Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary living up to its title in every way imaginable, Nicole Newnham-directed ‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ can only be described as equal parts baffling, educating, and intriguing. That’s because it delves deep into the remarkable career of this titular late feminist sex educator to really give her the credit she deserves as media backlash while she was active had ensured her drop from conversations. The one individual to have never stopped supporting Shere though was journalist Martin Sage — one of her earliest supporters turned boyfriend turned lifelong close friend.
Who is Martin Sage?
It was reportedly in the early 1970s when Martin came across Shere for the first time thanks to their professional connection to the field of sexology, only for it to turn his whole world upside down. The truth is that while she primarily focused on female sexuality through research at the time, he was the Editor of a digest-size magazine called Sexology and had received a letter from her to advertise her questionnaire. “It just sort of attracted my attention,” this admitted career writer said in the original. “Most letters I would get would be typewritten, but this one came with a kind of red, bold handwriting.”
“The handwriting was alluring, so I was curious,” Martin continued. “We arranged to have [a meeting over] lunch, and this woman walks in in kind of mix-matched clothing and an electric hairdo.” Their initial conversation did only revolve around her work as well as motives, yet there was a spark between them that neither could deny for long — they felt warm in each other’s presence. “You know, I didn’t really know how to deal with it since I was married at the time,” he expressed before adding she took matters into her own hands by making the first move in more ways than one.
Martin revealed, “I had to call my office and explain that I’d be back from lunch a little bit late. And, all of a sudden, somebody crawled into the pho ne booth next to me — it was [Shere]. She was going to make a call after I did, but normally, people wait until you exit the phone booth [for their turn]. It was kind of an intense meeting of bodies. I later went back to the office; she’d already called three times.” That’s when he knew he might find himself having problems soon, and it’s true because he did strike up a romantic relationship with her — but alas, it didn’t pan out in the long run.
Martin still vividly remembers Shere “was always working. If she wasn’t working, she was sleeping, and if she wasn’t sleeping, she was eating. One night, I went with her to the printing press [for her to get her questionnaires]… At night, they would allow her to use [it herself]. She would choose the inks and mix them the same color as her nail polish at the time. Her hands would be stained with ink,” yet she didn’t care. He essentially indicated it was this hard work plus passion of hers that made him unwaveringly support her every step of the way, even after they’d parted ways.
Where is Martin Sage Now?
Martin had once even invested in one of Shere’s research when she was financially struggling, and he now seemingly thinks of it as a great honor considering all that she subsequently achieved. Coming to his own accomplishments in the years to have gone by, it’s actually imperative to start with the fact this New York University graduate continues to serve as a writer/creator to this day. In fact, the New Yorker is not just a writer but also a creator, an entrepreneur, as well as a producer with many titles such as ‘Anything But Love’ (1989) and ‘Magnum P.I.’ (1980) under his belt.
As for Martin’s entrepreneurial side, upon gaining decades of experience in Hollywood with great collaborators, he founded In Your Face – New York in 2014. This program is basically a scripted and rehearsed mix of comedic sketches, songs, as well as surprises that perfectly portray the reality of his home state for locals and tourists alike. This business is reportedly flourishing even today thanks to how it explores the enormous creativity in New York, with him now serving as just its producer while also being a dedicated family man. He’s been married to his loving wife, television comedy writer/mosaic artist Sybil Sage, for over four decades, and they have a son, a daughter-in-law, plus an adorable granddaughter.
