Modern Gay Literature. REAL TIME

[Rod Hagen]

Literatue and essays: Hi Literary types. What's the modern equivalent of Christopher Street Reader? Where are modern Gay nonPorn fiction and essays printed regularly besides in collections? Is there anything at all like a Gay "Esquire"?

 

Porn: Where is the best of Gay Porn published? Places where you can find stroke stories by modern day Prestons, Rutledges, and Barry Lowes? THANK YOU.

[Rod Hagen]

Again I'm not looking for collections or Anthologies.

 

-Hagen

[Trixie]

Sadly, I find that modern day gay fiction has reached an impasse. For the past twenty or more years it was enough that the author was gay, and was writing about gay characters. Now, it turns out that being gay is just not that interesting!

Thus, while gay characters turn up more frequently in mainstream novels, they provide no more than a clue to how liberal and world-wise the main (and usually heterosexual) character is.

Take "The Hours" as an example.

But I might suggest, as very good and unique reads, Michael Nava's "Henry Rios" detective series, a very enthralling and well written series of books (mostly out-of-print, I think) centering around a gay hispanic private dick in LA. Very engaging, you won't be able to put them down. Also not to be missed is Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" Trilogy. This is actually a set of books targeted at young adults (10+...?)

and is a fantasy series, like "Lord of The Rings" or "Dune". But they are absolutely spellbinding!

There's a (surprising) gay character that plays a major role in the last book. No matter what your literary preference, these books are hard to say "yuck" to.

As far as fascinating gay erotica goes... Rod, you're an escort! For heaven's sake, go out and make your own!!

La Belle Trixie

[+ Hoover42]

Rod,

 

Check out the James White Review, a (somewhat) quarterly gay literary magazine published by the Lambda Literary Foundation.

 

Here's the web site:

 

http://www.lambdalit.org/jwr.html

[Guest gryphone]

There are the multiple detective stories of Joseph Hansen with a gay hero, Dave Brandstetter, but there is also his

non detective fiction, especially "Living Upstairs" and its prequel, whose title I forget. For contemporary work, contact

Giovanni's Room, the gay bookstore in Philadelphia (http://www.giovannis room.com); write directly to Ed Hermance, the

very obliging owner.

[Guest soccerstud]

Rod--What's going on? Last post, you told us all that you were going off gay lit for awhile. Trixie's right...you're an escort; try your hand (or whatever else is applicable) at writing a few porn paragraphs about your last client meeting and post it here for us all to critique. Wouldn't some of your critics here on the Message Center just love that opportunity!

[Rod Hagen]

On the Toilet, I'm still reading Gay.

[Guest soccerstud]

Let's see. On the Toilet with a hardon. How does that work physiologically?

[Rod Hagen]

"On The Toilet With A Hardon", not a bad song lyric.

 

-Hagen

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

Brandsetter versus Rios

 

I have read all the Hansen books and, while of a type (noir), they are well written, if you are not looking for mysteries and do not like true-crime/detective type stories, I do not believe these are generally good recommendations for casual reading.

 

The Nava books, on the other hand, can appeal to non-mystery writers, although they are very heavily weighted towards law and the legal field. So, on the other hand again, if you find the inside Michael Creighton (sp?) LA LAW type stuff to be off putting, I am not sure these would be any better.

 

I find myself re-reading a collection of books that I enjoyed reading and have read many times, if I were specifically looking for gay-themed material, among them Felice Picano's The Lure, Larry Krammer's Faggots and a few others generationally in that time frame.

 

The Los Angeles County library located in West Hollywood has a very good collection, if you simply wanted to go and look for long form fiction.

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

James White Review - Lambda Rising - A Different Light

 

>Rod,

>

>Check out the James White Review, a (somewhat) quarterly gay

>literary magazine published by the Lambda Literary Foundation.

>

 

>

>http://www.lambdalit.org/jwr.html

>

 

There is no such thing as Christopher Street magazine any more and Esquire itself, at least the few times I have looked at it lately, has not really been publishing any fiction, but rather trying to emulate Maxim, et al.

 

Genre has started publishing fiction again but it was not very good and remains such in its present incarnation, so this gentlemen is quite correct. The James White Review is about the best literary journal you can find. A Different Light on Santa Monica Boulevard will have the current issue, so you may take a look at it or purchase it.

 

Lambda Rising is an excellent store, which use to recommend books and anthologies and published a frequent synopsis of available books. I definitely enjoy checking out the store every time I am present. However, as you are in Los Angeles, Rod, I would suggest you patronize A Different Light, either in person or on line. Any book in print (and many out of print) as well as journals can be readily obtained at either store, as they can also be obtained at some of the other well stocked gay and lesbian (and G/L friendly) small bookstores throughout the country, including Little Sisters in Vancouver, Unabridge in Chicago (personally, I miss People Like Us),Oscar Wilde in Manhattan (this country's oldest Gay and Lesbian bookstore) and Faubourg Marigny Books in New Orleans. These stores I specifically mentioned because I have been to them recently, I know they are well stocked, the staff is well informed, I had visted them before and such was true of them in the last decade I have ever had dealings wiht them and I strongly believe that encouraging and supporting gay and lesbian establishments, particularly bookstores, who will carry out of print and hard to find material, including journals like the James White Review, which most Borders and Barnes and Nobles will not carry, is important.

[FrancoDiSantisxxx]

Stroke Stories

 

>Porn: Where is the best of Gay Porn published? Places where

>you can find stroke stories by modern day Prestons, Rutledges,

>and Barry Lowes?

 

You can find collections of porn stories published but I do not feel you would consider these modern day Prestons, et al. Particularly if you do not seek anthologies but want journals, you will find no such things.

 

I find Men (formerly Advocate Men, at least in my opinion, has consistently published good quality porn stories, but this is not the case for the last three or four years, when they have gone through several editorial changes and were potentially preoccupied with the take over of Out, the formation of a mail order company, and all the others issues beyond and besides putting out a good quality erotic magazine for gay men.

 

Dale Chase and Phil Cole both wrote for the magazine between 1996 - 2000 many times and you may enjoy some of there stories. You might be able to do a google search and see if they either have web sites or have collected them in some form.

 

However, I think the genuine writers, who would be in the style and form you seek, would be Grant Foster (see specifically the piece, "Strange Romance" in the September 1996 issue or "The Set Up" in the December 1996 issue.

 

Another good author, who likely would have his own web site, as he writes in a style that indicates he his opinion of his own work is high, would be Bob Vickery. Some of his pieces were a little too precious and too self-indulgent, but all were well written and well executed. A good example of his better work would be "Knowing Johnny" from the March 1999 issue, which is worth having simply for the great photographs of Damian Ford.

 

In the early 1990s, my personal favorite, Tom Caffey, appeared in almost every issue of the magazine. A good example of his work can be found in the July 1995 issue, "Going Down Under."

[chrismac]

RE: Stroke Stories

 

If you haven't already read it, try "Hornito, My Lie Life" by Mike Albo. I've mentioned it a couple of times over the last two years on this site. You can get it through amazon.com

[+ Axiom2001]

RE: Stroke Stories

 

Last summer someone at this site mentioned The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide as a respectable literary review of gay...reading materials. I do not know if this would fit your request or not although it would give you some idea as to what's out there. Perhaps this will not meet your requirement for "stroke stories" though.

[dick_nyc]

RE: Stroke Stories

 

I am a big fan of mystery novels. Today I was reading the latest issue of The Mystery Review - Summer 2003 issue. There are two new releases that my be of interest. I have not read or even seen these novels, but they are listed as new releases.

 

Anthony Bidulka is the author - Amuse Bouche is the title. Gay rookie PI Russell Quant investigates a gay wedding gone bad. The groom is missing and his lover is heartbroken. With a nose for good wine and bad lies, Quant is off to France on his first big case. Then back in Saskatoon, Quant comes face to face with a client who might be the bad guy, a quarry who turns up in the most unexpected place, and a long list of possible suspects. Mystery, Imsomniac Press.

 

Julia Spencer-Fleming is the author - A Fountain Filled with Blood is the title. On a hot summer night in the Adirondack town of Miller's Kill, a violent assault on a doctor starts an ugly wave of gay-bashing. Episcopalian priest Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ Van Alstyne, who have a mutual, if dangerous, attraction to each other, are thrown together to solve the case. Russ rudely bars Clare from investigating the violent homophobia. But as the reluctant partnership continues, closeness becomes inevitable. They find that solving a crime is hard enough withuot also fighting a strong personal attraction. Mystery, St. Martin's.

 

The issue also has a 3 page article about murder mysteries written by Brazilian authors and taking place in Brazil. Some of the mysteries have been translated into English. Those who are familiar with Portugese might be interested in this article.

[Rod Hagen]

RE: Stroke Stories

 

Thanks everyone. The James White Review is awesome.