by Richard Labonte
"Unnatural," by Michael Griffo. Kensington Books, 498 pages, $9.95 paper.
Pallid boys, beautiful boys, jealous boys, closeted boys, boys who suck every which way: volume one of this young-adult trilogy tacks vampire lust onto the hoary theme of hormones running wild at a private boy's school – and, as a vampire's bite is wont to do, brings the sexy-school concept back from the dead. Nebraskan boy-next-door Michael, now the ward of his estranged British father after his American mother's dearth, lands at Britain's somewhat spooky Archangel Academy. He quickly befriends his dorky new dorm mate, Ciaron, but then falls hard for Ciaron's big-man-on-campus older brother, Ronan, whose secret is not just that he's a vampire, but that he's born of a hybrid minority hated by your average, sun-wary vampire – a clever reinvention of the genre that invigorates the author's take on a queer "Twilight" world. Griffo's plot unfolds at a leisurely pace, as a large cast of characters is revealed, so readers ought to be patient – this book foreshadows epic battles (and anguished romance) in the sequels, "Unafraid" in September and "Unwelcome" in March 2012.
"Parties in Congress," by Colette Moody. Bold Strokes Books, 264 pages, $16.95 paper.
What's loyal Republican lesbian Bijal Rao to do? She's both a sexual and a racial minority when she signs on to work for a middle-of-the-road GOP woman, is dismayed but goes along with it for far too long when her candidate lurches to the homophobic right, and meanwhile is falling in love with the fiercely Democratic and defiantly dyke incumbent. That's the essence of Moody's sometimes giddy (in a romance-unfolding way), sometimes insightful (in a politically instructive way), and somewhat implausible – what "is" it with Republican-identified queers who see no evil, hear no evil, and take forever to speak out about the evil at the heart of contemporary right-wing Republicanism? – way. As the book's subtitle says, politics do make for strange bedfellows, and it's a testament to Moody's buoyant style that she's able to render Rao's irritating sense of campaign-staffer subservience tolerable while the real fun of the novel – her covert lust affair with Congresswoman Colleen O'Bannon – unfolds.
"True Stories: Portraits from My Past," by Felice Picano. Chelsea Station Editions, 228 pages, $16 paper.
If you've read all of Picano's nonfiction, and there's a lot, portions of these "portraits from my past" will seem familiar – some essays are expanded from shorter versions that appeared in previous books, restoring text excised, most likely, by page-count restrictions or editorial decisions. No matter. Picano is such a vibrant memoirist that every extra word is welcome. As a lithe youth he charmed "British auntie" W.H. Auden and an intimidating Diana Freeland, was physically aroused at the Continental Baths by Bette Midler crooning for near-naked boys at the dawn of her career, and later crossed paths with Tennessee Williams and revived the literary career of Charles Henri Ford – appealing anecdotes all. But the best essays reveal a less celebrity-centered side: Picano besting a boyhood bully; Picano reconnecting with his curmudgeonly father; Picano explicating with wrenching honesty his complex relationship with publishing partner Terry Helbing; and, most poignantly, Picano remembering men he played with, partied with and forged friendships with, men who died in the early days of AIDS, when it was a death sentence, and whose shortened lives Picano honors.
"The Temperamentals," by Jon Marans. Chelsea Station Editions, 136 pages, $16 paper; "Crossing and Other Plays," by C.E. Gatchalian. Lethe Press, 108 pages, $13 paper.
Old-school theatrical storytelling meets gay liberation history in Marans' off-Broadway play, based with emotional veracity, campy humor and provocative sexiness on the lives of the Mattachine pioneers who founded the first gay-rights organization in pre-Stonewall America. Introductions by political activist David Mixner and actor Michael Urie (of "Ugly Betty" fame) – he plays fashion designer Rudi Gernreich – provide cultural and theatrical context. Not every play translates well to the printed page, but "Temperamentals" – code for homosexual in the 1950s, it seems – reads like a good short story. The same ease of transition can't be said for Gatchalian's more challenging short plays; reading the three collected here is more tantalizing than satisfying, demanding an opportunity to see text brought to life on the stage. "Crossing," the longest, lays bare a teen boy's tormented relationship with his mother; "Diamond" is a multifaceted dissection of one woman's life told through many voices; "Ticks" is a fierce monologue from a diseased messiah. None promise easy entertainment; all are a shock to the senses, a subversion of the norm.
Featured Excerpt
The floor-show began – at last – and I found a place up front amidst the crowd of men naked but for towels. Jerry must have pointed me out to Bette (Midler) because in the middle of one number, she came over to me, pulled me to my feet, leaned me against the piano and used me as a prop for a love song, pretending to feel me up, until I was too obviously excited, at which point she stopped and said, "You're disgusting! Sit down!" to great hilarity before she went on with her number. Her attention, however, got me sex directly after the show…"
– from "True Stories," by Felice Picano
Footnotes
PRIDE & JOY, THE Northampton, Mass. queer book and gift store that opened in 1992 may close unless new buyers can take over from a trio of owners who themselves bought the community institution – sight unseen – just two years ago. Jeffrey Wheelock, Kelly Wagoner and Melissa Borchardt all lived in Florida and were employed by supermarkets when they decided they wanted to work in a more gay-friendly environment; online research led them to the store. But "hard economic times and business and personal transitions have taken their toll," the three said. "We've put our hearts and souls into this business, and we will miss it on many levels"… GLAD DAY BOOKSHOP, a Toronto institution since 1970, was on the verge of closing last fall – but community support has kept its doors open. "We're 40! And we're trying to stay alive to see 41!" says the bookstore's Facebook page, while a lively Twitter account (@GDBooks) posts updates about new arrivals: "Welcome to My World by #Johnny Weir. Any olympic athlete who wants to pose for his book cover in meggings and 6" heels is ok by us," reads one recent tweet. Glad Day was Canada's first gay bookstore, and is now the world's oldest… OUTWRITE BOOKSTORE & Coffeehouse owner Philip Rafshoon – "the unofficial mayor" of Atlanta's gay Midtown neighborhood, according to "Georgia Voice" – is the first openly gay winner of the Alumni Legacy Award from Georgia Tech, from which Rafshoon graduated in 1983.
