American writer Ethan Mordden was BOTD in 1947. Born near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, he was raised in Venice, Italy, and Long Island, New York. After completing his education, he moved to New York City, working in off-Broadway and regional theatre. He became a columnist for Christopher Street magazine, writing a fictionalised account of New York gay life as his literary alter ego Bud. His columns were published in book form in 1985 as I’ve a Feeling We’re Not In Kansas Anymore: Tales from Gay Manhattan. Four further volumes followed, published between 1986 and 2005, providing a lively cultural history of New York during the AIDS pandemic. His other fiction works include the novel How Long Has This Been Going On?, The Venice Adriana based on the life of Maria Callas, and The Passionate Attention of an Interesting Man, a short story collection exploring gay BDSM relationships. He has also published books on the history of opera, Broadway musicals, and a biography of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya. His recent work includes the 2021 novel You Can’t Be Too Young or Too Pretty, a black comedy about a murder cult in a college town, and The Blacksmith, a gay romance set in the Broadway theatre scene.