As always, I'm grateful to Mike Mazza for sharing his extensive, detailed notes on James Kirchick's Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington, which we'll finish discussing on Dec. 17. These notes cover the second half of the Reagan section (Chapters 38-41), as well as the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton presidencies. Enjoy!
Note: The citations (e.g., loc 78, 8%, etc.) below refer to the Kindle edition, not the paperback.
Secret City—Reagan notes, updated.
Chapter 38: “‘Them’ Is ‘Us’”: p 567; loc 10389; 52%.
—Bob Bauman comes out of the closet in a speech.
—CAIR, organization trying to make Republican Party more gay friendly.
—Rock Hudson and the Reagans: 569. Larry Kramer calls out Nancy.
-“the era’s decadence and hypocrisy”: 571.
—impact and stigma of AIDS.
—Rock Hudson’s AIDS diagnosis made public: 573.
—inappropriate jokes about AIDS and homosexual in the Reagan WH: 575.
—Reagan ignores AIDS crisis in his memoir: 577.
—Bill Buckley, his wife Pat, and her gay male companions: 579.
—Bill Buckley’s vile suggestion, in a 1986 column, that all people with AIDS be tattooed as a warning sign.
—John Ford stands up to an attempt to blackmail him with a threatened outing to Secretary of Agriculture John Block: 582.
Chapter 39: “‘Our Sebastian’”: p 583; loc 10693; 54%.
—young death of gay conservative activist Terry Dolan.
—controversy over reporting AIDS as Dolan’s cause of death.
—WH speechwriter Tony Dolan’s problematic eulogy for his brother; Brideshead Revisited reference.
—separate memorial to Dolan held; attended by gay conservatives: 588.
—The Washington Post’s Bradlee decides to pursue the Dolan story: 589.
—Tony Dolan tries to convince Post reporter Elizabeth Kastor to abandon her article about Terry Dolan: 590. He continues his attempts to stop the article.
Chapter 40: “Mr. Green”: p 594; loc 10898; 55%.
—introduces Carl “Spitz” Channell, founder of conservative activist group.
—Channell attends a pro-Contra presentation by Oliver North.
—Channell: a gay man who had started his career working for Terry Dolan’s NCPAC: 595.
—Channell’s anti-Communist zeal: 596.
—He starts his own Channell Corporation. Bauman visits his office.
—Channell’s efforts in the work to raise money to support the Contras in Nicaragua.
—Channell and Oliver North: 597.
—Reagan signs a letter endorsing the work of Channell’s organization: 599.
—Channell’s staff: “‘Those gay boys of Oliver North’s’”: 599.
—gay staffers on Republican campaigns: 600.
—“‘a perverse form of self-esteem’” comment on gay staff of right wing politicians (p 600); my note: cf Bill Maher’s comment to Larry King that “hating yourself can be the greatest love of all.”
—the ugly side of Channell : 601.
—Margaret Scattergood’s activities after the death of her partner Florence Thorne: 602.
—Channell and Fawn Hall: 603.
—Grifting by Channell? He pleads guiltily and fingers Oliver North. Role of “Fruit Loop” in the scandal. Irony of the elitist closeted gay cabal within the Iran-Contra scandal.
Chapter 41: “The Wonderful, the Creative, and the Brave”: p 607; loc 11,137; 56%.
—introduces Republican Congressman Stewart B. McKinney: a married father living a secret gay life in Washington.
—McKinney: 1st Congressman to die of AIDS: 607.
—the Washington Post’s approach to reporting on McKinney’s death and life: 608.
—before his death, McKinney writes a letter in support of a Connecticut state gay rights ordinance: 608.
—After final unsuccessful attempts to get Tony Dolan to speak on the record, the Washington Post publishes Kastor’s article on Terry Dolan and the gay conservative closet: 610.
—Washington Times runs Tony Dolan’s rebuttal of the Kastor article as a lengthy paid advertisement: 612.
—in his diatribe, Tony Dolan claims Terry rejected homosexuality in a deathbed conversion.
—Drama behind Reagan’s speech at an amfAR benefit dinner: 613+.
—Tony Dolan’s rage against WaPo continues: 615.
—Bob Bauman pops up again: 616.
—Openly gay Dr. Frank Lilly appointed by Reagan to new AIDS commission: 617.
—Gary Bauer in the Reagan administration.
—the 2nd March on Washington for lesbian and gay rights: 619.
—unveiling of AIDS quilt.
—1989 death of Chasen Gav er: 621.
Secret City—Bush, Clinton, conclusion—updated.
George H. W. Bush
Chapter 42: “Naming Names”: p 625; loc 11,448; 58%.
—decline of Craig Spence.
—Washington Times reporter Paul M. Rodriguez uncovers gay prostitution business operating from a DC-area funeral home chain.
—The Times’ many articles about Spence: 629.
—The Washington Times’ “institutional bias against homosexuality”: 632.
—the 1989 “White House callboy story” eventually fizzles out.
—failed homophobic smear campaign against Representative Tom Foley: 634.
—The Frank Rule on closeted gay hypocrisy.
—Spence dies of an overdose in a hotel room: 636.
—Washington as “simultaneously the gayest and most antigay city in America”: 637.
—Andrew Sullivan introduced: 638. His 1989 article making a conservative argument in favor of gay marriage.
—term “outing” coined in 1990: 638.
—Queer Nation’s outing of DoD spokesman Pete Williams: 639.
—continued paranoia among closeted gays.
Bill Clinton
Chapter 43: “A Profoundly Important Strength”: p 643; loc 11,752; 59%.
—Candidate Clinton makes history by explicitly appealing to gay voters for their support.
—in Clinton administration, Roberta Achtenberg becomes the first openly gay person to receive Senate confirmation for a cabinet department position: Assistant HUD Secretary: 645.
—1993 LGB March on Washington.
—“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: 645.
—DOMA: 646.
—1990s AIDS toll.
—Leonard Matlovich’s tombstone: 648. Its cultural significance; his military service.
Conclusion: “The Gay Century”: p 651; loc 11,890; 60%.
—the Sumner Welles scandal recalled.
—Assessing the damage caused by homophobia: 652.
Photographs: p 654+.
Acknowledgements: p 655
—author’s work with Larry Kramer’s papers as part of a Yale College seminar. His interviewing of Kramer.
—author’s friendship with Frank Kameny.
—OPM’s formal apology to Kameny; First Lady Michelle Obama presided over ceremony.
—archival research.
—Rainbow History Project: 659.
—thanks to Christopher Hitchens: 660.
—his debt to those affected by anti-gay bigotry: “Even when it seemed that America had given up on them, they never gave up on America.” 660.
Photography Credits: p 662.
Sources: p 664.
Books: 670
—Balcerski, Bosom Friends (Buchanan and King): 670.
—Beachy, Gay Berlin: 671.
—John Boswell
—John Horne Burns, The Gallery: 672.
—Chauncey, Gay New York.
—D’Emilio, Lost Prophet (Bayard Rustin): 673.
—Doris Faber, Life of Lorena Hickok: 674.
—James Fisher, Dr. America (Thomas Dooley).
—Barney Frank, Frank: A Life in Politics.
—Griffin, All that Heaven Allows (Rock Hudson): 675.
—Alan Helms, Young Man from the Provinces.
—Andrew Hodges, Alan Turing.
—David Leavitt, The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing: 676.
—Ian Lumsden, Machos, Maricones, and Gays (Cuba): 677.
—William Mann, Wisecracker (bio of William Haines).
—Gordon Merrick.
—Jay Parini, Empire of Self (Gore Vidal bio): 678.
—George Plimpton, Truman Capote
—Susan Quinn, Eleanor and Hick: 679.
—Gary Schmidgall, Walt Whitman: A Gay Life.
—Craig Seymour, All I Could Bare: 680.
—Michael Sherry, Gay Artists.
—Justin Spring, Secret Historian (Samuel Steward bio).
—Tim Teeman, In Bed with Gore Vidal: 681.
—Nicholas von Hoffman, Citizen Cohn.
—Gregory Woods, Homintern: 682.
Notes: p 683
—Complete Prose Works of Walt Whitman.
—John Ibson, Men Without Maps: 688.
—Richard Plant, The Pink Triangle.
—Claud Cockburn, 697.
—author interview of Bob Bauman: 725.
—Oliver Stone’s JFK: 741.
—the Brideshead Revisited teddy bear phenomenon as experienced by Christopher Hitchens: 782.
—Larry Craig scandal: 783.
—Mark Robert Schneider, Gerry Studds (bio): 787.
—Saint Sebastian and gay culture: 791.
—“a perverse kind of self-esteem”: 794.
—The wordy Tony Dolan strikes again: 796.
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Mike M.'s notes on "Our Evenings"
As always, I'm grateful to Mike Mazza for sharing his extensive, detailed notes on Alan Hollinghurst's Our Evenings, which we'll discuss on Dec. 3.
Mike comments: "This book made quite an impression on me! In addition to my usual overall thoughts and chapter summaries, these notes include some other features, including a thematic commentary and a character breakdown."
Note: The citations (e.g., loc 78, 8%, etc.) below refer to the Kindle edition, not the paperback.
—————-
Our Evenings notes
—a novel by Alan Hollinghurst
Thoughts on completing the book
—The novel tells the story of first-person narrator David Win, biracial gay son of an English single mother by a brief liaison with a Burmese man while she was working in early 20th century Burma.
—The book has an epic sweep chronologically, as it follows Dave’s life from his teenage years at boarding school, to college, to his career as a stage and screen actor and book author, and finally to his death at around 70 years old during the time of the COVID pandemic.
—A big part of the story is Dave’s coming of age as a gay man in Great Britain, and his three serious gay love relationships.
—Also an important continuing element in the book: Dave’s relationship with schoolmate Giles Hadlow, who grows up to be a right wing, pro-Brexit MP.
—Also important is Dave’s relationship with his mother Avril, who settles into a long term lesbian relationship and business partnership with widow Esme Croft.
—I started reading this book tentatively, giving it a chance, but also thinking I might abandon it if it failed to hold my interest. Well, I found the book truly captivating. I honestly couldn’t predict the various plot developments and new character introductions; I really felt like I was going along on a journey of personal discovery with the narrator.
—Hollinghurst does a fairly solid job of balancing out the intimate personal story of one British life with nods to the political and cultural events affecting Britain as a whole along the way.
—Also important is the presence of books and literature, including both classic and modern stage plays, throughout the book. Hollinghurst’s characters live in a world in which drama, poetry, and other types of writing are a vibrant part of the fabric of life.
—This is a fairly long novel, 488 pages in the Kindle version, but it is well paced and almost never drags. I feel that Hollinghurst got the right length to tell this story.
Important/recurrent themes:
—voyeurism.
—nudity in the context of acting and art modeling: 343; 380; 449; 484.
—the gay “closet”; secrecy and shame; see p 306 (Dave’s inner thoughts while showing boyfriend Chris his hometown); 338.
—Homophobic language and casual anti-gay bigotry.
—British colonial legacy in Burma.
—race, racism and narrator’s biracial heritage. See p 273; 313 (statue of Burmese boy in longyi at Derry’s house); 339 (implied interracial adoptee background of Hector); 355; 377 (Dave’s conversation with Brian Mitchell); 449 (playing a Cambodian character in a play).
—class difference and wealth. See p 276; 285 (“our plutocrat friends”); 337 (Dave and Hector both “broke”); 347.
—an actor’s professional progress: 350, 356.
—note also the recurring presence of both classic and modern theatrical works throughout the narrative as narrator Dave Win and other characters progress through their theatrical careers: p 405 (discussion of Hector’s stage roles during Dave’s book festival appearance).
Additional thoughts; spoiler alert!
—I find it interesting and noteworthy how he tells a parallel gay coming-of-age story with a lesbian love story.
—Book title referenced within the narrative: 448.
—This book has some interesting parallels to Hanif Kureishi’s important novel _The Buddha of Suburbia_. Both books feature a first person narrator who is the biracial queer son of an Englishwoman and an Asian man; both narrators embark on careers in acting. Beyond these parallels, these are very different books. Probably the biggest difference is that Kureishi’s novel encompasses a much shorter time frame in the late 1970s, leading up to the election of Thatcher. Also, whereas Kureishi’s narrator is surrounded by a rich and diverse group of family and friends from his ethnic group, Hollinghurst’s Dave Win spends most of the novel as the sole Burmese-Briton. A related big contrast is Dave’s absent father as opposed to the father in _Buddha_ being an important key character—in fact, the title character!
—I find it noteworthy how Hollinghurst ends the novel by killing off the first person narrator and having another character finish the story with a short first person epilogue. This technique reminded me of the way Alex Haley concluded _The Autobiography of MalcolmX_, which is one of my favorite works of 20th century American literature.
Special vocabulary notes
—longyi: p 200, 461; a cloth worn as a clothing item in Burma.
—subfusc: p 237; formal clothing worn for university exams.
—aegrotat: p 253; a certificate for a student unable to complete a final exam due to an illness.
—gaung-baung: p 70; 462; traditional Burmese head wrap.
—Zimmer frame: p 383; a walker.
—Osmiroid: p 435; name of a British pen company; in the book the name is used to refer to a pen.
Individual chapter and section notes follow.
Prologue
—introduces narrator Dave, an actor
—Mark Hadlow, an elderly businessman, has died.
—Giles: Mark’s son, a “Brexit Minister.”
—Dave has a meal with Mark’s widow, Cara.
Part I
Chapter 1: p 14; 3%.
—story shifts back in time; Giles and Dave
Chapter 2: p 19; 4%.
—Giles introduces Dave to Mark.
—Dave attending boarding school Bampton.
Chapter 3: p 26; 5%.
—Cara’s uncle George.
—Dave’s background.
—George takes teenage Dave to see Ernest, a bull.
Chapter 4: p 33; 7%.
—Cara shows Dave her painting of Lydia.
Chapter 5: p 38; 8%.
—Dave on a car ride with Mark and Giles.
—they pick up Gran at train platform.
—Dave’s father was from Burma; he discusses his heritage with actress Elise Pleynet at Hadlow home.
— Dave and Elise discuss boarding school play.
—discussion of acting roles for people of color.
—Giles calls Dave “Winny”; his last name is Win. The two are in bed together. Giles kisses Dave and leaves.
Chapter 6: p 50; 11%.
—Dave speaks French with Elise.
—Plutocracy game; Dave plays this board game of global economic domination with Hadlow family.
—note that Dave is “the Hadlow Exhibitioner.”
—in bed later, Dave reads his school copy of Twelfth Night.
Chapter 7: p 59; 12%.
—Elise helps Dave with his acting practice for the school play.
—Dave is about to depart the Hadlow home.
Chapter 8: p 65; 14%.
—Mark drives Dave home.
—Dave’s Mum, Avril Win, introduced.
—Dave meets Esme Croft, a client of his seamstress mother: 67.
—last week of spring holiday: 71.
—Mum’s memories of Rangoon.
—Dave listens in secretly on a shared telephone line and hears a man talking about his mother: 80.
Chapter 9: p 83; 17%.
—introduces Manji.
—“The Fathers’ Match.”
—Dave self conscious about his absent father; tells schoolmates his father was killed: 86.
—cricket match.
—Mum arrives with Mrs. Croft.
—Fathers win the match against their schoolboy sons.
—Mrs. Croft drives Dave and his mum home.
—Dave reflects on reading books about Burma that he got from Bampton library: 97.
Chapter 10: p 99; 21%.
—summer holidays.
—Dave and mum on holiday trip with Esme.
—Marco: hotel staff.
—Dave doesn’t want the women to know he ogles men on the beach.
—Dave discusses the telephone party line with Esme Croft: 111.
—Esme asks Avril about Burma.
—Esme was a typist in the office of the Governor who “handed over to the Burmese,” Sir Hubert Rance: 112.
—my note: Rance was Governor from 1946-1948.
—Dave meets Tim, who accidentally enters his hotel room.
—the three travel companions overhear someone use the word “poof”: 117.
—Dave sees crude sexual graffiti in beach latrine.
—He realizes someone had spied on him through a hole while he pleasured himself in the beach latrine.
—Dave joins Marco when he sees him having a drink and s smoke.
—Dave trues to listen in on sex in neighboring hotel room.
—Dave drives the trio back from the trip; enroute switches driving duty with Esme.
Chapter 11: p 132; 28%.
—Dave and mum observe Christmas with family. Multiple new characters introduced.
—Esme Croft discussed at family gathering; her ex-husband referred to as a “fruit”: 136.
—Shirley asks Dave if there are any other “coloured boys” at his boarding school: 138.
Chapter 12: p 143; 30%.
—back at school.
—Giles makes a classist insult to Dave after Dave performs a comic literary reading for classmates: 144.
—school “Field Day missions”: 145.
—assignment: secure a taped interview with someone describing WW1 incidents from his own experience: 146.
—Dave suggests Giles’ Uncle George.
—The Three schoolboys visit Uncle George: 153. The interview begins.
—George describes his work in wartime horse procurement: 156.
—mission completed, Dave and Cousins resolve to hitchhike back to school while Giles drives off for a meeting with a young lady. Cousins gets a ride, leaving Dave on his own. —While hitchhiking, Dave confronted by angry motorist who tells him to go back where he cane from: 163.
—a policeman picks Dave up; drops him off at another location. Another driver picks Dave up; introduces himself as Jeff.
—Jeff seems like he is cruising Dave; he gives Dave his phone number before dropping him off near the school.
Chapter 13: p 173; 36%.
—Dave and faculty member Mr. Hudson listen to music together; Dave later describes meeting as Record Club business: 175.
—“Our Evenings” is the name of a selection the two listened to: 176.
—Hudson and Dave continue their musical sessions.
—discussion of proposed homosexuality decriminalization bill: 179.
—Hudson writes a letter to Dave during summer break: 181.
Chapter 14: p 183; 38%.
—Mum and Esme move in together. Their business together as a “cover.” (Lesbian relationship?)
—Barry: does garden for Esme’s house: 186.
—Dave suspects the two women have a lesbian relationship, but they seem to avoid revealing it.
—the three settle into a routine together.
—Esme’s circle of friends named: 190. Esme and Avril host a party.
—Dave meets a new young couple at party, George and Julie.
—Dave sees partygoer Betty Matthews kissing another female guest: 193.
—Dave completes his first term at Oxford: 196.
—Uncle Brian calls the house; tells Dave that Avril is no longer welcome in his house: 197.
—the three spend Christmas at home together; Esme is delighted when Avril wears a longyi, a Burmese clothing article: 199-200.
Chapter 15: p 203; 42%,
—Dave in a play, Volpone; we meet castmate Stella and other new characters. Nick hangs out and parties with them.
—Dave meets Nick.
—Dave still a student at Oxford.
—speculation about supposed homosexuality of play director Douglas Marshall: 212.
—Edwin introduced.
—Dave and Nick step away from the party together and have a romantic encounter: 221.
Chapter 16: p 227; 47%.
—Dave plans an outing with Nick.
—Walt joins them on their river excursion on a punt.
—Dave practices lines from the play for them.
Chapter 17: p 254; 49%.
—Dave takes a school exam. He seems to be rattled by a question on British rule in India when Burma was still part of the Indian Empire: 235.
—Dave departs exam; appears to be in a state of crisis: 237.
—he goes to the house where he had partied with his friend group.
—He meets Nick and Jenny and tells them that he had left the exam site.
Chapter 18: p 243; 50%.
—Dave’s tutor Humphrey tries to help him after exam crisis.
—Dave returns home.
—He meets Nick in London. Nick seems to cut off any chance for any romance between the two.
—Dave gets a letter inviting him to read for a theatrical part: 254.
—during family dinner, Esme asks Dave about his meeting with Nick; they all seem to be avoiding explicit mention of gay love or identity until Dave frankly states he is in love with Nick and announces “I’m a homosexual”: p 256.
—Esme acknowledges that she was married to a gay man: her ex-husband Gilbert.
Part II: p 260; 54%.
Chapter 19: p 262; 54%.
—Mark and Cara drive to Greenwich to see Dave in a performance of R&J (adaptation of Romeo and Juliet).
—Raymond Fairfield (artistic director of theatrical company Terra) suggests that Dave solicit a donation from the wealthy Mark.
—on the phone, Cara reads from a play review which mentions Dave’s “mixed Burmese heritage”: 265.
—Dave joins Mark and Cara Hadlow at a party at the Upshaw home; Norman Upshaw is the employer of the Hadlows’ son Giles. Dave and Giles are reunited at the party. —Dave meets prior acquaintance Martin Causely at the party: 272.
—Dave meets Chris Canvey at party. Chris: a civil servant about 10 years Dave’s senior.
—Back at Hadlow home after party; Dave reflects on their wealth: 276.
—during a quail dinner at their house, Mark and Cara Hadlow discuss their adult children, Giles and Lydia, with Dave: 281.
Chapter 20: p 284; 58%.
—Dave goes to Chris Canvey’s house. He reveals he is actually a lodger; Dave also meets Claudia, who owns the house.
—Dave spends the night with Chris.
—continued progress with tour of Romeo & Juliet.
—Dave’s description of the multiethnic members of Terra: 290.
—Team also rehearses for upcoming play Lear: 292.
—yet another play: 293.
—Dave meets with Chris in London: 295.
Chapter 21: p 298; 61%.
—Chris writes to Dave while he is on tour acting.
—Dave brings Chris home; introduces him to Avril and Esme.
—Dave, upon request, shows Chris around his hometown: 306.
Chapter 22: p 309; 63%.
—Derry Blundell and Bill Severne introduced, together with their house, Great Gores. Bill had died the previous year.
—Dave visits Derry.
—Derry comments on the nudity in the play he saw.
—Derry shows Dave a picture of a man he calls Tony Sein, and identifies as “a great love of mine.”
—Derry discusses his 43 year “on and off” relationship with the deceased Bill.
—Derry prepares to perform oral sex on Dave. Later, he shows Dave his garden.
—upon leaving, Dave suggests that Derry provide financial patronage to Terra.
—note that Dave is very conscious of Derry’s apparent particular interest in men of color.
Chapter 23: p 324; 66%.
—play rehearsal.
—Dave’s castmate Hector kisses him. Dave is attracted to Hector.
—Dave brings Chris to a Terra troupe party hosted by Jack: 329.
—Dave and Hector kiss in bathroom at party.
—Dave and Hector have their first night together in a hotel: 335.
Chapter 24: p 336; 69%.
—Dave breaks up with Chris and begins a relationship with Hector.
—More info on Hector. He was born in Liberia; sees his parents on Sunday when not on tour acting. He shares a flat with white fellow named Perry.
—Dave feels hurt at not being introduced to Hector’s family: 338.
—Hector reveals that his parents are white; implication is that he was adopted.
—Nick teaching at Sussex; married to Jenny and expecting second child together: 339.
—Hector reveals to Dave he has been working as a nude art model at Molleson’s school; he invites Dave to party at Molleson’s.
—Art students and instructor Mr. Trivet call Hector “Henry.”
Chapter 25: p 345; 71%.
—Dave notes that he barely thought of Giles for a long time in the 1970s.
—Dave runs into old school mate Alec Adams in Edinburgh.
—Dave stays in touch with Mark and Cara.
—Hector gets an acting job for a season at Stratford: 349. He only gets small roles.
—Mortifying incident where Julie mistakes Hector for staff; hands him her coat: 353.
—Hector’s role as Bernardo in Hamlet: 353, 355.
—Dave visits Hector in the dressing room during a performance: 356.
—a tense train ride after the performance: 359.
—Hector let go by RSC.
—Hector rejoins Terra for a new John Arden play.
—Dave and Hector visit the hotel that Dave had stayed in with Esme and Avril: 361.
—Dave and Hector refused a room at a bed-and-breakfast: racism, anti-gay bigotry, or both?: 363.
—they take a room at a pub.
—Hector gets a part in a Hollywood movie being shot in Toronto: 367.
—Dave misses Hector as he ponders their drifting apart and the seeming hopelessness of a future together: 368.
Chapter 26: p 369; 76%.
—Dave back at his old school after 26 years to give a talk.
—He meets other alumni at school, including Giles.
—at alumni gathering, they mention an absent alum who reportedly died of AIDS: 374.
—Dave meets Brian Mitchell, a black man who teaches English at the school: 376.
—Dave recalls that he had been “Hadlow Exhibitioner” in 1961: 376.
—Dave discusses his ethnic heritage and acting career with Brian.
—old classmate Kim seems to be hitting on Dave: 381.
—Dave visits his mum and Esme after the alumni event. Esme has been affected by a stroke.
—Dave tells his mother about a filmmaker planning to include Dave in a documentary about East Asian actors: 382.
Chapter 27: p 385; 79%.
—Aftermath of Esme’s death.
—prep for Esme’s funeral: 386.
—Dave and Avril meet with female vicar Annette.
—Avril and Esme had been together nearly 40 years: 387.
—Esme’s funeral service.
Chapter 28: p 397; 82%.
—book festival. Dave invited to talk about book he has written.
—Giles also to speak at festival; he is a noteworthy right wing MP.
—Before his scheduled session, Dave shares with his interlocutor Richard Roughsedge his negative memories of Giles bullying him at school: 404.
—During Q&A portion of his book event, Dave talks frankly about his relationship with Hector, and responds to gossipy questioning about his school days with Giles. —after their own book festival events, Giles and Dave engage in book signing together with a third author/participant: 409.
—Richard comes to one of Dave’s plays: 414.
—Dave goes home with Richard after the play performance.
Chapter 29: p 421; 87%.
—In 2012, Giles becomes Minister for the Arts.
—Dave and Richard attend an event at the British Museum.
—Giles attends a musical performance in which Dave has a speaking role.
Chapter 30: p 432; 89%.
—Richard and Dave discuss whether 91 year old Avril should still be driving: 435.
—Avril dies; Dave is 68: 439.
Chapter 31: p 443; 91%.
—narrator Dave describes a photo, dated 1945, of his father.
—Dave at work on a new book: 445.
—Dave considers titling his in-progress autobiographical book “Our Evenings”: 448.
Chapter 32: p 453; 93%.
—rehearsals for a new play.
—Brexit vote: 454.
—shock and sadness after the vote.
—Dave and Richard attend the estate sale of Avril’s effects: 457.
—back at the house, Dave goes through mum’s clothing with her long time friend Jane.
—Jane finds Avril’s longyi: 461.
—Jane tells Dave what she knows about his father.
Chapter 33: p 466; 96%.
—Cara asks Dave to read a poem for a memorial gathering, for the deceased Mark, that she is organizing.
—Dave meets Giles’ son, also named David, and his male partner Jonny: 470.
—Dave talks with Mike Kidstow, an old school chum of Mark’s.
Chapter 34: p 474; 97%.
—Driving back from Wales.
—Dave and Richard visit the Hadlow home that Dave had spent time in.
Unnumbered and untitled section: p 477; 98%.
—told first person by Richard.
—Dave is in the hospital after an attack by an assailant who had used a racist slur and an anti-gay slur.
—COVID pandemic.
—severity of Dave’s injuries from the assault: 480.
—Dave dies in the hospital.
—Richard works on Dave’s unfinished autobiographical book.
End of book.
Mike comments: "This book made quite an impression on me! In addition to my usual overall thoughts and chapter summaries, these notes include some other features, including a thematic commentary and a character breakdown."
Note: The citations (e.g., loc 78, 8%, etc.) below refer to the Kindle edition, not the paperback.
—————-
Our Evenings notes
—a novel by Alan Hollinghurst
Thoughts on completing the book
—The novel tells the story of first-person narrator David Win, biracial gay son of an English single mother by a brief liaison with a Burmese man while she was working in early 20th century Burma.
—The book has an epic sweep chronologically, as it follows Dave’s life from his teenage years at boarding school, to college, to his career as a stage and screen actor and book author, and finally to his death at around 70 years old during the time of the COVID pandemic.
—A big part of the story is Dave’s coming of age as a gay man in Great Britain, and his three serious gay love relationships.
—Also an important continuing element in the book: Dave’s relationship with schoolmate Giles Hadlow, who grows up to be a right wing, pro-Brexit MP.
—Also important is Dave’s relationship with his mother Avril, who settles into a long term lesbian relationship and business partnership with widow Esme Croft.
—I started reading this book tentatively, giving it a chance, but also thinking I might abandon it if it failed to hold my interest. Well, I found the book truly captivating. I honestly couldn’t predict the various plot developments and new character introductions; I really felt like I was going along on a journey of personal discovery with the narrator.
—Hollinghurst does a fairly solid job of balancing out the intimate personal story of one British life with nods to the political and cultural events affecting Britain as a whole along the way.
—Also important is the presence of books and literature, including both classic and modern stage plays, throughout the book. Hollinghurst’s characters live in a world in which drama, poetry, and other types of writing are a vibrant part of the fabric of life.
—This is a fairly long novel, 488 pages in the Kindle version, but it is well paced and almost never drags. I feel that Hollinghurst got the right length to tell this story.
Important/recurrent themes:
—voyeurism.
—nudity in the context of acting and art modeling: 343; 380; 449; 484.
—the gay “closet”; secrecy and shame; see p 306 (Dave’s inner thoughts while showing boyfriend Chris his hometown); 338.
—Homophobic language and casual anti-gay bigotry.
—British colonial legacy in Burma.
—race, racism and narrator’s biracial heritage. See p 273; 313 (statue of Burmese boy in longyi at Derry’s house); 339 (implied interracial adoptee background of Hector); 355; 377 (Dave’s conversation with Brian Mitchell); 449 (playing a Cambodian character in a play).
—class difference and wealth. See p 276; 285 (“our plutocrat friends”); 337 (Dave and Hector both “broke”); 347.
—an actor’s professional progress: 350, 356.
—note also the recurring presence of both classic and modern theatrical works throughout the narrative as narrator Dave Win and other characters progress through their theatrical careers: p 405 (discussion of Hector’s stage roles during Dave’s book festival appearance).
Additional thoughts; spoiler alert!
—I find it interesting and noteworthy how he tells a parallel gay coming-of-age story with a lesbian love story.
—Book title referenced within the narrative: 448.
—This book has some interesting parallels to Hanif Kureishi’s important novel _The Buddha of Suburbia_. Both books feature a first person narrator who is the biracial queer son of an Englishwoman and an Asian man; both narrators embark on careers in acting. Beyond these parallels, these are very different books. Probably the biggest difference is that Kureishi’s novel encompasses a much shorter time frame in the late 1970s, leading up to the election of Thatcher. Also, whereas Kureishi’s narrator is surrounded by a rich and diverse group of family and friends from his ethnic group, Hollinghurst’s Dave Win spends most of the novel as the sole Burmese-Briton. A related big contrast is Dave’s absent father as opposed to the father in _Buddha_ being an important key character—in fact, the title character!
—I find it noteworthy how Hollinghurst ends the novel by killing off the first person narrator and having another character finish the story with a short first person epilogue. This technique reminded me of the way Alex Haley concluded _The Autobiography of MalcolmX_, which is one of my favorite works of 20th century American literature.
Special vocabulary notes
—longyi: p 200, 461; a cloth worn as a clothing item in Burma.
—subfusc: p 237; formal clothing worn for university exams.
—aegrotat: p 253; a certificate for a student unable to complete a final exam due to an illness.
—gaung-baung: p 70; 462; traditional Burmese head wrap.
—Zimmer frame: p 383; a walker.
—Osmiroid: p 435; name of a British pen company; in the book the name is used to refer to a pen.
Individual chapter and section notes follow.
Prologue
—introduces narrator Dave, an actor
—Mark Hadlow, an elderly businessman, has died.
—Giles: Mark’s son, a “Brexit Minister.”
—Dave has a meal with Mark’s widow, Cara.
Part I
Chapter 1: p 14; 3%.
—story shifts back in time; Giles and Dave
Chapter 2: p 19; 4%.
—Giles introduces Dave to Mark.
—Dave attending boarding school Bampton.
Chapter 3: p 26; 5%.
—Cara’s uncle George.
—Dave’s background.
—George takes teenage Dave to see Ernest, a bull.
Chapter 4: p 33; 7%.
—Cara shows Dave her painting of Lydia.
Chapter 5: p 38; 8%.
—Dave on a car ride with Mark and Giles.
—they pick up Gran at train platform.
—Dave’s father was from Burma; he discusses his heritage with actress Elise Pleynet at Hadlow home.
— Dave and Elise discuss boarding school play.
—discussion of acting roles for people of color.
—Giles calls Dave “Winny”; his last name is Win. The two are in bed together. Giles kisses Dave and leaves.
Chapter 6: p 50; 11%.
—Dave speaks French with Elise.
—Plutocracy game; Dave plays this board game of global economic domination with Hadlow family.
—note that Dave is “the Hadlow Exhibitioner.”
—in bed later, Dave reads his school copy of Twelfth Night.
Chapter 7: p 59; 12%.
—Elise helps Dave with his acting practice for the school play.
—Dave is about to depart the Hadlow home.
Chapter 8: p 65; 14%.
—Mark drives Dave home.
—Dave’s Mum, Avril Win, introduced.
—Dave meets Esme Croft, a client of his seamstress mother: 67.
—last week of spring holiday: 71.
—Mum’s memories of Rangoon.
—Dave listens in secretly on a shared telephone line and hears a man talking about his mother: 80.
Chapter 9: p 83; 17%.
—introduces Manji.
—“The Fathers’ Match.”
—Dave self conscious about his absent father; tells schoolmates his father was killed: 86.
—cricket match.
—Mum arrives with Mrs. Croft.
—Fathers win the match against their schoolboy sons.
—Mrs. Croft drives Dave and his mum home.
—Dave reflects on reading books about Burma that he got from Bampton library: 97.
Chapter 10: p 99; 21%.
—summer holidays.
—Dave and mum on holiday trip with Esme.
—Marco: hotel staff.
—Dave doesn’t want the women to know he ogles men on the beach.
—Dave discusses the telephone party line with Esme Croft: 111.
—Esme asks Avril about Burma.
—Esme was a typist in the office of the Governor who “handed over to the Burmese,” Sir Hubert Rance: 112.
—my note: Rance was Governor from 1946-1948.
—Dave meets Tim, who accidentally enters his hotel room.
—the three travel companions overhear someone use the word “poof”: 117.
—Dave sees crude sexual graffiti in beach latrine.
—He realizes someone had spied on him through a hole while he pleasured himself in the beach latrine.
—Dave joins Marco when he sees him having a drink and s smoke.
—Dave trues to listen in on sex in neighboring hotel room.
—Dave drives the trio back from the trip; enroute switches driving duty with Esme.
Chapter 11: p 132; 28%.
—Dave and mum observe Christmas with family. Multiple new characters introduced.
—Esme Croft discussed at family gathering; her ex-husband referred to as a “fruit”: 136.
—Shirley asks Dave if there are any other “coloured boys” at his boarding school: 138.
Chapter 12: p 143; 30%.
—back at school.
—Giles makes a classist insult to Dave after Dave performs a comic literary reading for classmates: 144.
—school “Field Day missions”: 145.
—assignment: secure a taped interview with someone describing WW1 incidents from his own experience: 146.
—Dave suggests Giles’ Uncle George.
—The Three schoolboys visit Uncle George: 153. The interview begins.
—George describes his work in wartime horse procurement: 156.
—mission completed, Dave and Cousins resolve to hitchhike back to school while Giles drives off for a meeting with a young lady. Cousins gets a ride, leaving Dave on his own. —While hitchhiking, Dave confronted by angry motorist who tells him to go back where he cane from: 163.
—a policeman picks Dave up; drops him off at another location. Another driver picks Dave up; introduces himself as Jeff.
—Jeff seems like he is cruising Dave; he gives Dave his phone number before dropping him off near the school.
Chapter 13: p 173; 36%.
—Dave and faculty member Mr. Hudson listen to music together; Dave later describes meeting as Record Club business: 175.
—“Our Evenings” is the name of a selection the two listened to: 176.
—Hudson and Dave continue their musical sessions.
—discussion of proposed homosexuality decriminalization bill: 179.
—Hudson writes a letter to Dave during summer break: 181.
Chapter 14: p 183; 38%.
—Mum and Esme move in together. Their business together as a “cover.” (Lesbian relationship?)
—Barry: does garden for Esme’s house: 186.
—Dave suspects the two women have a lesbian relationship, but they seem to avoid revealing it.
—the three settle into a routine together.
—Esme’s circle of friends named: 190. Esme and Avril host a party.
—Dave meets a new young couple at party, George and Julie.
—Dave sees partygoer Betty Matthews kissing another female guest: 193.
—Dave completes his first term at Oxford: 196.
—Uncle Brian calls the house; tells Dave that Avril is no longer welcome in his house: 197.
—the three spend Christmas at home together; Esme is delighted when Avril wears a longyi, a Burmese clothing article: 199-200.
Chapter 15: p 203; 42%,
—Dave in a play, Volpone; we meet castmate Stella and other new characters. Nick hangs out and parties with them.
—Dave meets Nick.
—Dave still a student at Oxford.
—speculation about supposed homosexuality of play director Douglas Marshall: 212.
—Edwin introduced.
—Dave and Nick step away from the party together and have a romantic encounter: 221.
Chapter 16: p 227; 47%.
—Dave plans an outing with Nick.
—Walt joins them on their river excursion on a punt.
—Dave practices lines from the play for them.
Chapter 17: p 254; 49%.
—Dave takes a school exam. He seems to be rattled by a question on British rule in India when Burma was still part of the Indian Empire: 235.
—Dave departs exam; appears to be in a state of crisis: 237.
—he goes to the house where he had partied with his friend group.
—He meets Nick and Jenny and tells them that he had left the exam site.
Chapter 18: p 243; 50%.
—Dave’s tutor Humphrey tries to help him after exam crisis.
—Dave returns home.
—He meets Nick in London. Nick seems to cut off any chance for any romance between the two.
—Dave gets a letter inviting him to read for a theatrical part: 254.
—during family dinner, Esme asks Dave about his meeting with Nick; they all seem to be avoiding explicit mention of gay love or identity until Dave frankly states he is in love with Nick and announces “I’m a homosexual”: p 256.
—Esme acknowledges that she was married to a gay man: her ex-husband Gilbert.
Part II: p 260; 54%.
Chapter 19: p 262; 54%.
—Mark and Cara drive to Greenwich to see Dave in a performance of R&J (adaptation of Romeo and Juliet).
—Raymond Fairfield (artistic director of theatrical company Terra) suggests that Dave solicit a donation from the wealthy Mark.
—on the phone, Cara reads from a play review which mentions Dave’s “mixed Burmese heritage”: 265.
—Dave joins Mark and Cara Hadlow at a party at the Upshaw home; Norman Upshaw is the employer of the Hadlows’ son Giles. Dave and Giles are reunited at the party. —Dave meets prior acquaintance Martin Causely at the party: 272.
—Dave meets Chris Canvey at party. Chris: a civil servant about 10 years Dave’s senior.
—Back at Hadlow home after party; Dave reflects on their wealth: 276.
—during a quail dinner at their house, Mark and Cara Hadlow discuss their adult children, Giles and Lydia, with Dave: 281.
Chapter 20: p 284; 58%.
—Dave goes to Chris Canvey’s house. He reveals he is actually a lodger; Dave also meets Claudia, who owns the house.
—Dave spends the night with Chris.
—continued progress with tour of Romeo & Juliet.
—Dave’s description of the multiethnic members of Terra: 290.
—Team also rehearses for upcoming play Lear: 292.
—yet another play: 293.
—Dave meets with Chris in London: 295.
Chapter 21: p 298; 61%.
—Chris writes to Dave while he is on tour acting.
—Dave brings Chris home; introduces him to Avril and Esme.
—Dave, upon request, shows Chris around his hometown: 306.
Chapter 22: p 309; 63%.
—Derry Blundell and Bill Severne introduced, together with their house, Great Gores. Bill had died the previous year.
—Dave visits Derry.
—Derry comments on the nudity in the play he saw.
—Derry shows Dave a picture of a man he calls Tony Sein, and identifies as “a great love of mine.”
—Derry discusses his 43 year “on and off” relationship with the deceased Bill.
—Derry prepares to perform oral sex on Dave. Later, he shows Dave his garden.
—upon leaving, Dave suggests that Derry provide financial patronage to Terra.
—note that Dave is very conscious of Derry’s apparent particular interest in men of color.
Chapter 23: p 324; 66%.
—play rehearsal.
—Dave’s castmate Hector kisses him. Dave is attracted to Hector.
—Dave brings Chris to a Terra troupe party hosted by Jack: 329.
—Dave and Hector kiss in bathroom at party.
—Dave and Hector have their first night together in a hotel: 335.
Chapter 24: p 336; 69%.
—Dave breaks up with Chris and begins a relationship with Hector.
—More info on Hector. He was born in Liberia; sees his parents on Sunday when not on tour acting. He shares a flat with white fellow named Perry.
—Dave feels hurt at not being introduced to Hector’s family: 338.
—Hector reveals that his parents are white; implication is that he was adopted.
—Nick teaching at Sussex; married to Jenny and expecting second child together: 339.
—Hector reveals to Dave he has been working as a nude art model at Molleson’s school; he invites Dave to party at Molleson’s.
—Art students and instructor Mr. Trivet call Hector “Henry.”
Chapter 25: p 345; 71%.
—Dave notes that he barely thought of Giles for a long time in the 1970s.
—Dave runs into old school mate Alec Adams in Edinburgh.
—Dave stays in touch with Mark and Cara.
—Hector gets an acting job for a season at Stratford: 349. He only gets small roles.
—Mortifying incident where Julie mistakes Hector for staff; hands him her coat: 353.
—Hector’s role as Bernardo in Hamlet: 353, 355.
—Dave visits Hector in the dressing room during a performance: 356.
—a tense train ride after the performance: 359.
—Hector let go by RSC.
—Hector rejoins Terra for a new John Arden play.
—Dave and Hector visit the hotel that Dave had stayed in with Esme and Avril: 361.
—Dave and Hector refused a room at a bed-and-breakfast: racism, anti-gay bigotry, or both?: 363.
—they take a room at a pub.
—Hector gets a part in a Hollywood movie being shot in Toronto: 367.
—Dave misses Hector as he ponders their drifting apart and the seeming hopelessness of a future together: 368.
Chapter 26: p 369; 76%.
—Dave back at his old school after 26 years to give a talk.
—He meets other alumni at school, including Giles.
—at alumni gathering, they mention an absent alum who reportedly died of AIDS: 374.
—Dave meets Brian Mitchell, a black man who teaches English at the school: 376.
—Dave recalls that he had been “Hadlow Exhibitioner” in 1961: 376.
—Dave discusses his ethnic heritage and acting career with Brian.
—old classmate Kim seems to be hitting on Dave: 381.
—Dave visits his mum and Esme after the alumni event. Esme has been affected by a stroke.
—Dave tells his mother about a filmmaker planning to include Dave in a documentary about East Asian actors: 382.
Chapter 27: p 385; 79%.
—Aftermath of Esme’s death.
—prep for Esme’s funeral: 386.
—Dave and Avril meet with female vicar Annette.
—Avril and Esme had been together nearly 40 years: 387.
—Esme’s funeral service.
Chapter 28: p 397; 82%.
—book festival. Dave invited to talk about book he has written.
—Giles also to speak at festival; he is a noteworthy right wing MP.
—Before his scheduled session, Dave shares with his interlocutor Richard Roughsedge his negative memories of Giles bullying him at school: 404.
—During Q&A portion of his book event, Dave talks frankly about his relationship with Hector, and responds to gossipy questioning about his school days with Giles. —after their own book festival events, Giles and Dave engage in book signing together with a third author/participant: 409.
—Richard comes to one of Dave’s plays: 414.
—Dave goes home with Richard after the play performance.
Chapter 29: p 421; 87%.
—In 2012, Giles becomes Minister for the Arts.
—Dave and Richard attend an event at the British Museum.
—Giles attends a musical performance in which Dave has a speaking role.
Chapter 30: p 432; 89%.
—Richard and Dave discuss whether 91 year old Avril should still be driving: 435.
—Avril dies; Dave is 68: 439.
Chapter 31: p 443; 91%.
—narrator Dave describes a photo, dated 1945, of his father.
—Dave at work on a new book: 445.
—Dave considers titling his in-progress autobiographical book “Our Evenings”: 448.
Chapter 32: p 453; 93%.
—rehearsals for a new play.
—Brexit vote: 454.
—shock and sadness after the vote.
—Dave and Richard attend the estate sale of Avril’s effects: 457.
—back at the house, Dave goes through mum’s clothing with her long time friend Jane.
—Jane finds Avril’s longyi: 461.
—Jane tells Dave what she knows about his father.
Chapter 33: p 466; 96%.
—Cara asks Dave to read a poem for a memorial gathering, for the deceased Mark, that she is organizing.
—Dave meets Giles’ son, also named David, and his male partner Jonny: 470.
—Dave talks with Mike Kidstow, an old school chum of Mark’s.
Chapter 34: p 474; 97%.
—Driving back from Wales.
—Dave and Richard visit the Hadlow home that Dave had spent time in.
Unnumbered and untitled section: p 477; 98%.
—told first person by Richard.
—Dave is in the hospital after an attack by an assailant who had used a racist slur and an anti-gay slur.
—COVID pandemic.
—severity of Dave’s injuries from the assault: 480.
—Dave dies in the hospital.
—Richard works on Dave’s unfinished autobiographical book.
End of book.
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Celebrating Andrea Gibson's poetry
Back in July, I posted a couple of items here about Andrea Gibson, Colorado's poet laurate, who had recently died of ovarian cancer at 49. I also nominated the queer, non-binary poet's first collection, Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns, for our 2026 reading list, but it came up short in the voting. (Democracy doesn't always work! :-).
I had only read the first few pages of the book then, but now that I've finished it, I highly recommend Gibson's work to you. These poems are all brief (the longest is three pages), but pack a real punch. The same is true of "Come See Me in the Good Light," an award-winning documentary that follows Gibson and their wife Megan Falley in the aftermath of Gibson's terminal cancer diagnosis. Anything but maudlin, it's simply one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. It's currently streaming on Apple+ TV.
I had only read the first few pages of the book then, but now that I've finished it, I highly recommend Gibson's work to you. These poems are all brief (the longest is three pages), but pack a real punch. The same is true of "Come See Me in the Good Light," an award-winning documentary that follows Gibson and their wife Megan Falley in the aftermath of Gibson's terminal cancer diagnosis. Anything but maudlin, it's simply one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. It's currently streaming on Apple+ TV.
Sunday, November 16, 2025
Mike Mazza's notes on "Slashed to Ribbons"
Thanks once again to Mike Mazza for these notes on the first set of short stories in Felice Picano's Slashed to Ribbons: In Defense of Love and Other Stories, which we'll discuss on Nov. 19. (I'll share Mike's notes on the second half of the collection in March, when we'll read those stories.)
Note: The citations (e.g., loc 44, 1%, etc.) below refer to the Kindle edition, not the paperback.
Felice Picano, _Slashed to Ribbons in Defense of Love and Other Stories_. Foreword by Eric Andrews-Katz. ReQueered Tales, 2022.
—note that the stories are copyright 1975-1982.
Why did I nominate this book for the book club?
—I had not previously read this book; in fact, I had not read any of Picano’s books. But I was aware of his status as a prolific and important figure in gay literature. I have been wanting to read something of his for some time.
—I chose to nominate this book specifically because of the time frame of the stories. I believe that 1975-1982 time frame to be especially significant in gay history, and I suspected that the collection could be a valuable time capsule of that era.
My overall assessment of the collection: an excellent group of stories. Very well written, with memorable characters and very vivid descriptions.
—A book that really focuses on the gay male experience, with an emphasis on romantic relationships and sexual activity, as well as the literary and artistic culture of gay men. The geographic heart of this collection is New York City, with forays into Fire Island and a New England writers’ colony.
—Satiric at times, the book is also unflinchingly naturalistic; Picano writes with confidence about aspects of gay male life that some might find controversial, shocking, or distasteful. There is a freshness and an honesty to both his subject matter choices and his mode of exploring the chosen material.
Foreword: p 9; loc 44; 1%.
—Andrews-Katz places these stories in context without spoiling them; a good foreword.
—Picano’s groundbreaking work as a novelist: 10.
—notes Picano’s role as a founding member of the Violet Quill group: p 12.
“Spinning”: p 15; loc 87; 2%. 1st story in collection.
—opens in a dance club. Narrator, Billy, is DJ.
—narrator notices a new face at the club; discusses “the number” with Butchie, the light effects operator.
—Billy finally recognizes the number as Pat Remington, a model who later branched out into music and record production: p 19.
—note sensory details about his experience as a DJ, especially p 22.
—note the many specific songs mentioned.
—Billy hopes that Par is listening to his set, and imagines being asked by Pat to collaborate with him: 24.
—he imagines a future of success and affluence.
—interesting details about the art of both the DJ and light effects operator.
—“the gay national anthem”: 25.
—Irony; Butchie reveals that the number is not Pat Remington, but rather Jos, an old number of Billy’s; Butchie gives Billy a note from the number.
—Billy recovers from the shock of the revelation and DJs on.
My assessment: a really fun, slice-of-life, character-driven story that vividly evokes 70s/80s gay nightclub scene. Funny and ironic, with an irrepressible protagonist/narrator This collection is off to a strong and vibrant start.
“The Interrupted Recital”: p 29; loc 305; 8%. 2nd story in collection.
— introduces character of Ken Kaufman, a classical musician (violoncello).
—Narrator: attended Kaufman’s last recital.
—part 2 of story: p 31.
—Narrator recalls being invited by Ken to his recital, and first having dinner with him; the two had a history.
— they recall their time as students together.
—during dinner, Ken discusses his current lover, Davey. Apparently a “sugar daddy” type relationship.
—narrator names the kept boy archetype as Macon, Georgia.
—my note: this story reminds me of Rechy’s City of Night.
—Ken tries to convince the narrator that his Davey is different from the typical hustler type: 36.
—part 3 of story: p 36.
—before the recital’s start, narrator gets a taste of the “cult of Kaufman.”
—note the picturesque description of the small concert hall—like something from the era of Maria Theresa.
—a concert goer recalls Kaufman’s eccentric behavior.
—late in concert Davey dramatically bursts in holding a gun.
—Kaufman suffers an accidental fall during the chaos in the concert hall.
—part 4 of story: p 41.
—Narrator visits the recovering Kaufman in the hospital following the concert hall incident.
—Kaufman suffering from paralysis. He says he can no longer play his instrument.
— My note: story has a bit of a Henry James meets Saki flavor; I like the satire of the elite culture vulture class.
—Narrator berates Davey in the hospital.
—part 5: p 44.
—Conclusion reveals that Davey has become a classical musician.
My assessment: a wonderfully ironic story; Kaufman is a delightfully eccentric gay character.
“Shy”: p 47; loc 573; 14%. 3rd story in collection.
—great opening line.
—evocative New York City setting.
—Narrator sets up a story of his sexual encounter with Robertson Webb, a famous person whose name he has changed for the story.
—Webb picks up the narrator on the street and invites him home for a drink. Although Webb is an actor, the narrator doesn’t recognize him.
—note the expertly written, poetic, surreal sex scene: 54.
—after the sex act, narrator sees an old photo that reveals Webb’s identity.
—irony: narrator had idolized Webb but hadn’t recognized him.
My assessment: very well written story with a feel like John Rechy’s City of Night.
“Teddy—The Hook”: p 59; loc 752; 19%. 4th story in collection.
—set-up: a letter received from a military service member after the fall of Saigon (Vietnam War).
—my note: rank given is “Lt. Corporal”; maybe author meant Lance Corporal.
—Narrator receives photos of Teddy Kincannon, a soldier reported killed in Vietnam.
—Narrator reveals that Teddy had been his lover; backtracks to tell their story: p 60.
—Teddy had been a new truck driver employee of export business of narrator’s father: 61.
—Teddy’s physical beauty.
—Narrator backtracks further to describe a same sex junior high crush: 62.
—Narrator and Teddy go to a party after dinner.
—they find marijuana at the party house, and flee as the cops begin a raid: 67.
— they hide in backyard as raid occurs. They kiss and caress.
—Teddy receives his draft letter: 71.
—Narrator moves into a NY city apartment.
—Teddy visits narrator while on military leave. They have sex.
—Teddy visits again after time in Vietnam.
—Ted tells narrator how he had sex with a chaplain after the chaplain explained that his unusually curved penis was ideal for anally pleasuring male partners: 78. —Ted reveals he has re-enlisted.
—ends with description of Ted’s ornately designed bomber jacket that pays tribute to his own “hook”.
My assessment: a vivid tale, both comic and tragic; a bit of an outrageous satire. Ted’s sexual deformity causes him to be rejected by women, but embraced by men who enjoy receiving anal sex.
—compare to the great gay Vietnam war novel _The Boy Who Picked the Bullets Up_.
“Mr. World Buns: A Story Without a Moral”: p 81; loc 1093; 27%. 5th story in collection.
—introduces characters Larry and Howard.
—bartender Howard tries to convince his lover, psychiatric social worker Larry, to enter a beautiful “buns” contest in order to win money and a vacation. —note Colorado setting.
—Larry displays his asset at the contest—funny scene: loc 1159.
—Larry wins the contest.
—Larry and Howard go to Manhattan for the next level of the contest: 1185.
—Larry meets Hal Sykes, fellow contestant.
—Larry and Hal play poker: 1278. Turns into strip poker. Then sex, despite Hal allegedly being straight.
—Larry argues with Howard.
—Hal wins the contest, with Larry 1st runner up: 1329.
—Larry goes on the Rio prize vacation with Hal.
My assessment: a fun comic tale that gently satirizes urban gay life.
—Also takes on the issue of sexual orientation: is Hal straight? Heteroflexible? Bicurious? Closeted gay? None/all of the above?
“And Baby Makes Three”: p 97; loc 1357; 33%. 6th story in the collection.
—opens by setting story at Fire Island Pines.
—geography, economics, transportation infrastructure, and culture of setting.
—Narrator is on vacation there with partner Aram.
—Aran: older; divorced with 2 daughters.
—Dancer/choreographer Buddy Duvall arrives on the island: 100. He and Aram have a history.
—Buddy’s companion: a younger man named Lee, aka Baby.
—note vivid descriptions: ex. p 101.
—a butterfly lands on Baby; narrator ponders a symbolic meaning.
Part 2 of story: p 103; loc 1455; 36%.
—Aram tells narrator that Buddy has literally known Baby since he was a baby.
—Aram recalls his own friendship with Baby’s mother, Debbie, a NYC wife. Story backtracks to those days.
—Buddy and Lee (Baby) seem smitten with each other from first meeting: 107.
—Aram recalls staying with Buddy at the Long Island summer home of Baby’s family with the family.
—Buddy tells Aram that astrologer Alina declared he and the baby Baby to be a good fit.
—Debbie tells Aram of her decision to divorce her unfaithful husband Jock, and then move out to California with Buddy and her children: 111.
—Buddy’s career flourishes in California; he marries Debbie.
—Buddy returns to NYC and achieves Broadway success.
—Buddy reveals his amicable divorce from Debbie.
—Buddy and Baby are reunited when Baby arrives to attend Columbia: 116. Baby comes out as gay to Buddy.
—Buddy admits he planned and waited 20 years and now wants Baby to be his lover: 117.
Part 3 of story: p 117; loc 1690; 42%.
—Narrator, attracted to Baby, resents Aram having shared the story.
—The characters visit the Sandpiper shipboard dance club.
—Baby a sensation among Sandpiper guests.
—Narrator encounters Baby on dock.
—despite renouncing his interest in Baby, narrator keeps running into him: 121.
—Narrator tries to convince Aram to go with him to Oakleyville, where a friend, Billy. has a rustic house they can use.
—after arguing, narrator decides to go to Oakleyville alone.
—After hiking alone to Billy’s house, narrator finds Baby there: 127.
—Narrator gives in to temptation and has 6 days of sex with Baby.
—Baby gives a totally different version of the story of when and how he and Buddy came to know each other.
—Baby speculates that Aram lied to narrator.
—Baby convinces an angry narrator to forgive Aram.
—When the foursome reunites in the Pines, Aram accepts the idea of narrator seeing more of Baby.
Part 4 of story: p 132; loc 1925; 47%.
—This section introduces a ne character, Tim, to whom narrator has apparently told the story of Aram and narrator.
—Narrator had stayed with Aram until he died, and met Tim after Aram’s death.
—story ends with narrator sending out his Burton translation to be freshly bound, and reflecting on the idea of a story within a story.
My assessment: an expertly written longer form story. Excellent use of the Fire Island setting, with attention paid to both its geography and culture.
—great twist when we discover that Aram’s version of Baby’s story is a cleverly designed fiction.
—Interesting portrayal of age difference in gay male relationships.
—I like how this story really pushes against the limits of good taste; Aram’s “tale within the tale” takes on the toxic, defamatory stereotype of the gay man “grooming” a male child into the gay “lifestyle.” But Picano skillfully handles the potentially offensive subject matter in a cleverly disorienting way—he makes the story-within-the-story almost like a surreal fable or fairy tale.
Felice Picano, _Slashed to Ribbons in Defense of Love and Other Stories_. Foreword by Eric Andrews-Katz. ReQueered Tales, 2022.
—note that the stories are copyright 1975-1982.
Why did I nominate this book for the book club?
—I had not previously read this book; in fact, I had not read any of Picano’s books. But I was aware of his status as a prolific and important figure in gay literature. I have been wanting to read something of his for some time.
—I chose to nominate this book specifically because of the time frame of the stories. I believe that 1975-1982 time frame to be especially significant in gay history, and I suspected that the collection could be a valuable time capsule of that era.
My overall assessment of the collection: an excellent group of stories. Very well written, with memorable characters and very vivid descriptions.
—A book that really focuses on the gay male experience, with an emphasis on romantic relationships and sexual activity, as well as the literary and artistic culture of gay men. The geographic heart of this collection is New York City, with forays into Fire Island and a New England writers’ colony.
—Satiric at times, the book is also unflinchingly naturalistic; Picano writes with confidence about aspects of gay male life that some might find controversial, shocking, or distasteful. There is a freshness and an honesty to both his subject matter choices and his mode of exploring the chosen material.
Foreword: p 9; loc 44; 1%.
—Andrews-Katz places these stories in context without spoiling them; a good foreword.
—Picano’s groundbreaking work as a novelist: 10.
—notes Picano’s role as a founding member of the Violet Quill group: p 12.
“Spinning”: p 15; loc 87; 2%. 1st story in collection.
—opens in a dance club. Narrator, Billy, is DJ.
—narrator notices a new face at the club; discusses “the number” with Butchie, the light effects operator.
—Billy finally recognizes the number as Pat Remington, a model who later branched out into music and record production: p 19.
—note sensory details about his experience as a DJ, especially p 22.
—note the many specific songs mentioned.
—Billy hopes that Par is listening to his set, and imagines being asked by Pat to collaborate with him: 24.
—he imagines a future of success and affluence.
—interesting details about the art of both the DJ and light effects operator.
—“the gay national anthem”: 25.
—Irony; Butchie reveals that the number is not Pat Remington, but rather Jos, an old number of Billy’s; Butchie gives Billy a note from the number.
—Billy recovers from the shock of the revelation and DJs on.
My assessment: a really fun, slice-of-life, character-driven story that vividly evokes 70s/80s gay nightclub scene. Funny and ironic, with an irrepressible protagonist/narrator This collection is off to a strong and vibrant start.
“The Interrupted Recital”: p 29; loc 305; 8%. 2nd story in collection.
— introduces character of Ken Kaufman, a classical musician (violoncello).
—Narrator: attended Kaufman’s last recital.
—part 2 of story: p 31.
—Narrator recalls being invited by Ken to his recital, and first having dinner with him; the two had a history.
— they recall their time as students together.
—during dinner, Ken discusses his current lover, Davey. Apparently a “sugar daddy” type relationship.
—narrator names the kept boy archetype as Macon, Georgia.
—my note: this story reminds me of Rechy’s City of Night.
—Ken tries to convince the narrator that his Davey is different from the typical hustler type: 36.
—part 3 of story: p 36.
—before the recital’s start, narrator gets a taste of the “cult of Kaufman.”
—note the picturesque description of the small concert hall—like something from the era of Maria Theresa.
—a concert goer recalls Kaufman’s eccentric behavior.
—late in concert Davey dramatically bursts in holding a gun.
—Kaufman suffers an accidental fall during the chaos in the concert hall.
—part 4 of story: p 41.
—Narrator visits the recovering Kaufman in the hospital following the concert hall incident.
—Kaufman suffering from paralysis. He says he can no longer play his instrument.
— My note: story has a bit of a Henry James meets Saki flavor; I like the satire of the elite culture vulture class.
—Narrator berates Davey in the hospital.
—part 5: p 44.
—Conclusion reveals that Davey has become a classical musician.
My assessment: a wonderfully ironic story; Kaufman is a delightfully eccentric gay character.
“Shy”: p 47; loc 573; 14%. 3rd story in collection.
—great opening line.
—evocative New York City setting.
—Narrator sets up a story of his sexual encounter with Robertson Webb, a famous person whose name he has changed for the story.
—Webb picks up the narrator on the street and invites him home for a drink. Although Webb is an actor, the narrator doesn’t recognize him.
—note the expertly written, poetic, surreal sex scene: 54.
—after the sex act, narrator sees an old photo that reveals Webb’s identity.
—irony: narrator had idolized Webb but hadn’t recognized him.
My assessment: very well written story with a feel like John Rechy’s City of Night.
“Teddy—The Hook”: p 59; loc 752; 19%. 4th story in collection.
—set-up: a letter received from a military service member after the fall of Saigon (Vietnam War).
—my note: rank given is “Lt. Corporal”; maybe author meant Lance Corporal.
—Narrator receives photos of Teddy Kincannon, a soldier reported killed in Vietnam.
—Narrator reveals that Teddy had been his lover; backtracks to tell their story: p 60.
—Teddy had been a new truck driver employee of export business of narrator’s father: 61.
—Teddy’s physical beauty.
—Narrator backtracks further to describe a same sex junior high crush: 62.
—Narrator and Teddy go to a party after dinner.
—they find marijuana at the party house, and flee as the cops begin a raid: 67.
— they hide in backyard as raid occurs. They kiss and caress.
—Teddy receives his draft letter: 71.
—Narrator moves into a NY city apartment.
—Teddy visits narrator while on military leave. They have sex.
—Teddy visits again after time in Vietnam.
—Ted tells narrator how he had sex with a chaplain after the chaplain explained that his unusually curved penis was ideal for anally pleasuring male partners: 78. —Ted reveals he has re-enlisted.
—ends with description of Ted’s ornately designed bomber jacket that pays tribute to his own “hook”.
My assessment: a vivid tale, both comic and tragic; a bit of an outrageous satire. Ted’s sexual deformity causes him to be rejected by women, but embraced by men who enjoy receiving anal sex.
—compare to the great gay Vietnam war novel _The Boy Who Picked the Bullets Up_.
“Mr. World Buns: A Story Without a Moral”: p 81; loc 1093; 27%. 5th story in collection.
—introduces characters Larry and Howard.
—bartender Howard tries to convince his lover, psychiatric social worker Larry, to enter a beautiful “buns” contest in order to win money and a vacation. —note Colorado setting.
—Larry displays his asset at the contest—funny scene: loc 1159.
—Larry wins the contest.
—Larry and Howard go to Manhattan for the next level of the contest: 1185.
—Larry meets Hal Sykes, fellow contestant.
—Larry and Hal play poker: 1278. Turns into strip poker. Then sex, despite Hal allegedly being straight.
—Larry argues with Howard.
—Hal wins the contest, with Larry 1st runner up: 1329.
—Larry goes on the Rio prize vacation with Hal.
My assessment: a fun comic tale that gently satirizes urban gay life.
—Also takes on the issue of sexual orientation: is Hal straight? Heteroflexible? Bicurious? Closeted gay? None/all of the above?
“And Baby Makes Three”: p 97; loc 1357; 33%. 6th story in the collection.
—opens by setting story at Fire Island Pines.
—geography, economics, transportation infrastructure, and culture of setting.
—Narrator is on vacation there with partner Aram.
—Aran: older; divorced with 2 daughters.
—Dancer/choreographer Buddy Duvall arrives on the island: 100. He and Aram have a history.
—Buddy’s companion: a younger man named Lee, aka Baby.
—note vivid descriptions: ex. p 101.
—a butterfly lands on Baby; narrator ponders a symbolic meaning.
Part 2 of story: p 103; loc 1455; 36%.
—Aram tells narrator that Buddy has literally known Baby since he was a baby.
—Aram recalls his own friendship with Baby’s mother, Debbie, a NYC wife. Story backtracks to those days.
—Buddy and Lee (Baby) seem smitten with each other from first meeting: 107.
—Aram recalls staying with Buddy at the Long Island summer home of Baby’s family with the family.
—Buddy tells Aram that astrologer Alina declared he and the baby Baby to be a good fit.
—Debbie tells Aram of her decision to divorce her unfaithful husband Jock, and then move out to California with Buddy and her children: 111.
—Buddy’s career flourishes in California; he marries Debbie.
—Buddy returns to NYC and achieves Broadway success.
—Buddy reveals his amicable divorce from Debbie.
—Buddy and Baby are reunited when Baby arrives to attend Columbia: 116. Baby comes out as gay to Buddy.
—Buddy admits he planned and waited 20 years and now wants Baby to be his lover: 117.
Part 3 of story: p 117; loc 1690; 42%.
—Narrator, attracted to Baby, resents Aram having shared the story.
—The characters visit the Sandpiper shipboard dance club.
—Baby a sensation among Sandpiper guests.
—Narrator encounters Baby on dock.
—despite renouncing his interest in Baby, narrator keeps running into him: 121.
—Narrator tries to convince Aram to go with him to Oakleyville, where a friend, Billy. has a rustic house they can use.
—after arguing, narrator decides to go to Oakleyville alone.
—After hiking alone to Billy’s house, narrator finds Baby there: 127.
—Narrator gives in to temptation and has 6 days of sex with Baby.
—Baby gives a totally different version of the story of when and how he and Buddy came to know each other.
—Baby speculates that Aram lied to narrator.
—Baby convinces an angry narrator to forgive Aram.
—When the foursome reunites in the Pines, Aram accepts the idea of narrator seeing more of Baby.
Part 4 of story: p 132; loc 1925; 47%.
—This section introduces a ne character, Tim, to whom narrator has apparently told the story of Aram and narrator.
—Narrator had stayed with Aram until he died, and met Tim after Aram’s death.
—story ends with narrator sending out his Burton translation to be freshly bound, and reflecting on the idea of a story within a story.
My assessment: an expertly written longer form story. Excellent use of the Fire Island setting, with attention paid to both its geography and culture.
—great twist when we discover that Aram’s version of Baby’s story is a cleverly designed fiction.
—Interesting portrayal of age difference in gay male relationships.
—I like how this story really pushes against the limits of good taste; Aram’s “tale within the tale” takes on the toxic, defamatory stereotype of the gay man “grooming” a male child into the gay “lifestyle.” But Picano skillfully handles the potentially offensive subject matter in a cleverly disorienting way—he makes the story-within-the-story almost like a surreal fable or fairy tale.
Friday, November 14, 2025
More LGBTQ poetry for your reading pleasure (Part 2)
These poems were disseminated in the American Academy of Poetry's Poem-a-Day newsletter in September, October and November.
Art by Herman Melville
This Is Not a Horse by Blas Falconer
Dementia Is a New Way to Be Buddhist by Kelli Russell Agodon
Ode to Those Who Block Tunnels and Bridges by Sam Sax
Conflation by Matthew Gellman
All-American Ghazal by Dujie Tahat
SoMa by Hieu Minh Nguyen
The Sonnet in Drag by Chris Watkins
Note: I think Watkins' poem is so witty that I'm taking the liberty of inserting it here:
The Sonnet in Drag
She’s charismatic, mistress of the brag.
Who turns a look like hers? The highest tuck
you could have—you might say she’s enjambed. Her wig
don’t ever slip. Her lip sync’s never slack.
She struts around in five-inch heels and lines
her syllables in red lip liner. Looks
like one of Shakespeare’s girls. And boy she rhymes
like he’s inside her—thumbing through her book.
You’ll want to read like her. You’ll want to wear
hip pads beneath your quatrains. Stuff big words
in every line to burst the iamb’s brassiere.
To be Elizabethan, queen of bards.
But can you bring it like a bottom from the top—
from the title to your couplet’s death drop?
Copyright © 2025 by Chris Watkins. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on November 14, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets.
Art by Herman Melville
This Is Not a Horse by Blas Falconer
Dementia Is a New Way to Be Buddhist by Kelli Russell Agodon
Ode to Those Who Block Tunnels and Bridges by Sam Sax
Conflation by Matthew Gellman
All-American Ghazal by Dujie Tahat
SoMa by Hieu Minh Nguyen
The Sonnet in Drag by Chris Watkins
Note: I think Watkins' poem is so witty that I'm taking the liberty of inserting it here:
The Sonnet in Drag
She’s charismatic, mistress of the brag.
Who turns a look like hers? The highest tuck
you could have—you might say she’s enjambed. Her wig
don’t ever slip. Her lip sync’s never slack.
She struts around in five-inch heels and lines
her syllables in red lip liner. Looks
like one of Shakespeare’s girls. And boy she rhymes
like he’s inside her—thumbing through her book.
You’ll want to read like her. You’ll want to wear
hip pads beneath your quatrains. Stuff big words
in every line to burst the iamb’s brassiere.
To be Elizabethan, queen of bards.
But can you bring it like a bottom from the top—
from the title to your couplet’s death drop?
Copyright © 2025 by Chris Watkins. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on November 14, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets.
Some LGBTQ poetry for your reading pleasure (Part 1)
I hadn't realized how long it's been since my last 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 July and August; another post will bring us up to now. Enjoy!
I'd Have You Think of Me by Djuna Barnes
Black Pastoral by Lillian Yvonne-Bertram
Drenched in Reflection by Jzl Jmz
Karl Lagerfeld's line of beauty by Tommye Blount
Tender Buttons [Breakfast] by Gertrude Stein
What the Birds Do by Leonel Sanchez Lopez
Panhandle by Jesse Nathan
August by Miguel Murphy
I'm Dating a Man Who Is Married by Aaron Smith
Eros by Paul Tran
Task by Ari Banias
I'd Have You Think of Me by Djuna Barnes
Black Pastoral by Lillian Yvonne-Bertram
Drenched in Reflection by Jzl Jmz
Karl Lagerfeld's line of beauty by Tommye Blount
Tender Buttons [Breakfast] by Gertrude Stein
What the Birds Do by Leonel Sanchez Lopez
Panhandle by Jesse Nathan
August by Miguel Murphy
I'm Dating a Man Who Is Married by Aaron Smith
Eros by Paul Tran
Task by Ari Banias
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Ite lista est: The 2026 BookMen lineup
NOTE: This list includes books on the 2025 list that have not yet been scheduled (marked with an asterisk), as well as a couple of anthologies we have already begun (marked with two asterisks).
FICTION
Bath Haus: A Thriller by P.J. Vernon
Falconer by John Cheever
Florenzer by Phil Melanson
Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib*
Hemlock and After by Angus Wilson
I’ll Take It by Paul Rudnick
Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig
Lies with Man by Michael Nava
Love Junkie by Robert Plunket*
Small Rain by Garth Greenwell*
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (NOTE: Because of its heft, we’ll discuss this novel over third-Wednesday sessions.)
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray*
The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts by Louis Bayard
The Wrong People by Robin Maugham
NON-FICTION
American Scare: America’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives by Robert W. Fieseler
The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies by Vito Russo*
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
Before Night Falls: A Memoir by Reinaldo Arenas, translated by Delores M. Koch
Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife by Francesca Wade
Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming*
PLAYS
Picnic by William Inge
The Rolling Stone (Modern Plays) by Chris Urch
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (as revised by the playwright in 2006) by Edward Albee*
ANTHOLOGIES
A Place I’ve Never Been by David Leavitt
Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity by Lee Mandelo (Editor)
Secret Anniversaries of the Heart: New and Selected Stories by Lev Raphael**
Slashed to Ribbons in Defense of Love and Other Stories by Felice Picano**
FICTION
Bath Haus: A Thriller by P.J. Vernon
Falconer by John Cheever
Florenzer by Phil Melanson
Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib*
Hemlock and After by Angus Wilson
I’ll Take It by Paul Rudnick
Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig
Lies with Man by Michael Nava
Love Junkie by Robert Plunket*
Small Rain by Garth Greenwell*
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon (NOTE: Because of its heft, we’ll discuss this novel over third-Wednesday sessions.)
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray*
The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts by Louis Bayard
The Wrong People by Robin Maugham
NON-FICTION
American Scare: America’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives by Robert W. Fieseler
The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies by Vito Russo*
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
Before Night Falls: A Memoir by Reinaldo Arenas, translated by Delores M. Koch
Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife by Francesca Wade
Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming*
PLAYS
Picnic by William Inge
The Rolling Stone (Modern Plays) by Chris Urch
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (as revised by the playwright in 2006) by Edward Albee*
ANTHOLOGIES
A Place I’ve Never Been by David Leavitt
Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity by Lee Mandelo (Editor)
Secret Anniversaries of the Heart: New and Selected Stories by Lev Raphael**
Slashed to Ribbons in Defense of Love and Other Stories by Felice Picano**
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