Men Like Trees, Walking

Rating:
Summary: Monumental "Trees"
Review: "Men Like Trees, Walking" is a really wonderful collection of stories by a writer with a surprisingly mature and confident voice. Exploring primarily the relationships between men, (both gay and straight, young and elderly, rich and poor), but also the relationships between people and art, and the self they create out of the environment which surrounds them, di Pasquale writes like a cross between Henry James and Mart Doty -- both writers who explore the inner life in great detail, and whose work resonates long after completion with a truly wondrous and generous fulsomness. "The Recital" is a great story about the investment people make in both art and love, while "Liebestod" is a great (and creepy) exploration of the theme of love and death, life and art. I also really liked "Sarah's Cry" (a story about two men who meet and have an affair, one an artist, and the other a married man just beginning to explore his sexuality), and "A True Story," a sweet tale about true love found in unexpected places. Two pages into this collection, I was hooked and totally charmed, and I greatly look forward to Mr. di Pasquale's next collection.

Rating:
Summary: Monumental "Trees"
Review: "Men Like Trees, Walking" is a really wonderful collection of stories by a writer with a surprisingly mature and confident voice. Exploring primarily the relationships between men, (both gay and straight, young and elderly, rich and poor), but also the relationships between people and art, and the self they create out of the environment which surrounds them, di Pasquale writes like a cross between Henry James and Mart Doty -- both writers who explore the inner life in great detail, and whose work resonates long after completion with a truly wondrous and generous fulsomness. "The Recital" is a great story about the investment people make in both art and love, while "Liebestod" is a great (and creepy) exploration of the theme of love and death, life and art. I also really liked "Sarah's Cry" (a story about two men who meet and have an affair, one an artist, and the other a married man just beginning to explore his sexuality), and "A True Story," a sweet tale about true love found in unexpected places. Two pages into this collection, I was hooked and totally charmed, and I greatly look forward to Mr. di Pasquale's next collection.

Rating:
Summary: Short Stories That Make You Want to Read More
Review: I rarely read anything twice, but I re-read diPasquale's "Men Like Trees, Walking."

Of the seven short stories, my favorite is "Sarah's Cry," about an artist and a young father who meet at a Berkeley coffee shop and have a love affair. DiPasquale spends the first part of the story developing the artist's background and character; then he tells us about Doug Bennington, the young architect father who has become a stay-at-home dad. I was truly touched by his observations about Doug, a man who by his family and surroundings, could not develop to be the man that he is.

Another story, "Appeal," came to mind this week when a friend was describing a man who was delightful when you found him, but never quite followed through on those promises to get together soon. I think we have all connected with this type of person, and diPasquale so aptly describes Oscar.

Except for one of the stories ("Liebestod"), which I found disturbing, I found all of them charming. I will re-read some of the stories again and look forward to reading more of diPasquale's work.

Rating:
Summary: Short Stories That Make You Want to Read More
Review: I rarely read anything twice, but I re-read diPasquale's "Men Like Trees, Walking."

Of the seven short stories, my favorite is "Sarah's Cry," about an artist and a young father who meet at a Berkeley coffee shop and have a love affair. DiPasquale spends the first part of the story developing the artist's background and character; then he tells us about Doug Bennington, the young architect father who has become a stay-at-home dad. I was truly touched by his observations about Doug, a man who by his family and surroundings, could not develop to be the man that he is.

Another story, "Appeal," came to mind this week when a friend was describing a man who was delightful when you found him, but never quite followed through on those promises to get together soon. I think we have all connected with this type of person, and diPasquale so aptly describes Oscar.

Except for one of the stories ("Liebestod"), which I found disturbing, I found all of them charming. I will re-read some of the stories again and look forward to reading more of diPasquale's work.