Reading this book and it says a character has "the plague" but not being quite sure what that means until I remember the book is set in the vague "present day" of 1991 and was written by Clive Barker

Just, like

Having that small glimpse into what it was like so shortly before I was born, when you didn't even have to name it, maybe couldn't bring yourself to name it, that era of funerals every weekend

It's a sobering reminder

Clive Barker, I'll remind the audience, is gay

Man

That really hit me in a way I didn't expect

Like I don't think it was meant to be a big emotional moment at the time but like that's how art can change while staying the same