John
Charles 
(currently writing a historical gay novel) reviews two books and a film in this issue
Mortal Companion
by Patrick Califia
Spewing Pulp
by Gregory Blair
Yossi
and Jagger a film
 Mortal Companionby Patrick Califia Paper: 288 pages, $16.95 Suspect Thoughts Press, 2004 ISBN: 0971084696 This book is many things; gay, straight and lesbian erotica, heavy on BDSM that isn’t for the faint of heart, but most of all it is an excellently written, original and absorbing vampire story. The reader is sucked in from the first page and not released until the last, when the book is done with him. We meet Ulric Jager, a vampire made in the 14th century in his native land of Prussia, during the Christian Crusades. In an original twist we learn that the Elders in Ulric’s village are vampires, highly regarded and respected leaders whose wisdom guides his people. Ulric’s entrance into this revered sect is unwanted, unasked for, and in his view, undeserved. While purging the ‘heathens’ to make way for Christianity, Sir Hilbert, Ulric’s captor, makes him; his creation was something that, according to the ways of Ulric’s people was never meant to be. There’s more to exactly how this happens, but that won’t be revealed here, nor will the details of how Ulric’s sister, Adulfa also becomes a vampire, and in the process, Ulric’s most potent and vengeful enemy. Back to present-day America, Ulric is now about to take what he wants, but this time, it goes contrary to what most other vampires want or are expected to have; a mortal companion. Through mental manipulation and seductive mind-play, Ulric wins the heart and sexual liberation of Mary Beth, whom he re-names Lilith, an amusing stereotype of the repressed librarian. Lilith quickly evolves from a stifled woman to a sexual spitfire, and soon after, a vampire-friendly companion. One of the secret longings within Lilith that Ulric unlocks is her love of BDSM, which they (and the reader) spend the rest of the book with. It is central to the story and involves men with women, men with men, and women with women. Some might find some elements or combinations tedious or uninteresting if one has a preference for one kind of erotica over another, but it’s well worth sticking with the story despite this, if that be the case. The story reaches its climax when Rhys, Adulfa’s sexually enslaved and submissive servant, finds Ulric, whom she has been dispatched to search for, so that her master may destroy him. Intertwined with the story’s other elements is Lilith’s adamant refusal to join Ulric as one of the Undead. Apart from Patrick Califia’s original storytelling ability, he is an extraordinarily gifted writer. His prose is smooth and often poetic, his skill with words evident, and in this he is consistent throughout the book. He has given us another original twist; Ulric’s cats, who are also his guardians and protectors—and vampires themselves. Califia has endowed them with the ability to communicate telepathically with Ulric, and those who have ever been owned by a cat might find their ‘voices’ and habits extremely amusing, irresistibly enchanting, and thoroughly believable. If books were judged as Olympic events, Mortal Companion would earn 10s across the board, for style, content, originality and enjoyment. For those who love a good vampire story, this is one of the best. For those who enjoy erotica, and aren’t put off by BDSM, this is a worthy edition to one’s bookshelf. If you a reader who loves both, this book is very highly recommended. |
 Spewing
Pulpby Gregory Blair Infinity Publishing, 2004 ISBN: 0-7414-2002-3 Paper 137 pages $13.95 In reviewing Spewing Pulp, a good starting point would seem to be to describe what this work of fiction is not. It is not purely prose, screenplay, or poetry, and yet it uses all of these interchangeably to tell the story of three friends. It’s told in the first person, and yet as the reader soon realizes, the screenplay he is writing is the story being told. If this sounds confusing, suffice it to say the unusual format definitely “works.” If we are to assume that the narrator is the subject of the screenplay, as are his friends, we find Dale, the narrator, a struggling writer, Aileen, his closest friend, a law student, and Billy, the third in the triad, a newly relocated New York City publisher. As Dale drifts from one temp job to the next, trying unsuccessfully to have his poetry published, Billy corresponds sporadically with the two friends she left behind in L.A. who she used to call her closest. Geography and circumstances seem to weaken her ties to Aileen and Dale, and they drift apart from Billy, despite Billy’s promise to try to help Dale get published. Throughout, Dale, looking for his match, has a few unsuccessful dates, too shy to approach the one he really wants to connect with; Autumn, “the guy I think I’d really click with,” a twenty-something year-old waiter in a place that Dale frequents. When he finally decides to make ‘the move’ and connect with Autumn, it unfolds in a way that’s unexpected and endearing. At times Spewing Pulp resembles a kind of free association, stream of consciousness exercise in rambling, and yet rather than being a distraction, these excursions into the mind of Dale are often funny and make the book seem more realistic. Using all three styles of writing, and weaving them throughout, Blair’s wit is evident in all. His play on words—and his play with words is quite clever, and will appeal to those who appreciate and enjoy that. The tone of the book is light, and often flippant, and yet underlying it all is a genuine and sweet story of Dale’s life, his friendships, his hopes for his writing, and his quest for “that one guy.” Readers shouldn’t write this book off as fluff, although it’s often presented in a way that makes it challenging not to—but the payoff at the end may change one’s mind. The author’s closing comments, in talking about his next book, “I’m actually torn between trying my hand at some kind of novel or trying the obligatory screenplay. This is L.A. after all. And part of me still wants to write poetry. Maybe I can find a way to do all three,” is amusing. Spewing Pulp is a very quick read, due to its format and its length of 137 pages. It’s a light, highly enjoyable read, particularly for those who enjoy word play. But more than that, it’s an upbeat story about one’s belief in oneself, both professionally and personally, connections with friends, and the search for love. This book is highly recommended. |
 Yossi
& JaggerDVD $24.99 with Ohad Knoller and Yehuda Levi Israeli with English subtitles. This is a 65-minute long film about two Israeli soldiers stationed along the Israeli/Lebanese border. Yossi is Jagger’s commanding officer; while serving together, they fall in love. Their love is clandestine and their time spent together limited to their excursions into the field or in one or the other’s living quarters. Because of his position as an officer, Yossi is more concerned with keeping their relationship secret than is Jagger, who by contrast, is much more easygoing, and less inclined to care what people think. One gets the feeling that Jagger is by nature more easygoing and relaxed. In fact, “Jagger” is a nickname that “Lori” earned for his resemblance in appearance and demeanor to the rock star Mick Jagger. One suspects that the nuances of this particular military action and Israeli life in general are lost on those of us unfamiliar with it. While this doesn’t detract from one’s enjoyment of the movie, that enjoyment would probably be enhanced for those who have a better understanding of those things. The love scenes between the two are brief and not sexually explicit. Their love is depicted in other ways, and one can feel their attraction and pull towards one another, which is sweet and at times quite moving. Yossi’s need for secrecy and Jagger’s desire to openly state their love creates conflict between the two, but the love is not eclipsed by the friction they sometimes have. The difficulties and love are shown equally, with neither being the main focus of the film over the other. The conflict is resolved, to a degree, at the end of the film albeit in a tragic and ultimately painful way, the catalyst for which is tragedy itself. There is a moment towards the end of the film when Yossi finds himself sitting with Jagger’s family. In a moment of great poignancy, he realizes that of all the people in the room, his love for Jagger, although kept hidden, is possibly the truest and most intimate. While the film was in concept a good one, it failed to be a great one. The length of the film forced the character and situational development to be brief and superficial. One cares about the characters, but this is more to do with the viewer’s “filling in the blanks,” rather than anything seen in the film. In a word, the movie is too short to do justice to the characters or the story, which held great, but ultimately untapped potential. As an aside that may influence some viewers’ enjoyment of this film, the subtitles are run very quickly, and are noticeably faster than those seen other subtitled films. Yossi and Jagger is a good movie that one can only fault for what it could have been, but wasn’t, yet this does not in any way mean that it isn’t a movie worth seeing. Yossi and Jagger is very much worth a look, with the realization that it could have been more than it is. |