Pasolini's body was found in a deserted field outside Rome in November 1975. He had been murdered by a homosexual prostitute, but it is possible that the murder was in fact politically motivated. This is a study of one of the most remarkable Italian writers and artists since World War II. Pasolini first earned national attention as a poet trying to resolve Christian and Marxist ideology; later, he made his own homosexuality a subject of his poetry and two of his famous novels explored the rough world of Roman youth. In the 1960s he began making movies which include The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, Teorema, The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales and Salo. In this study, Siciliano discusses Pasolini's life and work, his early years and homosexual experience; the literary and political controversies, the scandals and the court trials; his love affairs and his friendships with such people as Alberto Moravia, Elsa Moravia and Maria Callas.