Page 1 / 2 - Home

Another fun summer read is Alternatives to Sex by Stephen McCauley (Simon & Schuster). While there is some casual sex in this novel, at heart it's about William, a gay man who is trying to get away from trysts arranged over the internet. He seeks a balanced life with renewed interest in his career in real estate, his clients, and his friends. Here we see gay lives not as outsiders or rebels, but as integrated members of society, not just tolerated, but loved for their uniqueness. William is flawed, but endearing in his contemporary struggle for peace of mind and perhaps love.

Author McCauley is a true romantic. (Just think of his earlier book, The Object of My Affection, made into a movie starring the adorable Paul Rudd.) Indeed, Alternatives ends with the suggestion that William has found his long-term love.

A major gay book this year is My Lives: An Autobiography by Edmund White (Ecco Press). White, author of A Boy's Own Story and many other important books, may be the best known and critically-acclaimed gay author of our time. His new book comes late in his career and covers the following topics: My Father, My Shrinks, My Mother, My Hustlers, My Blonds. White is nothing if not to the point.

The personal content of My Lives is unflinching. In fact, about the book fellow author Alan Hollinghurst writes, “White has evidently written in it precisely what he wanted to write.”

By and large, gay men have never stayed away from controversy and here in unedited openness is an important writer writing about the earthy elements of his life that make him tick as a gay man. What disappoints is that White has so little to say about his own writing. Indeed, one wishes for a chapter called My Writing that shares his writing process, how he gets his ideas, how he begins to write, whether he uses legal pads and pen or a computers, anything about his work. In this regard, the book is lacking and makes the author seem less serious about his craft.

For those interested in pure fun there is Surf ‘N Turf by Scott & Scott (BookSurge). This duo, partners both in love and work, create gay romances or “Romentics” as they style them. Their books are written in much the same style as the female heterosexual romances that fill bookstores, airports, and libraries. While the writing is strictly commercial, it is a welcome trend to give gay audiences the books they want without the pretense of being coy. (Just check out the cover!) The Romentics follow in the trail blazed by the prolific and ground-breaking Gordon Merrick as well as other early gay romance writers.

Dave Singleton's previous book, The Mandates, gave gay men much needed dating advice. His latest, Behind Every Great Woman is a Fabulous Gay Man (Perigee), gives witty yet helpful advice to straight girls hoping to make it in the tough world out there. More of a novelty than a substantial book, there is nonetheless a guaranteed audience for these “gay” books.

The gay teenage market is hot right now. Shyam Selvadurai, the gifted author of Funny Boy and Cinnamon Gardens, is back with a book for young adults. Swimming in the Monsoon Sea (Tundra Books) is about Amrith, a young gay boy coming-of-age in Sri Lanka. Amrith, who lives with his Aunty Bounty and Uncle Lucky in a privileged English enclave, must navigate school, friends, and first love. Selvadurai's writing is lush and beautiful and this short book isn't just for teens.

So grab a book, some sunscreen, and settle down on the beach with a great read.

Stephen Fraser currently works as a literary agent in New York City. At HarperCollins, he edited the landmark gay teen novel, Geography Club by Brent Hartinger.

Page 1 / 2 - Home