Nebraska

Another book review for Gay Community News, published in the April 30-May 6, 1989 issue. As I feared, Whitmore died between the time I wrote the review and the time it appeared in print. Rereading the review now, I wonder if I should reread Nebraska, but I really have little interest in stories which pile on the misery for no evident reason except, I suppose, to show the author's High

Nebraska

Another book review for Gay Community News, published in the April 30-May 6, 1989 issue. As I feared, Whitmore died between the time I wrote the review and the time it appeared in print. Rereading the review now, I wonder if I should reread Nebraska, but I really have little interest in stories which pile on the misery for no evident reason except, I suppose, to show the author's High

This Ain't Rock'n'Roll, This Is ...

This review appeared in the April 30-May 6, 1989 issue of Gay Community News. It garnered an angry letter from Barrus, published an issue or so later; I don't blame him, but I still stand by the review. Why did GCN send me the book? I have no idea -- one of the disadvantages of living a thousand miles away from the paper, in the days before e-mail was ubiquitous. The editor at the time, if I

This Ain't Rock'n'Roll, This Is ...

This review appeared in the April 30-May 6, 1989 issue of Gay Community News. It garnered an angry letter from Barrus, published an issue or so later; I don't blame him, but I still stand by the review. Why did GCN send me the book? I have no idea -- one of the disadvantages of living a thousand miles away from the paper, in the days before e-mail was ubiquitous. The editor at the time, if I

The Sissy's Progress

Another book review for Gay Community News, published sometime in 1985.The Journals of Denton Welchedited by Michael De-la-NoyDutton, New York380 pp., $22.50 hardcover Maiden Voyageby Denton Welch(first published in 1943)Dutton, New York284 pp., $8.95 paper In Youth Is Pleasureby Denton Welch(first published in 1945)Dutton/Obelisk, 1985154 pp., $7.95 paper A Voice

The Sissy's Progress

Another book review for Gay Community News, published sometime in 1985.The Journals of Denton Welchedited by Michael De-la-NoyDutton, New York380 pp., $22.50 hardcover Maiden Voyageby Denton Welch(first published in 1943)Dutton, New York284 pp., $8.95 paper In Youth Is Pleasureby Denton Welch(first published in 1945)Dutton/Obelisk, 1985154 pp., $7.95 paper A Voice

Odi Et Amo

Another of my book reviews for Gay Community News, published in 1984 or so.Joseph Torchia had written one earlier novel, The Kryptonite Kid, about a possibly gay boy, Jerry Chariot, obsessed and fascinated with Superman. It was much more fun than As If After Sex, and its ambiguity about the protagonist's sexual orientation (reasonable enough, considering that he was just a kid) , made it

Odi Et Amo

Another of my book reviews for Gay Community News, published in 1984 or so.Joseph Torchia had written one earlier novel, The Kryptonite Kid, about a possibly gay boy, Jerry Chariot, obsessed and fascinated with Superman. It was much more fun than As If After Sex, and its ambiguity about the protagonist's sexual orientation (reasonable enough, considering that he was just a kid) , made it

His Horrible Old Condition

My second (and final) review of Burroughs for GCN, after Port of Saints. Published in 1981.After I'd mailed off the review, I found a book on Burroughs, With William Burroughs: A Report from the Bunker (Seaver Books, 1981), by a British celebrity journalist named Victor Bockris. Printed on page 32 was a photo of Burroughs with his companion/amanuensis James Grauerholz, looking at a mockup for

His Horrible Old Condition

My second (and final) review of Burroughs for GCN, after Port of Saints. Published in 1981.After I'd mailed off the review, I found a book on Burroughs, With William Burroughs: A Report from the Bunker (Seaver Books, 1981), by a British celebrity journalist named Victor Bockris. Printed on page 32 was a photo of Burroughs with his companion/amanuensis James Grauerholz, looking at a mockup for

Pollyanna Karenina

Selfish and Perverseby Bob SmithNew York: Carroll and Graf, 2007376 pp. When I first noticed the title of Bob Smith’s new novel, I thought someone had written an unauthorized biography of me. But it had laudatory blurbs by writers I respected, such as Armistead Maupin, so I checked it out of the library anyway. And you know something? It was a pretty good read.Smith was a founding member of

Pollyanna Karenina

Selfish and Perverseby Bob SmithNew York: Carroll and Graf, 2007376 pp. When I first noticed the title of Bob Smith’s new novel, I thought someone had written an unauthorized biography of me. But it had laudatory blurbs by writers I respected, such as Armistead Maupin, so I checked it out of the library anyway. And you know something? It was a pretty good read.Smith was a founding member of

Nineteen Eighty-Four and a Half

At the time I wrote this review, I hadn’t yet read Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, though I’d read quite a lot of Bradbury’s work in junior high and high school. I recall starting Fahrenheit 451 once, maybe in my freshman year of college, but didn’t get very far. I think I found it weak compared to Huxley and especially Orwell. I finally read it this past summer, and will write more about that

Nineteen Eighty-Four and a Half

At the time I wrote this review, I hadn’t yet read Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, though I’d read quite a lot of Bradbury’s work in junior high and high school. I recall starting Fahrenheit 451 once, maybe in my freshman year of college, but didn’t get very far. I think I found it weak compared to Huxley and especially Orwell. I finally read it this past summer, and will write more about that

A Dark and Stormy Night

This review was published in GCN on April 14, 1981. The answer to my offhand question in the body of the review is that "Vincent Virga" is not a pseudonym. Virga is a successful book designer and picture editor, and he went on to write two more novels: A Comfortable Corner (1986), about a contemporary gay male couple troubled by one partner's alcoholism, and Vadriel Vail (2001), another

A Dark and Stormy Night

This review was published in GCN on April 14, 1981. The answer to my offhand question in the body of the review is that "Vincent Virga" is not a pseudonym. Virga is a successful book designer and picture editor, and he went on to write two more novels: A Comfortable Corner (1986), about a contemporary gay male couple troubled by one partner's alcoholism, and Vadriel Vail (2001), another

He Do The Police in Different Voices; or, Cap'n Billy's Whizz-bang

Published in Gay Community News in 1981. I guess they liked it, because they sent me Burroughs's next book, Cities of the Red Night, to review later.Port of Saintsby William S. BurroughsBerkeley: Blue Wind Press$15.95 cloth, $5.95 paper In William S. Burroughs’s autobiographical first novel Junky, first published in 1953, there is a confrontation between the author-surrogate William Lee and a

He Do The Police in Different Voices; or, Cap'n Billy's Whizz-bang

Published in Gay Community News in 1981. I guess they liked it, because they sent me Burroughs's next book, Cities of the Red Night, to review later.Port of Saintsby William S. BurroughsBerkeley: Blue Wind Press$15.95 cloth, $5.95 paper In William S. Burroughs’s autobiographical first novel Junky, first published in 1953, there is a confrontation between the author-surrogate William Lee and a

Arf! (Not To Be Confused With Woof!)

Originally published in Gay Community News, April 1981.The Dog, and Other Storiesby Joseph HansenSanta Monica CA: Momentum Press64 pp$3.50 paper If you’ve enjoyed Joseph Hansen’s mystery novels, you will probably be interested in this collection of his short stories. All but one were published before 1970, the year Fadeout, the first Dave Brandstetter novel, was published, and none in my

Arf! (Not To Be Confused With Woof!)

Originally published in Gay Community News, April 1981.The Dog, and Other Storiesby Joseph HansenSanta Monica CA: Momentum Press64 pp$3.50 paper If you’ve enjoyed Joseph Hansen’s mystery novels, you will probably be interested in this collection of his short stories. All but one were published before 1970, the year Fadeout, the first Dave Brandstetter novel, was published, and none in my