Jul
30
Lambda Awards Honor Scott O’Hara
July 30, 2008 | 6 Comments
The Lambda Literary Awards recently celebrated their 20th anniversary (CLICK HERE). To commemorate the occasion they assembled and then played during their May 29 ceremony a short tribute film (running 8:32) memorializing the LGBT authors who have passed during the organization’s two-decade existence. That film was recently uploaded to YouTube and it’s a moving tribute, particularly for the literary minded (CLICK HERE). But what a pleasant surprise to find the late, great Scott O’Hara (1961-1998) was included and identified as an “author, editor, publisher, porn star.” Mr. O’Hara was an iconoclast, often controversial, and one of the most blazingly original talents to work within this impossible industry. As an amateur historian, keeping alive the memories of those who paved the path we now tread can be a depressingly daunting task. And it is dispiriting that someone like Scott O’Hara can be forgotten, an artist whose jagged-edge intelligence and punkish creative spirit demolished the restrictive boundaries of gay adult. Click here for more about Scott O’Hara…
Perhaps gay adult’s first punk porn star, Mr. O’Hara’s porn career was not expansive (about 25 films between 1983 and 1988) but it was golden and most of it has made the transfer to DVD and VOD. Some of his notable titles include Falcon Studios’ classic THE OTHER SIDE OF ASPEN 2 and SGT. SWANN’S PRIVATE FILES, the very first blue movie from All Worlds Video, which was re-released on DVD by Channel 1 Releasing several years ago.
CLICK HERE to sample his work at NakedSword.
You can find photos online, including the blond mohawk poster — published in Advocate Men — that made him a star. He infamously published an advertisement announcing his own death (“Scott ‘Spunk’ O’Hara wishes to announce his final relocation…”) and when he passed his papers were left to the John Hay Library of Brown University (CLICK HERE). Cheers to the Lambda Literary Foundation for including him in their tribute.
And I would recommend our Constant Readers do themselves a favor and read (for starters) Rarely Pure and Never Simple (1998), Autopornography (1997) and Do It Yourself Piston Polishing (for the Non-Mechanic) (1996). You’ll be glad you did.
CLICK HERE for the Scott O’Hara memorial website.
CLICK HERE for an Owen Keehnen interview titled “The Pleasure Activist.”
Comments
6 Comments so far
Wow, he looks nothing like a porn star today. A big dick is a big dick, but he sort of reminds me of Crazy James from BB and Dirty Tricks. Scott was scruffy and punky (good word for him) and would probably not work for a big Falcon epic like he did 20-something years ago…
I wonder why Thomas Tryon (author) and William Inge (playright) were not included in The Lambda Literary Awards? Was it because they were never outed?
I wonder why Thomas Tryon (author) and William Inge (playright) were not included in The Lambda Literary Awards? Was it because they were never outed?
Sinu — Inge died in 1973, and this memorial covered the authors who passed between 1988-2008, the existence of the Lamda Awards. Not sure why they passed over Tryon, though, as he died in 1991. Maybe they think of him as an actor first.
Regards,
JCA
To Scott O’Hara’s notable titles I would add “Water Sports”, that’s the last episode of Falcon’s “Winner Takes All”, one of Falcon’s early features without sound, but only music. Even with only viewing Scott he’s so fucking hot together with Randy Page, their play with the garden hose and both 69ing with Scott on top… He wasn’t just a guy with a huge dick, but one who knows to handle this big tool, that also his partner has it comfortable with it and can enjoy the play.
I have given out copies of “Rarely Pure and Never Simple” to friends and colleagues. Excellent book. We need more Scott O’Haras, I think.