Fire in the Rain...Singer in the Storm: An Autobiography

Folksinger Near tells how she abandoned early show-biz aspirations in favor of political activism, established her own Redwood record label and ``came out'' as a lesbian. ``Many of Near's observations . . . lean heavily on leftist rhetoric,'' said PW. However, ``She brings an insider's perceptions to ongoing debates, about separatism and the like, within the gay community.'' Photos. (Oct.)