In November 1990 Paul Monette met Winston Wilde, and they shared four and one-half years together before Monette's death. This final love enabled Monette to complete his too-short life's work. Before Wilde, Monette had written only about five pages of his memoir that won the National Book Award. His last non-fiction was a series of innovative short essays. "Puck" is the popular essay which uses Monette's (and Roger Horwitz's) dog Puck and Wilde's dog Buddy to show the felicities of a domestic life shared by two men and the solace of the geography of the Hollywood hills above Sunset.

Gay men's journals, such as Los Angeles's Frontiers, published these essays, as well as the group of poems, "Committing to Memory (for Winston)." This contains the haunting phrase "west of yesterday, east of summer," a phrase suggesting a happiness or fulfillment that one once had but is now a time just out of reach. It became the title of his final book of poems.

Snapshots of Wilde and of Wilde together with Monette show their committed joy. Monette died on February 10, 1995, and Wilde received hundreds of sympathy letters. He prepared a healing memorial with music, readings, and tributes from friends such as Linda Hunt and Robert Desiderio. Judith Light eulogized Monette as "the brother I never had." For the memorial Wilde chose to print Monette's phrase "I'd rather be remembered for loving well than writing well."

Wilde's and Monette's domestic and loving life is reflected in the notes to each other published in Two Hearts Desire: Gay Couples on Their Love.

"Wedding Photo"

Manuscript of "Committing to Memory"

Father's Day card from Wilde to Monette

Snapshot of Winston Wilde

Winston Wilde and Paul Monette