Customer Reviews

Dirty White Boy: Tales of Soho

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I had read many of this blogger's stories online at MySpace, but having them all assembled for consumption as fast as I could handle them is so much more wonderful. Clayton has an incisive style that relies on deft wording over shock value. His characters are as palpable as any I have ever read about, without actually knowing the persons he shares with us. Something tells me I would instantly recognize Pam the fag lady, Sebastian, Leslie and Charlie were I to run into them somewhere. He's made them that familiar to me in his storytelling!

I have it on good authority that a second book is in the works, and I'm itching to get my hands on it as well!

Clayton Littlewood takes us into a wonderfully engaging insider's view of London's gay Old Compton Street in his "Dirty White Boy - Tales of Soho."

The characters that wander into the clothing shop that Clayton and his partner run, sometimes buying but too often not, are drawn by Clayton's pen with such potent yet economical detail that in the many brief blog entries that make up the book we get a vivid picture of their lives and their eccentricities.

There are countless laugh-out-loud sections.

But there are also deeply touching moments illustrating the despair of some of the lives depicted by Clayton. There are street people who stop by the store for a bit of change or even just a hug. There are the wild celebs and wannabe celebs. There are the young hustlers who are aging too fast from the lifestyle and the drugs. There is the constant drama of the brothel upstairs. And there is the once-was and maybe-will-be-again coupling of Leslie and Charlie.

With a subtle candidness, Clayton also shares the struggles in his own life to keep the store financially viable and the impact that has on his relationship.

A wonderful read whether you have spent many hours in Soho or just wish you could.

Check out his website at claytonlittlewood.com for information on his new book "Goodbye to Soho."

Clayton Littlewood was in a unique position, operating a clothing store in London's Soho for two years. Could you imagine - sitting on the street corner watching the crazy world go by for two years? Except Clayton did it from the comfort of the store he and his partner ran. They were in a unique position to befriend their clientele and at every opportunity, Clayton took notes on what he saw and heard. Clayton has assembled these quips into a unique perspective on real components of today's gay culture. Taken on at a time, we may shrug off such events as unusual. But taken collectively, we really see that these events are not rare occurrences, but regular happenings. We see how crazy the world is today. Humorous, incredulous, even shocking at times, this is a fantastic documentary not to be missed.