If I had a dollar for every page of every book Ive read in the past two weeks Id be writing this column from the beaches of Bali. But I dont, so Im not. That elusive "must-read" book has escaped me for now, though not for want of trying, so this edition of BOOKED SOLID is not a book review of a new fabulous page-turner as it is, well, little book review-ettes and other book news.
My new favorite book is THE HUGE BOOK OF HELL, an oversize and over-the-top collection of comics from Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons. As a long-time fan of his work, I would always rush to find The City Paper when it hit the streets on Thursday and quickly turn to Life in Hell to find out what that misfit cast of rabbits (Binky, Sheba and the one-eared Bongo) and gay look-alike lovers Jeff and Akbar in their matching fez hats were up to. But, how to review a huge comic book? The major themes of the comics are love, sex, work, death and rabbits, while "joyful angst, merry bitterness, and heartwarming alienation abound." No coffee table in America will be happy until it has its own copy of THE HUGE BOOK OF HELL. Neither will you. But will the characters themselves ever achieve happiness? "What a silly question. Binky and the gang will be as happy as you are!"
AND THE WINNERS ARE....The 9th Annual Lambda Literary Award winners were announced in early June for the best gay/lesbian books published in 1996. Among the winners: ROBBER"S WINE (Ellen Hart, Lesbian Mystery); THE DEATH OF FRIENDS (Michael Nava, Gay Mens Mystery); MEMORY MAMBO (Achy Obejas, Lesbian Fiction); FUNNY BOY (Shyam Selvadurai, Gay Mens Fiction); SACRAMENT (Clive Barker, sci-fi); THE GOOD BOOK (Peter Gomes, Spirituality); and many more. Check out the complete winners list at Lambda Rising.
NEW IN PAPERBACK...One of my very favorite books of the past year is A BOY NAMED PHYLLIS: A SUBURBAN MEMOIR, by Frank DeCaro. I was so absorbed in every page I was convinced this story was about me, even though he was raised in a loud, Italian-American Catholic family in the suburban sprawl of Northern Jersey with an Entenmanns factory around the corner, while I was raised by somber German fundamentalists in small town, farm-belt Pennsylvania and would kill for Tastykakes. DeCaro writes for all of us who knew we were queer before we hit kindergarten, and adds beauty, hysteria and grace to the tears that are always present in coming-of-age tales. In writing about the inherent tension between heterosexual fathers and homosexual sons DeCaro says of his, "He grew up wanting to be Babe Ruth. I dreamed of being Batgirl because she had a fringe trimmed motorcycle and a red flip wig." Its a wild and fun trip about survival and being different that also perfectly captures an era; be prepared to laugh deeply, but keep that box of tissues handy, too!
For you Sandra Scoppettone fans, her latest Lauren Laurano mystery, LETS FACE THE MUSIC AND DIE, is finally out in paperback as well.
HOT OFF THE PRESSES...The latest sci-fi adventure from 2-time Lambda Literary Award winner Melissa Scott, DREAMING METAL, returns to the world of her earlier novel, Dreamships.....Scott Heims new novel, IN AWE, is on the shelves. He also wrote Mysterious Skin... EMBRACING THE GODDESS WITHIN: A CREATIVE GUIDE FOR WOMEN, is a beautifully designed and illustrated exploration of goddess myths from around the world, with rituals and activities to guide readers toward connecting with the qualities the goddesses represent (creativity, love, power, wisdom, etc.).
OK, so this is not quite book news, but book-related news. Great Britains BBC-produced film version of Jeanette Wintersons first novel, ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT, swept American film festivals in the early 90s. It won the audience award for Best Feature in the DC Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in 1991, playing to two overflow crowds, but this classic lesbian film has never been released on video. UNTIL NOW! Yes, its true, and its only $29.95 for a 2-video set! Can you stand it? Read the book, buy the film! Why, can you even imagine more exciting news than this? I cant. (OK, well, when BOUND is re-released at a lower price, now that would be more exciting!)
All items reviewed here are available at Lambda Rising Bookstore, 39 Baltimore Avenue, open 10:00 a.m. to midnight daily.
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6/13/97 Issue. Copyright 1997 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved.