Episode Details
Back to Episodes
He Was HIV Positive and Ran Toward Ground Zero Anyway: Neil Adams on Michael Dorian and the Story That Would Not Stay Untold
Episode 344
Published 1 week ago
Description
On September 11, 2001, a gay man living with HIV made a decision that had nothing to do with self-preservation. He ran toward the World Trade Center and spent 24 hours in the pile. Neil Adams met Michael Dorian in New York in the early 1990s and their friendship lasted nearly 30 years. Now he has written the book Michael asked him to write. From the Pile is a debut biography that covers Michael's childhood in poverty, his HIV diagnosis at 16, his life built on compassion, and the choice he made on the worst day in modern American history. This episode is about what it means to show up when it costs you everything.
Key Takeaways:
Website
Instagram - Neil's
Instagram - The Book
- Who Michael Dorian was before 9/11 and what shaped his decision to respond
- What it meant for an immunocompromised man to spend 24 hours at Ground Zero
- How a decades-long friendship between two gay men became the foundation of a book
- What Neil learned about compassion, empathy, and showing up from a man younger than himself
- Why Michael's story was featured in a New York Emmy-winning profile and Spike Lee's 9/11 documentary
- What this story says about the older gay male community and the conversations we are not having
About Neil
He knew he was gay, but dated girls, trying to live up to his parents’ expectations.
Against their wishes, he majored in Drama in college, where he continued to wrestle with his sexuality while staying committed to performing. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, knowing he needed to come out in order to be his authentic self.
In Los Angeles, he performed in plays and nightclubs and began writing comedy.
A job later took him to New York on tour, and he stayed, living the actor’s life until he met Michael, which changed everything. After returning to California broke and moving back home, he left acting and went into sales. He later worked in publishing, rising to National Sales Manager before the dot-com bust. From there, he built a career in the special events industry, became active in professional associations, and even won a national singing competition.
When he and Michael reconnected later in life, the idea for the book returned. He has now spent 23 years in the events industry, currently working in business development in San Francisco and serving in leadership roles. This is his first book, but definitely not his last.