It was a dynamo week. Five stories for LGNY. One was my news story about the HRC. Another was the Publishing Triangle awards. I wrote a book review of The Same Embrace. I also wrote two stories I successfully pitched to our editor. One was a comparison of four books that anthologize, quantify, qualify, and arrange gay and lesbian literature.
The other is an essay/feature about my adventures in gay reading these past two years that incorporates conversations with book store personnel and librarians.
What is so apparent, from the reading and work I have done, is the sheer volume of literature that expresses desires for the same sex throughout time. wwwIt's amazing what's out there. There are just so many books out there. What's frightening is how little people younger than me value reading. But I hope that when they do want to read, they will discover it, in all it's glory, and that includes works before 1969. It includes works in 1100. It includes all those kisses and silent desires that exploded on the page.
Part of my reason for writing the article is propel into the gay consiousness here in New York that reading is a very important aspect of our development, and that all gay and lesbian kids need that access, be it via libraries or the Internet or independent bookstores. But the idea that Barnes & Noble is going to be regarded as a "community center" is ludicrous. It's a business, not an institution devoted to chronicling the culture. Bookstores are only obliged to stock what they think will sell. The bigger the store, the fewer small titles they will sell.
I am a future librarian, so I know, believe me. This is why I put so much energy into the books issue of LGNY
I am not against big booksellers. I am against the small ones disappearing. I am against there being just one source of literature. For gay people, books is where we often first saw ourselves. Perhaps today's gay youth is better off, with television having its queer characters coming out like never before. But I still think that reading, that solitary pleasure, is something future gay generations are going to need, especially in other countries that are not as "sophisticated" as we are.
For us, reading will remain fundamental.
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