I highly recommend "LGBT Jews in the Federal City," on view at the Capital Jewish Museum through Jan. 4, 2026. As a D.C. resident for nearly 44 years now, I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about local gay history, but I learned a surprising amount--not just about the Jewish community's many contributions to advancing LGBTQ rights, but the evolution of the gay scene itself over the years. A highlight was the opportunity to listen to oral history excerpts by various members of the community, including a name that will be familiar to BookMen members, by picking up a rotary phone and dialing the number corresponding to each testimony. Very retro and very fun!
Over the years, we've read poems by Essex Hemphill (1957-1995) in various anthologies, including Persistent Voices: Poetry by Writers Lost to AIDS (co-edited by our very own Philip Clark and David Groff) and Freedom in This Village: 25 Years of Black Gay Men's Writing (edited by E. Lynn Harris). But regardless of how much you already know about this luminary of the D.C. arts scene, I believe you'll appreciate "Essex Hemphill: Take care of your blessings," an exhibition at the Phillips Collection that "explores the interdisciplinary relationship between Hemphills writing and visual art." It's on through Aug. 31. (Note: Although the Phillips does charge admission, it also offers free and discounted access on certain nights.)
I didn't think to look up these contemporary reviews of E.M. Forster's A Passage to India until after we discussed it last week, but I trust you'll still find them worth your time.
First up, here is The Guardian's take:
Review
A Passage to India By E. M. Forster
London: Edward Arnold. Pp.325. 7s. 6d. net
C. M.
Fri 20 Jun 1924 13.22 EDT
The first duty of any reviewer is to welcome Mr. E.M. Forster's reappearance as a novelist and to express the hope that the general public as well as the critics will recognise his merits and their good fortune; the second is to congratulate him upon the tone and temper of his new novel. To speak of its "fairness" would convey the wrong impression, because that suggests a conscious virtue. This is the involuntary fairness of the man who sees.
We have had novels about India from the British point of view and from the native point of view, and in each case with sympathy for the other side; but the sympathy has been intended, and in this novel there is not the slightest suggestion of anything but a personal impression, with the prejudices and limitations of the writer frankly exposed. Mr. Forster, in fact, has reached the stage in his development as an artist when, in his own words about Miss Quested, he is "no longer examining life, but being examined by it." He has been examined by India, and this is his confession.
There can be no doubt about the principal faculties which have contributed to its quality: imagination and humour. It is imagination in the strictest sense of the world as the power of seeing and hearing internally, without any obligation to fancy - though Mr. Forster has fancy at his command to heighten the impression, as in his treatment of the echoes in the Marabar Caves. "Even the striking of a match starts a little worm coiling, which is too small to complete a circle but is eternally watchful." To speak of his characters as being "well drawn," would be crude; they draw themselves, and mainly in their conversation. More remarkable even than his vision is Mr. Forster's power of inner hearing; he seems incapable of allowing a person to speak out of character, and Dr. Aziz strikes one as less invented than overheard. Equally pure is Mr. Forster's humour. His people, British or native, are not satirised or caricatured or made the targets of wit; they are simply enjoyed.
The story is, essentially, that of the close contact of East and West in the persons of Dr. Aziz, a Moslem, assistant medical officers of the Chandrapore Hospital, and Mr. Fielding, principal of the College. In all the other characters the contact is governed by conventions - official or would-be sympathetic - but in them it is as close as blood itself allows. So far as affection is concerned they are friends, so that the interplay of East and West is along the very finest channels of human intercourse - suggesting the comparison of the blood and air vessels in the lungs; but the friendship is always at the mercy of the feelings which rise from the deeps of racial personality.
The action of the story is provided by outsiders; two travelling Englishwomen, one elderly, the mother of the city magistrate, and one, Miss Quested, comparatively young, who becomes for a time engaged to him. The one has a natural and the other a theoretical sympathy for the country and its people.
As the guests of Dr. Aziz they make an excursion to the Marabar Caves, where Miss Quested loses her head and accuses Aziz of having insulted her - a series of minor accidents lending plausibility to what was, in effect, an hallucination. Aziz is arrested, and East and West rally round their prejudices and conventions, though Fielding believes Aziz to be innocent, and breaks with his own order to support him.
At the trial, before a native magistrate, Miss Quested withdraws her accusations and Aziz is acquitted; but in the following turmoil Fielding, against his will, is true to his blood in sheltering Miss Quested, and he and Aziz drift apart. "Why can't we be friends now?" he says at the end. "It's what I want. It's what you want." But India answers: "No, not yet...No, not there."
Thus we are left with the feeling that the blending of races is a four-dimensional problem. In his presentation of the problem Mr. Forster leans, if anywhere, towards his own race in his acute sense of their difficulties, but not more than by the weight of blood; and, again, fairness is not the word for his sensitive presentation. It is something much less conscious; not so much a virtue as a fatality of his genius. Whether he presents Englishman or Moslem or Hindu or Eurasian he is no longer examining life, but being examined by it" in the deeps of his personality as an artist.
And here is what the New York Times reviewer thought of the novel:
August 17, 1924: "A Passage to India" by E.M. Forster
There are some novelists who creep into public esteem rather imperceptibly, and Mr. E.M. Forster is one of these. Already he has his rather small group of valiant disciples (at random one thinks of Mr. Leonard Woolf, Mr. Hamish Miles and Miss Rebecca West) who proclaim his merits with an insistence that would be provoking if there were not ample cause for the enthusiasm. A single reading of "A Passage to India" settles the question. Mr. E.M. Forster is indubitably one of the finest novelists living in England today, and "A Passage to India" is one of the saddest, keenest, most beautifully written ironic novels of the time. Saying so much one is forced to say much more, for Mr. Forster's quality is unique. In some respects it is like caviare, but not because one must cultivate a taste for it. It is difficult to conceive of any tastes being dissatisfied with "A Passage to India" unless it be fire-eating, gouty, retired Anglo-Indians now residing in Tunbridge Wells and kindred places.
"A Passage to India" is both a challenge and an indictment. It is also a revelation. But so intricately is this matter treated that the average reader is quite unaware of a smoldering subterranean passion in the depths of this carefully conceived study of two humanities -- indeed, two worlds -- in hopeless clash. A panorama of objective incidents and gestures is unfolded as one might unfold a carefully woven Indian carpet, and somehow the reader experiences an intense concern and despair before a situation that is both inevitable and impossible. Certain obvious words suggest themselves as descriptive of this book and among them are ''subtle'' and ''acute.'' But they are not exact enough to describe that peculiar cool, clarified exposition that seems to miss nothing and that is so impregnated with unexplainable implications. Almost imperceptibly Mr. Forster develops a character until the reader has acquired the most meticulous comprehension of the deepest channels of being.
Such a proceeding was of the utmost difficulty in "A Passage to India," for many of the characters who fit into the delicate structure of that book are Indians. It is easily understandable that mystery surrounds the East Indian, that his life is a conception peculiar to himself. Mr. Forster knows this and he conveys as much in his book. He also knows the Indian mind, and the clear shafts of his sentences pierce into it with a disturbing frequency until the reader is apt to wonder whether or not the Indian is as complicated a being as he seems to be. Yet in a last analysis he is. India remains India and no number of British civilians or army corps can hope to divert that huge, semi-supine, dreaming giant from immemorial methods of existence. Broken and factious, throbbing with antagonistic religious sects and castes, it yet remains sullenly itself in spite of the long decades of English rule. Mr. Forster makes it quite clear that it is no dream of the Peacock Throne at Delhi that holds India apart, but the congenital differences of birth as well. Here again is Kipling's old dictum that "East is East and West is West." Yet if the idea be given that "A Passage to India" is the usual type of Indian novel in which patriotic impulses heroically manifest themselves, a genuine wrong is done the author. Mr. Forster is quite aware that right and wrong may not be so easily separated; that, in fact, both sides may be right and wrong at the same time. His objective is to show modern life in India, in Chandrapore, and to do this he draws with a superb finality a group of Indians and British civil officers and women. The utmost care is shown in interlocking the various urges in this book. The result is a bewilderingly vivid presentation of life.
A mere resume of the novel gives no adequate idea of it, for the prime importance of Mr. Forster's work lies not so much in situation as in the development of a dozen apparently trivial incidents leading up to it. Odd words, single sentences, flashes of characterization, the general atmosphere which is so precisely built up -- these are the touches that set Mr. Forster apart as a novelist. It conveys no more than his modus operandi to state that the book circles about a young Indian, Dr. Aziz, who is unjustly accused of attempted assault by a hysterical English girl and who therefore serves as a hinge from which both humanities -- British and Indian -- break. Certain things become apparent as the book progresses and not the least of them is the stupidity of the British. There is no other word for it. This system of the conqueror which prevents an Indian from being a member of a white man's club, which assumes a cocksure knowledge of the Indian mind when that knowledge is based on a dull misconception, which eternally suspects and belittles -- this is the aspect of life in India which Mr. Forster brings out most clearly. A single episode may be noted as a fair exemplification of this. Dr. Aziz, calling on Fielding, the Englishman who stands by the Indians and commits the last sin by not blindfolding his judgment and sticking with the Britishers, gives the white man his collar button in a burst of generosity when that individual has broken his own. Later we find the City Magistrate, Heaslop, remarking: ''Aziz was exquisitely dressed, from tie pin to spats, but he had forgotten his back collar stud, and there you have the Indian all over: inattention to detail; the fundamental slackness that reveals the race.'' Here, in a nutshell, Mr. Forster intimates, is the attitude of the Anglo-Indian toward the native; the slackness is instantly assumed; the Britisher sees the surface and no more.
The Indian portraits are superb. Dr. Aziz, of course, is more fully drawn than the others, for he serves as that aspect of India which Mr. Forster is anxious to bring to the fore -- the educated Indian who understands British civilization, but who can never be really identified with it.
Indeed, one thing that "A Passage to India" seems to assert is the hopelessness of any agreement between India and her conquerors. Two peoples who will never mix are here, and when this is so there must always be two groups. The house will always be divided. The few points in this book which have been noted are but a tithe of the riches that may be found there. The crystal-clear portraiture, the delicate conveying of nuances of thought and life, and the astonishing command of his medium show that Mr. Forster is now at the height of his powers. It is not alone because the canvas is larger and the implications greater than in "Howards End" and "A Room With a View" that this is so. The real reason is implicit in the author's unmistakable growth, the deepening of his powers and the assurance of his technique. When Mr. Leonard Woolf states, ''Mr. Forster seems now to have reached the point at which there is nothing too simple or too subtle for his pen,'' he is expressing an exact truth. Certainly "A Passage to India" should greatly widen that rather small audience that has relished his novels in the past. And that rather small audience should congratulate itself on its acumen.
Finally, in 2014 (90 years after its initial book review) The Guardian named A Passage to India as #48 on its list of "The 100 best novels of the 20th century."
This is by no means a comprehensive roundup of obituaries and commentaries about the life and career of Edmund White, who died on June 3 at the age of 85. But it's a start! I'll post more tributes as I find them.
At my invitation, our friend Robert Muir has shared his thoughts on the recent passing of his longtime friend, Edmund White.
"The New York Times did a comprehensive article on Edmund White after his passing, but I wanted to add some of my personal reflections.
Like many gay men of my generation, I was influenced by the novels of Edmund White and Andrew Holleran in the early 1980s. White’s trilogy of autobiographical novels: A Boy’s Own Story, The Beautiful Room Is Empty and The Farewell Symphony, had a huge impact on my reading and my education on gay life. I attended many of Edmund White’s readings and book signings through the 90s and beyond. His Genet: A Biography led me into the world of Genet’s writing and life. I remember seeing a very striking Frenchman who sat with Ed at one of his readings and always wondered if that was Huber Sorin, his lover and the basis for the character of Julian in A Married Man.
Around the time when his play "Terre Haute" was set to premiere in London, I decided to reach out to Ed in a letter via Princeton where he was teaching. I was headed to London for the play, but missed him there by two days. He emailed me back and we began a 17-year correspondence over emails. In August 2008, he invited me to his apartment in New York, and we had lunch and a long chat in a Chelsea restaurant.
Since then, we’ve exchanged thousands of emails about life and literature, mostly gay literature. I’ve kept him abreast of the books we read at BookMen and he’s advised me of his thoughts on our books, as well as others. He turned me on to the works of Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño and Spanish writer Javier Marias, whose novels--The Savage Detectives (2007) and The Infatuations (2013), respectively--I found to be exceptional contemporary literature. We also talked at length about Anna Karenina, which he always claimed was his favorite novel and which he reread about every three years. He also gave me a heads up on Edouard Louis as The End of Eddy was making waves.
While our book club was reading Caracole, Tim Walton and I put together a list of real-life people we believed were the basis for the characters in the novel. I sent it to Ed, and he was impressed that we got six out of the eight characters right. He told us the real names for the other two.
Ed was always so generous with his time on all things literary; quick to correct me when I was getting off track, but never in a condescending way. I feel so blessed to have known him on some level, and I will sorely miss that connection to him."
Pioneering gay author Edmund White died on June 3 at the age of 85. Hailed as a pioneer of gay literature, White mined his own life story, including his vast and varied catalog of sexual experiences, in more than 30 books of fiction and nonfiction, as well as hundreds of articles and essays. Many were critical successes, and several were best-sellers, leading the Chicago Tribune to label him “the godfather of queer lit.”
We have read eight of his books over the years; in alphabetical order, they are: A Saint from Texas (discussed in 2021); Caracole (2011); City Boy (2011);
The Faber Book of Gay Short Fiction, which he edited (1999); The Farewell Symphony (2013); Fresh Men: New Voices in Gay Fiction, which he edited (2006); My Lives (2007); and The Tastemaker (2019). Curiously, his breakout book, A Boy's Own Story, is not among them--an omission I trust we'll rectify with next year's reading list. (And yes, that is a hint to nominate it this fall :-). Later this year, we will discuss his Nocturnes for the King of Naples (with a new foreword by Garth Greenwell).
I am still compiling the many obituaries, tributes and reflections on White's career, and will post those in a separate entry.
I didn't learn until after the fact about his appearance at Union Stage to promote it this past Friday, but Chasten Buttigieg has just published a children's book, Papa's Coming Home. (We read his memoir, I Have Something to Tell You, back in 2020.)
Here's the summary: "Jojo and Rosie’s papa has been away on a trip, and they can’t wait to welcome him home! They make signs, they pick flowers, and with Daddy’s help, they bake a cake and pack the car with absolutely everything Papa might have missed while he was away.
When Papa’s plane arrives, they give him a huge hug—but when they bring him to the car, they realize there’s one small problem: Where will Papa sit?
Delightfully illustrated by Dan Taylor, this charming story filled with love celebrates dads and familial bonds. Chasten Buttigieg shines a beautiful light on the humorous musings of toddlers and a parent’s unconditional love for their child."
While I'm not a big fan of children's books--or children--Papa's Coming Home sounds delightful.
Feedspot has just notified us that our blog has made its list of "Top 70 LGBTQ Book Blogs" on the web. And since we're #24 on the list, I suppose we can claim to be in its top 25!
The June issue of The Atlantic contains a fascinating account of James Baldwin's February 1965 debate with William F. Buckley at Cambridge University. The motion put up for debate was this: “The American dream is at the expense of the American Negro.” (I won't say which speaker won over the audience, but I will say it was a rout.) Although Baldwin's homosexuality did not arise that evening, and Sam Tanenhaus only lightly touches on it in the article, I found the article fascinating, and commend it to you all.
So far, BookMen DC has read two books by Ocean Vuong: his first poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds (February 2022) and his first novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (June 2020). His new novel, The Emperor of Gladness, is an Oprah Book Club selection, and while Oprah's interview is nearly an hour long, I was riveted--and I went out and bought a copy at Little District Books the next morning.
I haven't had a chance to start reading it yet, but unless the novel is a real disappointment, I intend to nominate it for next year's reading list. Here are some reviews and profiles from GQ, Vulture, the New York Times and The Guardian.
Exactly 26 years ago today, on May 11, 1999, what was originally known as the Potomac Gay Men's Book Group convened for its first meeting. And we're still going strong more than a quarter-century later! For more details on our origin story, see this May 2024 Washington Blade article.
WorldPride staff have invited BookMen members to the following in-person WorldPride event:
James Kirchick, author of Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington (one of our current third-Wednesday anthologies), will be in conversation with New York Times reporter Shawn McCreesh at the Alliance Française on Tuesday, May 20, at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.).
Here is a link with more info: https://www.francedc.org/eventbrite/1357138270099.
I've already reserved a spot; hope to see some of you there.
Here is another compilation of LGBTQ-themed poems (not all by LGBTQ poets, I should note) from the American Academy of Poetry's Poem-a-Day newsletter. These poems were disseminated in February through April of this year. Enjoy!
Last month The Atlantic compiled a list of "The Best American Poetry of the 21st Century (So Far)." Four of the 25 collections are by gay poets, and we've actually read two of them: Ocean Vuong's Night Sky with Exit Wounds (#3 on the list; we discussed it in Feb. 2022) and Danez Smith's Night Sky with Exit Wounds (#24; we discussed it in April 2019). The other two books are Richard Siken's Crush (#6) and Jerico Brown's The Tradition (#14).
The fourth essay in This Arab Is Queer: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers, which we'll begin discussing on April 16, "Catching the Light: Reclaiming Opera as a Trans Arab," is by Zeyn Joukhadar. A former opera singer, Joukhadar alludes to YouTube recordings of his performances, but alas, my search did not turn up any of them. (Those of you who have TikTok and Instagram may have better luck there; please let me know if you find any of his work there.) I did, however, find videos of various talks he has given about his writing.
I recognized the name of the first contributor to the anthology, Egyptian-American journalist Mona Eltahawy from her Washington Post op-eds, such as "#Mosque MeToo: What happened when I was sexually assaulted during the hajj" (published in 2018).
Back in 2014, we discussed The Dream of the Celt by Mario Vargas Llosa, who recently died at the age of 89. Taking its title from a poem written by its subject, the book is a novelization of the life of Roger Casement (1864–1916), the gay Anglo-Irish diplomat and Irish patriot.
Back in June 2021, we discussed F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (That was back when we were reading non-LGBTQ books once a quarter or so.)
As some of you are no doubt aware, the novel celebrates its centennial this year. With that in mind, I offer the following observation from our friend Ted Coltman: "I’ve long thought that Gatsby was Jewish, but it hadn’t occurred to me that another reading might see him as black passing as white, as the author does in this piece."
To celebrate the novel's centennial, here is a tour d'horizon courtesy of the New York Times: "It's Gatsby's World. We Just Live In It."
And for those of you interested in possible gay subtexts for the novel, here is my original 2021 post on the topic:
"Last week, 14 of us gathered online for a lively discussion of The Great Gatsby. By coincidence (?), just two days later Ron Charles used his weekly Washington Post Book Club newsletter to highlight several new books that riff on Fitzgerald's classic, now that it has entered the public domain.
"First up, published back in January [2021], is Michael Farris Smith's Nick, a prequel that imagines Carraway's ordeal in World War I and then follows him to New Orleans. Hot off the press is The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, in which Jordan Baker, a queer Vietnamese orphan in this version, narrates what is now a gothic fantasy. As Ron Charles says in his review: "The partygoers drink demon blood, sorcery twists the beams of reality, and Jay Gatsby is a bisexual vampire. Finally, the story makes sense!"
"If that isn't wild enough for you, then how about this final tidbit from Charles? "Nineteen students at the University of Iowa have reportedly sold their adaptation of the novel to Independent Pictures and Fugitive Films. Gilded in Ash, the product of a creative English course last fall, reimagines Gatsby as an African American woman who works as an art forger. No word yet on whether the studio will actually make the movie, but as Nick says, 'Reserving judgment is a matter of infinite hope.'"
Back in January, I posted an announcement about Lavender.com, which will be held on June 14-15. Little District Books just announced that more than 50 LGBTQ+ authors will participate, with more expected. Tickets are on sale, so don't miss out!
I must confess that until Mike Mazza nominated it for our reading list, I'd never heard of Larry Duplechan or his 1986 novel Blackbird, which we'll be discussing tomorrow night.
In anticipation of our meeting, here are a few fun facts about Duplechan and Blackbird:
Duplechan (born 1956) has written five novels, most of which follow Johnny Ray Rousseau and other Blackbird characters. Eight Days a Week (1985), his first novel, follows Rousseau in his 20s, so Blackbird is technically a prequel.
Duplechan adapted his own novel for "Blackbird," a 2015 film directed by Patrik-Ian Polk and starring Mo'Nique and Isaiah Washington. Although the film had a successful run on the festival circuit, winning awards at several LGBT-oriented festivals including Outflix Memphis, Atlanta’s Out On Film Festival, and the Crossroads Film Festival, it did not get good reviews and tanked at the box office. (I'd still like to see it, myself, however!)
His most recent book, published in 2023, is Movies That Made Me Gay.
More than a year ago, I posted an item here about Sarah Snook's marvelous one-woman portrayal of every character in Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The theater gods granted my wish that the play would transfer from London to this side of the pond, for it is now in New York through June, still with Ms. Snook in charge. Here are reviews from the Washington Post and New York Times, as well as TheaterMania's less enthusiastic take.
And here is my February 2024 plug:
"As we prepare for next week's discussion of Matthew Sturgis' monumental biography of Oscar Wilde, I found this TheaterMania review of Sarah Snook's performance in a solo show based on The Picture of Dorian Gray timely indeed. With a flock of video screens floating above her, Snook (whom many of us know as Shiv Roy from "Succession") plays every single character in Wilde's text--from Dorian, to his hedonistic mentor Lord Henry Wotton, and tortured artist Basil Hallward. It sounds amazing; here's hoping it transfers from London to this side of the pond! (This just in: The Economist's reviewer is also wildly enthusiastic about the play.)"
The latest edition of News Is Out has a clever article, "Queer Lit Matchmaker: What to read after your favorite LGBTQ+ novel," that pairs some well-known books--e.g., Call Me By Your Name (which we discussed back in 2008), The Price of Salt (which we discussed in 2005) and Red, White & Royal Blue--with newer titles. Potential 2026 BookMen selections? :-)
This comes from a New York Times "The Ethicist" column that I can't seem to track down. The final line is the reason I'm sharing it:
A Bonus Question: "A few years ago, my friend of many years self-published a work of fiction and asked me to buy a copy and review it on Amazon. Reading this book was absolute torture, but I could not bring myself to tell her. Because of our friendship, and the fact that I’m an emotional coward, I wrote a positive review of this horrible book, at some cost to my self-respect. Now she wants me to read and review her second attempt at literature. What to do? — Name Withheld"
From the Ethicist:
This is someone whose friendship you value and whose literary efforts you do not. Being mindful of her feelings isn’t just cowardice; it’s also caring. So find a way to combine a measure of candor with a measure of kindness. That might be some version of: “Personally, I struggled to connect with this story, so I’m not the right person to post a review — but I’m so impressed with your creativity and dedication.” Otherwise you could take inspiration from Muriel Spark’s novel “A Far Cry From Kensington.” It features a book editor who, asked to assess an awful manuscript that her boss has already committed to publish, responds simply, “I consider that it cannot be improved upon.”
On March 11, gay author and member of the Violet Quill collective Felice Picano passed away at the age of 81. Our group discussed his 1979 novel, The Lure, back in 2020.
In anticipation of our May 7 discussion of John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, I wanted to share this item from a July 2024 edition of Washington Post book critic Ron Charles' weekly Book Club newsletter (free to join even if you're not a Post subscriber, and highly recommended).
“Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” a musical adaptation of John Berendt’s true-crime book, is playing at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago through Aug. 11 (tickets). Back in 1994, before 18 gazillion people had read this story of Savannah murder, the Washington Post’s Jonathan Yardley called it “a surprising, wonderful book” (rave). And during the covid-19 pandemic, the Post’s Michael Dirda included “Midnight” on his short list of books for when “you decide to chuck the modern world and retreat to a cabin in the woods” (full list).
Those of you who are New York Times subscribers may wish to look into the following invitation.
In January, the club discussed Alan Hollinghurst's Our Evenings, which we'll be discussing later this year. Here is a link to that podcast.
which I believe anyone can access (if I did this right).
"Each month, the Book Review Book Club chooses something to discuss with our readers. (This month, it’s “We Do Not Part,” by Han Kang.)
Sometimes it’s a new book that intrigues us; other times it’s an older work that has a new resonance or relevance. We announce our pick at the beginning of every month and invite readers to pose questions and share thoughts in the comments section. And at the end of the month, we devote a podcast episode to the book.
Sounds pretty dreamy, no?
We’ve heard from many of you who’d like to know more about the Book Club. Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions.
How do I participate?
Secure a copy of the book in the format of your choice. Immerse yourself and ignore all earthly concerns until you reach the end. Pop over to the comments section of the article announcing the pick to chat with other readers and Book Review editors about what you’ve read.
Is there an official reading schedule?
There is not! You’re free to read the book at your own pace over the course of the month.
How can I make sure I know the latest?
Read the newsletter! We’ll be sure to share each month’s pick here and send around a link to the podcast discussion when it’s available."
Once again, our friend Mike Mazza has been kind enough to share his extensive notes on a BookMen selection: in this case, Christopher Isherwood's memoir, Christopher and His Kind, for which he led last night's discussion. Thanks again, Mike! I always find these notes useful and hope you will, too. Just note that the citations (e.g., loc 78, 8%, etc.) below refer to the Kindle edition, not the paperback.
Notes on Christopher and His Kind, updated 241228.
Author: Christopher Isherwood.
Full title: “Christopher and His Kind: 1929-1939.”
Copyright 1976.
My introductory comments:
—This is a book that I nominated for the Bookmen reading list without having read it myself—and without having read any other books by Isherwood! But I nominated it because I consider Isherwood to be a major, even essential, gay author and I have intended to read something by him for a long time.
—Also, I really enjoyed the documentary film Chris and Don: A Love Story, about the relationship between Isherwood and his long time partner Don Bachardy, who achieved fame in his own right as a portrait painter.
—Isherwood is, in my estimation, an artist whose work remains relevant and enjoyable both within an LGBTQ context and in the larger culture—look, for example, at the most recent revival of the musical Cabaret, which has its source material in Isherwood’s work.
—I am intrigued by the way Isherwood cites secondary sources, such as the diary of his mother Kathleen (p 87, p 248), a recent letter from Stephen Spender (88), Gerald Hamilton’s book Mr. Norris and I (91), an autobiographical book by John Lehmann (103), a letter from E. M. Forster (117), the diary of Virginia Woolf (327), and his own fiction.
—This is very much a book about writers and writing; he looks at the publishing industry, his fellow writers of the time, etc. See his comments especially on his relationship with Edward Upward on p. 107, and the importance of Forster to Isherwood: 112. Also the role of a film assignment on “Little Friend” to his education as a writer: 176.
—his notion of the embryos of novels starting as “interlocked Siamese twins or triplets”: 183. Compare his musings on the novel to Forster’s book length work on his theories of the novel.
—his resolve to keep writing after traumatic separation from Heinz: 284.
—recurring subject: his fruitful, ongoing play writing collaboration with Wystan Hugh Auden.
—The portrayal of Forster, and of his personal relationship with Isherwood, is especially rich and moving. It is especially significant in terms of the age difference between the two men.
—note also the political currents that sweep through the narrative—the rise of Nazism in Germany and the international Communist movement.
—note his relationships with many women, including his mother. Also, with writer Beatrix Lehmann. Also, actress Jean Ross (the model for his fictional creation Sally Bowles).
Passages to read aloud:
—Forster and the art of writing: p 112.
—vivid description of German complacency towards Nazi thuggism: 128+.
—observations on Forster’s Maurice: 132. Also 133.
—diary entry in which C describes Wystan: 243.
—“Passportless rabbits”: 281.
—Perception of New York City: 340 (“rude steel nudity”).
Funny!:
—Christopher as Forster’s disciple: 112.
—letter from Upward reflecting on C’s relationship with his mother: 117.
—satire of Virginia Woolf’s style: 120.
—C’s writerly struggle on the island of St. Nicholas: 145.
Quotable:
—On his need to write: p 145 (“I must write.”)
—on crying (“very hard to cry”): p 284.
Themes:
—gay men as a tribe, a brotherhood: 168, 169, 337.
—the burden placed on C and Heinz as a homosexual/international couple: 253, 280, 291.
—the geographic travels of Christopher and his associates: to a Greek island, the Canary Islands, Portugal, Denmark, Berlin, Paris, Dover, Egypt.
—variety of C’s experiences as a professional writer, to include involvement with the theater, the film industry, and writing reviews for a periodical.
—Specters of Hitler, Nazism and war hanging over the narrative throughout, sometimes very directly.
Cringeworthy passages that have not aged well:
—ethnic homosexual rape fantasy: p 19.
—C’s offensive nickname for Heinz: 98.
—Jewish attitude towards homosexuals: 168.
Notes on individual chapters
Chapter One: p 7; loc 33; 1%.
—states frank and factual nature of this memoir.
—prior autobiographical book should be read as a novel.
—W.H. Auden.
—young Christopher’s homosexuality and inhibitions based on class and nationality.
—young Christopher and Berlin.
—meeting Bubi at the Cosy Corner. Their relationship; Bubi as mythic “Wanderer.”
—his infatuation with blonds and personal mythology: p 10.
—Christopher and John Layard: p 12.
—Wystan and Christopher go to Amsterdam to meet the fugitive Bubi.
—after a sexual experience with a woman, C reflects on his orientation: p 17.
—C returns to Germany and goes to see his acquaintance Francis in Berlin.
—Dr. Hirschfeld’s Institute: 20
Chapter Two: p 21; loc 226; 5%.
—C’s perceptions of the staff and guests of the Institute.
—the museum of the Institute: p 22. C’s awareness of his “tribe.”
—visit from Andre Gide.
—history of Hirschfeld and his Institute. His campaign against Paragraph 175; specter of Nazism.
—Work of the Institute legal department.
—H’s sister is C’s landlady: 25.
—C’s work as an English teacher.
—C works on his novel.
—description of Francis, archeologist who is being treated for syphilis at the Institute.
—C and Francis in the bars:pp 32+.
—C’s relationships with the underclass young men who frequented the gay bars; compare to the gay world described in Rechy’s City of Night.
—C goes to a gay ball dressed like a street hustler: 40.
—Conrad Veidt and his gay-themed films.
Chapter Three: p 42; loc 516; 11%.
—A 1930 letter from C to Stephen Spender.
—C’s homosexual uncle Henry Isherwood provides an allowance. Their relationship.
—conflict between C’s brother Richard and their mother: 44.
—C’s own strife with his mother.
—C’s diary of his life in Germany: 46.
—his letters from this time.
—C and Otto, a narcissistic bisexual; their sexual relationship.
—note interspersed sequences from C’s novel Goodbye to Berlin, where Otto is fictionalized.
—Wystan’s visit and his writing: 52.
—visit from Edward Upward, C’s closest heterosexual male friend: 53.
—their relationship as fellow writers.
—political rise of Nazism: 55.
—C goes to live with Otto’s family in a small attic flat that shared a common toilet.
—C explains difference between novelized version of this period.
—class issues in his “slumming” with Nowak family.
—C moves and gets a room to himself: 60.
—Quote about C from Spender autobiography: 60.
—Spender becomes a pupil in writing to C in Berlin.
Chapter Four: p 64; loc 820; 17%.
—C moves again, from working class to middle class Berlin.
—The phrase “I am a camera” and the stage adaptation of C’s novel about this period in his life.
—His new landlady at Nollendorfstrasse, Meta Thurau, and her fictional counterpart from his writings.
—Jean Ross, the basis for Sally Bowles, and her relationship to C.
—his comments on John van Druten’s play based on his fiction: p 68+.
—the stage musical Cabaret and the film version; evolution of the lead male character across versions.
—C’s Jewish friend Wilfred; threat of Nazism.
—Young C’s attitude towards Hindus: p 77.
—Gerald Hamilton, sales representative of the Times of London for Germany.
Chapter Five: p 86; loc 1140; 23%.
—awaiting publisher’s decision on his new book.
—Note C’s use of the diary of his mother Kathleen in writing this book—example reference p 87.
—his second novel rejected by publisher.
—holiday with Stephen, Wystan and Otto. My note: Three literary giants plus Otto!
—C and Klaus Mann, son of Nobelist Thomas. Klaus’ 1949 suicide: 92.
—Hogarth Press accepts The Memorial. Its eventual publication.
—C and Gerald Hamilton cope with financial and political currents.
—Gerald’s problematic relationship with Communism.
—one reviewer on homosexual characters in The Memorial: 96.
—C goes to live with Francis in a country village of Mohrin.
—C has a romantic relationship with the house servant Heinz: 98.
—his appreciation of Spender’s photographs of this period: 100.
—C decides to finally master the subjunctive mood of the German language.
Chapter Six: p 102; loc 1368; 28%.
—C visits England.
—his friend Hector Wintle, who has completed medical school.
—my note: note C’s romantic reflection on Hector’s prospective visit to Hong Kong
— visit with John Lehmann at Hogarth Press: 103.
—C’s friendship with L’s sisters.
—impact of Edward Upward’s short story “Sunday” on C: 106+.
—C’s relationship with Olive Mangeot, another Communist: 107+.
—Gerald Heard and Chris Wood.
—William Plomer: p 111.
—C and E. M. Forster—“his master”: p 111+.
—Forster and the key to the art of writing: 112.
—conflict between C and Spender.
—C begins writing fiction about Berlin: 115.
—he leaves England again.
Chapter Seven: p 117; loc 1579; 32%.
—ironic account of a royal wedding, attended by Gerald Hamilton, at which deposed royals were present: p 118+.
—Nazis suffer an electoral setback: 119.
—C’s ongoing flirtation with Communism.
—C and writer Beatrix Lehmann: 122. Fascinating portrait of her.
—Black Peter card game described: 123.
—Spender’s poetry collection published.
—Hitler appointed Chancellor.
—C notes that Hitler’s steps towards dictatorship were all legal: 128.
—“boy bars” oppressed under Nazis: 131.
—ironic account of a male homosexual couple who foolishly admired the Nazis.
—C back in London.
—Forster shows C a typescript of his novel Maurice; important!: 132.
—Forster as a “great prophet of their tribe”: 133.
—planned group trip to Greece in shadow of growing Nazi oppression.
—Hirschfeld Institute raided: 135. Description of event reminds me of January 6, 2021 attack on US capitol.
—public book burning.
—insight into van Druten’s stage adaptation of C’s work.
—reunion with his landlady after the war; gift of a clock.
Chapter Eight: p 139; loc 1900; 39%.
—insight from Edward Upward on his work as a writer: 140.
—trip to Greece begins. Note description of trek through Europe.
—Location of St. Nicholas, island on which Francis was building his house: 143.
—life on the island; C’s struggle to write.
—C’s relationship with Heinz; his jealousy.
—C and Heinz depart island and go to France.
—They travel to England: p 152.
—Heinz returns to Germany when his tourist permit expires.
Chapter Nine: p 154; loc 2122; 43%.
—Jean Ross helps C get a screenwriting job with director Berthold Viertel, who becomes the basis for a character In Prater Violet. Film title is Little Friend.
—Viertel: also a German-language poet: 159.
—C’s reaction to an offensive anecdote about homosexuals from Viertel: 162+.
—C asked to stay on as dialogue director for the film.
—C meets Heinz upon the latter’s arrival in Britain; no hugs or kiss; important: 164.
—Heinz stopped at passport office due to class issue. C questioned along angle of homosexual suspicion. He is sent back.
—C’s observations about the filmmaking world.
—Forster’s visit to the film set: 175.
Chapter Ten: p 177; loc 2455; 50%.
—March 1934: C rejoins Heinz in Amsterdam.
—Their journey to Gran Canaria and exploration of the Island.
—C struggles while writing his novel about Berlin. Proposed title “The Lost.”
—C and Heinz travel to Tenerife: 185.
—trip to island volcano with a German schoolmaster; C’s musings on the menace of Nazism: 187+.
—C works on technical/stylistic aspects of his in-progress Berlin novel: 189+.
—a homosexual narrator in the novel?
—concept of a “dynamic portrait” novel: 192.
—he finishes the novel.
—tour of three westernmost Canary Islands: 194.
—C and Heinz settle in Copenhagen.
Chapter Eleven: p 196; loc 2729; 56%.
—meeting Stephen Spender’s brother Michael and Michael’s wife Erica in Copenhagen.
—While living with Heinz in Copenhagen, C collaborates with Wystan on a play.
—The year 1935: p 201.
—Wystan arrives in Denmark to continue on the play.
—worries about possible German conscription and implications for Heinz.
—C & Heinz go to Brussels: 205.
—C as book reviewer for The Listener.
—Forster on C’s book “Mr Norris”: 208.
—C declines a marriage of convenience that would have helped Erika Mann.
—At C’s suggestion she marries Wystan instead: 212.
—outline of planned novel Paul Is Alone: 212+.
—another attempt to get a permit for Heinz to stay in Belgium: 222.
Chapter Twelve: p 226; loc 3178; 65%.
—Maritime voyage.
—At a hotel 15 miles outside Lisbon.
—the group of 4 settles into a cottage in Portugal.
—C’s relationship with the Hogarth Press and with Virginia Woolf: 241.
—Wystan visits the cottage in Portugal to collaborate with C on a new play.
—Publication of “Sally Bowles” as a small stand alone volume rather than as a magazine piece: 247.
—Heinz receives his notice of impending conscription.
—burden on C and Heinz as a homosexual couple facing a possible deportation crisis: p 253. Important! Compare to the Wystan Auden/Erika Mann marriage of convenience described previously.
—Genesis of Spanish Civil War.
Chapter Thirteen: p 256; loc 3650; 74%.
—continued drama over the effort to help Heinz avoid conscription; possibility of Mexican citizenship.
—historical context: Spanish Civil War; Edward VIII abdication: 262.
—Wystan’s plan to go to Spain, and the reaction of the British press.
—confirmation from lawyer that Heinz had been denied permission to enter England on “moral” grounds; 267.
—production of play written by C and Wystan, “The Ascent of F6,” and C’s relationship with play director Rupert Doone: 268+.
—C and Heinz go to Paris.
—trouble with Heinz’ permit to stay in France: 275.
Chapter Fourteen: p 278; loc 3964; 81%.
—C in Luxembourg.
—still pursuing a Mexican passport for Heinz. Expulsion crisis in Luxembourg.
—Heinz arrested in Germany as a draft evader: 282.
—C questions his own seeming failure to do enough to help Heinz: 287.
—C finishes a draft of “Lions and Shadows”: 287.
—Heinz’ trial. C implicated. My note: compare to Quentin Crisp’s account of his own trial in The Naked Civil Servant.
—Heinz sentenced to 6 months in prison, followed by 3 years combined labor and military service: 288.
—a new play collaboration with Wystan—“On the Frontier”: 289.
—flash forward to reunion with Heinz 15 years later: 292.
—planned trips for C and Wystan to both wartime Spain and wartime China. They withdraw from planned Spain trip.
—January 1938: C and W begin their trek to China: p 296.
Chapter Fifteen: p 297; loc 4235; 86%.
—C and Wystan enroute to China.
—stop enroute at Port Said, Egypt; reunion with Francis: p 298.
—poignant flash forward to death of Francis.
—Arrival in Hong Kong: 301.
—Their wanderings around mainland China; book “Journey to a War.”
—impressions of wartime China.
—Guests of British ambassador in Shanghai.
—They leave China; ironic port stops in Japan enroute to Vancouver.
—Arrival in Vancouver: p 314.
—Arrival in New York.
—Introduced to “Vernon,” C’s real life “American Boy” fantasy: 316+. My note: compare this episode to John Rechy’s City of Night, especially the New York City section.
—Thoughts on Walt Whitman and the American Boy.
—The closeness of the relationship between C & Wystan. My note: this is one of the most touching elements in the book; the portrait of Wystan is loving and detailed.
Chapter Sixteen: p 319; loc 4549; 93%.
—C & Wystan arrive back in London.
—News of Heinz, then working off his year of labor service: 322.
—Flash forward to Heinz marrying a woman.
—C and Virginia Woolf: 326+.
—C & Wystan depart for the US.
—C’s thoughts on gay rights and anti-gay oppression: 336+.
—C has an awakening as a pacifist.
—Arrival in New York: 339, 340.
—Narrative ends on a touching and hopeful note, humorously alluding to C’s future relationships with his long term partner Don Bachardy: p 342.
List of books by Isherwood: p 344; loc 4881; 100%.
Longtime BookMen DC member Philip Clark has started a Meetup group, The LGBT History Meetup, to gather folks to attend LGBT history-related exhibits, films, discussions and other events. He's inviting Bookmen members to join the Meetup, and also inviting Meetup members to join Bookmen gatherings for any more overtly history-related books. If you have questions, feel free to ask him at a BookMen meeting or e-mail him at philipclark@hotmail.com.
To celebrate its centenary, The New Yorker is running a series of reflections by authors on classic works of literature from its archive. Here is Michael Cunningham's essay on Annie Proulx's short story, "Brokeback Mountain," which first appeared in the magazine in October 1997.
I want to share the following email from Andrew Lokay, from the Capital Pride Alliance:
"I’d like to invite you and your group to join us for the March meeting of the virtual WorldPride 2025 book club, which will be held Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. to discuss Kai Cheng Thom’s book of poetry Falling Back in Love with Being Human. We will have guests from the Prince George’s County library and human rights office.
More info and registration can be found online here: https://worldpridedc.org/events/book-club/."
Tomorrow, Feb. 22, would be the 100th birthday of Edward Gorey (1925–2000), the famed writer, designer and artist whose absurdist humor and distinctive style of illustration—darkly crosshatched, vaguely Edwardian, and often gleefully grim—has inspired generations of devotees. To celebrate, the New York Review of Books just published From Ted to Tom: The Illustrated Envelopes of Edward Gorey, a collection of never-before-seen art and letters sent by Gorey to his friend Tom Fitzharris. The book makes it apparent that, even in private correspondence, Gorey was meticulous, mischievous, creatively abundant, and always utterly himself.
To celebrate the centennial, NRB is offering a 25% discount on From Ted to Tom along with several titles that Gorey illustrated, including H. G. Well’s The War of the Worlds; a children’s book collaboration with Rhoda Levine; a book of Greek myths and legends; and a collection of classic horror stories chosen by Gorey himself. The sale ends Feb. 22 at midnight EST.
In addition, here is a link to "Edward Gorey in the Basement," which reproduces an 11-part adventure serial Gorey drew for the NRB in 1975 called “La Malle Saignante” (“The Bleeding Trunk”), one episode of an unfinished project called Les Mystères de Constantinople. To celebrate Gorey’s centenary and the serial’s 50th anniversary—and with thanks to the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust—the magazine presents the entirety of “La Malle Sagnante” with an introduction by Lucas Adams, a senior editor at New York Review Comics, as well as four articles and one letter from its archives about Gorey and his legacy.
[Engagement with Whitman's poetry] can "generate thought and new poems that can be shared by strangers from a range of ages, ethnicities, sexualities and genders. Our capacity to imagine democracy as part of the creative process is the complicated legacy of Whitman’s call. But poets make crazy demands upon language, and it seems to me that now is the time to demonstrate what language can do in a time of crisis—not only to protest the indignities of these times but also to protect our spirits."
This isn't a long essay, but it is an inspiring one. So I encourage you to check it out.
In honor of this special day, here are some LGBTQ-themed poems (not all by LGBTQ poets, I should note) from the American Academy of Poetry's Poem-a-Day newsletter. Enjoy!
This six-minute TED Talk by Lisa Bu: "How Books Can Open Your Mind." --is a salutary reminder of the power of literature in challenging, even dark circumstances. Check it out!
I haven't watched the Apple TV+ series "Severance," but during a recent Washington Post Style interview Britt Lower, the actress who plays both Helena Eagen and Helly R. on the show, said something very interesting about how she toggles back and forth between the characters: "I had an English teacher in high school who used to say, “Don’t ask what the author meant, ask what they suggested.” Speaking as someone who always tries to suss out the writer's intent in any work of fiction, I found that distinction illuminating and plan to bear it in mind going forward.
The following list incorporates suggestions and comments from various members of BookMen replying to my recent message. I thought it would be easier to post this than to edit the original compilation.
— The Montgomery County Public Library system often has multiple copies of the books we discuss. You do not have to be a resident of the county or even the state to borrow them; they’re available, free of charge, to anyone in the DMV with a library card via interlibrary loan. Besides the savings, another advantage of going that route is that the more often LGBTQ titles are borrowed, the stronger the case libraries can make for ordering more. 🌈
— ABE Books is mainly known for selling used books, but it also offers new titles. Alas, Amazon owns it.
— AllStora (formerly known as ShopQueer) pledges that when you buy any book from them—and not just LGBTQ works—the author will earn double what they receive from other booksellers.
I recently learned from a BookMen member that Amazon has removed some LGBTQ stuff from its website and discontinued some benefits for its employees. He suggested that I stop linking to Amazon for the books we are reading and suggest alternatives.
As someone who has seriously considered canceling his own subscription to The Washington Post after 40+ years because of Jeff Bezos’ decision to put his business interests ahead of journalism (and decency), I am very sympathetic to the idea of no longer linking our reading list titles to Amazon. Sadly, however, there just is no other single source for basic info about so many books, so I reluctantly will continue using the site for that purpose.
However, there are many alternative ways to acquire the books we discuss:
— The Montgomery County Public Library system often has multiple copies of the books we discuss. You do not have to be a resident of the county or even the state to borrow them; they’re available, free of charge, to anyone in the DMV with a library card via interlibrary loan. Besides the savings, another advantage of going that route is that the more often LGBTQ titles are borrowed, the stronger the case libraries can make for ordering more. 🌈
— ABE Books is mainly known for selling used books, but it also offers new titles.
— AllStora (formerly known as ShopQueer) pledges that when you buy any book from them—and not just LGBTQ works—the author will earn double what they receive from other booksellers.
Little District Books, Washington, DC's all-queer independent bookstore, will be hosting Lavender Con 2025 on June 14-15; tickets will go on sale on March 1. The festival celebrates LGBTQIA+ authors and stories; I'll update this item when the venue and other details are announced.
BookMen DC is an informal group of men who are interested in gay literature (both fiction and non-fiction). Most of us live in or near Washington, D.C., but a few members bring a breath of fresh air to our meetings from outside the Beltway, and visitors to DC are always welcome to drop in and join the discussion.
The group gets together on the first and third Wednesdays of each month for meetings lasting about an hour. On first Wednesdays, we meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Park Library at 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW, two blocks from the Cleveland Park Metro station on the Red Line. On third Wednesdays, we meet at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
To be invited, contact "Steve" below.
In keeping with our open and public policy, you don't have to become a member or commit to reading every book and attending every meeting. Simply show up whenever your interests and schedule allow.
For further information or to be placed on our mailing list or to post on our blog, contact .
