s offered on a plate.
This book is quotable throughout but I’ll leave this review with a particular quote in mind. Apologies in advance Goodreads.
“Books are for writing- Not for reading”
Shine on Quentin, you Crazy Diamond.
My initial intentions for this review was to compare a good chunk of it to the Naked Civil Servant, but I’ve decided against it. I will highlight how this book feels more positive and with a more optimistic outlook at the end. In this account Quentin goes from strength to strength following the success of the Naked Civil Servant. What happens essentially is that Quentin finds himself whisked up on a bandwagon of public speaking all over the world, leaving England for the first time at almost 70 years of Age! The message here is that even in the winter of his life (or anyone else’s) you don’t know what good fortune could be lurking and more importantly to take it, especially when it’s offered on a plate.
This book is quotable throughout but I’ll leave this review with a particular quote in mind. Apologies in advance Goodreads.
“Books are for writing- Not for reading”
Shine on Quentin, you Crazy Diamond.
January 24, 2010
Having watched 'The Naked Civil Servant' years ago, and the more recent 'An Englishman in New York' both with John Hurt playing the lead, I was interested to read the interim story, and this did not disappoint.
He was quite a unique character who comes across as very sincere, qentle and wonderfully witty and lazy.
He was quite a unique character who comes across as very sincere, qentle and wonderfully witty and lazy.
July 14, 2007
He's Quentin Crisp and if I need to tell you about him, you need to read his books. He's gay and he's hilarious.
January 11, 2011
He constantly either appalls me or reminds me of myself. Often both at the same time. But always with much more style, and I don't think I would ever have been so brave.
April 15, 2020
Another collection of ironic and stylish observations about the world, some infuriating and some very apt.
October 24, 2022
Mesmerizing.
I read this book years ago and loved it. Read it again recently, with a view to reviewing it. Picked it up to refresh my memory and ended up reading the whole book again. It's just so bizarre and witty and the author (to me, anyway) is such a beguiling character.
I'm a sucker for a feel-good story. Crisp's first memoir ("The Naked Civil Servant") appeared in 1968 and covers the author's life as an effeminate gay man in the Bad Old Days. It ends with the sad words " I stumble toward my grave confused and hurt and hungry."
This book was published in 1981 and ends on a more cheerful note. "Now, in the winter of my life, I have been carried across the ocean as though on a plate. This astonishing piece of good fortune I must not waste." He didn't waste it and the last decades of his life were happy ones.
How did an elderly Englishman who had been a pariah for most of his life become a popular celebrity? Certainly NOT through sustained effort. The author is famous for his devotion to the great art of doing nothing. His only active contribution to his success was his willingness to make himself available to any opportunity that presented itself. The rest was a combination of luck, changing tastes, and the charm of his intelligence and humility.
Crisp is sometimes called a "gay icon." Absurd, since he was constitutionally incapable of leading any sort of "movement" and never wanted to do so. Many of his harshest critics were gays who resented his refusal to devote himself exclusively to gay liberation. He had spent a lifetime being a flaming gay when it was dangerous and illegal. Once the world stopped hating him, he was willing to become the ultimate socialite. "Now that I have met the world, I love it." And many people loved him back.
His luck took a turn for the better when a friend recorded him speaking and played it on public radio. It attracted enough attention that he was soon interviewed on television and began to make a modest living speaking to small groups. Eventually, someone had the idea that this fascinating man should write his memoirs. He did and the book was a modest success and led to more speaking opportunities.
In the 1960's, the young inherited the earth and determined public tastes. Having talked about heterosexual activity until everyone was bored with it, they wanted to hear from homosexuals and Crisp was perfect for the job. He was a witty, non-confrontational man who could speak about art and style and life in general without shocking his audience into storming out of the room. He never pretended to be anything other than himself, but he never blamed anyone for the past. If the straight world wanted to be friends, he was happy to oblige.
The earthquake that picked him up and moved him across the Atlantic Ocean was the filming of "Naked Civil Servant" as a BBC telemovie. Homosexuality was still controversial and critics predicted that actor William Hurt had ruined his career by playing Crisp. In reality, he became a bigger star than ever and when the movie was shown overseas, Crisp's presence was requested in a number of former colonies, such as Canada, Australia, and the United States.
In New York City, he found his spiritual home and settled in happily - writing, speaking, acting, and cheerfully doing anything else that came his way. His modest life-style (living in a rented room, wearing donated clothing, and getting around on buses) made him the perfect New Yorker. He lived to be ninety years old and his cremated ashes were spread around the town where he found acceptance and satisfying employment.
He was unique and his books are delightful. I don't agree with him about everything (and neither will you) but his innate sweetness and modesty are totally disarming. I'm glad that he lived long enough to enjoy a more tolerant society and I owe a great debt to those who urged him to write. His books are some of my favorites. I see that Amazon is now offering a Kindle version of his last memoir (which I haven't read.) Hope they'll pick up the others soon. They are wonderfully entertaining.
I read this book years ago and loved it. Read it again recently, with a view to reviewing it. Picked it up to refresh my memory and ended up reading the whole book again. It's just so bizarre and witty and the author (to me, anyway) is such a beguiling character.
I'm a sucker for a feel-good story. Crisp's first memoir ("The Naked Civil Servant") appeared in 1968 and covers the author's life as an effeminate gay man in the Bad Old Days. It ends with the sad words " I stumble toward my grave confused and hurt and hungry."
This book was published in 1981 and ends on a more cheerful note. "Now, in the winter of my life, I have been carried across the ocean as though on a plate. This astonishing piece of good fortune I must not waste." He didn't waste it and the last decades of his life were happy ones.
How did an elderly Englishman who had been a pariah for most of his life become a popular celebrity? Certainly NOT through sustained effort. The author is famous for his devotion to the great art of doing nothing. His only active contribution to his success was his willingness to make himself available to any opportunity that presented itself. The rest was a combination of luck, changing tastes, and the charm of his intelligence and humility.
Crisp is sometimes called a "gay icon." Absurd, since he was constitutionally incapable of leading any sort of "movement" and never wanted to do so. Many of his harshest critics were gays who resented his refusal to devote himself exclusively to gay liberation. He had spent a lifetime being a flaming gay when it was dangerous and illegal. Once the world stopped hating him, he was willing to become the ultimate socialite. "Now that I have met the world, I love it." And many people loved him back.
His luck took a turn for the better when a friend recorded him speaking and played it on public radio. It attracted enough attention that he was soon interviewed on television and began to make a modest living speaking to small groups. Eventually, someone had the idea that this fascinating man should write his memoirs. He did and the book was a modest success and led to more speaking opportunities.
In the 1960's, the young inherited the earth and determined public tastes. Having talked about heterosexual activity until everyone was bored with it, they wanted to hear from homosexuals and Crisp was perfect for the job. He was a witty, non-confrontational man who could speak about art and style and life in general without shocking his audience into storming out of the room. He never pretended to be anything other than himself, but he never blamed anyone for the past. If the straight world wanted to be friends, he was happy to oblige.
The earthquake that picked him up and moved him across the Atlantic Ocean was the filming of "Naked Civil Servant" as a BBC telemovie. Homosexuality was still controversial and critics predicted that actor William Hurt had ruined his career by playing Crisp. In reality, he became a bigger star than ever and when the movie was shown overseas, Crisp's presence was requested in a number of former colonies, such as Canada, Australia, and the United States.
In New York City, he found his spiritual home and settled in happily - writing, speaking, acting, and cheerfully doing anything else that came his way. His modest life-style (living in a rented room, wearing donated clothing, and getting around on buses) made him the perfect New Yorker. He lived to be ninety years old and his cremated ashes were spread around the town where he found acceptance and satisfying employment.
He was unique and his books are delightful. I don't agree with him about everything (and neither will you) but his innate sweetness and modesty are totally disarming. I'm glad that he lived long enough to enjoy a more tolerant society and I owe a great debt to those who urged him to write. His books are some of my favorites. I see that Amazon is now offering a Kindle version of his last memoir (which I haven't read.) Hope they'll pick up the others soon. They are wonderfully entertaining.
December 16, 2021
It’s more than thirty years since I read The Naked Civil Servant and saw John Hurt’s unforgettable performance in the TV film of the book.
This is a rambling update on life after the book. It’s interesting and a reminder of how many used to put the USA on a pedestal but I felt it was largely something thrown onto the page as part of his pension.
That said, I hope it worked for him. At 192 pages it is fairly short and makes me think that I should re-read TNCS and maybe read his book on style.
This is a rambling update on life after the book. It’s interesting and a reminder of how many used to put the USA on a pedestal but I felt it was largely something thrown onto the page as part of his pension.
That said, I hope it worked for him. At 192 pages it is fairly short and makes me think that I should re-read TNCS and maybe read his book on style.
December 3, 2024
This excellent memoir not only carries on Crisp’s story where the Naked Civil Servant left off, it gives great insight into how his life transformed from vilified outsider to celebrity raconteur.
So many quotable bon mot, as you’d expect, but here’s the first line: “I am not a drop-out; I was never in.”
Wonderful.
So many quotable bon mot, as you’d expect, but here’s the first line: “I am not a drop-out; I was never in.”
Wonderful.
December 8, 2023
I haven’t read the Naked Civil Servant but I think I’d rather read that than this one. It got boring pretty quickly.
September 2, 2017
Though this isn't as momentous as The Naked Civil Servant, for a Crisp fan like me it is essential. Some excellent musings on notoriety and fame, and precious clues that reveal some of his feelings towards the mainstream gay rights movement, which was gaining momentum during the 1970s. An entertaining and fascinating read.
January 19, 2015
St. Quentin, the patron saint of homosexuals. The first, the original, never vilified in the press except by the gays. Love him.
This book and the next book, Resident Alien: The New York Diaries, formed the basis for the second movie of his life which I watched a couple of years ago and really enjoyed.
I laughed out loud at several portions of the book and was amazed that as a watcher of society Crisp can really get to the heart of things.
“It's explained that all relationship require a little give and take. This is untrue. Any partnership demands that we give and give and give and at the last, as we flop into our graves exhausted, we are told that we didn't give enough.”
and on the phone:
“'You're queer, I'll kill you.' I could only ask if the speaker wanted an appointment.”
A short and charming read that slowed me down a but because I kept hearing the lines in Crisp's slow drawl as if he were reading it in my head.
This book and the next book, Resident Alien: The New York Diaries, formed the basis for the second movie of his life which I watched a couple of years ago and really enjoyed.
I laughed out loud at several portions of the book and was amazed that as a watcher of society Crisp can really get to the heart of things.
“It's explained that all relationship require a little give and take. This is untrue. Any partnership demands that we give and give and give and at the last, as we flop into our graves exhausted, we are told that we didn't give enough.”
and on the phone:
“'You're queer, I'll kill you.' I could only ask if the speaker wanted an appointment.”
A short and charming read that slowed me down a but because I kept hearing the lines in Crisp's slow drawl as if he were reading it in my head.
February 3, 2014
As with the Naked Civil Servant, this was very entertaining. I wish I had read this BEFORE Resident Alien (ie-in chronological order); but it was still quite enjoyable and funny. I recommend this to any Crisp fans!
January 25, 2013
A truly unique individual!
March 25, 2015
very important; i read the sequel before the naked civil servant whoops
Want to read
December 27, 2016* Understanding Oppression: Gay Rights
March 28, 2017
My interest sort of waned towards the end and it isn't as compelling as The Naked Civil Servant but Crisp is never less than delightful.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews