Bayard Taylor

Reprint of the original, first published in 1863.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1863.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1864.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1864.

Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania (1870) is a novel by Bayard Taylor. Written toward the end of Taylor’s career as a prominent travel writer and poet, Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania has been recognized by scholars as the first gay novel in American literary history. “When they were seated side by side, and Joseph leaned his head back on the supporting arm, while the train moved away with them, he felt that a new power, a new support, had come to his life. The face upon which he looked was no longer strange; the hand which had rested on his heart was warm with kindred blood. Involuntarily he extended his own; it was taken and held, and the dark gray, courageous eyes turned to him with a silent assurance which he felt needed no words.” During a train derailment, Joseph Aster sustains minor injuries and his helped by a kind stranger named Philip Held. Regaining his senses, Joseph feels an unspeakably strong spiritual and physical connection with his savior. As they become inseparable friends, Joseph’s home life begins to suffer as his wife Julia asserts control over their finances, often to the benefit of her wealthy family. When tragedy strikes, Joseph has no one to turn to but Philip, a man he has grown to love more than anything in the world. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Bayard Taylor’s Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania is a classic work of queer literature reimagined for modern readers.

The book, Beauty and the Beast, and Tales of Home, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania (1870) is a novel by Bayard Taylor. Written toward the end of Taylor’s career as a prominent travel writer and poet, Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania has been recognized by scholars as the first gay novel in American literary history. “When they were seated side by side, and Joseph leaned his head back on the supporting arm, while the train moved away with them, he felt that a new power, a new support, had come to his life. The face upon which he looked was no longer strange; the hand which had rested on his heart was warm with kindred blood. Involuntarily he extended his own; it was taken and held, and the dark gray, courageous eyes turned to him with a silent assurance which he felt needed no words.” During a train derailment, Joseph Aster sustains minor injuries and his helped by a kind stranger named Philip Held. Regaining his senses, Joseph feels an unspeakably strong spiritual and physical connection with his savior. As they become inseparable friends, Joseph’s home life begins to suffer as his wife Julia asserts control over their finances, often to the benefit of her wealthy family. When tragedy strikes, Joseph has no one to turn to but Philip, a man he has grown to love more than anything in the world. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Bayard Taylor’s Joseph and His Friend: A Story of Pennsylvania is a classic work of queer literature reimagined for modern readers.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1869.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1869.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1869.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1869.