book rage by mark hernandez
Boy Crazy/Girl Crazy
It’s Pride again, and most of us have a few great
stories to tell about meeting a special someone
during a Pride parade or Pride festival, and the wild
and crazy few days we spent with that person. And
if this happens when you’re first coming out, these
first experiences will be some of the most intense and
memorable you’ll ever have. These are the kinds of
stories you’ll find in these two anthologies, one called
Girl Crazy and one called Boy Crazy. And if this actually
is your first San Diego Pride and you’re just experienc-
ing this new world of “so many people, so little time,”
be sure to make a long detailed entry in your diary be-
cause your story just might be hot enough to publish
in the next set of anthologies like these!
Bait
Most of you who are avid readers of gay fiction know who Alex Sanchez is and love his books. He’s a gifted writer who has a keen un-
derstanding of teenage angst and can capture that experience in well-told stories of kids going through the coming out process. Alex
was also once a probation officer and in Bait he brings his real-life experience to bear and tells the story of a confused kid, Diego, who
ends up in detention after he punches a kid in the face for looking at him “in that way.” Diego’s fictional probation officer ends up being
one of the few people who’ll actually listen to him, and after a lot of effort on the probation officer’s part, Diego finally starts opening up
and revealing personal secrets he never imagined he would tell anyone. This helps Diego begin working through his bad experiences
which have resulted in him being the angry kid he is today. His probation officer is determined to get Diego past all that so he can be his
true self and get on with life and set in a better direction. This book isn’t as light as some of Alex Sanchez’ past ones have been and really
shows how Alex is evolving as an author. This book isn’t oriented just for young adults either, that’s for sure!
Object Of Desire
Now be truthful... are you finding yourself at that stage in your middle-aged gay life where you feel “invisible” when you come to the
San Diego Gay Pride parade and hang out at the festival with all the cute guys and man-meat swirling around you? William J. Mann
has been writing great gay-themed books for over a decade, and in his latest novel he captures this stage of a gay man’s life when he’s
been with a partner for a decade or two and starts to get that sinking “invisible” feeling. Perhaps you remember when you were in your
twenties and you were one of the hottest things around and had so many guys in orbit around you, and it was nothing but trouble. What
happened? This is the situation Danny finds himself in, celebrating his 41st birthday with friends in Palm Springs. But it’s not all that
much of a celebration for him. Things have become very settled and well-trodden. But then Danny crosses paths with a hot bartender
who captures his attention and suddenly becomes an obsessive Object of Desire for him. Danny once again gets that “invisible” vibe
from this bartender, but then something happens and their lives become intertwined, and Danny and the bartender end up helping
each other snap out of their respective old and tired thinking patterns and they’re able to get on with their lives and be happy and, in
Danny’s case, feel visible again.
My Diva
And now for something completely different! In My Diva, Michael Montlack pulls together brief stories from 65 gay men and the
women who’ve inspired them. All the stories are short and often hilarious and, well, inspiring. We can all understand being influenced
by and obsessed with the likes of Cher, Madonna, Bette Midler, and even Endora and Wonder Woman. But who knew there were gay
guys who were inspired by Queen Elizabeth, Julia Child, Princess Leia and Edith Piaf? When you see the list of divas in the table of
contents you’ll be amazed that there really are so many divas you recognize. And you can’t help being drawn in and reading one, and
then another, wondering out of pure curiosity what the reason could possibly be as to how Helen Reddy influenced this guy’s life. This
is also one of those perfect books to have in the “library” where you can grab it and read a quick one while you wait. And it’s a great
conversation starter with guests, too.
20 RAGE monthly | July 2009
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