¡viva la graham!

it seems like every “gay” novel includes an obligatory coming out story. while michael holloway perronne’s novel, a time before me, is no exception, thankfully it doesn’t form the crux of the tale. yes, it is about growing up and figuring things out, but it’s also about relationships that develop and/or evolve as that happens.

the book follows the trials of mason hamilton, a naive, small town mississippi boy who loves madonna almost as much as he loves his best friend, billy. one drunken night, after plenty of build up, billy finally pounces on mason (this is pg-rated, mind you, so it’s strictly on-top-of-the-clothes stuff!). afterwards they both repeatedly drop hints about the incident, but neither are brave enough to drop the facade.

after billy pulls the big gay cliche by running off to new york, the book meanders through moderately engaging plots concerning mason’s family – none of whom really understand him. things liven up sporadically, like when mason’s sexually adventurous new friend (one of my favorite characters, daniel) introduces him to a backwood gay bar; and when he ends up in new orleans working for his aunt savannah at a popular drag bar in the french quarter.
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i’ve never been inspired to dress in drag. thanks to josh kilmer-purcell’s spirited, stinging memoir, i am not myself these days, i’ve walked in high heels vicariously. and let me tell you, it was just as bittersweet as i had imagined.

our heroine is kilmer-purcell’s alter-ego, aquadisiac (aqua for short). she’s an intriguing mix of cynicism and vulnerability, which i think most of us can relate to. the focus of the book is josh/aqua’s ill-fated romance with his/her crack-addict, high class whore boyfriend.

just like any relationship, these two go through their share of highs and lows… but i doubt your highs involve thanksgiving dinner with a subservient beefeater, a gaggle of attention-hungry queens, and male hookers popping out for a quick trick; and my lows have never included waking up on a brooklyn-bound subway on a sunday morning without my purse or one of my fuck-me boots; or coming home after a drunken night out to encounter my boyfriend – who had been gone on a five-day bender – smoking crack in the kitchen. it’s a wild ride, to say the least, and i enjoyed every minute of it.

be prepared when someone asks you what you’re reading. that goldfish on the cover just begs the question (you’ll understand that better when you read the book). i prefer this simple explanation: “it’s a love story.”

related: a questionable endorsement

for those of you who do not know, i am a part of a book club that meets once a month. it is unquestionably the highlight of the week, and the meeting this past monday was no exception.

this month we read a fascinating, entertaining piece of historical fiction called in the company of the courtesan. it tells the tale of a fictional courtesan, fiammetta bianchini, her right-hand man (who just happens to be a dwarf), bucino, and the diverse cast of characters they encounter… including a gossip writer (or as they might call him today, an “entertainment journalist”) and a suspicious witch.

the majority of the novel takes place in 16th-century venice during a time that was both opulent and oppressive. there are several twists and turns in the plot, but i won’t give anything else away. instead, if this sounds of interest to you, i encourage you to head over to amazon.com to find out more. i absolutely loved this book.

on a side note, i picked up another book this month, recommended by my uncle – the night listener by armistead maupin (of tales of the city fame). while i didn’t enjoy it as much as courtesan, i would still recommend it. after reading it, i discovered that it has been made into a film starring robin williams as the gay main character, gabriel noone. the night listener, which also stars toni collette and sandra oh, is currently scheduled for release this coming august. let’s hope it doesn’t suck.

it’s got all the ingredients of a successful memoir: drama, scandal and intrigue. just one thing stood in the way – a supportive quote on the cover from an author who had fallen from grace.

the original cover for josh kilmer-purcell’s new book, i am not myself these days, featured a quote from james frey, the now-notorious “man who conned oprah.”

after frey’s credibility was shattered, the publishers of kilmer-purcell’s book quickly changed the cover (which said “a wonderful book, a ridiculous book, a sad and beautiful book, a book i’ll read again, a book i highly recommend”). frey’s adulation has since been replaced and a photo of that first cover is now virtually impossible to find (i searched for an hour to find this one!). i guess now even james frey’s opinions are suspect.

i find it hard to overlook the irony of this situation. frey revitalized the memoir genre, and when he initially endorsed kilmer-purcell, the publisher allegedly upped the printing from 20 to 100 thousand.

on a final note, this controversy has served its purpose by piquing my interest in not myself these days, which tells the story of a drag queen’s rocky romance with a crackhead (hell yeah!). maybe it’ll be my next choice for book club.