Customer Reviews

Men Who Loved Me (Plume)

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This second memoir by Felice Picano follows him as a bored and restless young man to Italy, where he finds both romance and adventure among the denizens of Cinecitta, the famed Italian film studio. The first half of the book chronicles his relationship with Djanko, a director. In the second half, "The Jane Street Girls," Felice has returned to New York, has landed a job at Graphique magazine, and is involved with a man who is old enough to be part of a more closeted, cautious generation.

Of the three memoirs, this one is not *as* compelling, but is still very worthwhile reading, and delivers a blow in its final pages that still has me reeling, wanting to hear more, even though there's not much more that can be said. Worth it for that alone, actually, and makes the title even more meaningful, changing it from possibly self-serving to ironic.

Preceded by Ambidextrous and followed by A House on the Ocean, A House on the Bay.

This book by Picano is first of all, lots of fun. Having also lived in Rome myself shortly after his time there, I can say that he captured the flavor of La Dolce Vita of that era perfectly, especially for a young adventuresome American eager to experience his gay sexuality to the max. I liked his depictions of the Via Veneto cafe society, the characterization of the maid at the film director's apartment, and the personalities of the other fun-loving ex-pats, especially the Australian hunk. The New York scenes are also good, but more for showing that Picano as a young man was truly searching how to launch his life's career as a writer. He was focused. In reading his works, I am curious how he came to be so self-accepting of being gay, and more or less "out" at a time when gays were still so generally closeted.