Gay Insights

I’m a lover of the short story format, and find it a wonderful way to “meet” a new author. The annual “Best Gay Romance” series that Richard Labonte edits has never failed to bring me some stories that leave me smiling, or laughing, or – sometimes – even sniffling.

This year’s crop of stories is quite varied in style and tone (as always, there’s a dash of the erotic in some of the tales), and I did have a few “a-ha!” moments as I read.

First, the delightful David Puterbaugh gave a marvellous tale of two gay fathers-to-be trying to decide on a name when it turns out little Julia is going to be a boy. Having read Puterbaugh’s short stories before, and having had the chance to meet him in New Orleans, I knew I’d be in for some witty dialog, and he delivers. I was happy to discover him in the book, and his story is sweet, and left me with a smile.

Jerry Wheeler’s story is one of the rare few stories I mentioned above that left me sniffling. His tale was absolutely moving – a story about a love lost and framed with a haunting and deliberate parallel that is the very definition of bittersweet, without falling too far and becoming maudlin.

I’m sure there’s something for everyone, and the tales cover a rich diversity of characters; the old, the young; the overweight, the fit; the closeted, the out; the mainstream and the extreme; and throughout all, an ongoing dialog of love and romance in its many forms.
Rating: 3 / 5