Outbound: Finding a Man, Sailing an Ocean (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies, Joan Larkin and David Bergman, Series Editors) [Hardcover]

William Storandt (Author)

Book Description

Series: Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiog | Publication Date: August 3, 2001

Outbound

is the story of two voyages: an Atlantic crossing in the 33-foot cutter

Clarity

, bound for Scotland; and the hard voyage of self-discovery that finally brought Bill Storandt to his life partner.

Storandt’s account of the adventure he had carefully planned with longtime partner Brian Forsyth and their friend Bob soon turns into a white-knuckled sailing tale, as they encounter a fierce storm four hundred miles from the Irish coast that tests their courage and all their sailing skills. The sea story, vividly evoking life in a small boat on a big ocean, is interwoven with Storandt’s flashbacks to his earlier life. Outbound delivers its share of excitement, but it’s also a moving reflection on how circuitous our paths can be, even when the destination is clear and beckoning.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Graced with an unusually apt title that embraces both the gay concept of coming out and the nautical term for leaving port, this compelling memoir weaves Storandt's tentative coming out during the late 1960s and 1970s with a jaunty account of an Atlantic Ocean crossing with his life partner, Brian, in the early 1980s. He writes with a charming mix of wry self-analysis, dryly witty travel commentary and narrative energy, particularly when it comes to a storm-tossed passage on the crossing to Scotland. The result is a stellar life story with broad appeal. Gay readers of a certain age who came out during the Vietnam War will identify with Storandt's charming, somewhat fumbling progress toward finding a gay lover, while younger gay readers should enjoy a cheerful history lesson. At the same time, fellow sailors will be caught up in the author's obvious passion for sailing and the sea, and will savor the book's nautical savvy and insight. Just as captivating are the quick sketches Storandt draws of his pregay, presailing life, first as a Juilliard-trained orchestral percussionist in New York (session work included banging tambourines in studio sessions for the Monkees), then as a geodesic-dome-dwelling Vermonter. Photos from the adventure generously enhance an already lively account. (Aug.)Forecast: Storandt's engaging twist on the coming-out story and the credibility he's acquired as a 20-year contributor to Cruising World magazine effectively position this memoir as a book for both gay readers and sailors of any persuasion.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Storandt, an avid sailor, freelance writer, and 20-year contributor to Cruising World magazine, tells the story of his voyage across the Atlantic and his life journey to a better understanding of himself. Along with friends Brian and Bob, Storandt sails his 32' wooden cutter, Clarity, on an idyllic cruise from Connecticut to the Azores but then makes a very stormy passage to Scotland. Once in Scotland, the friends cruise the rugged coast, visiting many of the same places as Mairi Hedderwick described in Sea Change: The Summer Voyage from East to West Scotland of the Anassa (LJ 3/15/00). Storandt flashes back to his early life as a music student, his move from New York City to a geodesic dome in Vermont, and his introduction to sailing. His soul searching is greatly influenced by his gradual "coming out" and his realization that he has finally found his life partner. Full of many personal references, this newest volume in "Living Out Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies" series also makes for a good sailing story as well. A nice addition for public libraries. John Kenny, San Francisco P.L.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1st edition (August 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299174603
• ISBN-13: 978-0299174606
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,974,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rings true., October 3, 2001

By 

Daniel J. Hurley (Vermont, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Outbound: Finding a Man, Sailing an Ocean (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies, Joan Larkin and David Bergman, Series Editors) (Hardcover)

"Outbound" is a wonderful book, among the best I've read recently in either the gay or sailing genres, but transcending each. I've lived in Vermont, with my lover, since 1976, but sail mostly in Maine waters on my gaff-rigged coastal schooner. So, while the book hooked me with its literary quality, my own experience mirrors -- to a some degree -- the author's. And I tell you: It rings true, with a beautiful, clean tone.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Calling All Sailors & Gay Readers!, December 13, 2001

By 

Joseph J. Hanssen "Joe" (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Outbound: Finding a Man, Sailing an Ocean (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies, Joan Larkin and David Bergman, Series Editors) (Hardcover)

This is an interesting and fascinating memoir of one man's life who happens to love sailing and who is also a gay man living in a caring and loving relationship. You don't have to have a knowledge of sailing to enjoy this book. Although I have gone sailing a few times, I wasn't familiar with a lot of the sailing terms, but the author explains them very well. The author writes with dry wit, a questioning self-analysis, and deep passion. It was a pleasure to read his story, and it was never boring. This is a true-life story that will have broad appeal to many people.

Storandt tells in vivid detail the story of his transatlantic sailing adventure from Saybrook, Connecticut to Ireland, then on to Scotland aboard his 33-foot cutter named Clarity. He made this journey with his longtime partner Brian, and their friend Bob. It's an adventure that turns out to be exciting, unpredictable, and even life-threatening. They certainly get to test their sailing skills through rough seas, gale force winds, and a fierce storm. It's not "The Perfect Storm", but it's close. Interwoven throughout his sailing adventure we learn all about Storandt's earlier life; his marriage, being a freelance musician, living in the Vermont woods in a geodesic dome, leaving his marriage, coming out, and meeting his soon to be life partner, Brian, a Scottish doctor.

So whether you're hooked on sailing or just want to read a well-written passionate coming out story, this book is for you. I was disappointed when this adventure ended. As good a writer as he is a sailor, Storandt tells a wonderful story I couldn't put down till finished.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Men against the Sea, October 10, 2001

By 

Thomas P. Geyer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Outbound: Finding a Man, Sailing an Ocean (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies, Joan Larkin and David Bergman, Series Editors) (Hardcover)

William Storandt wanted to sail across the Atlantic. And he was afraid he wanted to love a man. In this sometimes harrowing story of the ocean and the heart, Storandt tells us how he finally managed both.

His journeys take him from Julliard to a hippie dome in the Vermont woods to a 30-foot sloop in a life-threatening gale off the coast of Ireland. His parallel course leads him from a youthful marriage to a live-in girlfriend to his first gay bar. And then to Brian Forsyth, a Scottish-born pediatrian at Yale.

Storandt's clean prose and eye for fine Homeric detail make for an exciting yarn about an unusual life. You won't have to be gay or nautical to enjoy it.