Mama's Boy

A Story from Our Americas

By: Dustin Lance Black

Narrated by: Dustin Lance Black

This heartfelt, deeply personal memoir explores how a celebrated filmmaker and activist and his conservative Mormon mother built bridges across today’s great divides—and how our stories hold the power to heal.

Dustin Lance Black wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk and helped overturn California’s anti–gay marriage Proposition 8, but as an LGBTQ activist he has unlikely origins—a conservative Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas. His mother, Anne, was raised in rural Louisiana and contracted polio when she was two years old. She endured brutal surgeries, as well as braces and crutches for life, and was told that she would never have children or a family. Willfully defying expectations, she found salvation in an unlikely faith, raised three rough-and-rowdy boys, and escaped the abuse and violence of two questionably devised Mormon marriages before finding love and an improbable career in the U.S. civil service.

By the time Lance came out to his mother at age twenty-one, he was a blue-state young man studying the arts instead of going on his Mormon mission. She derided his sexuality as a sinful choice and was terrified for his future. It may seem like theirs was a house destined to be divided, and at times it was. This story shines light on what it took to remain a family despite such division—a journey that stretched from the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to the woodsheds of East Texas. In the end, the rifts that have split a nation couldn’t end this relationship that defined and inspired their remarkable lives.

Mama’s Boy is their story. It’s a story of the noble quest for a plane higher than politics—a story of family, foundations, turmoil, tragedy, elation, and love. It is a story needed now more than ever.

Powerful and timely.

I have been looking forward to the release of “Mama’s Boy” for months, since first learning about the memoir on DLB’s Facebook page. It is a book filled with joy, sorrow, hope, and despair (but mostly joy and hope). It’s about the strength of a proud southern family, challenging assumptions and overcoming disparate beliefs. DLB shows how the path to reconciliation and harmony is possible when we engage in relationship-building with people who are different. During this time of great division in America, this book left me feeling more optimistic (and I’m a pretty optimistic person to begin with) about our future. We all can learn something from reading “Mama’s Boy”. Listening to the book read by the author made it even better. DLB’s raw emotion and powerful sensibility comes through with each sentence.

No better book of perseverance

This book was written and narrated very very well! It had me in tears from sadness, happiness and empathy.

A beautiful and heartbreaking story

Mama's boy is a beautiful and heartbreaking story wich will make you cry, then laugh then laugh till you cry.

Heartfelt Through and Through!!

If you’re not moved by this book, you do not have a soul... And that’s a promise!

Fantastic story telling

Lancer aka Dustin Lance Black takes us back to where he grew up and shows the reader, or listener in my case, how is early life was heavily influenced by his mother and family. Who would have known that this Oscar winner had such a formative upbringing which made him such an amazing story teller. Can’t wait to see what he might come up with next!