Pictured David Leavitt's new book, The Body of Jonah Boyd, centers around a missing, talismanic manuscript
Ask David Leavitt (Lost Language of Cranes, While England Sleeps) to describe the premise of The Body of Jonah Boyd—his first novel in four years—and he will sigh audibly and shift nervously in his seat. It's incredibly charming to see one of the founding fathers of contemporary gay literature a bit flummoxed by his own work, but in fact, The Body of Jonah Boyd defies the neat and tidy parameters of your average book review blurb. Here's what we do know: it's 1969 and Judith 'Denny' Denham has just begun an affair with her boss Dr. Ernest Wright, a psychology professor. But her position in the Wright household is not limited to that of 'mistress.' Ernest's wife, Nancy, has taken Denny under her wing as a four-hand piano partner and general confidant. Meanwhile, the Wright's eldest son has fled over the Canadian border to escape the draft, and their only daughter has launched a secret affair with her father's protégé. Then there's 15-year-old Ben, the delicate, sensitive poet, with a growing, curious fondness for older women.
TP: According to the book's inside jacket, Leavitt's latest novel is a 'a tribute to the power of home, the lure of success, the mystery of originality and the sisterhood of secretaries,' but one thing it most certainly is not is a 'gay novel,' or rather, a novel featuring gay characters. Or is it?
David Leavitt: It wasn't a conscious decision not to include a gay character, it just sort of happened. I didn't set out to do that … the story just didn't lend itself to featuring gay characters. If anything, 'Denny' is the gay man in the book. As Nancy's best friend and as Ernest's lover she is an intimate part of the family—a family insider, but as the narrator, she is also an outsider, clearly removed from the Wright family. She's also rebellious and she bucks conventional standards in so many ways.
TP: Do you think this novel, by not featuring a more 'obvious' gay character, will alienate certain readers?
DL: I was just flipping through The Advocate's summer reading issue, and I have to say I wasn't completely surprised that The Body of Jonah Boyd is not included in the issue. And, well, there's nothing really gay about the book, it's not a 'gay novel.' The book's focus is really about writers, and in particular, how writers treat their own work.
TP: The Body of Jonah Boyd features a missing—and possibly stolen—manuscript (captured in a series of leather-bound notebooks) and the effect that manuscript has on the Wright family—-and beyond. Have you ever lost a manuscript-in-progress?
DL: No, I'm very paranoid. I make multiple backups of my work!
TP: Do you have special writing rituals or some kind of writing schedule you keep?
DL: I have some, but they're not very consistent. I write 'out' a lot, I like to go to coffeehouses, and actually I find myself writing at the local Starbucks on occasion. Writing is a very lonely activity, and it's nice to be around other people sometimes when I write.
TP: Did your experience with While England Sleeps, and the accusations of plagiarism that continued to dog you after its publication here and overseas, influence your decision to write a book about a lost manuscript?
DL: Everyone keeps asking me that, and you know, I wasn't thinking about that at all [as I was writing the book]. The Body of Jonah Boyd is literally about theft. My situation [with While England Sleeps] was more of a gray area. It was more of a question of who has the right to write about someone's life … the whole question of ownership of experience.
TP: 'Ownership of experience,' is that what you are referring to with the anagram in the book's title?
DL: I tend to like titles that have multiple meanings. Yes, the title refers to the 'physical body' as well as the 'body' of work and to some degree … the 'body' of evidence. It refers to the intimate connection or bond any writer has with their work.
TP: This is your first novel in four years. Are you working on another book?
DL: I'm writing non-fiction right now. I'm working on a book about Alan Turning, a code breaker during WWII and the inventor of the computer. In 1952 he was arrested for being gay and instead of going to prison he accepted a year of injections of estrogen, which is the same thing as chemical castration. I plan on writing fiction again, at some point, but for now I am interested in writing non-fiction.
TP: However, your new literary magazine will be a showcase for fiction, right?
DL: Yes. It will be called Subtropics and it will be your basic literary magazine and will feature fiction and poetry. It will have good production standards and be a good-looking publication with a national distribution list. The magazine, sponsored by the University of Florida in Gainesville, will give students a venue for their work.
TP: While we're on the subject of Gainesville, Florida—how do you enjoy working and living there? Especially considering that, for a long period of time, you lived and worked in Europe, specifically the romantic, inspiring environs of Italy?
DL: It's a very small community, but my partner and I enjoy it. We've been together for 12 years, we have a dog, and well, I'm 42 years old! Maybe 15 years ago, it wouldn't have been for me, but it's where I am in my life right now. Gainesville is essentially a college town. Think of it as a New England town—but with palm trees!
