Andrew Durbin's new dual biography, *The Wonderful World That Almost Was: A Life of Peter Hujar and Paul Thek* (2026), explores the intertwined lives of photographer Peter Hujar and visual artist Paul Thek. The book traces their relationship from their first meeting in Florida in their early 20s through their artistic development, shifting from lovers and confidantes to a more complex bond marked by longing and resentment, ending with both dying of AIDS in the late 1980s. The review highlights a renewed interest in the artists, citing recent exhibitions and a film.
The review matters because it positions the biography as a nuanced portrait of queer entanglement that transcends romantic and sexual tropes, emphasizing the practical, co-created nature of queer art communities. It argues that Hujar and Thek's story reflects a broader truth about queer worlds being small and demanding ongoing connection, making the book a valuable contribution to queer art history and cultural understanding.