A Rock and a Hard Place: One Boy’s Triumphant Story — Anthony Godby Johnson
A Rock and a Hard Place: One Boy’s Triumphant Story — Anthony Godby Johnson
Author: Anthony Godby Johnson
Publisher: Warner Books
Format: Paperback
Edition: Warner Books edition, 1995. Reprinted 1995, 1996, 1997.
ISBN: 0-7515-0941-8
Condition: Second-hand. Paperback with visible shelf wear, light edge wear, rubbing and minor creasing. Pages show age toning. Binding appears intact from photos. Please see photos for the exact copy available.
Originally published as a memoir, A Rock and a Hard Place tells the story of “Tony Johnson,” a young boy said to have survived extreme childhood abuse before being diagnosed HIV-positive. The book includes a foreword by Paul Monette, an introduction by Jack L. Godby, an epilogue by Anthony Godby Johnson, and an afterword by Fred Rogers.
The book became widely known not only for its emotional subject matter, but also for the controversy that followed. Later investigations raised serious doubts about the existence of Anthony Godby Johnson, with reports suggesting the story may have been fabricated by Vicki Johnson. Because of this, the book is now often discussed in relation to AIDS-era literature, memoir, queer literary history, media scandals, and contested autobiographical writing.