The Year in Gay Books: Mouse Soars, J.K. scores and more!

Best Men’s Fiction (tie)

The Child by Sarah Schulman (Carroll & Graf)

Though Sarah Schulman is best known for her lesbian novels, The Child should be read by every gay man. It is the story of Stew, a gay teen led to commit murder when his adult online lover, David, is charged with pedophilia. Though Stew is deemed too young to consent to sex, he is tried for murder as an adult, and sentenced to 70 years in prison. The Child tells the story of Stew and of Eva, the lesbian lawyer who agrees to represent David at his own trial. It is also an indictment of our sorry criminal justice system.

First Person Plural by Andrew Beierle (Kensington)

This is not the kind of book one would expect from the author of the frothy The Winter of Our Discotheque. Gay Owen and straight Porter are conjoined twins who have two heads and hearts but share one (admittedly hot) body. When Porter marries Faith, Owen falls in love with her closeted brother Chase, leading to all sorts of complications. The plight of a gay conjoined twin has never been dealt with before (as least as far as I know) and Beierle has made it the theme of a very interesting and thought-provoking novel.

Best Men’s Memoir and Autobiography

The Grand Surprise: The Journals of Leo Lerman (Knopf)

Leo Lerman (1914-1994) was a notable writer, critic, editor (Condé Nast) and bon vivant: a man who was in “Who’s Who” and knew what’s what. Though Lerman never wrote his memoirs, he kept a journal throughout his busy life. These journals, now published, give us with an intimate look at New York’s arts and social scene for much of the 20^th century.

Best Men’s Biography

The Worlds of Lincoln Kirstein by Martin Duberman (Knopf)

In Lincoln Kirstein (1907-1996), Martin Duberman has found a subject worthy of his talents: patron of the arts, founder of the New York City Ballet and other institutions, and friend of the rich and famous and talented (including Leo Lerman). Though Kirstein was heterosexually married — and bipolar to boot — none of this kept him from enjoying numerous gay affairs throughout his long and active life.