is a 2019 memoir by Oscar-winning screenwriter and activist Dustin Lance Black . It centers on the unlikely bond between Black—a liberal LGBTQ+ activist—and his mother, Anne , a conservative, devout Mormon who survived polio. Core Summary
The memoir explores how Black’s upbringing in a conservative military household outside San Antonio, Texas, shaped his later activism. The narrative is as much about his mother as it is about him; Anne contracted polio as a toddler and was told she would never walk or have children, yet she defiantly raised three sons and built a career in the civil service. The book follows their emotional journey from conflict—after Black came out at age 21—to deep reconciliation and mutual respect. Mama's Boy: A Story from Our Americas: Black, Dustin Lance Mama's Boy: A Story from Our Americas