Gay fiction speaks

"Today's most celebrated, prominent, and promising authors of gay-themed fiction in English explore the literary influences and themes of their work. Though the interviews touch upon a wide range of issues including gay culture, AIDS, politics, art, and activism, what truly distinguishes them is the extent to which Canning encourages the authors to reflect on their writing practices, published work, literary influences, and their writing peers, gay and straight. Ethan Mordden talks about narrative style, and how he came to write How Long Has This Been Going On? Allan Gurganus reminisces fondly about his childhood love of the Bible and the "music of sermons." David Leavitt muses on the identity of the gay reader - and the extent to which that readership defined a tradition. Andrew Holleran wonders how he might have made The Beauty of Men "more forlorn, romantic, lost" by writing in the first person. The resulting interviews lend a fresh perspective to the works discussed, unleashing them from the narrow confines historically applied to them and giving the writers themselves a much-deserved forum for good literary conversation."--BOOK JACKET.