Twilight Man by Liz Brown
Reviewed by August Cosentino
When Will Clark met Harrison Post in 1919, the earth’s tectonic plates shifted. And a fascinating, heretofore unexplored relationship began, the subject of “Twilight Man “ a terrific new book by Liz Brown.
A more unlikely couple could not be imagined. Will was the scion and namesake of W.A. Clark, a self-made copper magnate from Montana who bought his way into the Senate and did nothing for his constituents, save for the richest ones. Mark Twain called him a paragon of “assholery and ignorance.”
Will, on the other hand, was different. First of all, he was gay, which in those days was called “temperamental” or “delicate.” He played the violin, developed a taste for art and rare books (the work of Oscar Wilde was a favorite), migrated to California, and used his family money to found the Los Angeles Philharmonic and eventually build the Hollywood Bowl.
While on a shopping trip in San Francisco, he met Harrison Post, a good-looking young sales clark in an upmarket emporium. Glances were exchanged, tails began wagging, and before you could say “the love that dared not speak its name,” they became companions. To avoid scurrilous rumors, which were bound to happen because Will was such a prominent public figure, Harrison became Will’s “secretary.”
From this point on, the focus of the story shifts to Harrison, who exhibited a minor talent for bookbinding and a major talent for spending Will’s money. Throughout the 1920, the couple lived large—building elaborate mansions in Los Angeles and hobnobbing with Hollywood royalty like Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. Whenever disgruntled employees threatened to expose the relationship, Will and Harrison hightailed it to Europe until the nasty rumors died down.
When Will fell ill and died at the age of 57, Harrison’s life took a sharp turn for the worst. His health failed, and an evil sister Gladys, sensing an opportunity, moved in for the kill, absconding with the loot and art her brother had been left by Will. To escape their clutches, Harrison ran off to Norway with a masseur named Trygga, where he lived peacefully, until World War II broke out and the Nazis invaded the country. As an American (and non-practicing Jew) Harrison was imprisoned in a number of camps in Norway and Germany and miraculously survived. He eventually made his way back to LA to seek resolution from his sister and brother-in-law.
In the 1960s, The Beatles told us money can’t buy you love. True dat. But in the case of Will and Harrison, it bought them a solid 15 years of happiness and made for a highly readable story. Hope you agree.