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Customer Reviews (21)

Whatever..
Whatever side of the fence you sit, or, indeed, whether on the fence, one thing is certain -- you'll either love or hate this work. It is a thesis. It is a mind-opening presentation of facts and ideas. It is worth reading and begs owning. Whether for or again', you'll only regret not picking it up. Whatever..

Required Reading But Not The Final Word
This impressive book, winner of the National Book Award, is an incisive, passionate piece of advocacy scholarship concerning the development of anti-homosexual attitudes in the pre-modern era.It's required reading mostly because of the arguments that it lays out (many of which are regrettably stretched too thin), the sources that deploys and explicates, and the fact that it was the book that really got the ball rolling on further discussion of these issues.

Boswell's main thesis is that intolerance of homosexuality began in earnest only in the 12th Century, and that homosexuality was both common and tolerated by Christianity and the Christian states prior to that time.Boswell was a convert to Roman Catholicism, and appears to have struggled mightily as a scholar to disconnect the anti-homosexual teachings of the (current) church of his day from what he perceived to have been different attitudes in the pre-medieval church -- essentially in an attempt to drive a wedge between "early" Christianity, on the one hand, and intolerance of homosexuality, on the other.The thesis suggests that such intolerance only came later, and therefore was not intrinsic or important in the earlier periods of the church (and therefore was something that could also be discarded by the church of today as something it did not view as essential in an earlier time).

Unfortunately, Boswell, in his zeal to demonstrate his ideas, regrettably either downplays most of the contra evidence, or interprets it in what can mostly be described as rather tendentious, strained and unconvincing ways.If one is looking at history more or less objectively, without a preconceived attempt to "rehabilitate" the reputation of the early church vis-a-vis homosexuality, it's very hard to accept Boswell's thesis.History records that the early Christian Fathers like Tertullian and Clement railed quite a bit against homosexuality, common as it was in the Hellenistic world of late antiquity.After the adoption by the Empire of Christianity, history again records that statutes punishing homosexuality with death or castration almost immediately began to appear in Roman legal codes, and began to be enforced.St John Chrysostom preached some of the most virulently anti-homosexual sermons in the history of Christianity already in the late 4th Century, and the Emperor Justinian instituted extremely harsh penalties against homosexuals.The historical record, viewed objectively, is reasonably clear: institutional Christianity was hostile to homosexual activity from a very early point.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Christianity, as a belief system, must be anti-homosexual.But for Boswell, that kind of thinking was not good enough because he was interested not in rehabilitating Christianity as a belief system, but in rehabilitating institutional Christianity (particularly the Catholic Church that he so loved) from its anti-homosexual history.Unfortunately, to do so, much history has to be ignored, downplayed or interpreted in very strained ways.And ultimately, this is the undoing of Boswell's thesis.When reading this book -- which glitters with erudition and scholarship -- one can't help rooting for Boswell.You *want* his thesis to be right .... but ultimately, it just doesn't convince.An objective view of history -- while remaining aloof from the question of whether anti-homosexuality is intrinsic to Christianity as a matter of faith (that's an issue for the theologians) --clearly demonstrates that institutional Christianity has been profoundly anti-homosexual from the time it became "institutional".

Nevertheless, the book is required reading for anyone interested in these topics, mainly because it highlights the issues, frames the debate and (undoubtedly) reflects the work of a brilliant mind.

I enjoy this..
I enjoy this..It's very good and phenomenal in that it's the first work of it's kind really. It covers the Greeks to Aquinas. John Boswell is a cutie. This has a wonderfully attractive cover, as well as the original one which is no longer shown of a second-century mosaic. This covers the beginning of the Christian era to the fourteenth century. It is extensive with many footnotes..I like it, that's all..It won awards..Go buy this..

Rhetorical tour de force, lacking in substantiation.
Boswell's work is an impressive volume which has all the appearance of a powerful academic treatise, offering a revolutionary new interpretation of the attitudes and practices of the early Christian peroid vis-a-vis homosexuality.Unfortunately, the central thesis Boswell offers, that the virulently homophobic standpoint of the modern Church only makes its entry sometime after the 12th century CE, rests on little more than whimsical interpretation of the evidence and inexcusable omission of contrary data.

Boswell fails to consider the congruence of all available evidence from the periods in question, his coverage of the attitudes of the foundational period of the Christian church is at best sporadic, and is guilty of nothing less than cherry-picking confirmatory evidence to bolster his argument.In an effort to reconcile his own Catholicism with the crimes of the Church, he instead sacrificed scholastic aptitude and intellectual honesty upon a compatibilist altar.More accurate and balanced treatments of the history of homosexuality in this period are to be found, e.g., Crompton (2003).Also see criticisms of Boswell's work, e.g., Johansson et al. (1981, 1985, 2003).

A bold, but flawed, pioneering work
It's been more than twenty years since John Boswell's pioneering work on the history of homosexuality first appeared.Boswell argues that originally homosexuality was tolerated and admired in the urban world of the Roman Empire.Contrary to what one may think it was not Christianity per se that reduced this tolerance.In fact, one cannot show that the New Testament was hostile to homosexuality at all.Instead there was a certain decline of tolerance as the urban civilization of Rome collapsed.Yet for much of what we know as the Dark Ages homosexuality was viewed as at most a venial sin, and legal prohibitions against it were limited and ineffective.Indeed as urban civilization recovered by the eleventh and twelfth centuries a flourishing gay subculture arose, celebrating homosexual love.But over the next few centuries as powerful states seeking to enforce their authority arose, new anti-sodomy laws appeared, demanding death for its violators.

There is much in this book that is interesting and informative, and certainly there was no other work like it at the time.We learn about the weaknesses of much of the "natural law" case against homosexuality.Homosexuality is supposedly unnatural because animals do not do it.But anti-homosexuals also argue that homosexuality is wrong because vile animals like hyenas commit it.Of course, there is considerable evidence of homosexual behaviour among animals.And many undesirable traits, such as incest, are endemic among animals.And why should animals be the criterion of what is natural anyway?Anyway, much of the argument on what is perverted sex was based on considerable ignorance of the animal world, such as the false belief that hyenas were hermaphrodites or that oral sex is wrong because weasels conceive through their mouths.The same Christians who denounced homosexuality also vigorously denounced "Lending at interest, sexual intercourse during the menstrual period, jewellery or dyed fabrics, shaving, regular bathing, wearing wigs," and much else. In the eighth century the penance given for a priest who went hunting was allotted at three years, while some homosexual acts only got a year.We are given many samples of homosexual poetry, many of them written by high ranking clergymen, the more tactful of whom were canonized.

Yet this book has a number of major weaknesses that make Boswell much inferior to such other pioneering works of social history as The Making of the English Working Class or Roll Jordan Roll.His distinction between a more tolerant "urban" and a more intolerant "rural" is hopelessly vague.Not all "rural" societies disliked homosexuals.Moreover, the Roman Empire was overwhelmingly rural anyway, more than 90%, with land being the overwhelming source of wealth.To make things more confusing Boswell suggests that the thirteenth century turn had more to do with increasing state authority (also present in the Roman Empire) and increasing xenophobia as part of the crusades (also present during the Roman Empire, and for the twelfth century as well).Boswell displays a certain tendentiousness throughout the book.At one point Boswell suggests that there was less prejudice against the "passive" position in the Roman Empire because certain emperors indulged in it.But since the emperors in question were Caligula and Nero, one suspects that they were not good examples (Boswell also cites Nero as an example of homosexual marriage).Much of the book depends on the argument from silence, a questionable procedure when most Classical evidence has been lost to us.

But the largest problem with the book is Boswell's discussion of scripture.Boswell was both a homosexual and a Catholic and wanted to find a way to reconcile them.He was not successful.His chapter starts out well by pointing out that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is less about the evils of homosexuality than of abusing strangers.But then Boswell has to deal with the discussion of homosexuality in Leviticus, which pronounces it an abomination and demands the death penalty.Boswell argues that since Paul denounced the law Christians need no longer be bound by it.This is clearly tendentious.2 Timothy refers to the divine inspiration of scripture and the Sermon on the Mount explicitly says that the Law remains in full force until the end.Moreover, Leviticus and Deuteronomy contain moral rules against bestiality, incest and child sacrifice that are still in force.It is revealing that Boswell does not discuss at all the problem of antinomianism or the role of Leviticus and Deuteronomy in Christians thought.If one is a Christian it would be most logical to argue that the law is still in force except (a) where the New Testament explicitly challenges it, (b) when it deals with matters that are now irrelevant (sacrifice ritual), or (c) when it deals with specifically Jewish matters.Boswell also tries to argue that Paul is criticizing not homosexuals but male heterosexuals who betray their nature by indulging in homosexuality.This makes the questionable assumption that people in the first century CE reified people by the sexual acts they committed.Why would Jews like Jesus and Paul, who are so unenthusiastic about marriage, extend to their followers a whole new realm of fornication?Boswell weakly suggests that because heterosexuals produce children who were commonly abandoned and abused, while homosexuals didn't, Christians viewed homosexuality as a lesser problem.But this is mere suggestion; he gives no evidence of such a well developed moral concern in the book.It is not surprising therefore then that scholars such as Robin Lane Fox, Ramsay Macmullen, and David Wright have been critical of Boswell's thesis. ... Read more

Amazon.com
This reprint (with some revision and a new chapter) of John Clum's classic 1991 study should be shelved beside Alan Sinfield's Out on Stage (1999) in the library of anyone interested in theater or gay culture. In his introduction to this new edition, Clum offers his work as a "testament to the importance of gay playwrights in the history of American and British theatre," while acknowledging that in the 21st century, the stage no longer holds a central role in gay cultural life, especially for young urban queers: "We're the subjects of serious, gay-created movies. Gay writers and pundits are on chat shows. There are celebrated openly gay rock stars. Which is to say that gay men no longer need to go to the theater to see ourselves and our lives and that gay dramatic writers no longer see the theater as the only medium open to us." Nevertheless, as Clum argues, gay drama of the past 70 years is a good place to look for both sanctioned and unsanctioned representations of homosexual characters and gay life, and perhaps (given the historical association of queers and theater) the best place to trace these changing images. His section on Tennessee Williams (updated here) is especially good, as is his long and celebratory treatment of Tony Kushner's Angels in America. --Regina Marler Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Out of the Closet and on the Stage
Scholar John Clum's critical textual analysis of Gay Theatre, is not a historical account of the plays themselves. In this work, he critically looks at a wide variety of gay plays, some well known others not.In conclusion Clum writes that this type of drama has much wider universality to audiences (both gay and straight) than what is often perceived. A must for scholars of both Theatre and gay studies! ... Read more

Book Description
BAptized at Barnstaple, Devon, on September 16, 1685, during the reign of Charles II, John Gay was orphaned by the age of ten but raised by a kind uncle, who saw to his education at the local grammar school. On reaching adulthood, Gay was apprenticed to a mercer, but he disliked this occupation and found a post, in or near 1712, as secretary to the Duchess of Monmouth. In 1714, with the sponsorship of Jonathan Swift, Gay joined the household of Lord Clarendon, and journeyed with him to the Continent. Gay's friendly and ingratiating character won him many friends, not a few of whom were courtiers who found employment for him, either in their own households, or with the Government, throughout his life.Download Description
MATT. We retrench the Superfluities of Mankind. The World is avaritious, and I hate Avarice. A covetous fellow, like a Jackdaw, steals what he was never made to enjoy, for the sake of hiding it. These are the Robbers of Mankind, for Money was made for the Free- hearted and Generous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

All professions be rogue one another
Absolutely deplorable people doing rather hardhearted things. Loved it! Couldn't stop reading it once I had scanned the first couple of lines. What's not to love about a cast of 18th century rogues and lowlifes? I just wish I could see this actually performed-- seems like it'd be extremely entertaining to watch.

Birth of the Modern Musical - John Gay's GeniusOverwhelms Italian Opera
From its first performance, January 29, 1728, The Beggar's Opera was an absolute success. In that period a box office hit might be continued for four or five nights. Remarkably, The Beggar's Opera ran sixty-two nights in London, and was produced nearly every year thereafter to 1886. Its popularity quickly spread to Wales and Scotland, France and Germany, and even to the New England colonies (and became a favorite of George Washington).

A London revival in 1920 ran 1,463 performances. A Beggar's Opera Club had membership limited to those that had seen at least 40 performances. Bertholt Brecht's twentieth century version, Three Penny Opera, was immensely successful too. A jazzy rendition of one of Brecht's songs, Mack the Knife, became Number One on the Hit Parade in the early 1960s.

John Gay's innovative musical appealed to the masses with its rollicking, rowdy, English lyrics overlain on old, sentimental melodies. Formal, highly structured, Italian opera was shoved aside by this novel musical form.

The cast was equally original, being comprised of cutthroats, pickpockets, thieves, streetwalkers, highwaymen, and a corrupt jailer. Polly Peachum, the sweet, trusting daughter of the roguish Peachum, was the only honest character in the play. Miss Lavina Fenton, perhaps the best theatrical singer of her day, became immensely popular for her role as Polly and at end of the run - the sixty-two performances - she married the Duke of Bolton and retired from acting.

The audience was quick to associate Newgate Prison with Whitehall; the deceitful, avaricious Peachum (Polly's father) with Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister;Macheath's band of rogues (Jemmy Twitcher, Crook-Fingered Jack, Nimming Ned, etc.) with aristocratic courtiers, and Macheath's women of the streets (Mrs. Coaxer, Dolly Trull, Mrs. Vixen, Molly Brazen, etc.) with ladies of high society.

This short three-act play has some forty-five scenes, almost all with musical interludes. Gay holds this myriad of scenes together through nearly continuous action, more akin to a modern film than to the conventional eighteenth century play.

The Penguin Classics edition (titled The Beggar's Opera, as might be expected), edited by Brian Loughrey and T. O. Treadwell, is quite good and not difficult to find.

Another good choice (and my favorite) is The Beggar's Opera published by Barron's Educational Series, edited by Benjamin Griffith, and illustrated by Keogh with full page ink-line drawings of the key characters. The lengthy, three part introduction - the playwright, the play, and the staging - is quite helpful. The initial musical notes are presented along with the lyrics.

The Beggar's Opera, Regents Restoration Drama Series, Nebraska University Press, 1969 may be more suitable for English majors as it offers a scholarly introduction by Edgar V. Roberts.An extensive appendix, some 140 pages, is a compilation of the music of The Beggar's Opera with keyboard accompaniments, edited by Edward Smith.

The Beggar's Opera and Companion Pieces, Crofts Classics, 1966, edited by C. F. Burgess is particularly valuable - and somewhat unique - for including Gay's enjoyable poem Trivia (subtitled The Art of Walking the Streets of London), other poems (Newgate's Garland, 'Twas When the Seas Were Roaring, Sweet William's Farewell, Molly Mog, An Epistle to a Lady, and The Hare and Many Friends), and extracts from various letters.A possible drawback may be the absence of musical scores in the text, although the lyrics are embedded within the play itself.

A delicious romp
Life is a jest; and all things show it,I thought so once; but now I know it.- John Gay's epitaph As we sit here, nearly 300 years removed from the debut of The Beggar's Opera,it's hard to recapture the effect that it had on the England of 1728. So lookat it this way, John Gay was the Sex Pistols of his day and The Beggar's Operahit London likeNever Mind the Bollocks....

Since Italian opera had first come to London in 1705, it had dominated theBritish stage. Replete with ornate sets, elaborate costumes, unintelligibleplots and imported sopranos and castrati, it was less art than event. Audiencesattended to share in the spectacle, as chariots swooped through the air &romantic tales unfolded on stage. Into this artificial world, Gay unleashed an opera about the scum of Londonsociety, set in taverns and thieves' dens. He tells the story of Peachum, afence with a lucrative sideline in informing on fellow criminals. His daughterPolly has secretly married MacHeath, a highwayman. Now Peachum and his "wife"fear that MacHeath will inform on them & inherit their loot when they arehanged. After berating Polly for marrying, & not having sense enough to liveout of wedlock, they decide to turn MacHeath in, before he can turn them in. AsPeachum prepares his daughter for this turn of events he tells her: "Thecomfortable estate of widowhood, is the only hope that keeps up a wife'sspirits. Where is the woman who would scruple to be a wife, if she had it inher power to be a widow whenever she pleased?" However, to the Peachum'sdisgust, Polly is actually in love with MacHeath and so, to her great surprise,are several other women, including Lucy Lockit who helps him to escape fromprison. So, the stage is set for a madcap farce. Mix in a satiric look at the corrupt administration of justice, some politicaljabs at the political master of the day, Sir Robert Walpole and songs like thefollowing:

A fox may steal your hens, sirA whore your health and pence, sir,Your daughter rob your chest, sirYour wife may steal your rest, sir,A thief your goods and plate.But this is all but picking,With rest, pence, chest and chicken;It ever was decreed, sir,If lawyer's hand is fee'd, sir,He steals your whole estate.

and you've got Gay's recipe for what quickly became the most popular play of the18th Century, fathering myriad imitations including Brecht's Threepenny Opera.A delicious romp. GRADE: A

Crime, Love and the Opera
The Beggar's Opera by John Gay is an artful yet honest representation of London in the early 1700s.As the Editor's introduction notes, it is a political satire that brings to life the actions of such notorious figuresas Jonathan Wild and Robert Walpole.In the Beggar's introduction thereader is made aware of the author's intent to mock the recent craze of theItalian Opera, which is considered by Gay to be thouroughly"unnatural."Immediately after that we are exposed to thecorruption of a city offical, Peachum (whose name means "to informagainst a fellow criminal"), as he is choosing which criminals shouldlive, as they are still profitable, and who should not, as they have turnedhonest.Peachum's character of both an arch-criminal and law man isinteresting enough in his daily dealings; add to that his daughter's recentmarriage to a highwayman (who the father then plots to send to thegallows).Not to mention what happens when the highwayman runs into an oldaquaintance of his, who visibly shows his earlier affection, and you havewhat makes to be a highly entertaining, emotional, and educational story of18th century London.The dialogue is well written, and the only problem amodern reader might have is the operatic aspect.I suspect that themockery of the opera is not felt as much when read but rather whenperformed.Note to reader: it makes it much easier to understand if youread the introduction.There you will find instances of "real"London that the playwrite is satirizing. For all lovers of period Englishpieces who enjoy a cynical wit. ... Read more

Book Description
Taking a Chance on God explores how lesbians and gay men can claim both a positive gay identity and a fulfilling life of Christian faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Book!
The "Honest Truth" (or, more accurately, Reactionary Bias) does not sound as much against homosexuality as he does unsafe sexual behavior, which many, many gay men do not engage in. Heterosexuals do a lot of stupid stuff too, but we do not blame heterosexuality, we blame the self-destructive behavior. What HT fails to explain in his review is this: How do you account for all the gay men out there (myself included, HELLO) who are not promiscuous and risk-taking in their personal lives? I'd like to here the "honest truth" about that! Oh, and by the way, what makes straight people always think they're such authorities on gays and lesbians? If you want to find a real expert, look no further than an actual gay person. What a concept.

Very important book
I got this book for my birthday one year after finding it on the shelf at a bookstore. Being a part of the minority group of gay Christians, I was intrigued. The "target audience" for the book is for homosexuals and their loved ones, but it really could be read by anyone, and I think it should be. McNeill offers theology on living in fear, guilt, shame, anger, and living with pathological faith and the importance of maturing spiritually. I think any Christian can relate to any (if not all) of these topics, and not just struggling gay Christians. It's the kind of book that you may want to read with a pencil or pen in your hand so you can underline parts that are important to you. (That's what I did.) This is a caring, humble, and comforting book, and one that I highly recommend and cherish.

Pro Gay, Pro Christian!!!
I am a gay ordained minister of the gospel, and this book helped me accept my homosexuality.It is suberbly written and researched.A must for anyone coming out, and a definite must for any minsiter workign with thegay community.God bless the author.

Pro Gay, Pro Christian!!!
I am a gay ordained minister of the gospel, and this book helped me accept my homosexuality.It is suberbly written and researched.A must for anyone coming out, and a definite must for any minsiter workign with thegay community.God bless the author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Back and white gay relationships
London, the 1990s: Ray is a talented creative-driven photographer, Chris an unambitious actor, both young, fashion conscious, gay and black; they are best friends. Ray is attracted only to white men which Chris feels is betraying his heritage, whereas Ray cannot understand Chris's fascination with extreme sexual masochism. Each has a lover, Ray a young white guy named Danny, whom he may or may not truly love; Chris a wayward pimp called Clinton who reluctantly satisfies Chris's masochistic needs.
But all is not well. The days of Ray's unsatisfactory relationship with Danny are numbered, and Danny is soon replaced by the cute and vulnerable Louis; has he found true love in this pale-skinned black-haired lad. Chris deep down loves Clinton, although won't commit, but then his relationship with Clinton is tested when Clinton is imprisoned for manslaughter. Ray also looses Louis when he is the victim of a group of young black gay-bashers, and ends up in a coma.
Initially I found the story lacking, as with so many novels that introduce many characters in rapid succession it was hard to relate to any individually. But once over that things begin to take shape, and Ray and Chris come to the fore as very different but likeable guys; and their respective lovers too begin to take shape. There are a number of supporting characters including some quite flambouyant queens whose colourful skimpy skin tight shorts and tops make Chris in black leather and Ray often all in close fitting white seem almost conservative by contrast.
The book cover illustration perhaps belies the depth of the book. It is a captivating story, and while the narrative driven writing is at times a little stodgy, it very cleverly handles interesting and controversial matters, making its point without being in the least bit patronising or condescending. Not only does it raise the issue of homophobia among blacks, but it delves into black attitudes to gay interracial relationships and the acceptability of sadomasochism, both in the light of the history of oppression and slavery. It is certainly makes worthy reading, at times funny, often but unsensationally explicit, yet always frank; written in such a way that we really see into the mind of each character, and what it is that motivates.

Exquisitely written. . . . Powerful character dynamics.
"Skin Deep" explores the realm of human sexuality and racial interactions within London's gay culture during the '90s.On the surface, the novel is an erotic and romanticized portrayal of the relationships between the various characters (that's enough to grab the attention of many :-)).At the heart of the novel is a highly intelligent discussion of issues that lie at the underbelly of gay culture (this is the prize).From interracial relationships to sexual fetishism, the novel expounds on the various notions at work, consciously and subconsciously, during the characters' quest for love and freedom.Ray and Chris are the novel's central characters; black men whose friendship allows for a frank and honest dialogue on Ray's attraction to and desire for white men, and Chris's sexual proclivities towards S&M and dominance.Through these characters, Gordon is able to dissect and expose some of the most complicated emotional, social and psychological matter that lies beneath the surface of their desires.

In "Skin Deep", Gordon has produced an edifying, funny, and passionate account of characters engaged in life and in pursuit of the satisfaction that romantic and friendship relations can bring.Nearly every sentence imparts wisdom and causes an internal examination of the reader's perspective. "Skin Deep" achieves profoundly where "Traitor To The Race" (click on name link above to see this review) failed miserably. It's the type of novel that should be read with someone else and reread later. Kudos to Gordon for delivering a brave and solid novel with lasting effects. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

GAY SPIRIT WARRIOR: A THERAPISTS REVIEW
This book focuses on the challenges faced by gay men and those with whom they associate. I believe it should be an essential part of any therapist's library. The author writes from a multi-level perspective, focusing on aparticular circumstances that gay men may find challenging in each chapter. Advice is given on when to consider therapy, how to relate to oneself,one's past, and society in general. For many years therapists and otherprofessionals have struggled with the immense difficulties this populationfaces and they will find excellent insight into the special needs of gaymen as well as an outstanding model of working with gay men who haveproblems. The discussion on spirituality is especially interesting as itaddresses the obstacles gay men face with organized religion and how it mayaffect them.The author's style of writing shows empathy and insightthat will appeal to readers.It is a clear and honest look at thisimportant issue.

Toolbox for the Gay Soul
Let others search for "the boyfriend within" -- John Stowe offers ways we can discover our true inner Gay Spirit Warrior. This is exactly the journey that therapist/bodyworker John Stowe takes us on inthis intensive-workshop-in-a-book, the shining result of decades of theauthor's teaching, counseling, and leading in the gay spirit arena. Stowe,who clearly has done his internal homework, seems to embody the veryprinciples he lays out so logically.Stowe is an expert tourguide leadingus on an authentic journey of self-inquiry. He doesn't insult ourintelligence by endlessly parroting trendy New-Age affirmations like somuch self-help pablum. Instead he lovingly insists we roll up our sleevesand submerge our arms up to the elbows in our own socially given beliefsand dearly held concepts, then hold up what we discover to the light forscrutiny.After examining ideas about our image, bodies, sex,relationships, and soul, we continue on a tour of sacred gay archetypes.This section feels like strolling through a sublime garden, stopping toadmire and critique the classic statues of the Magic Boy, Sacred Androgyne,Lover, Elder, Shaman/Healer, Warrior, and Explorer. These archetypes arenot unattainable ideals, however: we must learn to identify and reclaimtheir qualities as our own. This is not a book for the passive-minded male-- i.e., someone who wants a book to do his self-inquiry for him. But ifyou seek a book to help you do that tough yet absolutely necessary work,get this toolbox for the gay spirit. Better come prepared to work, though -journal, pen, and psyche in hand - and be transformed. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1784 edition by the Apollo Press, Edinburgh. ... Read more

Book Description
Learn how gay men use Internet technologies to connect with others sharing their erotic desires and to forge affirming communities online!

Getting It On Online: Cyberspace, Gay Male Sexuality, and Embodied Identity examines the online embodied experiences of gay men. At once scholarly and sensual, this unique book is the result of a three-year ethnographic study chronicling the activities on three distinct social scenes in the world of Internet Relay Chat (IRC)—virtual spaces constructed by gay men for the erotic exploration of the male body. Examining the vital role the body plays in defining these online spaces offers insight into how gay men negotiate their identities through emerging communication technologies. The author combines a critical look at the role of the body in cyberspace with candid accounts of his own online experiences to challenge conventional views on sex, sexuality, and embodied identity.

Getting It On Online provides an inside look at three specific online communities—gaychub (a community celebrating male obesity), gaymuscle (a community formulated around images of the muscular male body), and gaymusclebears (a space representing the erotic convergence of the obese and muscular male bodies emerging out of the gay male "bear" subculture)—in an effort to unsettle those models of beauty and the erotic depicted in more mainstream media. The book demonstrates how the social position of these men in the physical world in regards to age, race, gender, class, and physical beauty influences their online experiences. Far from a realm of bodiless exultation, Getting It On Online illustrates how the flesh remains very much present in cyberspace.

Getting It On Online examines topics such as:

why people chat online
the history of IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
how people construct their identities in cyberspace
how some online spaces function like virtual gay bars
the concept of online disembodiment
the role the body plays in online social relations
the future of online communication
ethnographic research in cyberspace
mediated images of the male body and the gay male beauty myth
and much more!

Getting It On Online: Cyberspace, Gay Male Sexuality, and Embodied Identity is an essential resource for anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists; academics working in gender studies, queer theory, cultural studies, and cyber-culture studies; and anyone interested in gay and lesbian issues and/or cyberspace. ... Read more

Book Description
The final book in John McNeill's visionary trilogy on the saving power of God for gay men and lesbians. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Gift of a faith-filled servant of God.
This is an enlightening book and a gift to gay and non-gay people of good will. I found "Freedom, Glorious Freedom" to be both healing and a celebration of the love of God for all people. McNeill's scholarship, love of God and gift as teacher are as clearly present here as in his previous two books. I found Part 4 ("The Gay Love of God And God's Love Of Gays") most helpful in its eye-opening understandings of the New Testament. I doubt any reader could follow McNeill's explications in this section without forever seeing the New Testament in a new and more loving light - the love that Jesus not only preached but lived.

Sad
Freedom is found in chaste love, not in the libertarian distortion of the gospel offered by this former priest.

If you're seeking freedom as a homosexual Catholic, contact your local Courage chapter.

Pro Gay and Pro Christian!!!
I am a gay, ordained minister of the gospels.This book is superbly written and researched.A must for me on coming out, and a must for anyone who ministers to the gay community.God bless this author for taking thischance in his life. ... Read more

Book Description
The term homosexuality did not exist until K.M. Benkert coined it in 1869.The phenomenon, however, has existed probably as long as humans have walked the earth. The many enigmas of sexual orientation that have baffled people for centuries--including what makes some children grow up to be homosexual, while others become heterosexual or bisexual, and to what degree is gender identity determined before birth--continue to do so.John Money, one of the foremost investigators of human sexuality, cogently addresses many of these questions in this authoritative, thought-provoking study.Drawing on case studies from his sexology clinic, he explores the diverse historical, cultural, and physiological influences that determine sexual orientation.Covering such topics as prenatal and postnatal history, gender differentiation in childhood, and postpubertal hormonal theories, Money offers a much-needed, highly informative, and timely exploration into this important subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Don't waste your time
This book is just another example of John Money making up stuff to earn a dollar.He is a known fraud and people should not be naive enough to take him seriously.In the past he has made up data and published false research to support his claims.He is a poor excuse for a scientist and nobody should buy his work

The best single book for the befuddled and/or fearful
Looking for a book to suggest to a family that has been having trouble understanding, and continuing to love, a gay family member, I had a quick look-around for published materials. I was especially hopeful that there might be an appropriate title by Dr. Milton Diamond, but no such luck. I'll have to hope they'll view his website.That left me with two books that I would very strongly recommend: John Money's Gay, Straight, and In-Between, and Anne Fausto-Sterling's Sexing the Body.Money's book is a straightforward description of how a serious and responsible researcher has come to understand homosexuality over the course of decades of research, but Fausto-Sterling's is a more "nuanced" account of the formation of human sexualities that ruthlessly but with good humor attacks easy assumptions and over-generalizations.

Money objectively synthesizes the work done during his lifetime by numerous researchers in the field of human sexuality. He gives the reader a clear way to understand that the sexual identity of a person, what the person is and is motivated to do as a sexual being, begins with the individual's genetic constitution (which is in all cases almost entirely identical to other human beings), is influenced by the complex hormonal and nutritional environment in the womb during gestation, and then is further molded by nurture and learning -- with early events, generally speaking, being more influential than later events.

Criticisms of Money in the Colapinto book refer to events that occurred early in Money's career, and to an understanding that has been revised and reshaped over the years and the dozen or so books that Money has written to the point that it does Money an injustice to condemn his recent book on that account. More importantly, perhaps, it may turn readers away from a book that describes the "state of the art" at the time it was written. Anyone who wants to study this field must go over these same findings, must "re-search" them, to discover whether further refinements are needed. So, whether you end up agreeing with Money on individual points or not, his book gives in relatively short compass a survey of what is currently regarded as knowledge in this field.

This man's work lacks any scientific merit--it's all opinion
Please read of this man's (...) in the work of John Colapinto cited above--As Nature Made Him (it is the story of an identical twin whose circumcision was botched, and
Money recommended that he be raised as a girl--this Money "guineau pig" committed suicide last week--age 38, but not before he had many, many negative words for the misguided "work" of Money).Colapinto is his exclusive biographer.
The fact that Money's name remains prominently on the syllabus of many women's study courses is a considerable shame to both fields of psychology and women's studies.
Recommended reading of real scholarship in the area of biological and social determination pertaining to sexual and homosexual behavior:Mean Genes by Terry Burnham and Jay Phelan

He is the foremost fraud on this subject.
Contrary to one poster who called Money the foremost thinker on this subject, the reality has proven that Money is the foremost [suspect].His "groundbreaking" experiment in gender identity has been shown to be a complete fabrication on his part.

While he may be a great theorizer (anyone can concoct a ridiculous and salacious theory), reality has demonstrated that his theories are false.

excellent, provocative work
on the formation of gender identity.Money is unquestionablyone of the foremost thinkers on human sexuality of the modern era.His project is to ask questions that few dare to ask. Since those questions are about sex and gender identity, it is guaranteed that there will be howls of disagreement with his methods of study and proposed answers."Gay Straight and In Between" is a very good book to get into the fray, and its insights can have a lot of influence given the current political debates over gay rights.You may not agree with all of its premises (I don't), but since when do we read only to confirm what we already believe?

As for the person who thought the title was insulting to bisexuals, I am surprised--the whole point of that title seems, to me, to point out that much of the world is (happily, healthily, normally) "in between" the poles that usually frame the debate.

Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1777 edition by the Apollo Press, Edinburgh. Including his fables. In three volumes. With the life of the author. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (24)

LOOKING FOR LOVE
Rechy, John. "City of Night", Grove Press Reprint, 1994

Looking for Love

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

John Rechy's "City of Night" is one of the classics of gay literature and I am amazed that reading it again now I find that it still mesmerizes as it did when I read it the first time in 1963 (I really am an old person it seems). When it was first published in '63 it was a national best seller and it caused uproar as well as ushered in a new age of gay literature. Rechy's account of the big city and its underworld of male prostitution sent waves through society. His unflinching view of "Youngman" (as his main character is called) and the world of hustling and drag queens and all kinds of men were shocking and honest. Our narrator traverses the United States and gives us an unforgettable picture of gay life. Written in the slang of the period, it is an authentic look at the world of twilight men with extreme clarity and realism minus self-pity and sentimentality. Rechy passionately tells the truth and in doing so liberated many who had up until this point lived in the shadows of a larger society.
When I first read this book I had to hide it for I was afraid that someone might discover y secret. By the time I finished it, I did not much care who knew about me--I felt liberated. Rechy's story of the world was one that I had always hoped existed but I was not man enough to go and look for it. By chance, I sat back yesterday and reread the book. For the second time, I could not stop reading and when I closed the covers I could not help think about how far we have come. I am sure that whoever read "City of Night" in the year of and the years after its publication finally felt that he had something to identify with. The novel has lost none of its power some thirty-four years after it was written. Rechy shows his love for his language in his writing and he wastes no words in telling his story. Even with the many metaphors ad poetic style, Rechy manages to clearly and honesty portray what gay life was like back "in the day".
I felt like I had been hit by a train as I read. I felt as if I was living the situations I was reading about and it fascinated me. Rechy shows great generosity for the human race as he tries to understand and then explain to the reader about those men that were (and still are in many cases) on the fringe of society--sexual minorities, hustlers, bums, drunks, drag queens, junkies. He gives an unforgettable portrait of the "love that dare not speak its name".
The vividness of gay life that Rechy paints was new to many people in the 60's and I was walking next to the author as he took me on a tour of it. "City of Night" is something more than just a gay novel; it is a look at a world within a world.
The main character is an embodiment of an everyman. He sees all, does everything and learns nothing from it, His behavior is arbitrary; he has no motivation ad he makes nothing happen--everything, instead, happens to him. His subculture is one of oppression ad internalized homophobia (didn't we once hate ourselves and lurk in the shadows of the night?).Rechy opened societal eyes and as much as we have changed, we really see that we haven't really changed that much. I know this sounds contradictory but this is the only way I can put this. On one hand, things appear better, on the other, things have not really changed that much. We, gay men, are still confused and still suffer from mental turmoil. Many of us are out but many still hide. We need to open our eyes and realize that if we really want change, we must become more aware of whom we are and accept that. We must never forget that we are human and we are important and we all want to be loved.
Rechy's story is sad but beautiful. Some of us still hate ourselves for being gay like "youngman". Many of us, like him, still live on the fringe of society and we all have one thing in common--the desire to be loved.

A Night Without End
Someone once remarked that great artists remake the same works over and over, likening them to musicians who play variations on the same riff.

John Rechy would fall into this category of literary artist.

Take his first novel, for instance: CITY OF NIGHT.After one has read this novel and gone on to Rechy's other works, one sees the same themes and concerns sounded again and again in almost the same register - the note of erotic desperation played in high lyricism and despair.Still, he's such a virtuoso with this instrument, and tells such a compelling story, one doesn't mind.

CITY OF NIGHT, as noted, is the book that got the ball rolling for Rechy.It's a stark, unsentimental portrait of a male hustler's sojourn through the underbellies of numerous big towns - NY, LA, Chicago, and New Orleans.The section in New Orleans, with its depictions of "floods" of people during Mardi Gras racing ahead of impending doom, is eerily prophetic of the recent fate of that great city.

Although the point of view is first person, Rechy also incorporates the voices of the men and women the protagonist encounters in his carnal odyssey - the fellow hustlers, the scores, the drag queens, the closet cases, etc. - and the song they sing is usually one of vast loneliness and unfulfilled desire.

This is a seminal work but not without flaws.At times Rechy's prose bows to the worst inclinations of creative writing class cliches - comparing buildings and trees to giants, for instance, and waxing more than a little purple at times.One wants to shout, "Please, sir, you ARE a good writer.No need to show off."Also, one cannot help but tire at times of the repetitiveness of the unnamed narrator's adventures, but that may be Rechy's point about this kind of life.

A gay "classic" enhanced by an eerily prophetic ending set in New Orleans
It's easy to see why this book caused such a sensation when it was published in 1963. It's not because of the sexual descriptions, which are neither remotely erotic nor all that graphic--even for the early 1960s. Nor is it because of the Beat-genre prose and the in-your-face nihilism. Instead, "City of Night" brought to the light of day the darkest corners of the "gay underworld" (and, yes, Rechy uses the term "gay" here), and the book does it in a way that highlights the insecurities and the pretenses, the profligacy and the humanity of even the most jaded hustlers, "scores," and "queens" who fervently frequent the bars and speakeasies in metropolitan America.

The unnamed narrator has fled his hometown of New Orleans, initially for New York, and he finds himself both bored of the "respectable" jobs he manages to find and intrigued by the easy money (not to mention the ready drugs, the nervous thrill, and the artificial freedom) that comes from being a male prostitute. Like many of his associates, the narrator tries to convince himself that he is only "gay for pay"--that his activities are no more than a job and that in the real world he would sleep with women. But gradually he realizes that this conviction, for him and for most of the others, is little more than a pose. Among the book's many themes is the tension between the futility of the closet and its ultimate necessity (let's not forget that, in much of the country, it was illegal for two men to dance together or to wear women's clothing).

Each chapter scrutinizes the bar scene and focuses on a different type (sometimes bordering on stereotype), from the flamboyant drag queen to the aging hustler to the married man to the older women whose guilt over a long-kept secret motivates her to tend to street boys. There are passages and scenes that will, of course, seem dated (or--to use a less loaded term--of historical interest), but many of the characters are, forty years later, hilariously and scarily recognizable.

Finally--for reasons Rechy could not have fathomed--the most disconcerting section of the book is the last one, which is set in New Orleans. The eeriness of finishing this book at a time like this (early September 2005) is that certain passages take on a prophetic tone. The environs around the French quarter are "merely the remnants of what may have been; a city scarred by memories of an elegance and gentility which may have never existed. A ghost city." And later: "An almost Biblical feeling of Doom--of the city about to be destroyed, razed, toppled--assaults you." The narrator's love-hate relationship with the Big Easy--with its celebratory abandon and its remorseful gloom--instills the novel's finale with an intensity both haunting and unforgettable.

FIGHT THE POWER!,
John Rechy's book, City of Night, was published in 1962 just before the Supreme Court opened up the floodgate to the publishers of cheap porn in 1965. He will most likely be remembered as a gay male writer who was a brutal and lyrical recorder of the sexual underworld in pre-Stonewall times. It must be difficult for anyone who didn't live through those times to grasp how heavily the threat of censorship hung over America's authors and publishers.

He describes this world with brusque frankness. There is an easy understanding of who and what his characters are; they are presented without sentimentality or self-pity. At the beginning he writes about being a shy child who read a lot and sat by the hall window and looked out to see the world. We hear about the death of his dog and about the suffocating attention of his overly affectionate mother

Rechy uses the window theme and carries it throughout the book. He's letting us look into and onto the dark underworld of the City of Night . . . wherever that may occur. He's also into looking into mirrors as he looks at himself and at what his narrator has become.

I liked the very believable flip dialogue of the drag queens and the hustlers . . . the text was almost like it was recorded.

His narrator takes us on a journey through a world of forbidden love. Here, sex is a job, not an identity. This masculine hustler moves from city to city, searching for business and a sense of self-worth and love. While he actively avoids the lives and world of the self-admitted and well-adjusted gay men he encounters, he pursues the outcasts, the maladjusted and self-loathing instead.

Rechy's representations of gay life are often bleak and the lives of this extraordinary collection of characters are filled with drugs and liquor. There are two types of chapters in this novel: there are accounts of the narrator's wanderings and character sketches of the people he meets as a hustler. Each sketch builds an understandable person for the reader. I've been on the fringes of this culture a few times and didn't like it at all, but believe me they seem very real. Each narrative chapter pulls the reader away and moves them onward.

Rechy was brought up as a devout Catholic. His book is full of symbolism . . .especially of angels in the form of beautiful young men.

Well, surprise, a lot of this world still exists. The people of the night haven't changed all that much since John Rechy wrote his eye-opening novel 40-some years ago. Anonymous sex, hustlers, dirty bookstore sex, cruising, rough trade, druggies, dealers, hustlers, bartenders, cops and robbers still abound. There are still sexy boys from the country who will soon be dead from HIV/AIDS . . . or something else like in the old days . . . an overdose, a knife fight, or a car crash. Not much has changed. This is a compelling early account of "the life" that I believe gays and non-gay people will enjoy; the book still has a fun, underground feel to it. It's still a very cool book, kind of like "On the Road." But decide for yourself. Pick up a copy! (...)

Zoe's Review
The City of Night deals with a nameless male hustler's experiences. The book follows no especific plot. The story of the protagonist starts in his childhood; being subject of an abusive father which he admired greatly even if he never did comment this aloud. The young man suffers from a narcissistic kind of hubris wich follows him to the end. He leaves el Paso and goes travelling from popular cities to other popular cities around the States: New York, New Orleans, California, Chicago,etc. You will not find Lazzis in this work. The description of the places he visits are usually the underworld/party tipe of sets. He learns about hustlers problems, as staying young and not being defined as homosexuals, convincing themselves by staying willingly with a girl every time they got a chance so in these way they can ignore their numerous male clients. Throught his travels from city to city the young protagonist encounters many colorful characters. Like transvesties, fairies, sadics, peculiar scores and different fellow hustlers, who even having original personalities have a common objective. There's a personal tang in Reichy's novel, you can feel it through the book. If your looking for rich plots and good thrillers (i.e: The Davinci Code) look for somewhere else. Even if the novel's end is awfully open I still love this book. It's simple, kind of sweet, hot and a deal deep. I assure you you'll really like it. ... Read more

Book Description

Just in time for Halloween, here are three spooky tales. A gay teen in a conservative small town discovers that Halloween means so much more than costumes and candy.

Customer Reviews (6)

Scary Stuff
Curlovich, John Michael, Rowe, Michael, and David Thomas Lord. "Triptych of Terror: Chilling Tales by the Masters of Gay Horror", Alyson 2006.

Scary Stuff

While shopping today at a local store in Little Rock, I was amazed to see both Halloween and Christmas decorations all over the store I was in. It's only August and we are already getting ready for the ghouls and the goblins as well as St. Nick. I figured if the stores could get ready for Halloween, so could I so I came home and read "Triptych" and prepared for the oncoming season.
"Triptych" is the combined work of three masters of horror. We have John Michael Curlovich with "A Holy Time for the Dead" about a powerful televangelist whose goal it is to get Halloween back from the spirits and reclaim it as a tool for Christianity. First he must manage to get rid of a closeted young minister and banish him to a church which is haunted. The young minister, however, resists and becomes a powerful adversary. More dark fantasy than horror, it is a story that will completely engross you.
Michael Rowe gives us "In October" and this is the best in the book. It follows a young man in a small northern town which is obsessed with maintaining the status quo. The most powerful person in the town and the biggest name is a preacher who controls the most powerful church in the area. Mikey Childress is harassed and bullied by the townsfolk and his one friend, a Goth girl, tries to protect him. He, one evening, turns to the occult as his method of revenge and what happens afterwards is sheer horror.
David Thomas Lord gives "The Secret of the Fey" which is a cautionary tale that shows how we should be really careful about what we wish for. 63 year old Tom Hogan is in pain over the loss of his longtime partner, Daniel. His grief paralyzes him and e rues growing older in an age when so much emphasis is placed on youth. His life is meaningless until he travels to a gay bar and is smitten by an Adonis and mistakes him as a leprechaun of sorts and wishes him to be his over. Here is a wonderful allegory on the Fountain of Youth with wonderful mysticism and erotic passion. When Tom realizes that he is living in a dream world, he also realizes that his dream is a nightmare and this is just the onset.
These three horror stories are bound t capture the reader. What a fun read this is and one that should not be missed. It is a creative look at the genre of horror writing and very refreshing.

Powerful, suspense building.I want more anthologies like this.
I am not going to rehash the exact details and plots, since the other reviewers have already done this very ably.

I felt that the first piece, A HOLY TIME FOR ALL THE DEAD, was actually dark fantasy rather than horror.I enjoyed it.

The second story, IN OCTOBER, had me going, and I enjoyed it alot.It made me think of some horror movies that I have seen.

But the third piece, THE SECRETS OF THE FEY, was the most powerful, clearly horrific.There was this confusion, and a building sense of dread, leading to the climax.The ending was like a fist in the face for me, and I actually cried at the end of this story, and I rarely do that.

Whoever put together this anthology, I would like to see more, maybe a regular series, a new volume every couple of years.

Three tales, One shining star.
Michael Rowe's stellar "In October" is the clear star of the three stories of Triptych of Terror. The story follows a young man who lives in a small northern town that's obsessed with the status quo. The town's biggest name is a popular preacher who is over the largest and most influential church in the community.

It is as chilling as it is erotic, passionate as it is calculated. When a mystery force starts killing off Mikey's greatest enemies, the story takes a dark turn that culminates in an ending that hits with disturbing satisfaction.

Thanks to Michael Rowe for taking me into this tale, I didn't want to come out of it!

A Trio of Terrors...With a Twist
John Michael Curlovich's novella "A Holy Time for All the Dead" leads off the intriguing new queer horror anthology, "Triptych of Terror". The reverend Steven Merchant is the newly appointed rector at the Old Stone Loaves and Fishes Full Gospel Fellowship Church in a run-down industrial town in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Merchant is fresh out of Baptist seminary, assigned in part to the unglamorous locale because of a pesky homosexual indiscretion at the school. He is charged by the villainous Pastor Jack Cantworthy (an over-the-top antagonist who is equal parts gluttonous and nefarious) with creating a religious uproar over the secularization of Halloween in order to jumpstart the elder pastor's master plan to restore the holiday to its religious roots in honoring the dead. He arrives in run-down Glowney Junction to encounter an oddly-out-of-place cast of oddball characters - from the pedophile Catholic priest across the street, to the blind town business mogul and seminary benefactor affectionately known as the Zipper King, to a pair of decidedly queer-leaning, spiky-haired, eyebrow-pierced teenage boys who talk and act more like street hustlers in West Hollywood than small-town teens in an economically depressed industrial town.

Curlovich crafts a trippy little story about the freedom of sexual expression versus the repression of religious fundamentalism. He incorporates many classic elements of a haunting into the storyline, creating an effective metaphor for the repression of the closet. There are moments of genuinely scary imagery like the little dancing, flesh-ripping gargoyles whose use is quite effective. The author (who has also written some excellent haunted dwelling novels under the name Michael Paine) creates a fascinating protagonist in the Reverend Merchant, believably presenting him as a fully flawed mortal at a crossroads between his sexual orientation and the religion he loves. In the end, "A Holy Time for All the Dead" would have benefited from a novel-length treatment with several of the clichés trimmed down. Curlovich tries admirably to pack too much into too few pages, injecting some incongruous elements that detract somewhat from the storytelling. A Holy Time for the Dead is a haunting, dreamlike overstuffed piece of horror with some decidedly eerie imagery and a memorable spin on a classic story.

In Michael Rowe's superb novella "In October", readers are introduced to Mikey Childress, an outcast teenager living in a small-town Canadian suburb. Mikey's dreams of being loved are juxtaposed against his daily battles with an indifferent father who's dismissive and ashamed of his son's lack of machismo, a faith-obsessed mother who spends more time at church praying than she does loving her only child, and a particularly hateful group of high school bullies who subject him to a torrent of everyday horrors meant to humiliate and break his spirit. Mikey's one friend is Goth gal pal Wroxy, a self-professed white witch who offers an almost maternal love and serves as confidant to his coming out. After a particularly horrific bashing at the hands of notorious bully ring leader Dewey Verbinski and his jock cronies, Mikey turns to the occult and unknowingly calls out to the darkside for protection and revenge against his enemies. That protection arrives in the form of hunky Adrian, an enigmatic bad boy transfer student who materializes one day and takes an instant liking to the young protagonist. In Adrian, Mikey finds stalwart defense and an emotional security he has never known and a sexual awakening he has only dreamed about. But as all keen readers of the supernatural know, one cannot summon the darkside without casting a dark shadow. Soon Mikey's enemies start disappearing, meeting their demise at the hands (and claws, and teeth, and wings, and killer appendages, too!) of a demon who springs forth with equal fury to the homophobia leveled at the teen. As Mikey slowly comes to realize that Adrian may be the embodiment of his own hatred and resentment against those who've persecuted him, the teenager must make a heartbreaking choice between (literally) good and evil.

Rowe creates a masterful work with "In October", embracing the novella format like no writer in recent memory - so well as to fashion a thoroughly satisfying story. His depiction of Mikey's teen angst is dead-on, uncannily capturing the emotional loneliness and physical torments that mark the high school experience certain to resonant with every reader - gay and straight alike - on some level. From the beautifully tender and believable scene in which Mikey admits his homosexuality to a receptive Wroxy to the harrowing roadside gay bashing that leads him to seek out otherworldly intervention, Rowe brings the reader into the experience with a remarkable ability that few writers today possess. It is no small feat that Rowe can make us care so deeply for the characters and a testament to his ability as a writer that he does so within the concise format of an 80+ page novella. "In October" is a deeply-felt metaphorical homage to the horrors of coming out and an unsettling depiction of the straight world in which we do it. Rowe's tale of teenage anguish and loneliness is an exquisitely told cautionary tale, rich in visceral images of horror and the erotic.

"Triptych's" final installment is the devilishly magical "The Secrets of the Fey" by David Thomas Lord, another cautionary tale that reinforces the idea of being careful for what you wish for. Protagonist Tom Hogan is a sixty-three-year-old gay man grieving the loss of his longtime partner, Daniel. Paralyzed by grief, Tom is tired, lonely, and lamenting both the physical and emotional aches and pains of growing older in a gay culture in which youth and beauty are (at least theoretically) synonymous with happiness. His life is on autopilot, filled with meaningless everyday tasks and a select group of friends with whom he does brunch once a week. The narrative begins on Pride Day, with New York City bursting at the seams with the young and pretty. After a post-brunch altercation that sends him off alone to traverse the rainbow-laden cityscape, Tom happens upon a quaint gay bar called Land's End, where he meets the most beautiful man he has ever laid eyes on. Tapping into his Celtic heritage, Tom somehow quickly surmises that the porcelain-skinned redhead is a leprechaun-of-sorts and steals his clothes in some bid to force the granting of a wish. Despite stern warnings from the entrancing Will O'Gull, Tom wishes him to be his lover - one who will never leave him like Daniel did. But wishes always come at a cost, and what follows is an allegorical tale of the price we pay in pursuit of the fountain of youth.

Lord infuses "The Secrets of the Fey" with marvelous doses of mysticism, evoking images of malevolent fairies intermingled with erotic passion. He does a spot-on job chronicling Tom's post-wish transformation and the action moves along at a decent clip, never shortchanging the reader on character development (particularly in the case of Tom's plastic surgeon friend, Drew) or the hot sexual trysts that bookmark Tom's transformation. Lord's got quite a bit of symbolism and themes at work here - from the straightforward observations about the dangers inherent to pursuing youth and beauty at all costs to the less obvious commentary about sexual promiscuity and its ultimate loneliness in gay culture. Although this otherwise delightfully terrifying fable gets bogged down occasionally by Lord's distracting name dropping of New York City landmarks, the novella is quite an effective and chilling read overall. In the end, Lord reminds us that despite living in a culture that tells us otherwise, we can't really have it all, and that there are prices to be paid for discounting those blessings that are right under our noses.

Another Outstanding Anthology!
It is with trembling pleasure that I give you (FINALLY) my review of Triptych of Terror, a horror anthology featuring the works of John Michael Curlovich, Michael Rowe, and David Thomas.


Michael Rowe's "In October" is by far the most enthralling of all three tales.It is delightfully disturbing and dark, with realistic main characters and a well-paced plot line in which readers find themselves drawn into Mikey Childress' world from the very first page.Michael Rowe is the Rembrandt of his genre, painting a mosaic of teenage angst amidst the backdrop of a small town insular high school populace subjugated by pitiless tormentors. His approach is both superbly erotic and chilling, and the ending unquestionably tugs at the heartstrings.



I graciously recommend this anthology.Rowe fans will not be disappointed. ... Read more