Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me and Other Trials from My Queer Life (Paperback)

~ (Author) "For a short time a few years ago, I reviewed porn movies for a now-defunct magazine..." (more)
Key Phrases: gay gene, garden gnome, Miss Nancy, Aunt Betty, Platinum Card (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The short humorous essay is a form that few writers can master. Sure, pithy and funny are easy enough (if you are, in fact, pithy and funny), but the failings of most humorous essays come from a lack of seriousness. Humor is most effective when the writing articulates a clear, thoughtful point of view. The essays in Michael Thomas Ford's Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me & Other Trials from My Queer Life are perfect models of the form. Ford, who writes a syndicated column titled "My Queer Life," can muse on anything from Martha Stewart's manias to his devotion to Alec Baldwin's chest, from the elusive gay gene to right-wing Fundamentalist Christianity (in which he was raised), and he manages to make us laugh and sometimes even cry. His ironic view of a world that keeps threatening to be wonderful but never quite succeeds dovetails perfectly with his desire for world peace, freedom for gay people, and better sex. Witty, funny, and surprisingly moving, Michael Thomas Ford explains life to us and it actually begins to make sense.

Product Description

Nobody is better at capturing the ups and downs of queer life than Michael Thomas Ford, author of the popular "My Queer Life" syndicated column. This original collection takes on everything from show tunes and Martha Stewart to the perils of dating and the son of God himself, all some of the things that make life very queer indeed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Alyson Books; 1st edition (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555834310
• ISBN-13: 978-1555834319
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #461,964 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and thoughtful essays, July 18, 2000

By A Customer

This collection of essays made me smile, laugh, and think. Diverse topics range from the light (butching it up at Home Depot, competing with a straight girlfriend for the attention of a fireman) to the serious (putting kids with the "gay gene" on the short school bus, saving the heathen kids from hell). Ford's observations don't always lead to out-and-out belly laughs (although there are a handful of those), but they will inspire knowing grins and comfortable chuckles over and over again. Ford is a talented and polished writer whose prose seems easy, almost too easy, for the wise and thoughtful observations it contains. I especially liked his treatment of the difference between gay men and lesbians ("the girls are still waiting for the boys to catch up"), his look back at his odd Aunt Betty and her longtime "friend" Doreen, and his bust-a-gut funny romp through an online chatroom. Most appealing to gay men because so many of their experiences are similar, these essays will appeal to many others who can appreciate everyday experience written about with a gay sensibility.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really funny!, November 19, 1999

By A Customer

I bought this book online despite the reviews of it being shallow and only somewhat funny. In reality it was hysterical... I rarely laugh out loud when reading books but this had me laughing all the time. I reccomend it to everyone.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! VERY insightful and funny!, July 26, 1999

By A Customer

As a 33 year old budding queer, I saw this book, and started to read. I could hardly put it down! Ford's insights in to life and the queer life are so true to form. I already bought the next book(That's MR. Faggot to you!) and I can't wait to start reading it. Did anyone mention that Mr. Ford is VERY handsome?? Hmmmm?