Bueur Media Corp.; 257 pages
Chicago gay attorney and political activist John Riley Myers has written a political thriller that presents an ominous potential future of right-wing dominance based on a social values backlash that seems unfortunately quite possible heading into the next presidential election cycle.
Prince of the Pharisees is a complicated novel tracing the histo ary of several generations of families and individuals, interweaving their stories with events that parallel actual events of the past few decades. ( An online dictionary describes a Pharisee as a member of an ancient Jewish sect that strictly interpreted Mosaic law in both oral and written form. )
As a blurb for the book notes: "Long before Sarah Palin used her Down Syndrome child as a political prop, long before John McCain attempted to ride his POW experience into the White House, long before Idaho Senator Larry Craig got caught cruising an airport men's room, and long before the religious right stormed Washington to protest George Bush's successor, John Myers brought to life a vivid tale that eerily foresaw the dark rambling forces that threaten to destroy the social fabric of this nation."
The book came out last year, but Myers finished writing it long before the 2008 presidential campaign. Myers, who had helped lead the Chicago gay efforts for Barack Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, is very interested in politics and the battles between the religious right and the LGBT community. Myers said he equates today's religious right leaders with the self-righteous hypocritical Pharisees in the Bible.
The book has shades of the Manchurian candidate, with Sen. Bob Hamilton as his party's next great white hope, and religious leader Emily McIntyre as his right-wing "sponsor." In one speech, Emily declares: "We are a Christian nation. We are a Christian army," and it's clear they want to "take back" America in the 2012 election. Tea Party anyone?
Throughout the book, we learn of both the intersection and widely divergent lives of gays, lesbians, trans and heterosexuals in places ranging from Detroit to Sydney, Cape Town to Toronto. Myers keeps the action moving quickly, providing hints along the way as to how three men in different parts of the world actually have something very much in common.
From southern belles to drag queens, lesbian reporters to gay bashers, Myers has created an interesting world that is sometimes way too close to the actual one for comfort. It's a great summer read.