Reviews (10)

annoying
The stories ramble on like a drunk friend boring you to tears with long drawn out stories.Even his writing style is annoying.I couldn't read much of each story before I disliked it enough to put it down.

The Author Sings With Poetic Beauty
The fact that Thomas Glave is the first black man since James Baldwin to win the prestigious O. Henry Short Fiction Award, and that his work has appeared in perhaps more "Best Gay Fiction" anthologies than the work of almost any other writer on the scene today, should then not surprise his fans (and those surely to be) that his first published collection is so good. What is truly surprising is just how damn good it is!
Glave brings a new level of intensity to his work
Thomas Glave forces us, through his work, to confront an intensity which often lies buried in our consciousness. The work is at times overwhelming due to the images conjured up such as the erotic and in some cases, the violent undertones (See stories on "Accidents" and "Whose Song"). The reader has to, in the process of reading, face these images and dwell on them as the stories progress. It can either be a comfortable, "inhibition-lowering experience" or totally uncomfortable.The reader's mind has to expand to accomodate the content and the scope of the stories.Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African American Novel And Short Story    3. African Americans    4. American First Novelists    5. Caribbean Area    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - General    8. Gay    9. Gay men    10. Race relations    11. Short Stories (single author)    12. Social life and customs    13. United States    14. American English    15. Black studies    16. Fiction / General    17. Fiction anthologies & collections    18. Literature of special Gay interest    19. Modern fiction    20. Short stories    21. USA   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Vancouver (B.C.)    5. Fiction / Lesbian    6. Literature of special Lesbian interest    7. Short stories   

Reviews (1)

Women On Women 3
Before i read this book .. i felt lost and curious at the same time . I knew that I had feelings for women , just as i had taught myself to "act" like i felt for men .I came across " Women on Women 3" on a road trip to Maine with some friends of mine . I was only 17 . So , i stayed up one night, the same day i bought the book , and read all night . Each story spoke to me , and i had come to this grand realisation that i was in fact a lesbian. It was as though a little light in my head was turned on ! I carried the book to my chest with me everywhere . I couldn't have been more happy .When i came home though , it was a different story . I had left my book lying on the stair case. My mother; with her air of revernt grace that seems to follow her about , took one look at the book , and thew it away . I never saw my book again , and living in the small town that i do , it is close to impossible to find any lesbian literature . So i wrote this.. I feel that now i can not mourn the loss of it .. but now i can be blessed with the knowlege that someone who is searching for their 'indenity' can read this , and know that there is one great book out there too look to .. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Short Story Collections    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. Lesbians' writings, American    7. Short stories, American    8. Women As Authors (American Literature)    9. Women authors    10. American English    11. Fiction anthologies & collections    12. Literature of special Lesbian interest    13. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -    14. USA   

Reviews (3)

A nice anthology
This anthology offers a cornucopia of gay writers--some notorious and others undiscovered. We are offered different perspectives on the gay experience, and the stories transgress not only time periods, but age groups as well. The writers are gifted in their writing techniques, creating characters that are identifiable yet anomalous. I would recommend this anthology for those who are new to gay literature.

A great resource!
This is an excellent collection of gay short fiction, many from the pre-Stonewall period of obscurity. With the current explosion of GLTB literature, a sequel is in order:)

39 Inteligent pieces of litrature - source of pride!
The anthology is an excellent book. The stories were not written exclusively by gay authors, and surprises are waiting for the readers (e.g. Noel Coward's beautiful story). The 39 stories are offered by well-known authors (e.g. Forster, Isherwood), known young authors (Leavitt, Kramer) and by those less known. In so introducing new and promising authors to the readers, Leavitt and Mitchell prove yet again that the distinguished house of Penguin made the right choice in selecting them as editors. RUN TO BUY! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Gay men    5. Short stories, American    6. Short stories, English    7. Social life and customs    8. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (4)

Wonderful Variety
Lois Cloarec Hart's Assorted Flavours: A Collection of Lesbian Short Stories is a delightful and engaging read that illustrates the author's talent and range.The ten stories are well written with enough variety for any reader who enjoys terrific fiction.
Truly delightful collection of stories
A wonderful writer - and this is an excellent collection of stories, some short and others much longer but all of them were wonderful to read. You will read '9 minutes' and than read it again and again just to make sure you didn't miss a word.I loved 'Lost and Found',I've read that a couple times too.'The Lion and the Lamb' was a super story and the ending came as a nice surprise.I can't wait for more books from this super author. 'Postscript' and 'Thursday's Child' were wonderful and heartwarming. Keep them both to read for a rainy day!
Brilliant!
What a thoroughly delightful collection of short stories by a talented writer.Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Lesbians    5. Romance - Short Stories    6. Short Stories (single author)    7. Drama / General   

Reviews (3)

Diverse styles, important themes - a great anthology.
Having only just started reading gay fiction, and being possessed of an incredibly short attention span, I found this anthology a good read.The writing styles throughout are diverse, as are the themes of the stories.You're sure to find a favorite in the group.
Some Prosaic Pieces, Some Poetic Projectiles
In general, short stories vary in intensity, I feel. Some seem more prosaic, mainly just reporting the characters' experience and its significance--though enjoyably. Others are more "poetic," actually re-creating the emotions experienced so that the readers feel it too. Specifically in this anthology of 19 pieces, I found both types. Some were walks through nice but level, flat terrain-exposition.A few were hikes to mountain gardens or whatever-intense (but also controlled) experience.I prefer the latter, dynamic type. But many readers will like the lower-key stories. In them, homosexual men make do, make something new, change in lesser or greater ways, in awareness, in ability. For instances:Japanese exchange students bewitch a host-family teenager (Williams). homosexual men support their friend who has an impossible crush (Herren). A man picks up another and slowly learns that love is more than for a body part (Donahue). AIDS raises its head. A seropositive nomad rants and tilts, driven to firehose sensation by despair (Healey). The disease torpedoes a Provincetown community and leads to realignments (Lisicky). Oh, and people age. Ed White and Andrew Holleran did, and their characters do, and barely make do. And more...But a few other stories here didn't remain earthbound and just report. They got airborne and re-created the complexities of the experience for us-with us readers. Loose with emotion but tight with artistry. I found a quintet of favorites thus:Read how a pre-teen, a sissy who likes Ken dolls and soccer players' legs but loses the match for the team, runs away, but then wins his own self, bursting the tape by scoring in another and off-limits arena, in an illicit but valid coming-of-age (Satyal). Read how a highschool football superstar, himself perhaps not even homosexual finds he must take an original, disapproved stand about the whole advantageous, contaminated world of sport stardom, with its alluring prestige and money, but its atrocious sham (Cullin). Read how despair at one's inhibitions can cause pressure-cooker anger splaying out terribly, but understandably (House). Read about-well, really feel-the world of the compulsive pederast, teaching in an elite boys' school yet. Feel how he moves stunned and mesmerized, a captive fascinated by sweaty and seductive teen boyness in a crisp rendering (Robinson). Finally, last but best in my book, read the astonishing account of a straight Southern woman married for 50 years to what we now call a transsexual more than a transvestite-but it's all the great stream-of-consciousness jumble of her ambivalences which the author's superb skill make fall into place for us, the kaleidoscope clearing upon general human truths (Jaffe).The editor's afterword isa letdown. It's too long, a redundant repetitive wordy unedited too-lengthy over-extensive exposition about "homosexual publishing today." I wish he had cut it in half and then told us why he chose the stories he did, since he did have interesting criteria. I can only say which I liked and why here.But the bottom line: if you're interested in homosexual short stories, this is not only one of the few volumes currently available. It's itself well worthwhile also. Available and worthwhile-sounds like a catch, so go cruise it and pick it up, it's willing.....

A welcome addition to gay literary fiction anthologies
I had given up on ever reading another collection of gay literary fiction like the excellent Men on Men or His or Best Gay Fiction series from the `80s and `90s. They are all gone now. But I learned from a friend that one of the editors from the Men on Men series was back in business with a new anthology collection called M2M. I have thanked my friend several times now for turning me on to this new series.Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Fiction / Anthologies (multiple authors)    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. Gay men's writings, American    8. Short stories, American   

Editorial Review

"Is there something that is inherently 'queered' about the books gay men bring into the English language?" asks Brian Bouldrey. "Yes, and in an exquisitely subtle way, a way that can teach anybody, gay or straight, how to speak that language." He's selected stories for the third volume of the Read more

Reviews (3)

Mixed Assortment Of Short Stories
While I typically like short fiction anthologies -- loved the Men on Men series for example -- I found this one mixed.
Volume 3
"Whether exploring topics unique to the gay experience, reinventing a genre from a gay perspective, or observing straight life through queer eyes, the stories in the third volume of this acclaimed anthology series offer compelling evidence that gay writers are producing some of the finest new fiction in America today. Best American Gay Fiction 3 highlights both outstanding new work by well-known writers and exciting original stories by emerging talents."--� zebraz

Great Assortment
This is a great assortment of fiction. Just when I was getting tired ofgay anthologies comes this very different bunch of tales. From JimProvenzano's scorching account of a gay-bashing to Adam Klein's "theMedicine Burns," the voices vary and the styles differ enough toprovide a great sampling of gay men's fiction from 1996. Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American Short Story Collections    3. American fiction    4. Anthologies (multiple authors)    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - General    7. Gay    8. Gay men    9. Men authors    10. Sexuality In Literature    11. Short stories, American    12. Social life and customs    13. United States    14. Fiction / Gay    15. Fiction anthologies & collections    16. Literature of special Gay interest    17. Modern fiction    18. Short stories   

Reviews (9)

early Leavitt work shows some brilliance...
'Family Dancing' is a collection of short stories written by David Leavitt when he was in his early twenties.It is remarkable thata young man can write with such sensitivity.The prose is very fluid, and the characterizations are quite realistic.Quite remarkable considering these are *short* stories, not novels.However these stories are somewhat uneven in their overall quality, and I think I know why. Couldn't Please Me More
Leavitt is one of the true modern masters of the short story--it is ashame his novels aren't quite as well done. Here is where Leavitt launched his career, to justified critical delight. These stories are near perfection--and our of a writer in his early 20s!--with well-drawn characters and serious themes, though sometimes playful treatments. Leavitt's preoccupations seem to be with the family, homosexuality, and cancer, but he has yet to make any of these topics stale. Highly recommended.

interesting
These stories are poignant and very subtle.I enjoyed the first half of the book, but later on it gets repetitive, with the same themes of mothers afflicted with cancer, gay sons, and divorces.I did find the gay aspects of the story interesting because they're not forced upon the readers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Leavitt, David - Prose & Criticism    5. Short Stories (single author)    6. Short stories    7. Modern fiction   

Reviews (3)

Glad I spotted an author I wanted to read
I picked this up when I spotted an author that always delivers a terrific story -
If you only buy one lesbian anthology, make it this one.
This has to be my favorite lesbian anthology of the year, and each year it doesn't disappoint. Once again, Angela Brown has assembled a collection of fine authors, writing some of the best lesbian fiction around. Stories are varied. The opener is a cheeky tale about an author trying to seduce her editor through the story line of her novel.Another one that made me chuckle aloud was a gloriously wicked story about two (...)driving to a Star Trek convention. But the majority of stories are reflective rather than uproarious, poignant and emotive tales, for the most part finely-crafted and incredibly readable. My personal favorites were "The Accident" by Mary Vermillion, a subtle little gem full of parallels and allusions, "Parting Agents" by Carol Guess with its poetic language, and "Dublin Buy & Sell" by Maggie Kinsella, a tale of unfolding love with a straight woman. Contributions by well-known lesbian authors Judith Nichols, Rakelle Valencia, and Karin Kallmaker certainly don't disappoint either. In all, out of 23 stories, there were only two that I failed to find engrossing--a pretty impressive percentage for any anthology

Sex Plus Heart and Soul
Best Lesbian Love Stories 2005 is a collection of well-written prose by a variety of national and international authors, including one from Ireland who has a wonderful sense of humor. These stories evoke well-drawn, believable characters that exhibit a compelling range of emotional depth. Yes, the majority of them are lesbians but they are also daughters, caretakers, mothers, sisters, and above all human beings who struggle, along with everyone else, to do the best they can and have a good life. The last story of the collection, Attempts At Rescue, combines three love stories - one involves an elderly man and woman, the second this elderly woman and her granddaughter and the third embraces the budding awareness of the granddaughter's sexuality as well as her first love relationship with another woman. I thoroughly enjoyed the author's eloquent contextualization of the three "types" of love that work together to suggest a few of the commonalities relevant to the human experience. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Lesbian    4. Lesbians    5. Love stories, American    6. Romance - Contemporary    7. Romance - General    8. Fiction / Lesbian    9. Literature of special Lesbian interest    10. Romance    11. Short stories   

Reviews (3)

Very Interesting Book
Very interesting book.The stories are outrageously intense.The editors closing statement must be kept in mind when reading.These stories come from submissions to a male bondage magazine.Nonetheless, it is still super interesting.

Cheap stories about bondage
It should be noted that this book is a compilation of personal tales involving male on male bondage practices.The Publisher's Afterword gives probably the best description of the book: "All of the accounts of school, frat, team and club initiations in this book originally appeared in the reader-written male bondage magazine, Bound & Gagged, and in two of its special publications, Pledges and Paddles Volume 1 and Volume 2." Synopsis
"In Hazing young men write about their rites of passage, tests of their ability to endure physical abuse, pain and humiliation in order to become members of an elite, a fraternity, a team, the inner circle of atribe...Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - General    2. Homosexuality    3. Reference    4. Short Stories (single author)   

Reviews (5)

Some of Us Have to Get It - The Stranger - Vol 11 #15
SOME OF HAVE TO GET UP IN THE MORNING begins in a hardened-in-the-arteries mode. A housewife lives near a busy highway. Neighbors throw a party for the departure of the local thug on his way into the Marines. An unemployed father fights for the right to have his children. Daniel Scott tells these stories in a standard issue working-class shtick, using simple declarative sentences, the smug irony of none-too-bright narrators, and the catalog of dirty realistic detail found in doublewides. However, Scott rubs our nose in the made-up quality of these stories. Characters from one scene surface at opportune moments in another like Pip running into Magwitch on a London street corner. In the fruitful coincidences of his stories, in the too-good-to-be-true plot symmetries, and in the distorted details, Scott has found a storytelling style that is artificial in the way a liar elaborates or leaves out things. At the same time the stories veer from literal possibility, they suggest that these very things could really happen and in fact are happening somewhere in America right this minute. In this way, entire stories such as the long tease of a tale, "Upside Down Hart," about a gay man who falls in love and lust with his trashy and sexy criminal sister -- who happens to be married to a petty thief who happens to have sex with men for money even though he says he is straight -- revel in an ecstatic falseness. It hardly matters if this story is plausible. In this context, everything in this book makes too much sense, more sense really than anything that is merely plausible. Scott's narrators spin their stories over lives gutted by a self-hatred that puts them into seriously dangerous, end-of-the road pickles. The very long story, "The Host" the last in the book, brings this way of telling stories to a prolonged uneasy slide. Neal, the narrator, wanders around America living off the food he can scrounge out of the refrigerators of men who take him home. As his physical condition deteriorates, the quality of his clients drops and the bars he frequents go from moodily lit, to dimly lit to unlit. Finally he ends up dependent on a physically scarred, sour milk smelling man named Meyersohn. Meyersohn lives in an orderly apartment and lives a life of self-inflicted embarrassment. He performs oddly degrading acts, like plagiarizing school textbooks for grant reports and then telling his co-workers, or holding dinner parties and inviting people who hate each other. It becomes clear to Neal that Meyersohn picking up a sick, half-starved homeless person and moving him into his apartment just plays into this man's inexplicable urge to degrade himself. But as bad as it gets, everything continues to go on. The story, and the book too, ease into a celebration of disgrace.

Real Characters
In his debut, Daniel Scott has crafted characters we all know and care about. His storytelling comes straight from the people he defines so well. His stories are not dramatic adventures but the drama comes from within. With this book you'll go from each story to the next. Laughing at some, crying at others, but captivated by them all.

I Couldn't Put It Down
I loved this book. There aren't many books of short stories you can't put down, but this is one. Some stories are funny, some are gross, some are sad, some are hopeful but all of them are compelling and a pleasure to read. Best collection I've read in a long time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Short Stories (single author)    5. Short stories    6. Fiction / Gay    7. Modern fiction   

Editorial Review

There are those among us--you know who you are--who tend to avoid lesbian fiction because the genre isn't known for literary excellence. The occasional lesbian mystery or vampire story may slip through as vacation reading, but for something serious you turn to the poets (Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Jewelle Gomez), or to straight women novelists, or to writers such as Dorothy Allison, whose work transcends the boundaries of lesbian fiction. This anthology is for readers like you. The consistently fine quality of the stories is matched by their unusual ingenuity and playfulness with language (the specter of James Joyce hovers over many stories, and not only those by Irish writers). In fact, American writers--who might be thought to have pioneered the genre--may seem sluggish and puritan by comparison. As the editors point out, "the word Read more

Reviews (1)

Astounding
This collection of lesbian fiction, not all by lesbian authors, is a marvelous assortment of voices from around the world. From such big names as Violette Leduc, Emma Donoghue, Makeda Silvera, and Dionne Brand, tonew-to-American-eyes writers like Jeanne d'Arc Jutras, Yasmin Tambiah, andNgahuia Te Awekotuku, this anthology has definitely opened my eyes to thediversity of lesbian fiction. I only wish there was more available by someof these authors here in the US! This book only whets the appetite likestanding in the middle of an international food festival, not knowing whichmorsel to savor first. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Anthologies (multiple authors)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - General    5. Lesbian    6. Lesbians    7. Lesbians' writings    8. Sexuality In Literature    9. Short Stories (Anthologies)    10. Women In Literature    11. Women authors    12. Fiction / Lesbian    13. Literature of special Lesbian interest    14. Modern fiction    15. Short stories   

Reviews (4)

Funny, Moving, Enjoyable
This is a collection of stories that offer a fresh perspective on current issues of homosexuality and anti-Semitism. It lends a unique voice to those experiencing growing pains and self-discovery. In these stories characters anxiously discover their lesbian identities while beginning to understand, and finally to embrace, their Jewish heritage.
A moving collection of stories
"A Letter to Harvey Milk," by Leslea Newman, is a collection of 9 stories that explores what it means to be Jewish and lesbian in America. The book includes a glossary of the many Yiddish terms used in the stories. Thanks to College Professor
I read this book as part of my women's studies class and want to thank my professor, Marlene Howell, for leading me and my classmates to this bookseveral years ago.This book really opened my eyes to two worlds that I,as a boring, straight, Presbyterian girl, had always been fascinated by:Judaism and Lesbianism.Newman structures her book so that each of thestories represents one candle on the Hannakah menorah, revealing eachwoman's fears and issues as they come to terms with their sexuality,religious, and personal issues such as sexual abuse.There are reflectionson the Holocaust and discrimination against Jews and homosexuals.WhileNewman helped me to reflect on my own sexuality, and to discover my ownlove for other women-without erotic details-you don't need to be bi,lesbian, or Jewish to take something away from this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Jewish fiction    5. Jewish women    6. Lesbians    7. Short Stories (single author)   

Reviews (3)

"Depending on the Light" Shines
One of San Francisco�s most promising writers, Thea Hillman digs deep to express a vast range of experiences, emotions and discoveries in this impressive collection of poetry. Packed with punch, along with poignant and surprising observations, this book will really get to you in one way or another. At times contradictory, violent, funny, innocent, raw, intelligent, brave, and always in your face, "Depending on the Light" will definitely make an impression on anyone who picks it up, so dive in!

Holding my diary key tight in my angry fist...
Thea was obviously able to pry it lose as so much common experience is reflected in these amazing pieces. This book reflects Thea's eyes on the world around her. She is a talented writer who has the ability to articulate thought into poetry.

Gritty and Seamless
Thea's book absorbed me like so few have.All the poems and prose are gritty and raw and real, yet they are delicately woven together.It's great that you can pick up the book and read pieces at a time or read it as a montage of a woman's life and the multifacted person she is--grappling with sex, women, men, family, insecurities, and language.I would highly recommend this book to people infatuated with poetry--and people who are not. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Lesbian    5. Lesbians    6. Literary collections    7. Short Stories (single author)    8. Short stories    9. Fiction / General    10. Literary Collections / American / General    11. Literature of special Lesbian interest    12. Modern fiction   

Reviews (7)

Blues from The Hinterlands-- And The Cities
In Wendell Ricketts' afterward to this collection of short stories "by working-class men about more or less gay life," the author states that "short stories and novels capture the. . . nature of being alive." Some of these stories certainly fit that description and rise to the level of first class literature. I would nominate my favorite, Christopher Lord's "My Special Friend," the euphemism that the narrator's decent and accepting family uses to describe his working-class/blue-collar lover (he replaces brakes for Midas)when he [Rudy] brings him home to rural Oregon for Christmas. Mr. Lord got the details of this family just right from the couch covered with the orange and brown crocheted afghan to the "twin green Barcaloungers." (I thought I was home again.) Rudy's grandmother OotieMae is a wonderfully sympathetic and funny character; she is pleased that "Our Lady of the Menopause" has been replaced by a much younger Mary in the Christmas Eve Living Nativity event at the local church. James Barr's "The Bottom of the Cloud," from his collection of short stories DERRICKS, published in 1951, in many ways was ahead of its time, although Robin and Karl had to remain closeted and pass themselves off as employer and hired man, rather than lovers. "Skins," by Rick Laurent Feely, is the story of two homeless addicts, Rat and Crow, intent on self-destruction; and we care for them deeply. "Hooters, Tooters, and the Big Dog," (Timothy Anderson) really is a hoot as the narrator, driving his "big red truck, Litle Red Ride "Em Good," plays road games with a fellow female trucker curious as to why he will not tell her his handle. There are fourteen more stories here, many of which I liked immensely.
Working Man's Blues
I've never met Wendell Ricketts, but I have long admired his writing, and the tremendous power of his own writing in many genres he now brings to an editorial project which must have seemed daunting at the start, but which winds up, in his able hands, a terrifically rewarding anthology.It's not your typical book of working class porn, where middle class designers drool over the mechanics perched under their Mercedes.Nor is it precisely a book of agitprop urging the proletariat to armed revolution by any means necessary.James Barr's long story, "The Bottom of the Cloud," which must have been written a good fifty years ago, has everything but period charm, thank God.It might have been written today, and only some of its circumlocutions tag it as the product of an era in which Henry James was widely read, even by John Fante types whose labor is of the dust.Barr's story (from his collection DERRICKS) is amazing on a sentence by sentence level, even if you don't know what exactly is happening to our hero, Robin, and his anguished pilgrimage through the gray areas of "Central City."Barr was able to rewrite John Bunyan for our own time, and out of a fiery, almost blindsided gay sensibility.Torment, bruises, bondage and pain abound, and he takes you there.Keith Banner's story "How to Get from This to This" shares some of Barr's bleakness of vision.Two gay brothers, Danny and Lucas, argue it out from either side of a tavern that might itself be mistaken for a class marker, and from either side of alcoholism itself.Lucas is pulling himself up by the bootstraps, edging himself into a higher class status, while Danny, at age 33 (Christ's age) is sinking deeper into a nickel and dime pit."I see my apartment the way it truly is, a mouse-bit bag of bread, Old Crow bottles, old textbooks I never sold back to the bookstore.The magical couch with no cushions."He doesn't have much self-esteem, as we say here in California.But maybe that lack keeps us honest.Not all of the stories are as hard hitting as these, but in general there's a rock-solid thrust to them that feels good.
Not worth my hard earned money
I'm not a formal critic, simply an avid reader.I have not even finished this book.After about 80 pages I gave up.The stories were disjointed, plots lacking (or so obtuse I couldn't figure out the point(s))and many simply lacked subject matter of interest to this reader.The title suggested an interesting read, yet many of the tales seemed laborious.I personally would not recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading.Sadly, I consider the purchase a waste of my hard earned money.File 13 for this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Gay men    5. Gay men's writings, American    6. Short stories, American    7. Working class writings, Americ    8. General & Literary Fiction    9. Literature of special Gay interest   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gender identity    4. General    5. Lesbians    6. Short Stories (single author)    7. Modern fiction   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. American Short Story Collections    3. American fiction    4. Fiction    5. Gay men    6. Gay men's writings, American    7. Sexuality In Literature    8. Fiction anthologies & collections    9. Literature of special Gay interest    10. Modern fiction    11. Short stories   

Reviews (2)

Entertaining anthology
I bought this book because it had a story by the always original Joan Nestle.
a hot read--fun for the straight reader too
Lesbian, bi or straight, a woman is bound to find SOMETHING here that will amuse, enlighten, or, yes, turn her on.The lead story, Towson University grad Teresa Palomar's hilarious take-off on Thurber's famous "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," is worth the price of the book all byitself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Lesbians    3. Sexuality In Literature    4. Women In Literature    5. Modern fiction    6. Short stories   

Reviews (6)

Real stories told with intelligence, no lifestyle fakery
Mr. Cole's stories speak with wit and intelligence to the reality of life for young gay men.There is nothing of falsified sitcom lives here -- just an honest look, from an original and honest voice, at lives that too often are whitewished or vilified.Mr. Cole's literary style is straightforward but has an undercurrent of humor and real appreciation for his audience.

Uneven but generally engaging
C. Bard Cole's laconic style limns a wide variety of gay characters in this collection of stories, from middle- and upper-class men, to denizens of the counterculture, to drug addicts and murderers. His ability to sketch a complete character in a few words is astonishing, and his deliberately documentary-like prose can make an unlikely interracial romance unexpectedly touching. Conversely, the tale of two teenage sex buddies who almost casually descend into murder and addiction chills to the bone when told this way. On the other hand, sometimes the flat style means the narratives remain--well, flat. Overall, there are enough engaging moments in this collection to keep one turning the pages, and the lesser tales are, if nothing else, short.

Real Stories! Real People!
These are not your educated, well-bred, middle class gay people in these stories.These are real people who happened to be gay, or even straight.C. Bard Cole has written individual stories, about named individuals that are edgy, brash, and very insightful.The stories are about sex workers, punks, and characters from alldifferent backgrounds which includes teens to rich college boys.Read more

Subjects:  1. American First Novelists    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Gay    5. Gay men    6. Short Stories (single author)    7. Fiction / Gay    8. Fiction anthologies & collections    9. Literature of special Gay interest    10. Modern fiction   

Reviews (29)

Trysts is creepy, fun and queerly strange stuff,a great book
Well, it's been a little bit since I've read any gay books, so I thought it was time.I had Trysts on the shelf for several months and pulled it down for a closer look.Once I started this book of short stories, I pretty much read them all thru.I like to read short stories and interject them into my novel and non-fiction reading, but these were too interesting, odd and funly strange.I especially liked the last set of stories that are all tied together and take place in small altered pockets of America.A strange event has caused certain areas to Fall, making them into twisted realms filled with magic, monsters and rag tag groups of people looking for something, be it love, drugs, sex, acceptance.
Found it, bought it, read it, liked it!
I found this book when I happened to meet Steve Berman at DragonCon back in 2002 and during a chat he skillfully talked me into buying it :) dark, erotic, and sexy... I love it!!!
Don't be fooled by this books small size!Any fan of the genre will find hours of reading pleasure with this little gem.Trysts draws the reader into the dark underworld Mr. Berman creates that is as suductive as it is compelling.One story demands you read on to the next one.It was impossible to put this book down!I don't usually leave a review, but Trysts is one of these rare finds that I had to comment on.From the erotic darkness in "Path of Corruption", to the playful, whitty and fun adventure in "Finn's Night", to the magically bizarre stories that take place in The Fallen, this book has a story that is bound to please just about anyone into the genre.I was surprised that so much character depth was created for each story in such a short framework, but it works!I found myself caring, rooting, angry, and even teary-eyed at the fate befallen some of these characters.My hat's off to Mr. Berman, can't wait for the next installment! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - General    2. Fiction    3. Gay    4. Horror - Anthologies    5. Fantasy - Anthologies    6. Fantasy - General    7. Gays' writings, American    8. Fantasy fiction, American    9. Short Stories (single author)