MALTESE RAISES THE BAR

I  read this work of William Maltese and Drewey Wayne Gunn last year and didn't have time to remark on it.  I was studying all the works (poetic and otherwise) about the Latin Quarter in France, La Boheme, and Verlain and ARTHUR RIMBAUD and this book of all sources put a real flesh and bones version of the poet in my gestalt which before had been more intellectualized.  Edmund White's excellent book ARTHUR RIMBAUD gives a great view but Maltese gives a truly sensual and sexual aspect to the relationship between the poets, and this is the kind of reality I want to know about.  Living among poets and artists in the French Quarter for ages gives one a thirst for true images of artists.  This is a very very vivid image of the poet....

The Amazon Description of the book is helpful:  Ardennian Boy has been named a 2008 Lambda Finalist in the GLBT Erotica category! Ardennian Boy, from coauthors William Maltese and Drewey Wayne Gunn, is historical romance and literary erotica blended into one masterful novel. Maltese's sensuous prose retells the tumultuous love affair between poets Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, while Gunn's lyrical translations of their bawdy gay poems, woven naturally into the fabric of the story, enlighten even as they arouse. Together, the two authors bring this singular love story brilliantly to life. Arthur Rimbaud is an untamed teenage savage from the French provinces, randy and ready to try any and everything, convinced that a life of unbridled excess is the true pathway to great poetry. Rimbaud's creative outburst is consumed in the decadence of his lifestyle by the time he is barely out of his teens, but not before he has established himself as one of history's greatest poets, hailed today as one of the fathers of the French "symbolist" movement - and not before he has nurtured Paul Verlaine from a passable poet into a great one. Paul Verlaine is a henpecked, closeted and probably bisexual husband who is trapped in an undesirable marriage, and totally unprepared for the whirlwind that engulfs him when Rimbaud appears in his life. In the end, Verlaine too defies the conventions of his day, and though he finds himself ultimately reviled by polite society for his incendiary relationship with the younger poet, Verlaine emerges from it not only a great poet in his own right, but a major figure in French literature. In tracing their gay heritage through some of the most influential men of letters and of politics from his day back to ancient Greece, he becomes one of the proponents of gay historical studies. Often condemned for the frankness of their relationship, these two men stand today alongside Whitman and Wilde as literary pioneers in the struggle for gay rights in the 19th century. Maltese and Gunn have captured that frankness with unprecedented exuberance.

Roy again: I think your co-author in your latest book has added a great musicality or lyrical poetic atmosphere to your work.  Congratulations on writing ten tons of books!

William Maltese and Jacob Campbell write a very deep and emotionally engaging book about the abuse of a young boy by family and church.  It resounds with a harmonics of multiple abusers of this child, and shows how everyone involved, even the abusers, are all in a way, victims themselves.  This is a book that will scare you some, and it is not for immature or weak stomached readers.  I'd say it is a book for adults to read.  Congratulations Jacob and William on such a great book.  It will help focus needed attention on a still present danger in our society--child abuse.   I'm always interested in how we can help the poor victims of trafficking in persons which goes on on a grand scale.  There is this evil to deal with in the world!

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE by Michel LeCroix (A New Orleans "Tales of the City")

One thing that hits the reader immediately is the unique and accurate manner in which Michel LeCroix captures the "habits of speech" of the people of New Orleans.  I was at a loss to explain how well he did capture the inflection, tone, and rhythm of the language of this unique part of the world, home to Dixieland Jazz and Mardi Gras, at least at a loss until I communicated with Michel and he so aptly put as the subject line on the email, "Noo Oyunz and such."  This is flabergastingly absolutely the exact way folks in New Orleans speak if they are from authentic New Orleans culture.  So, with the book dripping a sort of unique southern drawl from each fast paced page, the story of Alex (the Alice in this wonderland which is Gay New Orleans) takes the reader along a action filled tour of New Orleans at it's wildest.  The third in a series of what will be four novels, this edition takes the reader through a variety of under-world creatures--the people who inhabit the night-time in this city that hosted INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE.  Only in New Orleans does one find this strange blend of punks and disco queens, vampires and drag.  The intensity of plot unfolds around the mystery of a cult of blood sucking vampires.  I don't have to remind most that Anne Rice was from New Orleans!  Un-closeted vampires strike and the action is hilarious and somehow so evocative of the ambiance and atmosphere of French Quarter and N'awlin's "street life" that you become totally immersed in this great read.  Like a lot of recent fiction based in New Orleans this is "post-Katrina" life.  It is at times a sinister and dark realm. 
    I asked for the first two books in the series, and can recommend them highly as well (Volume II seems hard to find in paperback and lists for quite a small fortune. but the Kindle versions are inexpensive), and there will be number four soon.  If I had one surprise reading this novel it was that the voice of the author is so authentic to the locale and the structure and theme of the story...but, I finish this volume three with the happy promise of volume four coming up soon.  The author, Michel LeCroix, approaches that style and unique voice that one finds in Tennessee William's work.  I could imagine LeCroix easily writing a play like STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE or THE GLASS MENAGERIE.  You'll laugh and also enjoy suspense and lots of wonderful New Orleans gay life in these volumes.  I recommend them highly for their wonderful entertainment value.  Amos Lassen, legendary reviewer of gay works has an excallend review of this novel at The LL Book Reviews site (Click Here). THIS NOVEL AND IT'S COMPANION VOLUMES ARE AVAILABLE AT AMAZON.COM in KINDLE FORMAT at this link DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
at AMAZON CLICK HERE FOR KINDLE VERSION AT $2.99 & Notice Volume One is available free to Amazon Prime Members. 

NOTHING PINK by Mark Hardy - Review by Roy Chaudoir

This is a charming and enchanting love story of a teenage boy who is acutely aware of his gay identification since childhood.  His parents are the very definition of conservative, albeit loving, parents--a parson or pastor and his wife.  Into this picture comes a beautiful boy who is a member of the new pastor's congregation, and becomes a familiar with the protagonist, Vincent.  One does not wish for the story to progress too fast because the reading of it is delicious.  One wishes to savor each scene and passage deeply.  It's the kind of book you read and think of Truman Capote's OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS, or A SEPARATE PEACE.  The very texture of the atmosphere of the story rubs against the reader's psyche in such a way that we are identified with these two boys bareback riding a gentle horse, Happy, together in the sun, one in front guiding the reigns every so lightly as the handsome boyfriend, Robert, hugs and holds on tight, pressing themselves together in an intimate paradisaical afternoon during which they savor one each the others sweet sweat scented body, like the anticipation before the hoped for union.  The twist in the plot that conflicts the reader empathizing with the two boys is that the boy's eventual romance is found out by Vincent's parents.  They have a reaction to his homosexuality that to some may seem vague and non-committal but my personal knowledge of how ministers have dealt with their real life son's homosexuality seems believable to me.  Lets say Vincent and Robert become romantically involved and the preacher and his wife have to accept a fact of life, and somehow reconcile their religion with this seeming contradiction.  In the way the real world works we find a dilemma that is never satisfactorily resolved, but only accommodated.  A poignant and bittersweet resolution to the plot tension.  However, important to the truth of this story is that Vincent comes to realize that God accepts him as he is, gay. I think this story is great for young readers but I found it refreshing in it's innocence and youthful ambiance.  I'd like to see more writings by Mark Hardy incorporated into young gay readers groups, and his books made available to young gays--If I were a wealthy benefactor I'd advertise this book for the National Library Association, and the organizations like GLEN for gay teachers.  I shall send a copy to my favorite award winning gay high school teacher, Kenn Mitchell!    rc     [For Book Available in several formats including Kindle at Amazon.com click here.]

Review of NICKEL FARE by Dominic Ambrose

CLICK IMAGE TO GO TO PURCHASE AT AMAZON

After reading just the first introductory paragraph I emailed the author telling him that I was amazed and uplifted by the quality of his writing.  His use of the English language is beyond masterful, and reaches into the arena of the beautiful, the aesthetically precise, and the enchanting.  I was also enchanted by the anti-hero of this novel, Nicangelo, who tried to find a place for his hippie self in the world of the second half of the 20th Century.
The story is crafted to keep the reader entertained and captivated, while at the same time unleashing a torrent of mishaps upon Nicangelo as he struggles from one situation offering him security into a next situation just as tenuous or dangerous, as the first.  He is homeless, a simple guy, alienated from his family and with only marginally functional associates, he tries to forge out a life for himself. 
He is not only abused by the police, but taken advantage of by opportunistic gays, hustlers, and pimps until he finds a sort of escape into a better life.
This book has a twist almost every scene, a good twist from the storyteller's point of view, but one is left with a sort of sense of awe at the strength of this simple young man's person-hood to withstand such onslaughts from the world.
You will like Nicangelo, and will want to protect and guide him, and thus you'll be inside the writer's world completely captivated by his beautiful rendering of what could otherwise be a tragedy, but which turns into a more poetic and noble life for the characters because the author creates with images that ennoble his characters.  I loved this book.  It will become one of my favorite anti-hero novels of all time, now.  I look forward to more Dominic Ambrose works, and hope he also writes some poetry for us all.
Amos Lassen also did a much more professional review of this book at http://reviewsbyamoslassen.com/?p=16472

REVIEW OF GAY MALE/MALE ROMANCE NOVEL BY RICHARD S. RAINES

Now, here's a book, albeit for younger readers, that is well written, by a gay man, and about a young stuffy Brit who is a book translator in France learning some gay lessons.
I posted the review below on the GAYREADERSWRITERS GROUP ON YAHOO at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Gaywritersreaders   Here is the review I posted and below a few more comments.
Gay Writing Today "Current Reads"
1. Book Title: STRANGER IN TRANSLATION
2. Author: Charles Raines
3. Genre: M/M Romance
A purchase link (if the book isn't generally available from the usual sources)
KINDLE on Amazon e-Book 77pp Special intro offer $0.99
Buy at the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-In-Translation-ebook/dp/B0080UPHH8/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1336335079&sr=1-1-catcorr
 A 2-3 sentence summary of what you consider the book's strong points:
A well crafted tale of a sexy young Englishman (a "novel translator") temporarily living in Marseilles where his time is to be devoted to translating a "Best Seller" into French. While he lives in a rather liberal neighborhood and meets several men with whom he has trysts, even a petulant young "English student" French adolescent, there is a more special meeting and love making with a mysterious stranger who is slowly revealed throughout the tale. Multiple suspenseful subplots involving numerous hot guys weave heatedly together creating a fun and stirring M/M romance.
    This is a "hot" story and it is elegantly told.  I find the language used by the author to be enticing, elegant, and concise and clear.  It is English usage in it's best form, and for example the terms "kiss" ordinarily would be used to describe a single kiss but Richard S. Raines can describe a kiss in specific ways that stir deep emotions and drives in the reader.  Likewise, steering clear of vulgarities and trite phrases usually used to describe sex scenes, he can turn a "snuggled his nose in my underwear" into the introduction of a passionate exchange, all the time upholding a standard of freshness, wholesomeness, and excitement.  Oh, there is forbidden sex, but it it told in a way that allows the reader to see how it fits into the fabric of the story.
    This story has a fabric!  It's structure is so meticulously designed as to mesmerize the reader with the going and coming in an orderly fashion of themes and subplots.  A sort of rhythm is established that is enjoyable and relaxing, while erotically stimulating.  It is a book you can read quickly, also.  I highly recommend it for a single day read!   Five stars.

When I set out to find a quality novel to read, actually to listen to on Audible, I was once again faced with the sad fact that what is popular enough to get recorded is usually about "farms" or "cowboys" and ninety-nine percent of that is written by cowgirls!  Now, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of that but I can't find anything of any sophistication to read.  My mind requires more than a toss in the hay.  Corney as it was, Patricia Nell Warren wrote a book of interest...albeit dated now...so there is not reason females cannot write good male/male fiction, but I read five to ten books before I find one that is stimulating and intellectually and aesthetically sound.  To say this is to risk the wrath of actively publishing writers, but generally the only one's to complain about this complaint are the one's I'm complaining about.  I am a fan of many writers.  I'd have to say Jean Genet is probably the most amazing quality writer.  However, I mentioned one day I liked Edmund White and unleashed a maelstrom of attacks upon myself from writers of the old gay western genre.  I found the resentment for intellectual pursuits to be so intense as to be frightening.  I thought authors were open minded and liked to see and read other writers but I heard from the range that it ain't that way necessarily.  Some complained loudly that they were much better writers than White, and had blazed the trails of gay literature when none others were doing it.  Jealousy and envy seeped from each word, and the end result was in silencing me in that "blog" and "bulletin board" because everything I liked caused knee-jerk antagonistic rejection.  So, to say I like to read THE MIRACLE OF THE ROSE, and that I got interested in Genet reading his biography by Edmund White whose FAREWELL SYMPHONY was a favorite book of mine was taken to be high treason and the very pinnacle of ignorance, stupid stupid me!  I looked at Wal-Mart for any of these great authors and none of them were there competing with Spider Man and The Holy Bible, so I am not sure where these unknowns have been so famous...perhaps pulp fiction is considered a great goal in life for some.  I find that quality novels seem to have to arrive in surprise form.  To go buy a book on Kindle or Barnes and Nobel and download it to read is risky business, so many doggies to get into the corrals, and cowpokes to feed, scrub clean and have them screw.  How new!