Alex Ross on Dorian Gray

Alex Ross has a thoughtful piece in the August 8 issue of the New Yorker that examines the new uncensored edition of Dorian Gray published by Harvard University Press. He makes the point that the earlier version submitted to Lippincott's Magazine was shorter and spelled out in more obvious language than ever the nature of homosexual desire. He opines that Wilde was more of a gay liberationist than has been credited. When the novel was published in England, it was filled out and scenes depicting contacts between men were excised. The original Lippincott manuscript is in the Morgan Library, New York, and shows that it suffered cuts even by the American publisher.

The Sumner of Our Discontent

The rumors we've been hearing have proved to be true. Thanks to Steve for noticing this story in the Post. (I wonder if we can disguise ourselves as a nine-foot concert Steinway.) Please keep your eyes out for new meeting places!

eine kleine research project

apophallation: eating dick, literally … as in, off!

 apofellatio : getting off task, losing focus, 

               particularly near the finish

One of these is a real word, the other ought to be. You go figure. I could give you links—I could even post videos—but reverting to the generally high(er) tone of this blog's entries, I'll refrain. ("Desist" might be the more appropriate term given recent uproar, but I'm not taking down the Tiny Alice hyena video!)

"Brokeback Mountain" discussion

Independent Publishers

At last week’s OutWrite event, there was discussion regarding the current state of independent publishers competing against the large, integrated media companies.  These small presses survive when people buy the books and periodicals that they publish.  I would like to recommend one, Assaracus, a quarterly journal of gay poetry published by Sibling Rivalry Press.  I bought a copy of issue 3 on the recommendation of Philip CIark, who wrote one of the poems in the section called “Poems Inspired by James Franco”. 

At first, I didn’t pay much attention to the title of the periodical, assuming it had something to do with “Ass”.  I didn’t totally trust the Wiki result when I finally decided to google Assaracus, and so I consulted my other sources (references available upon request).  Turns out that “Assaracus” is also the name of a descendant of Zeus, via Dardanus, Erichthonius, and Tros.  Assaracus was one of the sons of Tros.  Ganymede was his brother.  Ganymede was, of course, without issue, but Assaracus was the grandfather of Anchises, who was the father of Aeneas.  Aeneas relates this noble lineage to Achilles on the battlefield in a memorable passage in book 20 of the Iliad.   I’m glad that the publisher decided not to call the periodical “Ganymede”.  That would have been too easy.  I ordered a one year subscription.

 

"The Pleasures of Rimbaud" by Charles Rosen in NYRB

Reviewing:

 

Illuminations
by Arthur Rimbaud, translated from the French and with a preface by John Ashbery
Norton, 175 pp., $24.95

Poems Under Saturn
by Paul Verlaine, translated from the French and with an introduction by Karl Kirchwey
Princeton University Press, 154 pp., $39.50; $15.95 (paper)

 

 

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/aug/18/pleasures-rimbaud/

 

We got a sentence in this Blade Article about the OutWrite LGBT Book Fair

“At 3 p.m., BookMen D.C. will host a discussion of the high-spirited erotic adventure, “Caracole” by Edmund White.”

 

 

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/08/04/pink-pages/

 

Mercy Me, or The Cardinal's Hyena

I'll never suspicion Albee again!

"Reverting to a Wild State"

Thanks to Ken for pointing out this story in the latest New Yorker (August 1, 2011). Author Justin Torres's first novel, We the Animals, is going to be published at the end of this month. I have come to cast jaundiced eyes on coming of age stories, but "Reverting to a Wild State" is so well done I'm ready to blink twice. It's a very short story (the novel is similarly brief) so please read it first before going on, if you wish, to Willing Davidson's interview in The New Yorker Online. A bonus is a snapshot of the cute young author. (I wonder how many others will find a resemblance to Autumn Whitehurst's illustration↑.)