While known primarily as an American composer, Rorem is also a noted diarist.
The New York and Paris volumes were scandalous in their day (mostly for their homoerotic content), and they remain the most well-known of the diaries. Rorem is a capable prose stylist, and his high-society anecdotes (featuring luminaries such as Man Ray, Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dali, and the like) are great fun.
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The Paris Diary of Ned Rorem (1966)
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The New York Diary of Ned Rorem (1967)
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The Final Diary, 1961-1972 (1974)
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An Absolute Gift: A New Diary (1978)
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Setting the Tone: Essays and a Diary (1983)
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The Nantucket Diary of Ned Rorem (1987)
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Lies: A Diary (2000)