Gary Phillips reviews a bit of
classic gay literature this issue with his review of the late John
Preston's first anthology that was to be part of a series...Hometowns: Gay Men Write About Where They Belong
Gary is an accomplished theatre organ
restorer and said recently that he has enough work to keep him and his
partner busy for years. He also recently became a happy MiniCooper
owner. I'm sure if you write to him about his review, he will tell you
all about his other interests. Contact
Hometowns: Gay Men Write About Where They Belong
ed, John Preston
Paperback: 366 pages
Plume; Reprint edition, 1992
ISBN: 0452268559
Occasionally one picks up a book that's rather hard to put down. Hometowns is one of those books. As one who enjoys reading about people and their lives, I wasn't disappointed.
John Preston has done a wonderful job of editing the short stories of all the various gay writers, all of them men. Here, there are many views into the positive and negative forces that we, as gay folk, must address to live happy and balanced lives.
I found it particularly interesting when there were dates attached to the various events happening within the stories. I would look at the date and try to remember where I was, what I was doing, or whom I was with. There were times when I could almost swear a particular writer was talking about the town I grew up in.
As with any group of real-life stories, one of them hits you the most and tugs at something from deep within. I would have to say that it was Martin Palmer from Anchorage, Alaska. He decided to tell of his group of friends getting together at Thanksgiving, which they had done for the past five years. His story was copyrighted in 1991; I wonder if they're still meeting now? It's a wonderful story filled with all the wonderful positives you can think of, the importance of friends and how our friends are one big extended family. He also relays the feeling of sheer loneliness most feel at times, living in Alaska.
I read his story a few times and felt as though I was there experiencing everything he did, from the night before, the ice skating, then that wonderful Thanksgiving dinner the next day, and the trip home the day after.
These stories melded in one place everyone's ideas, life experiences and feelings on life, all of them rather well done, and from so many different angles. AS one who grew up in a small town in suburbia—Pompton Lakes, NJ—I, too, felt the isolation most of them felt.
I highly recommend this book; it will be rather enlightening for most, somewhat of a walk down memory lane for some, but best of all it’s an interesting read. I hope that some day my story, be it ever so ordinary, will end up in a group of stories such as this. What an honor.
Gary H Phillips
gary@ghpassociates.com