'Fairyland' author recalls growing up with her gay dad in pre-AIDS San Francisco

NPR | By Terry Gross

Published October 17, 2025 at 1:01 PM EDT

Alysia Abbott was raised by a single father at the dawn of the gay liberation era. Sofia Coppola recently adapted Abbott's memoir, Fairyland, to film. Originally broadcast in 2013.

Terry Gross

Terry Gross is the host and executive producer of NPR's Fresh Air.

WRVO runs on listener support.

WRVO is now well into its second year without federal funding. Through it all, our mission has stayed the same: serving central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. Listeners like you are what keep journalists on the ground, asking the hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today. You'll be supporting more than yourself. You'll be supporting everyone who depends on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.

Support WRVO now