Customer Reviews

Fool For Love: New Gay Fiction

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought this was a very good collection of short stories, all centered around gay love. Some were touching, some were cute, and some were a little strange. Of course some were better than others, and my favorites were "Thai Angel", "A View", "Like No One's Watching","The End of the Leash", and "Angels What You Must Hear on High." The foreward by Timothy J. Lambert was very touching. A good read if you like short stories and want to read about romance.

Fool For Love: New Gay Fiction
As a kid I was always a fan of short stories. They were like little treasures you could read in a single sitting. Sometimes a bit of sci-fi, or a mystery or something humorous. You could pick and choose, and the best writers like O. Henry and Bradbury always left you coming back for more.

Unfortunately for me in gay short story genre, fiction, love and romance have become synonymous with quickie M/M erotica as more and more one-handed anthologies have crowded out real gay fiction on the book store shelves. Now, I'm no prude and I readily admit that many a lurid pulp paperback served as my fantasy handbook when I was first coming out. But admit it, once you've got the basics down the stories become the same old same old. How many pages of hot, pulsing sex does a book really need?

So these days I approach all gay books labeled love or romance with extreme caution. So when started reading FOOL FOR LOVE, I was pleased to discover real two-handed fiction, love and romance ... sixteen stories to be exact written by both established gay writers and some equally exciting new talent. The anthology is edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R. D. (Becky) Cochrane who are half of the Timothy James Beck writing team responsible for several outstanding gay novels. And they have selected the stories for their anthology with care and high standards.

FOOL FOR LOVE is about love. Gay love. Love lost. Love found. Love searched for. And love dreamed about.

Where to find love is the theme of several of the stories. David Puterbaugh's Kama finds and delivers it in a Thai restaurant in THAI ANGEL. It hits Felice Picano's hero like a ton of concrete in GRATITUDE. Jeffrey Ricker's dog walker finds it AT THE END OF THE LEASH and Rob Byrnes on a blind date at HAPPY HOUR AT CAFE JONES.

How the hero finds love is considered in Shawn Anniston's MATCHMAKER where he's living with two lesbians and a baby, in Trebor Healey's TRUNK where he's searching for salvation in New Orleans, or in Joel Derfner's DE ANIMA where he's busy knitting while his lover is at a cure-a-homo conference.

Others show that love has no age limits moving from teens in Josh Helmin's LIKE NO ONE'S WATCHING and Rob Williams' PARTY PLANNING to seniors in Andrew Holleran's TWO KINDS OF RAPTURE.

The question of falling for your future boss is at hand in Brandon M. Long's A VIEW. In LOVE TAPS Mark G. Harris wonders if the romance is over when your lover puts coat hangers in your bed. While Greg Herren's EVERYONE SAYS I'LL FORGET IN TIME considers finding love after losing it. And 'Nathan Burgoine's exploration of what you'd do for love is sure leave you misty eyed in his moving HEART.

Finally Paul Lisicky offers his observations on love in TWO TALES, and John H. Roush contemplates love on heaven's doorstep in ANGELS, WHAT YOU MUST HEAR ON HIGH.

Sixteen first class examples of new gay fiction on a common theme of LOVE, sixteen little treasures that will have you craving more from their authors. That's what has earned this volume a place on my bookshelf between the O. Henrys and the Bradburys. *****

I like that there are stories by some famous gay authors and then there are some stories by some new authors too. My favorite stories were: Angels, What You Must Hear on High by John H. Roush, Thai Angel by David Puterbaugh, A View by Brandon Long and At the End of the Leash by Jeffery Ricker. I also loved the intro by Timothy J. Lambert.

Here are some of the story titles and authors in the book:
Thai Angel" by David Puterbaugh
"Love Taps" by Mark G. Harris
"Matchmaker" by Shawn Anniston
"A View" by Brandon M. Long
"Gratitude" by Felice Picano
"Happy Hour at Café Jones" by Rob Byrnes
"Trunk" by Trebor Healey
"De Anima" by Joel Derfner
"Like No One's Watching" by Josh Helmin
"At the End of the Leash" by Jeffrey Ricker
"Two Tales" by Paul Lisicky
"Heart" by 'Nathan Burgoine
"Party Planning" by Rob Williams
"Two Kinds of Rapture" by Andrew Holleran
"Everyone Says I'll Forget in Time" by Greg Herren
"Angels, What You Must Hear on High" by John H. Roush

Every once in a while a book comes along that completely bowls me over. It shakes me out of any reading ennui I may be experiencing and reminds me once again of the reasons for my love of the written word. The anthology Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction falls into this category. Sit still long enough in my presence and you'll hear about this book.

I usually have several books simultaneously on the go, but I took my time in my initial read of this anthology because I wanted to savor each and every story. Since then I've read it cover-to-cover several times. I'm on copy number two (copy number one fell apart from usage) and I have gifted it to dear friends who share a love of books and who I know will appreciate the quality writing and wonderful stories contained within. For many reasons, this anthology has become a very personal read.

Fool for Love is an outstanding collection of sixteen short stories that comes together at the hands of Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane. Both respected authors in their own right, they also collaborate in quartet with authors Jim Carter and Timothy Forry under the nom du plume Timothy James Beck. Their choices of stories for inclusion in this anthology are exquisite. And while the stories themselves offer up an eclectic mix, there is consonance in their coming together and in their sequencing.

If the esteemed Richard Labonté has taught this reader any one lesson it is to never skip the editor's foreword or afterword and this applies to Fool for Love. Timothy J. Lambert opens the door to this anthology with honesty and thoughtfulness as he tells us of the reasons for his cynicism and derisiveness in regards to romance and shares with us the instances of romance he has experienced in his life. He is eloquent in his Introduction, setting a perfect mood, rhythm and tone for the stories to come. I consider the Introduction to this anthology its honorary (seventeenth) short story.

"Because of the writers in this collection I am less skeptical about fix ups. I'll always look fondly at this anthology whenever my faith in romance gets shaky and see it as a reminder that love and romance continue to be shaped by our imaginations, our hearts, and our faith in each other. I want to be a fool for love."

A perfect bookend to the Introduction, R.D. Cochrane writes the Afterword telling us of the anthology's conception, its period of "languishing in limbo" and of the colleagues that stepped in to help. Her epilogue gives the impression of a sense of family in the publication of this anthology. Equally eloquent, Cochrane summarizes that when it comes to love, in the end, we all desire the same things.

"The answer, of course, is that we all hunger for the same things. Love. Kindness. Forgiveness. Passion. Validation. Companionship. Understanding. Trust. Romance. Connection."

Sixteen authors, both highly respected veterans and promising new writers of gay fiction, contributed their stories to this anthology each providing his unique perspective, voice and words on gay romance, love and life. Whether in respect of prose, narration, characterization or dialogue each story is exceptionally well written and stands on its own - I cannot emphasize this enough. However, it is the housing of these stories under one roof that makes this anthology an outstanding work. It is uncommon that such a diversity of stories and writing styles can come together so harmoniously. I honestly cannot say that I loved one story more than another or one author's writing most without detracting from the overall strength and quality of this collection as a whole.

Thematically, the stories cover a spectrum of issues relating to gay love and romance with some truly unforgettable characters. They touch upon such themes as: the quest for love; the fear of both finding and losing love; the lengths we go to keep love; the thrill of first love; the devastation caused when love leaves our lives; the different shapes and sizes of love; and when all is said and done, that love must first be found within before it can be nurtured and shared without.

Many of the stories find expression through whimsy and humor; some are delightfully off-the-wall; while others are more serious, poignant and sad in their essence. And even though the stories are written against the backdrop of a real world that, for the most part, is hostile to men loving men, they all in their own way celebrate gay love.

I realize that this is a relatively lengthy review but ask for indulgence all the same because each author and story deserve their due:

"Thai Angel" by David Puterbaugh:
In "Thai Angel" David Puterbaugh offers us a humorous account of Kama's quest for love against the setting of a family-owned restaurant, cultures colliding and family members that are meddlesome, albeit well intentioned. When his sister's plan of matchmaking with regular customer "Body Too Hottie" goes awry, Kama is pleasantly surprised to find that there's another customer ready and willing to place his take-out order.

"Love Taps" by Mark G. Harris:
Sully and Chuck's new work schedule of ships passing in the night hasn't allowed much time for mutual "strumming" lately and it's taking its toll. Sully, who works in a nursery, has resorted to conversing with the African violets and impatiens for company and Chuck has resorted to not so subtle middle-of-the-night reminders that he's still around. Mark G. Harris' "Love Taps" offers us an incredibly quirky and funny story with zany characters that are an absolute reading delight. The coat-hanger forget-me-nots are priceless!

"Matchmaker" by Shawn Anniston:
A high school experience of unrequited love has left a lasting effect on our protagonist in this story. He protests just a little too much against love and romance and laments his fate of guys who want to torment him with moonlight and roses. It takes a roommate in labor and an on-call Dr. Fannin to turn him into a man possessed. He's met his match in the good doctor who is wise in giving him a dose of his own medicine. I thoroughly enjoyed the main character's sardonic commentary on the pitfalls of love and romance and his verbal cat-and-mouse exchanges with the good doctor had me laughing out loud.

"A View" by Brandon M. Long:
Christian is a scientist for a cosmetics company that William's firm is about to buy-out. William meets Christian on an office tour and asks him out. While there is mutual attraction Christian is hesitant. He second-guesses himself and William making excuses as to why they shouldn't date. It is difficult to not have compassion for Christian as his fears of opening himself up make him quite an accessible character to the reader. What I enjoyed most was the quietness and honesty of this story. There's no melodrama. Just two men admitting to themselves and to each other of their excitement and fear at the prospects of dating and a relationship.

"Gratitude" by Felice Picano:
Niels is a middle-aged author who may have finally written his breakthrough book. Danny is a twenty-nine year old construction worker who's the embodiment of Adonis. When Niels and Danny literally collide, their lives become entwined and are irreversibly changed. Love has many faces, and even though it may not necessarily show up at our doorstep in the form that we had fantasized about or wished for, it nonetheless does surround us. "Gratitude" is a wonderful story that is both sad and life affirming and shows us that there are many forms in which love can enter our lives if we are willing to accept it.

"Happy Hour at Café Jones" by Rob Byrnes:
"Happy Hour at Café Jones" provides the setting for author Rob Byrnes to explore the realities of online dating. It's happy hour at Café Jones and Brian is waiting for David, who he met online. He's not even sure why he's waiting for a man he's never met in the flesh because he hates blind dates. Instead, his ex Stuart walks in. When David appears to be a no-show he and Stuart take a walk down memory lane and Brian finds himself enjoying their reminiscing about, among others, Pasta Night. This story got me thinking about our staying power in relationships and whether in this modern age of disposable everything, perhaps we tend to give up and let go of relationships a little too quickly. I didn't come to any one conclusion per se, just some thoughts after having read this story.

"Trunk" by Trebor Healy:
Sex. Poppers. Empty beer cans. Bobby wakes up the proverbial morning after the night before and decides that he needs a change. He travels to New Orleans to help with the post-Katrina rebuilding but he's really there to get himself cleaned-up. Hold on to your seats for the controlled mayhem in this frenetic story as we follow Bobby's sometimes surreal experiences with tricksters posing as doomsday bible thumpers and creepy mojo medicine men that give chase and run Bobby headlong into the trunk of a car where he finds love and perhaps even himself. Trebor Healy's "Trunk" is politically charged, brilliant and eloquence at its best. At its core this story is all about love, the first and most important one - love of self.

"De Anima" by Joel Derfner:
In his hysterically funny, laugh out loud short, Joel Derfner charms us with beyond clever and witty writing by asking the all important question: So what's a man to do when his boyfriend informs him that he wants to seek "freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ?" Well, at first Noah tells his boyfriend Bill exactly how he feels about the whole sordid mess and when that doesn't work he decides to bide his time until his boyfriend comes to his senses by doing something constructive like knitting a brain.

"Like No One's Watching" by Josh Helmin:
Mark is spending Saturday night the way he always does, in his room sketching. When his sister interrupts his usual Saturday night activity by dragging him to her high school musical production to help out, the last thing Mark expects is that he would enjoy the show let alone that Seth Stratton, the male lead, would cause him to hold his breath and his palms to sweat. This is a heart warming story of first crush and coming out. Mark and Seth are really sweet together and while Mr. Helmin well captures their teenage angst and insecurities, it was refreshing to read an alternate scenario whereby family is knowing and supportive and the experience of coming out in high school is not a nightmare.

"At the End of The Leash" by Jeffrey Ricker:
Brian walks dogs for a living. Although he once aspired to acting, he came to the conclusion that being a struggling actor wasn't worth the struggle and now prefers walking dogs because "Dogs are the most real people there are." An unfortunate sequence of events get Brian fired from one of his dog-walking jobs. On the bright side, Brian finds himself on a date with Carl, who is everything that Brian could ask for. But, there's only one problem. Carl has no idea that Brian is the one he got fired. As a dog lover I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and can think of no better way for two people to get together. Brian is truly a delightful character to read and although certainly not Pinocchio, his little white lie of omission just kept digging a deeper and deeper hole.

"Two Tales" by Paul Lisicky:
Ugly men taking liberties on park benches, buff men coming to the rescue, boyfriends on cell phones. Men with lopsided ears, plastic surgery and hermits in the woods. "Two Tales" is only five pages and the shortest story in the anthology and yet through his succinctness the author offers us two extremely well written and well-developed stories ("Bear Tales" and "Friend") in one. Mr. Lisicky employs a stream of consciousness style in his writing of this story. What I loved most is that individual readers will take away different meanings and themes after having read "Two Tales."

"Heart" by 'Nathan Burgoine:
"Heart" is one of the more poignant stories in this anthology and captures the essence of what we wouldn't do in our power to keep the one we love in our arms and by our side. This story is most beautiful in its sadness and I found its characters to be utterly sublime. There is an ethereal quality to this story as the author deftly captures the fragility of love and how easily it can slip through our hands in his writing of 'Miah and Aiden's tale. "Heart" is Mr. Burgoine's first published work and after having read this story he is an author that I very much look forward to reading in the future.

"Party Planning" by Rob Williams:
Our protagonist in Rob Williams' story has been his mother's right-hand man in party planning since he was old enough to hold a glue gun or know the difference between sequins and spangles. But, now a sophomore in high school his constant creative collaborations are seriously hindering his social life. He wants to go to parties, not plan them. Cutting the apron strings and spreading your wings are the themes in this story. The mother-son bond is strong and his silent revelation is essentially a non-issue because mom knows her son and is supportive. I loved the final passage in this story which captures both the fear and thrill of taking those first steps into the unknown: "I wonder if Kurt would keep walking or would he wait for me at the end of the block. Or would there be someone, someone else. Soon. Waiting for me."

"Two Kinds of Rapture" by Andrew Holleran:
Andrew Holleran's "Two Kinds of Rapture" deals with the quest for love during the middle years of life. Four friends, all single and in their 50s, attend a dinner party hosted by their younger friends Paul and Tim who are a couple. Their dinner conversation is centered on, among others, the different types of rapture. The narrative voice of the main character in this story is quite powerful and his account left me with a perpetual lump in my throat throughout the story. His loneliness and longing for love are palpable. The last sentence in this story is heartrending.

"Everyone Says I'll Forget in Time" by Greg Herren:
It's been more than two years since Terry's lover and partner of 15 years passed away. And even though he got through it all, he survived, the bed still seems empty, the house quieter, the world different - the sun is a little less bright, the sky less blue, the grass less green. But everyone says that he'll forget in time. Author Greg Herren gifts us with an emotionally honest account of loss and grieving, so much so that you can actually feel Terry's pain and emptiness. And then Mr. Herren offers up some hope in the form of caring friends and old acquaintances. Terry will likely never forget, but in time, I think he's going to be all right.

"Angels, What You Must Hear on High" by John H. Roush:
Alex has died and gone to heaven. Well, at least he thinks it's heaven. He was always told that he'd go to hell for being gay but this doesn't appear to be the case because for starters, it doesn't look anything like Ms. Murphy's high school math class, and more important he's talking to an angel. I loved the whole concept and premise of this refreshingly imaginative and well-written story that had me grinning ear-to-ear. Alex is quite a colorful character and he recounts what was a very rich and well-lived life to an attentive, albeit quiet angel. This is Mr. Roush's first published story and he is definitely an author I will look for in the future.

I consider Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction one of two of my reading gems of 2009. Hands down the best anthology of 2009 and one of the best books I've had the pleasure of reading in a very long while. Fool for Love both excited and inspired me. It made me laugh, cry, and feel a range of emotions in between. And even after several rereads it continues to touch my heart in all sorts of places and always, always leaves me with a smile. To say that I highly recommend this book would be a gross understatement. It is a 5 star to the exponent of book and one that I believe every lover of gay fiction, whether a romantic or not, should read.

I sincerely hope that Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane decide to do this again.

Don't skip editor Timothy J. Lambert's introduction, in which, despite describing himself as someone whose "most successful relationship to date has been with my dog", he reveals himself to be an unreconstructed romantic.

And that's what this collection is all about: romance in its myriad forms, romance expected and unexpected, romance beginning, blooming and ending. The characters range from teenagers just coming out (Josh Helmin's "Like No One's Watching") to the fifty-something men "like a quartet of maiden aunts" of Andrew Holleran's "Two Kinds of Rapture". (And may I say here that this anthology has a nice mix of writers: "grand old men" of gay fiction such as Holleran and Felice Picano; younger, yet relatively established writers like Greg Herren and Rob Byrnes; and never-before-published authors like 'Nathan Burgoine (whose "Heart" just might break yours).

Toss-up for best opening line:

"Ending up in the trunk of a car headed for Houston was not what Bobby'd had in mind when he came to New Orleans." ("Trunk", by Trevor Healey)

"It was the morning after my boyfriend told me he wanted to seek freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ that I decided to knit the brain." ("De Anima", by Joel Derfner)

'Fess up - you want to read both of those from the get-go, don't you? But read them all. I don't think there's a bad story in the bunch.

4.75 review

"Fool For Love: New Gay Fiction" is an anthology of sixteen short stories collected and edited by R.D. Cochrane and Timothy J. Lambert. Tied together with a common theme of love between gay men, these stories illustrate a gamut of styles, plots, and emotions. My reactions varied between stories, and I found some to be more appealing than others, but overall I found them to be well-written, smart, and quite entertaining.

Some of these stories inspire introspection; some elicit a smile or tears. They touch on the excitement of young love, the heart-rending pain of death, the tentative blossoming of a new love, and even the wistful yearnings of those who have lost love or have never found it at all. The characters in these stories run the range from boys still in their teen-aged years to men of middle age to those who have passed over into death and have left their loved ones behind.

One of the aspects of a short story anthology that I appreciate is how convenient they are to read. I have been traveling around with Fool For Love in my briefcase for a couple of months now, reading a story here and there as time permitted. The stories are all so varied that I was never sure what I would get when I opened the cover once again, but I did know that I would find something enjoyable, perhaps even touching.

If you asked me which of these short stories was my favorite, I don't believe that I would be able to give you an answer. Each touched me in a different way: `Nathan Burgoine's "Heart" broke my heart, Andrew Holleran's "Two Kinds of Rapture" made me think, and Joel Derfner's "De Anima" made me laugh. Fool For Love closes with a poignant story titled "Angels, What You Must Hear on High" by John H. Roush that ends the series of stories perfectly, and the editors have written both an introduction and an afterward to this collection that are very worth reading as well.

All of the authors featured in this collection were new to me, and most of them impressed me with their insight, their talent, and their unique voice. Not only did I find the stories to be individually enjoyable, but I found "Fool For Love" as a whole to be satisfying and vibrant. Overall, this is a well constructed anthology, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it.

This is a great set of stories. Well worth buying and reading! Lots of good authors and a great variety of stories!

The stories are really varied, but they're all full of love. I enjoyed each and every one, some of them several times already! One of the stories made me cry, but in a good way..

Read it yourself, and see which one(s) touch you the most :)

What a great book! A friend of mine suggested I read this book and now I am telling EVERYONE to read it. The theme is love and its throughout the book. My favorite is from a new author John H Roush. "Angels what you must hear on high" was such a great story with a twist ending! Does anyone know if John has anything else published???? I really liked his style! Timothy Lamberts intro one word....FLAWLESS! But I wouldnt of expected less!

I was delighted with this collection of stories. For the most part they are sweet stories that can take you back to the time when romance wasn't a four-letter word. My favorite story was "Heart" by 'Nathan Burgoine...it is one that just gets better with each reading.

This is certainly a wonderful collection for cynics who are romantics deep down as well as those who admit to being fools for love.