“Won’t Be Silent – Don’t Stop ’til It Matters”
is a candid and humorous retelling of an unconventional life, finally worth living.
Abe’s madcap journey through seemingly endless obstacles is an insightful story of survival with grace, unshakable resilience, teachable hullabaloos, and found joy.
“Won’t Be Silent – Don’t Stop ’til It Matters”
In his debut memoir, Won’t Be Silent—Don’t Stop ’til It Matters, Abe Gurko invites you to join him in celebrating a life he calls “finally worth living.” It’s an honest, rollicking ride filled with joyous and life-affirming as well as daunting situations that he navigates with aplomb, though not always.
Abe’s bohemian odyssey kicks off in the dregs of New Jersey, sashays through the velvet ropes of Studio 54, ricochets to and from Hollywood, comes out at the Gucci store in Florence, and meanders through Mexico, Amsterdam, and halfway to heaven (or was it hell?) and back.
Armed with a razor-sharp wit, Abe has embraced the uncanny instincts and DNA passed down by parents who survived the Holocaust. Their legacy becomes his badge of honor and serves as a tribute to them. It also gives him the fortitude and courage to rise from setbacks and heartbreaks.
ABE GURKO:
PERSON OF INTEREST
Abe lives by two edicts: “Life is choice” and “That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
These core principles evolved from surviving his darkest challenges and discovering that navigating difficult situations are the teaching moments that help us grow spiritually and emotionally.
Won’t Be Silent—Don’t Stop ’til It Matters is a poignant reminder – when life throws lemons, those challenges don’t define us. We can embrace our better angels and maintain our dignity and integrity because, in the end, that’s what really matters.
Topics That Matter
“I Won’t Be Silent About…”
- Coming Out & Fighting for Gay Rights
- Weighty Issues Like Weight
- Political Clarity & Activism
- Democracy Über Alles
- Being Second-Generation Holocaust Survivor
- Fighting Antisemitism
- The Spiritual Journey To & Away from God
- Building Community
About Abe
When Abe Gurko packed his bags and moved from New York City to Hollywood, he wasn’t leaving a career in the fashion industry to chase the usual dream of becoming a movie star. “I wanted to be a mechanic to the machine called celebrity.” Over the next few years, he developed his skills as a behind-the-scenes creative working with arguably the coolest woman in Hollywood, Carrie Fisher. There, he acquired an intimate knowledge of the writing process and observed the inner workings of the entertainment industry. “I was like Alice careening through the Looking Glass, Mad Hatter and all.”
Before finishing his debut memoir, Abe spent decades producing countless high-profile events: premieres, fashion shows, and music videos; created New York Design Week and even races in Central Park. His fundraising activities helped raise money for AIDS, other charities, and the theatre. He is currently in production on two documentaries:
Won’t Be Silent – The history of protest music, co-produced by Selena Gomez and Stacey Abrams for MAX.
Wolf’s Song – The discovery of a long-lost piece of music written in a concentration camp by his uncle, composer/conductor Wolf Durmashkin, who was killed hours before the liberation.
Abe is living happily ever after in La La Land with his husband, Shlomi, and their Chihuahua, Alfie.