Rebel Yell 2: More Stories of Contemporary Southern Gay Men [Paperback]

Jay Quinn (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2002

The rotting plantations of Faulkner and Williams have long been bulldozed to accommodate the spread of tract housing and shopping malls, but the tales of the South, here told by a current generation, still spring from the hearts, groins, and minds of its sons. Following the best-selling original collection of short fiction by and about Southern gay men, REBEL YELL tells these stories in the soft accents of the gay men who know both the horror and tenderness that is their heritage. Noted authors such as Felice Picano, Robin Lippincott and Kelly McQuain join an assortment of talented writers to create another vivid and compelling short fiction anthology exploring the diverse lives of Southern gay men.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A superb collection of stories relating the Southern gay experience. These authors have something important to say." - Library Journal "A journey into the land of grits and magnolias that is well worth the trip...These stories offer a variety of perspectives on what it means to be gay and Southern, and all are eloquently expressed." - Lambda Book Report "Poignant, witty, and proud... This collection is expertly crafted, being pragmatic and determined while remaining distinctively Southern." - ForeWord Magazine

About the Author

Jay Quinn, editor of the first Rebel Yell, is also author of The Mentor: A Memoir of Friendship and Gay Identity and the novel Metes and Bounds, a Lambda Literary Award finalist. A frequent contributor to the Lambda Book Report, Quinn lives and works in South Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Haworth Press; 1st edition (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560231599
• ISBN-13: 978-1560231592
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,924,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars More tabasco please, August 10, 2002

By 

Riley Owen (El Cajon, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rebel Yell 2: More Stories of Contemporary Southern Gay Men (Paperback)

As a fan of Rebel Yell 1 it is with resigned disappointment that I accord this Sequel the two star rating befitting most any Sequel in any Genre. Because to my disappointment that is all Rebel Yell 2 amounts to. Outakes...leftovers. "Let's take a good thing and see how far we can make it stretch". To anybody interested in this subject matter I can only say buy the first book skip the sequel. And hold your breath together with me in hope that Jay Quinn takes a long enough breather for Rebel Yell 3 to be something FRESH.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Stories of the "Southern Gay Experience", July 18, 2002

By 

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

This review is from: Rebel Yell 2: More Stories of Contemporary Southern Gay Men (Paperback)

Once I had read the first book of stories about the Southern gay experience, REBEL YELL, edited by Jay Quinn, I was hoping there would be a second book of stories to follow. My wish has now come true. Jay Quinn, who authored two other wonderful books, "METES AND BOUNDS" and "THE MENTOR" has gathered together twenty-two new southern gay stories. These are exciting and touching stories of awakening gay sexuality, and the impact that religion, friends and family have on their lives. They are told from a Southern gay perspective. There stories are from such noted authors as; Jeff Mann, Jameson Currier, Robin Lippincott, and Greg Herren, as well as many other new voices in Southern gay writing. These are not erotic, sex-filled stories, but heartfelt renderings of what it is like to be gay, and from the south. There's a feeling of Southern pride and heritage in each of these stories. Whether you're gay or straight, a southern boy will always be a proud southern boy.

All of these stories were a pleasure to read, but a few made quite an impression on me. "Miles Away" by Martin Wilson, tells of Michael's first sexual experience; "Jesse: November 1992" by Felice Picano, relates the emotional impact of HIV on two lifetime partners, and "The Kitchen Table" by Jay Quinn, is a truly sexy and emotional love story of the developing attraction that Phil, has for Trace, the man whose house he is remodeling.

Although the stories in this volume are universal in depictions of gay life in America today, they are a welcome addition for they are told by new voices, proud voices, from a perspective of different backgrounds, emotions and life experiences. These are the voices of Southern gay men. A wonderful book for gay adults to read, as well as parents and students who are trying to understand their gay son's sexual orientation. Don't miss this one! Could there be a REBEL YELL 3 coming? I hope so!!!

Joe Hanssen

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Of Rebel Yell, July 18, 2004

By 

H. F. Corbin "Foster Corbin" (ATLANTA, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rebel Yell 2: More Stories of Contemporary Southern Gay Men (Paperback)

In REBEL YELL 2, Mr. Quinn continues what he started in his first volume REBEL YELL although the collection is bigger here with 22 writers represented, including some from the previous volume. The definition of a Southern gay writer and who therefore makes the cut seems to have gotten even milkier here with the likes of Felice Picano making an appearance. According to Mr. Quinn Mr. Picano comes from New York and now lives in California-- and I suppose he has changed planes in Atlanta if that makes him a Southern writer-- in any event, he's included.

There are a lot of things Southern here-- bourbon, iced tea, pickup trucks, country music, kudzu. The quality of the stories is uneven, which is not unusual for an anthology. Some of my favorites include Jeff Mann's "Emory and Henry" which is a fine account of bigotry and prejudice among a group of high school biology honors students in a small college in Virginia in 1976. The story rings true and is filled with irony as a Jewish kid leads the assault against the gay narrator. I also liked Mr. Quinn's "The Kitchen Table" in which a "straight" carpenter with a grown son must come to terms with his feelings about the gay man whose home he is restoring. But the best was saved for last. Having gotten totally engulfed in all the kudzu in "Pueraria lobata", I almost skipped the final story "Everybody Loves the Musee d'Orsay" by Marshall Moore. That would have been my loss. About the conflict between a gay son and his overbearing, controlling mother, this fantastic story is not to be missed.