I'll not go quietly

by Mary Fisher

Raised in a socially prominent Michigan family, Mary Fisher seemed to have it all. When she went on to become Gerald Ford's first "advanceman" and later a television producer, she continued to appear to lead a charmed life. She socialized with important and often famous friends, and eventually married a handsome artist with whom she had two sons. The marriage ended in divorce, but Mary thrived in her roles as mother and artist, until her world was turned upside down by the news from her ex-husband that he had AIDS. An HIV test revealed that Mary, too, was infected. Terrified, struggling against fear, depression, and anger, Mary ultimately found a new life mission in her positive status - she began to educate others on the battle against prejudice and AIDS. . I'll Not Go Quietly, Fisher's second collection of speeches and photographs, presents her strategy for dealing with the AIDS pandemic: tolerance, research, caring, and a nonjudgmental response to AIDS and its causes.