American Savage: Insights, Slights, and Fights on Faith, Sex, Love, and Politics Kindle Edition

Although this book was published in 2013, I’m just getting around to reading it. (I’m glad I did.) Some of the information is dated now though all for the better. The one thing that jumps out immediately is the number of states permitting same-sex marriages. Of course with the Supreme Court ruling in June of last year, those marriages are legal in all 50 states. (At the time of the writing of this book, Mr. Savage had been married to his partner Terry first in Canada and then in Washington State, where they reside with their son D. J.)

Anyone familiar with Mr. Savage, who writes a advice column answering questions heterosexuals ask about sex, knows that he can be in your face. He does not disappoint here: some of the people he takes out after (“Four Closet Cases”) are public closeted men who have fought hard against the rights of LGBT people. He skewers conservative politicians as well.

For all of his hectoring, Mr. Savage can write extremely moving chapters: two come to mind immediately: the chapter about his son “coming out” to his gay parents as a straight boy and the one about the death of his beloved mother. Raised in a Catholic family, Savage toyed with going back to the church after his mother’s death: That’s why I wound up spending so many afternoons at St. James, the church that reminded me so much of St. Ignatius . . the church where my mother was baptized, where she took her first communion, where she married, and where her funeral was held. In church I feel her presence, not God’s presence, and I can almost feel her looking down on me from the heaven she believed in so passionately.” Mr. Savage’s conclusion, however, is that the Catholic church does not want his family: him, his husband and their son.

The chapter entitled “Still Evil. Less Evil. But Still Evil” on the new health law is as good a summary as any I have read. And the final chapter blows you out of the water. Mr. Savage arranges a dinner at his home for the head of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) to dinner and to debate the Bible and gay people. The NEW YORK TIMES camera crew shoots the debate; a straight married neighbor prepares the fine meal. This chapter “Bigot Christmas” contains my favorite line in the entire book. Near the end of the evening, Terry, Savage’s husband, (who certainly is not excited about having this man in their home) asks him if he thinks their son should be taken away from them. The guest responds: “’You shouldn’t as me a question when you know you won’t like the answer.’” Terry’s answer, after pointing to the door: “’Get the f--- out of my house.”’ A perfect sentence.

yes, of course dan savage is a beacon of articulate common sense with edgy and excellent viewpoints and opinions that make even the most brilliant of philosophers at least consider other ways of thinking. but as a long time fan who was followed and supported his career for years, i found his latest book to be a bit of a chore to read. this entire book is just a long-winded rant of everything he's been saying on his podcast over the years. it's all nothing we haven't heard before. yes, we are well aware of his thoughts on the "dying with dignity act," cheating is not okay (except when it is), we know all about his beef with Santorum and other awful politians, the sad story of his mother's passing, and more. the only thing i would say is truly new was the story of his son telling his dads that he was straight, which is really poignant. i must also say that his views on "death with Dignity" were quite profound and got me a bit more interested in the topic than i had been previously. i would say that this is definitely a book full of lots of greats ideas and views (it'd be great for someone who isn't familiar with dan), but i wouldn't say it has a great deal of charm and wit, at least, not to the levels of his previous books.

I'm working my way through Dan Savage's latest book but not enjoying it. I love his uncensored views on sex, morality and politics but this book feels like a "contractual obligation album." There is no overarching message, just a collection of essays on the same subjects he's always on about.

He needs to realize being gay isn't the most interesting thing about him.

I've been reading his column -- off and on -- since 1991 and I have all his previous books. Each of them was about something. This one isn't.

I decided to check into his podcast. Ciminy I see he's been doing it since 2006 and there are 416 of them now. I listened to the first ten and the last five or six, and they're all about the same things too. How long can he ride the same pony?

I'd love to see him branch out, expand his boundaries, stretch himself a bit. That's what books are for.

I have encountered Dan Savage twice on Bill Maher's HBO show--a great wit with a take-no-prisoners approach to bursting the bubbles of hysterical right wing-nuts! This collection of essays--likely some of his columns--is a very forthright and honest exploration of all kinds of things, not just sexual. My favorite, maybe, is the chapter on the accusation that Pres. Obama is a socialist, and then Dan gets into showing us how following the gospel instructions on feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and caring for the poor and aged...that's real socialism, as is Medicare, gov't subsidized...anything, etc. Get it!

I have never read anything by Dan Savage but have seen several of his videos and TV appearances on You Tube. We need people like him to stand up for us when no one else will . Even though the book is now 4 years old there is still relevance in it.