From Tragedy to Triumph: Elevator Boy Tells the Story of an LGBTQ+ Media Pioneer
BY MARK ARIEL
On May 25, 1976, in St. Louis, Missouri, a tragedy struck a family when a postal employee fell to his death down an elevator shaft on his way to work. This devastating event had a profound and life-altering impact on his fifteen-year-old son, David M. Stern.
In the face of this trauma, the young boy, who was living as a closeted gay teenager, underwent a transformation. From the wreckage of his grief, a new persona, a “shadow” he named Elevator Boy, was born—a survivor who saw pity as his sworn enemy and whose ultimate skill was the rejection of sympathy.
This shadow would don protective shields, whether it was the fashionable hair of the ‘70s or the physical strength he cultivated in the face of the AIDS crisis, to fend off anyone offering sad-eyed condolences.
More than just a memoir, Elevator Boy is a spiritual adventure. It follows the path of a runaway who transformed himself into the publisher of two of the once-leading LGBTQ+ publications, Frontiers and IN Los Angeles magazines
This autobiographical account, titled Elevator Boy, is a testament to Stern’s journey. It invites readers into another world with remarkable openness, candor, and raw honesty. The narrative guides the audience through the author’s early trauma and his subsequent flight to the vibrant, and at times treacherous, streets of Hollywood in the 1970s.
It then chronicles his experience during the era of the AIDS epidemic, a time when print media was at its peak and local LGBTQ+ activists were laying the groundwork for the rights that the community holds today—rights that, as Stern points out, are once again under threat.
More than just a memoir, Elevator Boy is a spiritual adventure. It follows the path of a runaway who transformed himself into the publisher of two of the once-leading LGBTQ+ publications, Frontiers and IN Los Angeles magazines.
The book is filled with life lessons, insightful wisdom, and delightful anecdotes that together paint a portrait of a rich and inspiring journey of self-discovery and resilience.
Elevator Boy is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
