About the Book
The concept of the book was derived from a conversation amongst friends at one of the PWA Holiday Charities' Lady Victoria Love PWA Camp Outs, held in Texas. Everyone was sitting at a picnic table talking and one of the guys announced he had just started dating a new person. Several of us then asked, "have you had The Conversation yet?" Another commented that the topic could make for a good book, another one about what type of book that would be, and later on the ideas of how such a book could benefit people was established.
Now the book is becoming a reality, however, in order for it to be a success we want to share the experiences of everyone possible, especially from various ethnicities. Only through having these stories to share can the book be of use to anyone, because then we get to see the world view of what it is like to have "The Conversation".
The books purpose is to give a voice to those of us who are HIV positive, to help newly diagnosed individuals learn what others have gone through before, and to help begin a world conversation about HIV. Hopefully in time being HIV positive won't carry with it the fearful associations that so many of us have had to go through. We should be able to freely disclose and discuss our status and develop new friendships.
Will you help us write the book? Please click here to Share Your Story.
The book is currently supported by Andy Fraser, formerly with the band Free, and Fred Hersch, the Jazz pianist and composer; along with many other websites (you can view them on our Links page) and agencies. Here is what Andy has to say: "My conversation was with the world at large, and only needed to happen once. I felt 'a moment of truth and relief'. Unburdened, and free to do what I need to do with the least amount of baggage."
Thank you to everyone who provides support, encouragement, and promotion of our project.
About the Author - Sebastian St.Troy
Being born to wonderful parents, who although each having their own issues, provided the background that created the person that I am today. Mother taught me to love education, travel, and the finer things in life. Father, who wasn’t present much either in affection or physical presence, taught me to fear, to question my own self worth, and my very place in life. Louisiana was where I was born and reared, however, our family traveled a lot in my younger years, including living in Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina.
It wasn’t until after my worst beating by my father that my mother announced a divorce. I was 13 years of age then and had endured many beatings at the hands of my father over those years. It wasn’t until I was 28 that I learned why I was beaten so much, for you see, my father didn’t believe I could be his child. I cannot begrudge him his thoughts of this, but it only led to my dislike of him. We've begun to draw closer over the years now, but at least we're both trying.
Excelling in school, I graduated early in my junior year of High School. College began in Ruston, Louisiana, at Louisiana Technical University, but I later transferred to Louisiana State University where I studied duel programs – Architecture and Landscape Architecture. The University of Texas at Arlington was were I later excelled through my Architecture program. After a four-year enlistment with the Air Force, I began to study other things such as Feng Shui, Color and Energy, not to mention my Real Estate career. Jobs were always difficult to come by so I usually started a small business to earn my income. Such companies consisted of a Special Event company in Louisiana, a Graphic Design company in California, a Landscape Design & Installation company in Arizona, and finally a Real Estate Consulting company in Texas.
In 1996, while living in Washington D.C., I moved back to Louisiana to care for my ailing grandmother. Being back in Louisiana after so long caused great heartache and I started drinking a lot to deal with the pain of being back there. One night of drinking was all it took to end up HIV positive, because I let my drunken state change my standards and I had unprotected sex with someone who didn’t disclose his HIV status. The year of 1997 was the beginning of my conversations, my commitment to disclose. I was HIV positive.
After my grandmother departed this life I found myself curiously lost, because the one friend and companion I had was gone and I was then even more estranged from my family. I moved for a short time to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but soon discovered the mixed up world of drugs, I suppose because I was trying to escape from my feelings of being lost and alone. My best friend soon contacted me and was concerned about what I was doing, so he showed up for a visit.
Not long after his visit came an invitation to move to his ranch just North of Austin, Texas. It took me another month to decide to take him up on his offer. In December of 2001 I moved. Still feeling lost and without direction I found a safe place to find myself again. I soon started St.Troy Consulting and Design, a Real Estate consulting company where I provided consultations on how to prepare a home for marketing and how to set up a home for good energy based on aspects of Feng Shui, Energy and Color. I developed a great reputation for my work in Austin and even though I’m retire now due to complications from AIDS, I still work for a few clients as they have need and as I am feeling up to it.
Now my life is calm, although periodically there is some stress, but I enjoy traveling and recently completed a 5 month back packing trip through Central America. I enjoy reading, writing (I maintain a Blog which conveys my perpetual thoughts.), traveling, swimming, and spending time with my few friends. I’m working on developing stronger ties with my family and hope one day that things might be reconciled. My major focus these days is on giving something back, thus, I’m putting together the book and film project that you are here to learn more about.
I sincerely hope you will consider assisting me in this endeavor, as without you I wouldn’t be able to put together the book or film. Thus, thank you in advance for sharing your stories and experiences so I can publish them in the book.
Who Benefits
Everyone benefits in the end, however since this is a not for profit project here is who benefits currently:
The PWA Charitiesof Houston, Texas, to support their ongoing Lady Victoria Love's PWA Camp Outs, which is where the idea of the book had it's origin, will receive 35%.
AIDS Services of Austinwill receive 5% to support their various HIV programs.
The HIV Conversation Project, a soon to be 501(c)3 corporation, will receive all other funds to support their HIV awareness and education programs.
Other organizations will be receiving a portion of the proceeds and we will be listing them here as they are determined.
A select number of new books will be distributed to various AIDS Service Agencies across the United States and globally for the purpose of giving them to newly diagnosed individuals, with the hopes that they might see how they can begin to have "The Conversation".
Everyone who participates in the film or the book will receive a free signed copy of the book.