Best. Gay. Week. Ever. (March 20, 2009)

Characters are continually acting on their sexual desires (and in this respect, the books are a welcome departure from the straight-laced, totally dull Twilight books). Intriguingly, however, those desires are driven less by one’s particular gender than one’s particular species (vampire, shapeshifter, human, to name just a few), and some are more open to dating within or outside their own kind than others.

In later books, the vampire Eric plays a bigger (and more erotic) role
opposite the heroine, Sookie Stackhouse

The only negative with the books is that the gay characters, as with most of Harris’ secondary characters, tend to be sketchily drawn. But this is where my anticipation of the TV show kicks in.

After seeing how much Ball developed minor characters like Tara and Lafayette in Season One, I’m excited to see what he’ll do with some of the other characters who appear in the books. Especially the gay ones and especially SPOILER! the fairies.

Yes, there are fairies, and yes some of them are gay, and I for one cannot wait to see that.

SPEAKING OF FAVORITE BOOKS TURNED INTO HBO SERIES …
Here’s a great show you won’t have to wait long to see since it premieres next week on HBO. I speak of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and I’ve already watched the two-hour pilot episode. And from what I’ve seen, I think this is going to be HBO’s next break-out hit – and Jill Scott a new break-out performer we’ll be seeing at many Emmy Awards shows to come.

Like True Blood, this show is based on a popular series of bestselling novels. The books, by Alexander McCall Smith, are set in Botswana, and center on Precious Ramotswe, the region’s best (and only) female detective. They aren’t really mysteries (as they’re mistakenly categorized); they’re social comedies focusing on Precious and the colorful people in her life, written with tremendous humor and warmth and filled with sly social observations.

For me, they’re the literary equivalent of Prozac — I read them with a big smile on my face, and they make me feel a little better about the world.

In fact, I’d say McCall Smith is one of my favorite writers today. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t continually disappointed by the lack of gay characters in his work. This is true even in his two series set in contemporary Edinburgh, one of which, the “Scotland Street” series, he acknowledges as being modeled on Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City.

Given how prolific a writer he is and how strongly he promotes a worldview based on respect and acceptance, it’s surprising to me he hasn’t managed to work in a single gay character. I just don’t think gay people are on his radar, much like discussions we’ve had on this site about Stephen Spielberg and Battlestar Galactica.

Which is why it’s so gratifying to see that a gay character has been added to the HBO series. The first episode was co-written and directed by Anthony Minghella, and considering how often and how adeptly he’s integrated gay characters and themes into his films, it’s perhaps not surprising.

Next page! Phil Keoghan in his undies. Plus, other Amazing Race highlights!