A World That Might Have Been: Peter Hujar’s Lost Generation

Peter Hujar is drawing renewed attention as Andrew Durbin’s dual biography, The Wonderful World That Almost Was, pairs the photographer with artist Paul Thek. The excerpt underscores Hujar’s early, provocative entry into New York’s cruising culture (recounting a 16-year-old encounter) and frames the book’s thesis that AIDS cut short careers that might have defined a generation, spotlighting the potential trajectories of both Hujar and Thek through the lens of their relationship and art.