books of gay interest


Lethe's gay titles include an array of gay-positive novels, poetry, erotica and literature for gay men & lesbians. In addition, Lethe has partnered with the White Crane Institute to bring out new and classic titles in gay spirituality and gay wisdom under the White Crane Books imprint. And the new imprint, Bear Bones Books, will offer fiction and non-fiction titles about Gay Men's Bear Identity. Lethe is one of the world's leading publishers of gay and lesbian spirituality, poetry, and independent fiction. Below is a list of Lethe Press's books of gay interest.

One of our major retailers is having a sale for Gay Pride 2009

tla sale 



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So Fey

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—Forthcoming Summer 2009—

So Fey: Queer Fairy Fictions

Edited By Steve Berman

The legends of Fairyland tell that one should never taste the food or sip the drink, or else risk being caught there forever. But the tempting morsels in So Fey are irresistible! Lambda Award-nominated editor Steve Berman brings together acclaimed fantasy writers with some of the brightest names in speculative and LGBT fiction to create tales that are moving and magical. These stories of romance and grief, adolescence and identity, struggle and hope will enchant readers who long for a fantastic escape—and a wonderful twist! One sample of this bewitching treat is sure to trap you in its pages!

From the pains of loss in Holly Black’s “The Coat of Stars” to dealing with issues of identity in Richard Bowes’s “The Wand’s Boy” to Melissa Scott’s look at the dangers of love in “Mister Seeley,” So Fey: Queer Fairy Fiction takes you into worlds that are at once amazing and familiar. With tales that tear and tug at the heart but never cease to enchant, this exciting and unique collection will long last in the minds of readers.
Lethe Press
348 pages
6x9 trade paperback

978-1-59021-228-8

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A Report from Winter

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—Forthcoming Summer 2009—

A Report from Winter

By Wayne Courtois

A Report from Winter is a death-in-the-family story, a love story, and a meditation on the meaning of “winter”—as a season and as a metaphor for family relationships.

It’s January 1998, and southern Maine is recovering from one of the worst ice storms in history. Into this unforgiving environment comes the author, flying “home” from Kansas City after a ten-year absence. His mother, Jennie, is dying of cancer. She is receiving excellent care in a nursing home, but has lost the ability to communicate.

Needing support, Wayne makes an SOS call to Ralph, his longtime partner. Ralph boards a plane to Portland for his first exposure to a Maine winter, and to Wayne’s family as well, including a feisty aunt and an emotionally distant brother. The contrast between a nurturing gay relationship and dysfunctional family bonds is as sharp as the wind sweeping in from the sea.

Stubbornly unsentimental, A Report from Winter weaves childhood memories of winter with the harsh realities of living in a family where there’s not enough love to go around. The memoir is a tribute to hard-won relationships built on mutual trust and understanding, defying an uncaring world.

Very good review from OurBookShelf

Lethe Press
280 pages
5.5x8.5 trade paperback

978-1-59021-235-6

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Rest of Our Lives

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The Rest of Our Lives

By Dan Stone

Colm McKenna has led a guarded life. Gifted with a wintry soul and a photographer’s eye, he can stop time as easily as he freezes water, or call down cold north winds.  He thinks he is alone and unique in the world. Then, seemingly by accident, he meets writer Aidan Gallagher, his opposite, a young man who quickens Colm’s heart as magically as heats the air.
 
In this lighthearted, gay romantic fantasy, can two male witches whose passion reincarnates century after century, find a way to express their love for each other again?  Can this enchanting pair finally succeed after so many lifetimes?

Cute interview with Rick R. Reed (with a sexy photo of Dan)

Read a sample from The Rest of Our Lives

Rave review for The Rest of Our Lives

Lethe Press
228 pages
5.5x8.5 trade paperback

978-1-59021-147-2

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Exile

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Exile in Gayville

By Ragan Fox

Ragan Fox offers poetry that demands and provokes readers, as well as entertains them.  Fox bares not only his sexuality but his childhood fears and foes, his desires met and never satisfied, in these imaginative poems. These pieces deserve being read by anyone moved by
the plight of today’s gay culture wars.






“Ragan Fox’s searing chronicle of growing up gay is an anguished autobiography composed of poems unerring in their ferocity and their truths. These stanzas, which seem to be scraped directly from the surface of the poet’s skin, are both gut-twisting and impossible to turn away from. No edges are blurred, nothing is held back. Sharpening a creative signature that already sported a razor edge, Fox grants us witness to the crafting of an unapologetic life.”

    —Patricia Smith, four-time individual National Poetry Slam
          champion & National Book Award finalist for Blood Dazzler
 

Lethe Press
172 pages
6x9 trade paperback

978-1-59021-107-6

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Love Sucks

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Love Sucks:
New York Stories of Love, Hate and Anonymous Sex
By Ken Shakin

A collection of unforgettable vignettes from Sleaze City, New York.
Ken Shakin's reportage walks the thin line between journalism and fiction. In a free tradition of modern gay writing, Shakin follows John Rechy, Renaud Camus, John Preston and Boyd McDonald in using the perspective of anonymous sex to probe the uncomfortable facts of social relations, and not just gay ones, in the anonymous world of the big city. From "The Anonymous Dog" to "Confessions of a Smoocher", "Man and His Toys" to "The Smelliest Man Alive", Shakin's stories offer a guided tour to Sleaze City, calculated to send a shiver down even the most desensitised spines. Read this book at your own risk!

Lethe Press
252 pages
5.5x8.5 trade paperback

978-1-59021-104-5

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Ready to Serve

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Ready to Serve:
Arresting Gay Erotica
By James Buchanan

Author James Buchanan offers readers six tales of sultry encounters between police officers, firemen, border patrol, along with a few irresistible ne'er-do-wells.

Informative & positive review by blondie at rainbow reviews


Lethe Press
180 pages
5.5x8.5 trade paperback

978-1-59021-205-9

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Spunky Sailor

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Spunky Sailor
By Ken Smith

What better life for a randy gay man than as a sailor? Sandy knows that a ship crammed full of sexy service men offers plenty of opportunities—and that nights at shore are even more exciting and risque. The lads can’t wait for you to come below decks. There’s plenty of adventure so welcome aboard.

Ken Smith is the author of a series of erotic novels with nautical themes.

Lethe Press
 292 pages
5x8 trade paperback

978-1-59021-029-1

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The Butterfly's Wing

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The Butterfly's Wing
By Martin Foreman

A Literary Tour-de-force!

How do you react when your lover is kidnapped by terrorists and held hostage for over a year? How do you react when you are the man chained to the wall? In Martin Foreman’s moving novel, first published in 1996, Andy McIllray in the Peruvian Andes and Tom Dayton in rural England face that reality every day—each reliving his past and each fearful of the future.

Lethe Press
  304pages
6x9 trade paperback

978-1-59021-129-8

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Fluffers, Inc

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Fluffers, Inc
By Hank Edwards

Young Charlie Heggensford is fresh off a farm in Idaho when he stumbles (literally) into the office of Fluffers, Inc., where his natural talents are quickly put to use getting male porn stars in the “mood” to perform. A little too good at his job, Charlie over-stimulates the actors he is assigned to arouse and finds himself in trouble not only with his boss but several porn directors as well. Now if only Charlie can spare a breath for some seriously  hilarious and sexy misadventures...

Great Review in Australian Gay Mag AXN
Lethe Press
188 pages
5.5x8.5 trade paperback

978-1-59021-044-4

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Real Men Ride Horses

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Real Men Ride Horses:
Lost Stories of an American Desert
By Ken Shakin

Wander the pink desert, where the heat is thick, cowboys come clean, Indians tell all, and the author as voyeur writes down their stories. In Ken Shakin’s erotic collection, Western America is revealed, stripped to the waist, where men and boys get lost in the desert, looking for a wet dream.

Lethe Press
188 pages
5x8 trade paperback

978-1-59021-041-3

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Cold Serial Murder

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Cold Serial Murder
Book 2 in the Beach Reading series
By Mark Abramson

Tim Snow expected to show his visiting Aunt Ruth the wonders of San Francisco, but never expected one of the sights of the city would be the body of his ex-lover. A killer is on the loose in the Castro district. Meanwhile, Tim’s cadre of quirky friends and neighbors makes life all the more interesting with their drama of weddings and lost (and found) loves. Cold Serial Murder continues the story of one of the Castro’s most adorable characters. Can Tim and his Aunt uncover who the killer is before it’s too late?  (Read about Book 1: Beach Reading)

Bob Lind in ECHO Magazine writes:
In this second of his "Beach Reading" series of light thrillers, Abramson further develops the likeable and relatable characters he introduced in that enjoyable first book (same name as the series), and again provides a story that perfectly captures the cohesive spirit of the Castro community. While mystery purists may prefer a few more "red herrings" to complicate the solving of the crime, the author obviously intends for the series to entertain rather than challenge, and it succeeds wonderfully on that level. A clang from a streetcar, and five golden stars out of five!

GLOWING!! review from Amos Lassen

Jesse Monteagudo wrote an interesting piece about Mark Abramson & the Beach Reading Series on After Elton.

E.B. Boatner - Lavender Magazine, MINNEAPOLIS:
"Grab your towel, some SPF 60 lotion, and these first two of author Mark Abramson's highly entertaining Beach Reading series. He introduces protagonist Tim Snow, Minnesota-born, expelled by his family after an "incident," taken in by his Aunt Ruth, and now comfortably ensconced in the heart of the Castro, where he has lived for some time. Beach moves along briskly, incorporating a homophobic preacher, a gay icon, joint-toking oldsters, a jolt from Tim's past, and a bevy of characters you'll meet again in Cold Serial Murder, including Aunt Ruth. Cold Serial is littered with corpses, one of them Tim's ex-lover. Beach Reading is exactly what it promises. Abramson's witty dialogue; vivid, sexy characters; and comprehensive knowledge of gay SF, its flora, fauna, and idiom, captivate the reader. Number three, Russian River Rat, will be out later this fall. Don't worry - it will be as much fun to read under an electric throw as on a beach blanket."
Lethe Press
240 pages
5x8 trade paperback

978-1-59021-140-3

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A Strong and Sudden Thaw

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A Strong & Sudden Thaw
By R. W. Day

The Ice fell upon the world nearly a hundred years ago, and if civilization didn’t rightly collapse, it surely staggered and fell ill a while. In the small town of Moline, Virginia, folks struggle to survive, relying on hybrid seed sent by the faraway Dept. of Reintroduction and Agriculture and their own faith in God and hard work. But when a mated pair of dragons starts hunting the countryside, stealing sheep, and attacking children, the townsfolk quickly learn that they don’t have the weapons or the skills to fight off such predators.
 
David Anderson is a farmer’s son who has explored the world through books. When he meets the new healer in town, Callan Landers, he doesn’t quite know what to make of the strange warmth stealing over him. It’s not until he surprises Callan with another man—and both men are promptly arrested for sodomy—that David finally realizes the truth about his own feelings.
 
When David and Callan stumble over a secret in a nearby abandoned town, their personal problems fade before government politics and corruption that threaten lives. It seems the dragons aren’t the worst dangers facing Moline.

Read a thoughtful, positive though critical, and interesting review by Kris on jessewavereviews.
Lethe Press
376 pages
6x9 trade paperback

978-1-59021-063-5

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the phoenix

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The Phoenix
By Ruth Sims

At fourteen, Kit St. Denys brought down his abusive father with a knife. At twenty-one his theatrical genius brought down the house. At thirty, his past—and his forbidden love—nearly brought down the curtain for good.

A compelling Victorian saga of two men whose love for each other transcends time and distance—and the society that considers it an abomination. Set in the last twenty years of the 19th century, The Phoenix is a multi-layered historical novel that illuminates poverty and child abuse, theatre history in America and England, betrayal, a crisis of conscience, violence and vengeance, and the treatment of insanity at a time when such treatment was in its infant stage. Most of all it is a tale of love on many levels, from carnal to devoted friendship to sacrifice.

Watch the beautiful & evocative YouTube video

Lethe Press
376 pages
6x9 trade paperback

978-1-59021-046-8

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Best Gay Poetry 2008

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Best Gay Poetry / 2008
Edited by Lawrence Schimel

Best Gay Poetry is a new annual series collecting the best gay poems of the year before. It offers both poetry aficionados and casual gay readers an easy way to keep abreast of the field and find poems that speak to their experience. 

Editor Lawrence Schimel has brought together a diverse array of poems and voices, not merely in their poetic style and form, but also in how gay subjects and themes are addressed.

Drawing on poems published in journals, anthologies, and single-author collections, Best Gay Poetry 2008 offers up the cream of the crop of what was published in 2007, gathered together in one handy volume. Featuring work from 50 gay poets, readers will find herein a mix of established poets and exciting new voices, including Carl Phillips, Rane Arroyo, David Bergman, Timothy Liu, Brad Gooch, Reginald Shepard, Jeff Mann, Steve Fellner, Jee Leong Koh, Steven Cordova, Jericho Brown, and many others,

Best Gay Poetry 2008 also includes an annotated bibliographic round-up of relevant gay-interest poetry books published the year before, making it an invaluable research tool for both institutions and individuals.


National book reviewer Richard Labonte wrote a wonderful brief review of this book in his syndicated Books Marks:
...In his introduction, Schimel laments that he first tried to interest publishers in the project a decade ago. Now his one-man publishing venture, A Midsummer Night's Press, has collaborated with up-and-coming queer publisher Lethe Press to produce a savvy, well-edited snapshot of gay poems published in 2007. The quality of the work is reason enough to relish this collection, but Schimel adds bibliographic value to creative excellence by including generous contributor bios pointing to other work by the poets in the book, and - a real treat for hardcore fans of queer poetry - an extensive listing of recent anthologies and single-author titles for further reference...

Lethe Press
148 pages
5x8 trade paperback

978-1-59021-128-1

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Whistling in the Dark

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Whistling in the Dark

By Tamara Allen

His career as a concert pianist ended by a war injury, Sutton Albright returns to college, only to be expelled after an affair with a teacher. Unable to face his family, he heads to New York with no plans and little money—only a desire to call his life his own.

Jack Bailey lost his parents to influenza and now hopes to save the family novelty shop by advertising on the radio, a medium barely more than a novelty, itself. His nights are spent in a careless and debauched romp through the gayer sections of Manhattan.

When these two men cross paths, despite a world of differences separating them, their attraction cannot be denied. Sutton finds himself drawn to the piano, playing for Jack. But can his music heal them both, or will sudden prosperity jeopardize their chance at love?

Sky Schneider talks with Tamara Allen about her book         

Great review on Our Bookshelf

Very Good review by Killian Malloy in EdgeBoston

Lethe Press
336 pages
6x9 trade paperback

978-1-59021-049-9

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nights kiss

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Night's Kiss: Lesbian Erotica

By Catherine Lundoff

Once more Catherine Lundoff offers readers a collection of the sensual and the supernatural. The stories in Night’s Kiss are perfect bedtime reading, as long as you keep the night-light on! Here are stories with alluring vampires and aliens, strange Elvis impersonators and pirates, as well as a few vengeful goddesses and curious tourists. So get under the covers, and remember to lick your finger before daring to turn the page.


Lethe Press
188 pages
5x8 trade paperback

978-1-59021-034-5

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still dancing

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Still Dancing
New and Selected stories


By Jameson Currier

In Still Dancing author Jameson Currier brings together twenty short stories spanning three decades of the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the gay community. Along with stories from Currier’s debut collection, Dancing on the Moon, praised by The Village Voice as “defiant and elegiac,” are ten newly selected stories written by one of our preeminent masters of the short narrative form.

Jameson Currier writes about Still Dancing


Lethe Press
204 pages
5x8 trade paperback

978-1-59021-048-4

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sea swallow

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Sea, Swallow Me
and other stories


By Craig Laurence Gidney

Magic and myth mingle in dark and dazzling ways in Craig Laurance Gidney's debut collection. A tourist meets an African sea god... A 12th century Japanese monk attracts the attention of a mischievous shapeshifter... The Earl King lives in a briar patch on an antebellum plantation... Spirits of the past haunt a young boy on a Southern coastal island.... Gidney turns the familiar strange and the strange familiar in this landmark debut.

Read a FIVE STAR review at rainbow-reviews

"...transcendence, brilliance, and mastery, all of which this collection evinces in abundance." -- from a great review at thefix-online. Click here to read the whole review

"The best of the stories in this thoughtful debut collection make full use of African and African-American characters, such as when young slave Israel Jones meets a man he's convinced is the guitar-wielding Devil..." --from a good review in Publisher's Weekly

Lethe Press
204 pages
5x8 trade paperback

978-1-59021-066-6

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sex as god intended


Sex as God Intended
A Reflection on Human Sexuality as Play

By John J. McNeill
with Festschrift essays celebrating the life and work of John J. McNeill

For more than thirty-five years, John J. McNeill, an ordained priest and psychotherapist, has been devoting his life to spreading the good news of God's love for lesbian and gay Christians. McNeill presents a simple and straightforward answer to the question: What did God invent sex for? The answer, derived from an incisive investigation of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, is that God intended sex as a source of pleasure, joy and love.

This book represents a concise summary of the wisdom culled over a lifetime. McNeill's ideas have enriched the faith of thousands, including fellow teachers, religious scholars, ministers and lay folk.

 
This volume includes a Festschrift to John McNeill, celebrating his life and work in a series of essays by students, friends, and activists, honoring him for his lasting contribution and spelling out how he touched their lives and work.

Toby Johnson  •  Mark Jordan  •  Robert E. Goss •  Jim Mitulski  •  Mary Elizabeth Hunt  • Sr. Jeannine Gramick • Vincent Virom Coppola • Virginia Ramey Mollenkott • Mel White • Daniel Helminiak  •  John Stasio  •  Brendan Fay  and Rev. Troy Perry


Click: For more information about this book

Very good and interesting review by Jack Gardner from Philadelphia EDGE
Descriptive and analytic, 5-Star review by William Lindsey
Long, critical but positive and celebratory review from "queering the church.com"
Dignity USA review by Jeff Stone


Lethe Press
268 pages
6x9 trade paperback

978-1-59021-042-0

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Lundoff

catherine lundoff accepting award
golden crown award finalist

Crave won a Golden Crown Literary Award for Lesbian Erotica!
 
Crave: Tales of Lust, Love & Longing
By Catherine Lundoff

Catherine Lundoff is one of the most imaginative writers working today. Her daydreams have been published in many anthologies. Her stories combine passion with the weirdness of speculative fiction.

In Crave, Catherine has collected fifteen of her most recent tales. From the howls of lycanthropic desire offered by the "Leader of the Pack" to lust and larceny in "Heart's Thief," these stories will bewitch and entice women.






Here's Catherine at the Goldie Awards with her book and her award for Lesbian Erotica.

Lethe Press Paperback,
168 pages
ISBN 1590219003
 


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Brad


Brad: A Young Man's Adventures
By Ken Smith


You can’t keep a good boy from going down. And Brad, one of the best-selling gay erotica titles of all time, returns in a new edition.

The summer after high school, Brad meets a young man in the woods one day and embarks on a life filled with sexual antics and adventures. Join young Brad on a journey of sexual discovery from his early fumblings in the British countryside until his more experienced days as a rent boy sailor.
 

Ken Smith is the author of a series of erotic novels with nautical themes.

Lethe Press
260 pages
5x8 trade paperback

1-59021-106-5
978-1-59021-106-9

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contemplations
Contemplations of the Heart: A Book of Male Spirit, Photography, Digital Imaging and Text
By Peter Grahame

Contemplations of the Heart highlights men of many different ages, shapes, sizes and colors. The non-erotic, non-objectifying male nude photographic and digital images, and the meditation-style text, are reflective of positive self-image and self-acceptance, and it suggests how these may lead to a deeper sense of the spiritual self, most especially for Gay men. Hard cover, mostly full color, the book measures 5.75 in. x 8.25 in. All male photo subjects appearing are 18 or older. This book is very reasonably priced, and a great gift.

Visit the author/photographer's website

Wonderful review in Edge Los Angeles

Ironic Horse Studio

distributed by
Lethe Press
ISBN 978-0-977427802
84 pages
$16.95

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beach reading

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Beach Reading
By Mark Abramson

The first book in an exciting new series!

San Francisco has never been moire romantic or adventuresome as portrayed by this debut novelist. A bit of magic and a lot of local lore makes for an exciting and fun read.

This book is getting GREAT reviews.

Read them on the author's webpage
beachreading.net

Read Steve Williams' review from Suite101.com

Jesse Monteagudo wrote an interesting piece about Mark Abramson & the Beach Reading Series on After Elton.



Lethe Press
Paperback
196 pages

ISBN 978-1-59021-139-7

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Best Gay Stories 2008

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Best Gay Stories 2008
Edited by Steve Berman


Steve Berman has selected twenty stories--some moving essays, some splendid works of fiction--from the prior year that best feature the lives, loves and losses of gay men. With tales by fresh voices and established writers, Best Gay Stories offers readers indiscretions, poignant trysts, and reminiscences that are as evocative as they are imaginative.


Authors:  
M. S. Allen    Holly Black  
Richard Bowes    Tom Cardamone   
Jameson Currier   Peter Dube  
Erastes   Greg Herren   James Klise
David Levithan   Raymond Luczak 
Joseph Manera   Jeff Mann   Billy Merrell  
Ethan Mordden    Paul Reidinger  
Charles Rice-González     Paul Russell 
 Aaron Shurin     Robert Warwick

Splendid and informative review in Rainbow Reviews
The reviewer, "Lizardlez," describes each story individually

Lethe Press
Paperback
ISBN 978-1-59021-191-5
292 pages

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Also available in casebound edition
ISBN  978-1-59021-182-3

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berman second thoughts
Second Thoughts
By Steve Berman

In author Steve Berman's second collection of stories and essays, he once more leads readers through the dark paths of his imagination: stories of the scent of loneliness entices children to start eating away at a caretaker's historic house; a young lover is tempted by a nursery rhyme; and Victorian-era burglars need to be wiley as well as quick to survive together. Berman follows each tale with an author note that dares to question what is fact and what might be fiction, while laying bare his own life and dreams.

Steve Berman has been a finalist for many awards, including the Andre Norton (his yougn adult novel Vintage), the Gaylactic Spectrum, the Golden Crown Literary, and the Lambda Literary Awards. He resides in southern New Jersey.

Read about Second Thoughts on Rainbow Reviews

Read Steve Williams' review on Suite101.com
"...without exception well-wrought, fluent gems," says the reviewer on rambles.net
Good review in Great Britain's Chroma Journal
Lethe Press
Paperback
212 pages

ISBN-13 978-1-590-21-028-4


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Vintage



Vintage

A Ghost Story
By Steve Berman

In a small town, a lonely teen walking along a highway one autumn evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died decades ago and haunts the road. Awkward crushes, both bitter and sweet, lead him to face not only the ghost but youthful dreams and childish fears. With its cast of offbeat friends, antiques and Ouija boards, Vintage offers readers a memorable blend of dark humor, chills and love that is not your typical teen romance.

 
Lethe Press
Paperback
204 pages

ISBN-13  978-1-59021-053-6

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Also in Library Binding
ISBN-13 978-1-59021-130-4




Wilde Stories
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Wilde Stories 2008
 
edited by Steve Berman

Wilde Stories is a new annual anthology that offers readers the best of the prior year's speculative fiction with gay characters and themes. Editor Steve Berman, who has been a finalist for both the Lambda Literary and Andre Norton Award, has collected an engaging selection of the fantastical, the strange, the scary from such notable authors as Victor J. Banis, Jameson Currier, Hal Duncan and Lee Thomas.

GREAT review with interesting comments by Amos Lassen at eurekapride.com

Green Man Review gave a great review with descriptions of several of the stories.


Lethe Press
Paperback
240 pages
ISBN-13  978-1-59021-078-9

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rough cut

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Rough Cut

 
Vincent Diamond Collected

Diamonds can be a boy’s best friend, too.

Especially the erotic short stories of Vincent Diamond, sparkling with cut, color, and clarity. Here are sensual encounters between real men that will leave readers feverish to turn the next page. 

Lethe Press Paperback,
 280  pages
ISBN 159021109X
 
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Berman Trysts
Trysts
A Triskaidecollection Of Queer And Weird Stories
By Steve Berman

Steve Berman has assembled his most compelling stories of trysts that range from the eerie to the horrifying to the wondrous. Cut and paste a voodoo doll made of magazine clippings: watch as a ouija board spells out your deepest secret...mourn the loss of your boyfriend while awaiting his ghost... listen to the ancient whisperings of a threadbare flapper dress...gamble for more than money on a Southern riverboat...renounce your citizenship to walk through a restricted area, rife with magic. Experience passion and loss, all within the pages of this triskaide collection - thirteen stories where the supernatural is as likely to doom as to save those that are drawn to its power. Trysts offers readers dark and quirky tales from a distinctive new voice in gay fiction.

Visit the author's website


Lethe Press Paperback,
164 pages
ISBN 159021000X


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Periphery Lynne Jamneck

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Nominated for a Golden Crown Award
Periphery
Lesbian Erotic Futures
Edited by Lynne Jamneck

Periphery brings together a diverse blend of speculative writers to offer readers stories that delve deep into aspects of attraction and infatuation in futures both far and near. Editor Lynne Jamneck has assembled thirteen stories that are cutting edge in desire and style.

Rainbow Reviews gave Periphery 5 stars

read the review by Frost's Fancy


Lethe Press
Paperback
216 pages
ISBN-13 978-1-59021-101-4

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Haunted

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Haunted Hearths & Sapphic Shades

Lesbian Ghost Stories
Edited by Catherine Lundoff

Haunted Hearths & Sapphic Shades offers readers seventeen original lesbian ghost stories that stories that range from eerie tales of lost love to the darker side of romantic committments, relationships that linger longer than the grave.

Lethe Press Paperback,
268 pages
ISBN 978-1-59021-162-5

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very bloody marys

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The Very Bloody Marys
M. Christian

Can San Francisco survive a marauding gang of Vespa-riding vampires? Before it's sucked dry, the city's only hope may be Valentino, who's only a trainee for the supernatural law enforcement agency, Le Counseil Carmin. Swept up in the whole blood-sucking business when his mentor goes missing, Valentino is called upon to deal with the menace of these "Bloody Marys." But Valentino soon realizes that, in order to dispose of the gang, he must go into areas he never dreamed of, deal with some very strange characters and learn the truth about the dark side of town. 

The Very Bloody Marys is a comic horror novel about vampires, ghouls, faeries, and the undead that move around after dark. Part chase, part gallows humor, and all shivery excitement, this new story from the wildly imaginative M. Christian is funny, frightening, and very entertaining.

Great Review by Amos Lassen

Lethe Press
Paperback
216 pages
ISBN-13 978-1-59021-035-2

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Painted Doll

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Painted Doll
By M. Christian

Once more acclaimed author M. Christian writes of the art of seduction. One of the pleasures of the dystopic future are erotists, professionals who paint their clients' bared skin with neurochemicals that induce sensuality. Erotists offer landscapes of ecstasy, pain, joy and delight. Few citizens can afford the skills of the talented Domino. Fewer still know her identity is but a mask.
      Beneath the facade, Claire hides from a vicious crime lord who would not only kill her but her childhood lover. But the mask of Domino is beginning to crack...
    Painted Doll is futuristic noir tale, a wildly imaginative erotic adventure, exploring who we are and the sexual awakenings that occur when we become someone else.

Interesting and positive review in Rainbow Reviews


Lethe Press Paperback
192 pages

1-59021-125-1

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seventy times seven

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Seventy Times Seven
a novel
By Salvatore Sapienza


An intriguing look into current-day religious life… The story of a young Catholic teaching brother realizing the true meaning of serving others and living life, Seventy Times Seven is readable and entertaining, with just the right twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed.


One of the "Top 5 Books of 2008" -- UP Reviews

Read reviews on the author's site

Lethe Press Paperback,
260 pages
ISBN 978-1-59021-057-4

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chemistry

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Chemistry: a novel
By Lewis DeSimone

When first they meet, Neil and Zach discovered a sexual and emotional chemistry that could not be denied. Then, as mental illness consumes one, each must grow, repair himself, and work to become stronger and more independent to ultimately conquer the life-crushing consequences wrought by mental illness and emotional dependency. Chemistry is the story of attraction between lovers, the brain chemistry that determines personality and mood, the medications needed for regaining mental health, and the relationships between people who care for one another. DeSimone debut is an enthralling novel of courage, liberation, and self-realization.


Lethe Press Paperback,
260 pgs
ISBN159021157X
 

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Hard Road

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Hard Road, Easy Riding
Lesbian Biker Stories
Edited by Sacchi Green & Rekelle Valencia

Take a ride—on the wild side.

Sex should be  intense, joyful, and liberating—exactly as written in these edgy and uninhibited stories. While there are many anthologies of lesbian erotica available, none so far have focused on the interaction between the lifestyles and sexual adventures of lesbian bikers. What’s sexier than a hot woman, clad in form-fitting leather, fiercely in control of the Iron Horse between her legs?

Lethe Press Paperback,
216 pages
ISBN 978-1-59021-068-0

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Getting Life in Perspective

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Getting Life in Perspective
A Fastastical Romance
By Toby Johnson

Sweet, sexy, wise and thoroughly entertaining, this mytho-historical novel, featuring two lovable apparitions from the late 1800s America, interweaves a heart-warming storey of youthful romance and adventure with an ageless life-affirming and gay-positive spiritual message 
             ...along with just a touch of the Twilight Zone.

Visit the author's website

Rainbow Reviews gave 5 stars!
read the review by Matthew

Read Steve Williams' WONDERFUL review on Suite101.com

Lethe Press Paperback,
244 pages

ISBN 978-1-59021-126-7

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------
Available in Large Print
Hard Cover

ISBN 1-59021-076-X
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carpenter


 
Pagan and Christian Creeds
By Edward Carpenter

A collection of essays by the English socialist poet, anthologist and early homosexual activist. The book is an attempt to make an objective comparison between the origins and practices of pagan religions and christianity.

Lethe Press Paperback,
320 pages
ISBN  1590210077


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Clark

Someone Gay: Memoirs
By Don Clark, Ph.D.

The author of the perennially popular and life-changing book, Loving Someone Gay, recounts his own life journey from shame, failure, guilt and fear to pride, self-confidence and understanding of true feelings. Sharing how he made the transformation himself, the first officially openly gay psychologist in the U.S. and "father of gay-oriented psychotherapy" points the way for others to claim gay identity and gay pride and follow him to happiness, meaning, love and success.


Lethe Press Paperback,
360 pages

ISBN 1590210670

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Fox
Heterophobia
By Ragan Fox

This wonderful first collection of performance poetry is sure to make readers laugh and smirk. Discover why Books to Watch Out For writes: ñFox comes out of the world of performance poetry, where heÍs something of a star. Could be why the poems -- as punchy as prose -- in this first collection sizzle with the heat and ripple with the wit of good stories -- short on plot, of course, and character development, but packed with passionate introspection about and investigation of queer life, queer sex, and queer essence."

Lethe Press Paperback,
120 pgs

ISBN 1590210190

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secret matter

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Secret Matter
By Toby Johnson

The winner of a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Men's Science Fiction and bestselling novel, Secret Matter returns to print in a revised edition for the 21st century. With an afterword by gay theologian, social commentator Mark Jordan.

BONUS -- with this edition: Adam and Steve, a whimiscal tale with a profound insight.


Kevin Anderson is moving along through his life, finishing up college, and getting ready to leave New York for an internship rebuilding San Francisco after an immense earthquake. Then the Visitors arrive; a race of human-like aliens touch down in several cities around the globe, including SF, and nothing will ever be the same. When Kevin's company is given a contract to build a facility for the Visitors, he forms a friendship with ïBel, one of their number. But is 'Bel so alien after all? They seem so human, but they possess some odd characteristics and seem to be hiding something. What secrets do they carry, and where, exactly, are they from?

A wonderful review by Arthur Breur on rainbow-reviews. Here an excerpt: "...the book resolves in a very enjoyable and satisfying way, and the author's many-layered revelations about the Visitors is both intriguing and pleasantly startling. (I shouted out loud at the most critical revelation, and was very relieved when the author powerfully backed it up with science and reason.) Recommended!" read the whole review

Visit the author's website


Lethe Press Paperback,
260 pages

ISBN 1590210174
 
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Lundoff

golden crown award finalistCrave: Tales of Lust, Love & Longing
By Catherine Lundoff

Catherine Lundoff is one of the most imaginative writers working today. Her daydreams have been published in many anthologies. Her stories combine passion with the weirdness of speculative fiction.

In Crave, Catherine has collected fifteen of her most recent tales. From the howls of lycanthropic desire offered by the "Leader of the Pack" to lust and larceny in "Heart's Thief," these stories will bewitch and entice women.


Lethe Press Paperback,
168 pages

ISBN 1590219003

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Michaelson
Another Word for Sky: Poems
By Jay Michaelson

"Jay Michaelson knows too well that our life is a wedding and a funeral, at the same time, in any given moment. The erotic on these pages comes hand in hand with the devotional." - Ilya Kaminsky, author of Dancing in Odessa

" If you are comfortable in your pew, these may not be the poems for you. But if you want fully embodied poems of outrage and love -- and if you want to "make a religion of flaw," read Another Word for Sky. You won't regret it." - Richard Chess, author of Third Temple

Jay Michaelson is the executive director of Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality, and a leading figure in the gay spirituality movement. Visitors to Easton Mountain, Burning Man, Body Electric, and many other places have thrilled to his ecstatic, erotic performances of visionary queer mystical poetry -- and now his first book of poems is out from Lethe Press. At times reflective, at times outrageous, Another Word for Sky stakes Michaelson's claim to be the James Broughton, even the Allen Ginsberg, of his generation.

Visit the author's website


Lethe Press Paperback
104 pages

ISBN-13 978-1-59021-061-4



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Williams

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Two Spirits:  A Story of Life With the Navajo

By Walter L. Williams  & Toby Johnson

Twenty years after publishing his ground-breaking The Spirit and the Flesh, anthropologist Walter L. Williams breaks his silence and writes another book on Native Americans. Together with award-winning writer Toby Johnson, he has produced a work of historical fiction striking in its evocation of Navajo philosophy and spirituality. Set in the Civil War era of the 1860s, this novel tells the story of a young Virginian who finds himself captivated by a Navajo Two-Spirit male. This book illuminates the truth of what the United States did to the largest indigenous people of this nation. A novel full of suspense, plot twists, and endearing romance.

From Rainbow-reviews by Blondie:
"What can I say about this book. It was AWESOME. I felt like I was there among the Dine, in the Sweat Lodge, in Santa Fe watching Joelle sing. I could see the mountains and feel the hot air and all the glory of the Southwest. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction with gay characters in it. I'd give this book 10 stars if I could, but definitely 5 stars."

Visit the author's website 

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Lethe Press Paperback,
332 pgs

ISBN1590210603
 

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edge

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a bear bones book
Edge:
Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear

By Jeff Mann

The autobiographical essays in Edge offer insight into the passions of acclaimed author Jeff Mann. These memories, insightful as they are endearing, range from his boyhood obsession with the gothic allure of Dark Shadows, to the doubt and pain of being a Southerner and so at the edge of the gay community, and the appeal of leather bars and bear culture.

Mann also visits many gay meccas in several of these essays—the resorts of Key West, Provincetown, and Rehoboth Beach, along with several European destinations such as Germany, Ireland, Belgium, and Scotland, have important cameos. But he is never an idle traveler—he is challenged by his experiences, and his observations reveal the thoughts of many gay men. Along the way Mann ruminates on a variety of subjects, from lost lovers to kilts, theophany, Sylvia Plath, adult videos,bear bones logo and bathhouses.

Wonderful and interesting review on Rainbow Reviews

For more Bare Bones Books, click on the logo



Bear Bones Book
208 pages
ISBN 1-59021-059-X
          978-1-59021-059-8


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Gay Perspective


 a white crane spirituality book

Gay Perspective:
Things our [homo]sexuality tells us about the nature of God and the Universe


By Toby Johnson

Back in print, expanded and updated, with a new Preface by the author, Johnson's Lammy-nominated bold statement of the spiritual side of gay consciousness.

Nice review on Rainbow Reviews

visit the author's website
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White Crane Books Trade Paperback
264  pages
ISBN 1590210409

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prophet in his own land
a white crane wisdom book

A Prophet In His Own Land
A Malcolm Boyd Reader
Edited by Bo Young and Dan Vera

Richard Labonte included this book in his
Ten Best Non-fiction for 2008.


For over sixty years, Malcolm Boyd has written truthfully about his own journey to fullness.  From theologian to civil rights pioneer to coffee house troubadour to gay rights icon, Boyd has courageously and whole-heartedly shown the way to a deeper, more honest examination of all our lives, leading by example. Bo Young and Dan Vera interview Malcolm and his partner Mark Thompson about their years together. Many of Boyd's previously unavailable articles are reprinted here.
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White Crane Books Hardcover,
328  pages
ISBN 1590210115


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a white crane wisdom book

Take Off the Masks
By Malcolm Boyd

White Crane Books is proud to re-release Boyd's classic spiritual biography and coming out story, Take Off  the Masks, for a new generation of readers hungry for its insight, honesty and soulful perception.  With a new introduction by BoydÍs life partner, Markwhite crane books logo Thompson, and a newly added postscript by Rev. Canon Boyd himself.

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White Crane Books Paperback,
160 pages

ISBN 1590210654

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Broughton





a white crane wisdom book

ALL: A James Broughton Reader
Edited by Jack Foley

In a life that stretched from 1913 to 1999 James Broughton witnessed and commented on the twentieth century from the point of view of an outsider. In a time aghast at its own horrors, Broughton championed laughter. He was a poet, not of the ivory tower but of the innovative street, a playful, urban voice with the notion that a poet could change the world. In a rational century, he asserted mystery. All: A James Broughton Reader collects the range of this acclaimed poet and filmmaker.white crane books logo

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White Crane Books Paperback,
272 pages

ISBN 1590210212
 

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charmed lives

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a white crane wisdom book
Lammy Award Nominee 2007 for Best Anthology
Charmed Lives:  Gay Spirit in Storytelling
Edited by Toby Johnson & Steve Berman

Storytelling can be a way of spinning straw into gold, of showing ourselves we have drawn a long straw in this life. Charmed Lives offers readers a collection of fiction and personal essays as an alternative to the stories that society often tells about gay men. Some are whimsical with a touch of enchantment, some profoundly spiritual, others romantic--all offer insight into modern gay life that will inspire and shed light on the grace of being gay with tales of hope against adversity and love over loneliness.

Visit the authors' website

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White Crane Books Paperback,
308 pgs

ISBN 1590210166
 
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Johnson GS
a white crane spirituality book
Lambda Literary Award Winner
Gay Spirituality   
By Toby Johnson

In this Lambda Literary award-winning title, Toby Johnson explores how the rise of gay identity has become an important part of contemporary religious development. This dramatic transformation has resulted due to the perspective of gay men with their ability to step outside the assumptions and conventions of culture and see things from a different point of view. This book will reward readers seeking new insight into faith as well as culture, myth and traditions.

Johnson's vision of a life-affirming, sex-positive spirituality of love, cooperation, mutual respect and acceptance is in sync with modern scientific knowledge, and does not ask the reader to suspend logic or critical thinking. Gay Christians who are struggling with their sexual orientation will especially appreciate Johnson's convincing refutation of common "biblical" anti-gay arguments. A powerful book for personal change and a great gift to a gay friend who is unhappy with his life or suffering from low self-esteem.

Visit the author's website
See also Toby Johnson's beloved soft sci-fi novel SECRET MATTER
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White Crane Books Paperback,
296 pgs

ISBN 1590210220
 

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Ramer






a white crane spirituality book

Two Flutes Playing
By Andrew Ramer

A classic of gay mythopoesis. Michael Bails (Seattle WA) writing an unsolicited review on the amazon.com site says: "I was recommended this book after having taken a Body Electric workshop a few weeks before. From the first page I began to re-live the entire bonding rituals that we had experienced over that weekend. How to connect, how to communicate, and how to intimately bond on a higher plane! ... A definite "must have" book for the gay tribe who would like to interact spiritually and emotionally!"
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White Crane Books Paperback,
168 pgs

ISBN 1590210239



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Thompson GS









a white crane spirituality book

Gay Spirit: Myth & Meaning
By Mark Thompson

Arguably the book that started the Gay Spirituality Movement. Publishers Weekly wrote: Cultural editor of the Advocate, Thompson here collects previously published articles and book excerpts from the magazine, each an attempt to define the status of gay men. In an introduction he distinguishes between homosexual (a form of sexuality) and gay: "A social identity and consciousness actively chosen." The text discusses the gay's role in politics, religion, culture, identity.

Among the contributors are Judy Grahn, author of lesbian/feminist works; Malcolm Boyd, activist Episcopal priest; Harry Hay, a founder of the Mattachine Society; writer William S. Burroughs; and Geoff Mains's presenting an approving, detailed description of sadomasochism.white crane books logo

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White Crane Books Paperback,
352 pgs,

ISBN 1590210247
 


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For more about White Crane & White Crane Books, visit:

gaywisdom.org

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Readers of Lethe Press titles will also find books by Circlet Press of interest
Circlet Press, Inc.
Celebrating the Erotic Imagination
www.circlet.com