Sometimes, assembling a summer reading list can be as much fun actually reading the books on the list. For the summer of 2003, which took its sweet time getting to many parts of the country, there is an awe-inspiring array of books from which to choose.
The compulsive part of me wants to give the list an alphabetical quality, so I'm going to begin with 'A,' for academic. Appropriate for the bedside reading table or the desk in the study, Who's Who In Gay & Lesbian History (Routledge, 2001, 2002, $14.95) and Who's Who In Contemporary Gay & Lesbian History (Routledge, 2001, 2002, $14.95), both edited by Robert Aldrich and Garry Wotherspoon, are nearly a 1,000 pages total of queer historical reference. From Achilles to Kristian Zahrtmann (Peter Henrik) in the Gay & Lesbian History volume and from Abba (!) to Eve Zaremba in the Contemporary Gay & Lesbian History volume, the paperback editions are portable encyclopedias, packed with enough facts to impress even your most bookish friends.
Although it's more academic and less edgy than its title suggests, Andy Warhol's Blow Job (Temple University Press, 2003) by Roy Grundman, who teaches in the Film Studies program at Boston University, is a fascinating book-length study about Warhol's infamous movie, whose basis was the author's doctoral dissertation. Subtitled, 'A handbook for lesbian, gay and bisexual people and their allies,' Everyday Activism (Routledge, 2003, $17.95) edited by Michael R. Stevenson and Jeanine C. Cogan, contains three sections, 'Gearing Up To Make A Difference,' 'Ending Discrimination,' and 'Creating Equality,' and appears to be a valuable tool in the fight for equality.
According to the book jacket for Sex And Heaven: Catholics In Bed and At Prayer (Palgrave/MacMillan, 2003, $24.95) by John Portmann, 'The Vatican now vigorously encourages Jews to take pride in their faith, even as the Vatican encourages homosexuals to feel ashamed of themselves.' Author Portmann 'examines the celestial admissions policies of Judaism, Christianity and Islam,' and attempts to answer the question, 'What does it take to get into heaven?' Looking at a different sort of heaven, The Crimson Letter: Harvard, Homosexuality and The Shaping of American Culture (St. Martin's Press, 2003, $27.95) by Douglass Shand-Tucci follows the 19th and 20th century gay experience at one of the world's most prestigious institutions of higher learning.
Subtitled, 'a family love story,' Kathleen Finneran's acclaimed memoir The Tender Land (Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin, 2000/ 2003, $13), about the effect that her teenage brother's suicide has on her family, is finally available in paperback.
If you prefer to keep your non-fiction reading on the entertaining, yet informative side, there are more than enough biographies, 'how-to's and the like from which to choose. From A (academia) to B (boyfriends), a pair of books, with 'boyfriend' in the title offer unique perspectives on the subject of men and relationships. Boyfriends From Hell: True Tales of Tainted Lovers, Disastrous Dates and Love Gone Wrong! (Green Candy Press, 2003, $14.95) edited by Kevin Bentley is an anthology of amusing essays, including one each by Don Shewey and Lambda Literary Award-nominated writer Jerry Rosco among others, that may make you rethink bachelorhood. If you are tired of bachelorhood and want a meaningful relationship, dating and relationship coach Jim Sullivan has written Boyfriend 101 (Villard, 2003, $12.95), 'a gay guy's guide to dating, romance and finding true love.' With chapter headings such as 'Getting Started,' 'Beginning The Conversation,' 'Where To Meet Guys,' and 'Keeping A Healthy Body and Mind,' this no-nonsense book is bound to be an indispensable resource for someone looking for love.
You can have movie stars in your eyes, if you so choose. Beyond Paradise: The Life of Ramon Novarro (St. Martin's Press, 2002, $27.95, by Andre Soares) is the detailed biography of 'the first Latin-American performer to become a Hollywood superstar,' who was also a closeted homosexual who met a brutal end at the hands of a pair of male hustlers in 1968. Ask Me Again Tomorrow: A Life In Progress (Harper Collins, 2003, $25.95) by Olympia Dukakis, the actress who has earned a very special place in the hearts of the LGBT community for her on-the-money portrayal of Anna Madrigal in the TV mini-series of Armistead Maupin's Tales of The City, is a moving memoir. Another memoir of interest to queer readers is What Becomes of The Brokenhearted (Doubleday, 2003, $22.95) by E. Lynn Harris, the bestselling, openly gay African-American author of such popular novels as Invisible Life, Just As I Am and Anyway The Wind Blows, to name a few.
Moving ahead in the alphabet, we come to 'E' for essays. Open House: Writers Redefine Home (Graywolf Press, 2003, $16) is a collection of essays edited by openly gay poet and writer Mark Doty. Among the queer writers in this collection, you will find Rafael Campo, Bernard Cooper, and Paul Lisicky.
Gay male fiction is in abundance this summer. If you are the kind of reader who enjoys variety in their reading, like the ones who will gravitate to the aforementioned Doty essay collection, may I suggest M2M: New Literary Fiction (AttaGirl Press, 2003, $16.95). Edited by Karl Woelz, this anthology of short stories written by gay men (from long-established writers such as Andrew Holleran, Edmund White and Felice Picano to newer voices such as Trebor Healey, Greg Herren and the popular Paul Lisicky) picks up where the Men On Men series left off. Be sure to read editor Woelz's introduction in which he writes about the current state of mainstream publishing and its relation to gay writers. Other queer fiction titles to keep in mind include The Concrete Sky by Marshall Moore (Southern Tier Editions/Harrington Park Press, 2003) Christopher: A Tale of Seduction (Broadway Books, 2003, $13.95) by Allison Burnett, The Beginning of Calamities (Bridge Works, 2003, $24.95) by Tom House, Do Everything In The Dark (St. Martin's Press, $23.95) by Gary Indiana, and The Firebrat by David McConnell (AttaGirl Press, 2003, $22).
Whether you are a TV snob (don't own one, wouldn't watch it even if you did) or a TV blob (at least one in every room, always on), Every Nine Seconds: A Queer As Folk Novel (Pocket Books/Media Tie-In, 2003, $13) by Joseph Brockton wants to make the most of your time. You can actually feel good about yourself because you are reading, if that's what it takes. However, no one will fooled by the fake reading glasses.
'L' is for lesbians and one thing is for certain, there is no shortage of lesbian titles or lesbian characters in this summer's reading list. From the very specific non-fiction work Tortilleras: Hispanic and U.S. Latina Expression (Temple University Press, 2003) edited by Lourdes Torres and Immaculada Pertusa to Nina Revoyr's Los Angeles-set novel Southland (Akashic Books, 2003, $15.95) to the paperback edition of Lambda Literary Award-winning novelist Nicola Griffith's murder mystery Stay (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2002/2003, $12.95) to the 'politically active lesbian daughter' in Crawfish Dreams (Doubleday, 2003, $21.95) by Nancy Rawles to Nikki, the lesbian best-friend of personals addict Martin in The Losers' Club (Ludlow Press, 2003, $12.95) to award-winning writer Lucy Jane Bledsoe's latest novel This Wild Silence (Alyson Books, Los Angeles, 2003, $13.95), women rule the bookshelves.
Keeping M2M editor Karl Woelz's previously mentioned introductory essay in mind, we come to 'R' for reissues. Two independent presses have taken on the responsibility of reissuing books by queer authors. Brad Gooch's 'cult hit' novel Scary Kisses (Tusk/The Overlook Press, 1988/2003, $14.95) and the three volumes of Felice Picano's collected memoirs Ambidextrous, Men Who Loved Me, and A House On The Ocean, A House On The Bay (all three from Southern Tier Editions/Harrington Park Press, 1985/2003, 1989/2003, 1997/2003 respectively), provide the writers with the opportunity to reach another generation of readers.
Sequel begins with 'S.' Openly gay writer Joseph Olshan's new novel, In Clara's Hands (Bloomsbury UK, 2003, $26) reprises characters from two of his novels, Clara's Heart (the film adaptation starred Whoopi Goldberg) and Nightswimmer.
'Y' is for young adult fiction. Not limited to young adult readers, by any means, Geography Club (Harper Tempest, 2003, $15.99) and Keeping You A Secret (MT Books/Little, Brown, 2003, $16.95) both deal with the issues facing queer teens in high school.
