Matthew Jones

Matthew J. Jones (Grad ’14) will publish his first book, Love Don’t Need a Reason: the Life and Music of Michael Callen, in the fall of 2020. The book chronicles the life and music of singer, songwriter, and AIDS activist Michael Callen (1955-1993). Callen was instrumental in the fight against AIDS in the first years of the US epidemic. He coauthored “How to Have Sex in an Epidemic: One Approach,” a publication widely regarded as one of the first safe-sex guides, and he recorded two solo albums and two albums with queer acappella group The Flirtations. This book is based on research that began as Jones’ doctoral dissertation in the McIntire Dept. of Music at UVA and includes extensive archival research as well as oral history interviews with Callen’s friends, family, and fellow musicians. Jones says Callen is a forgotten hero of the AIDS activist movement, and Jones is thrilled to have an opportunity to share his story with readers around the country and around the world.