Description:
Erotic fiction has rarely been given its due. Usually viewed simply as a printed aphrodisiac, it is ascribed a utilitarian purpose that precludes "art" or even talent. Yet this does not have to be the case. Best Gay Erotica 1998--the third in an annual series--proves that smut can be smart, witty, insightful, and even funny. This year's installment, produced under the guidance of series editor Richard Labonte, is selected and introduced by award-winning novelist Christopher Bram, and it's the best collection so far. Bram's thoughtful and intelligent introduction places gay male porn in the broader realm of American literature--right up there with Phillip Roth and John Updike--and his selections prove his point. While all of the pieces here are sexy--or at least include sexual material--they are also about real life as well. Will Leber's "White Picket Fence" deals with romantic illusions and expectations, Brian Bouldry's "Pioneering" is about the confusions of sex among young boys, and horehound stillpoint's "All the Hookers in America" examines the reality behind the fantasy of tricking. Best Gay Erotica delivers on all three of its title's promises. -- Michael Bronski
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