The one and only time I met M. Christian, author of Dirty Words ( Alyson Books paperback $14.95 ) was about four years ago at a hotel near O'Hare-;not as seedy an encounter as it sounds. I'd just arrived back from Boston and author/ Mistress of Twilight Tales at the Red Lion Pub, Tina Jens ( read her latest story in Whispered From the Grave, Design Image ) , said, "You have to come to the World Fantasy Convention ... now."
Oh no! These writers' conventions are ghastly; it's 100 established authors and 2,000 unpublished wannabes giving them a good literary rim job. You can hear the slurping for miles around. It's just embarrassing to watch.
However, when Mistress Tina calls, I jump ... pussy-whipped, moi!
So I set sail for uncharted seas, i.e. the suburbs, dragging Lynda Licina with me-;she knows EVERYBODY. We got there, and our first priority, only priority really, was to locate the free alcohol. Some little horror/sci-fi/fantasy personoid said, "There's a party upstairs in Room ... ( whatever ) ... "
It was at that party that I met Tom Roche and M. Christian who, although I didn't know it at the time, are two of the county's best known writers of-;dare I say the word-;"pansexual" erotica. Not porn. Porn is where you cum before the end of the story. Erotica is where you read the story and cum afterwards.
I remember asking Lynda, "Are those two gay?" She said she didn't know, and did it matter anyway? I guess I'm just an old-fashioned girl; I go back to the days when you were either straight, gay or bi. Well, those days are gone!!
I became fascinated with Tom Roche and M. Christian. Mistress Tina proceeded to educate me, recommending books where I could find their work. Oh my! When I read their stories I do it with three legs and a morbid fascination for all things macabre. I love these guys.
Then I received a copy of Dirty Words, M. Christian's book of short stories. And a fine piece of work it is, too. I phoned him up—what a flirt!! I only had one question for him:
Windy City Times: After reading your book, Dirty Words, I need to put a label on you, because that's what society does. Are you a straight man in a gay man's body, a gay man in a lesbian's body, or—as I'm in surrealist mode today—are you a cowboy in a bicycle's body? If you use the word "polyamorous" I'll slap you. Would you like that?
Christian: In all honesty, as far as identity goes ... I'm a writer! Straight, gay, bi, perv—more than any of that stuff, I like to write, to tell stories. Hell, most of the time I'd rather write than have sex—not that sex for me is that bad, it's just that writing is so much damned fun. Think of it this way, sex—hot damn good fucking sex—lasts, what, four hours—and that's if you do it right. A great story, though, can last for centuries. What Saturday night of whoopie can beat that?
"As far as what I like to do when I do have sex ... I like to say I'm politically gay ( meaning I vote a queer ticket ) , socially bi ( love to kiss and fondle my friends, no matter their gender ) , and sexually—drumroll please—straight. Yep, that's right. Please don't hold it against me—well, OK, you can, just as long as you promise to call me in the morning. Seriously, I do queer smut—even have a lesbian collection coming out next year—because I love to write and people like to read it. For me—for a writer—that's like having a parade of nymphomaniacs knocking on your door."
Queer smut!! He underestimates himself, because in Dirty Words you'll find some of the best short fiction I've read in years. The fact that they're written by a sexual pervert is a big plus in my eyes.
Dirty Words also has a "Foreword" by Patrick Califia-Rice ( nee Pat Califia ) ... now I'm really confused.
