{"product_id":"bitter-pill-4","title":"Bitter Pill","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePioneering reporter Randy Shilts fights to expose the truth during the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic. With hospital beds filling up, the clock is ticking. . . . What will it take to wake up the nation?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSan Francisco, 1981.\u003c\/b\u003e Drawn from true events, this graphic novel follows Randy Shilts—biographer of Harvey Milk and one of the first openly gay journalists hired by the mainstream press—as he receives a chilling call at the \u003ci\u003eChronicle\u003c\/i\u003e: a Los Angeles patient is being treated for a rare and aggressive cancer. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Shilts digs deeper, a disturbing pattern emerges. The illness seems to strike only gay men, with early cases linked to a Castro-district bathhouse. A meeting with an infectious disease researcher confirms his worst fear: this so-called “gay cancer” is neither rare nor isolated—it’s the beginning of a national health crisis. With those in power slow to respond, Shilts resorts to bold tactics to force attention on the unfolding HIV\/AIDS epidemic.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis relentless pursuit of the truth would help change history, exposing a catastrophe too many chose to ignore. In this dramatic graphic portrait inspired by the life and legacy of Randy Shilts, the creators bring to the page a story that feels both urgent and insightful.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShilts’s groundbreaking reporting and books (\u003ci\u003eThe Mayor of Castro Street\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAnd the Band Played On\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eConduct Unbecoming\u003c\/i\u003e) became cornerstones of journalism and LGBTQ+ history. This graphic novel offers a powerful new interpretation of the transformative moment that defined his legacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeaturing an afterword by Randy Shilts biographer Michael Lee, author of \u003ci\u003eWhen the Band Played On: The Life of Randy Shilts\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Abrams","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56244045447512,"sku":"9781419788697","price":23.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781419788697.jpg?v=1779157833","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/bitter-pill-4","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}