Men on Men 2000: Best New Gay Fiction for the Millennium (Men on Men)

Rating:
Summary: A Celebration
Review: "For more than a decade, the acclaimed Men on Men books have showcased the very best in gay fiction. In stories that pushed back the boundaries and introduced talented new writers, these collections have transformed gay literature into something at once poignant and provocative, unique and universal. Now Men on Men 2000 ushers in the new century with twenty original tales that shimmer with all the emotion, humor, pathos, and drama of life. In "A Venice Story" Edmund White explores the ever-narrowing gulf between desire and death, while Jim Grimsley's "Boulevard" views desire through the perspective of pornography and tabloid news. "Ciccone Youths 1990" finds Bruce Morrow's lonely, ailing African-American protagonist entering a rollicking fantasy world populated by four drag queens and their ultimate heroine, Madonna. There are also stories by newcomers like David Tuller, whose "Sperm-and-Egg Tango" puts the friendship of a gay man and a lesbian to the test when they consider the possibility of parenthood. Patrick Ryan's "Second Island" chronicles an American traveler's obsession with a beautiful French hustler, and "Gold" is Alexander Chee's story of a young man of Korean and Argentinean descent who confronts both his mixed heritage and his evolving sexuality. Here, too, are timely variations on such topics as coming out, breaking up, sex and AIDS, growing up gay and ethnic, gay marriages, and gay men and fatherhood. In what may be the most diverse entry in this ever-evolving series, Men on Men 2000 celebrates what it means to be a gay man at the beginning of the new millennium." - abstract from Intermale

Rating:
Summary: Diverse Collection of Voices and Styles
Review: Some of the fresh new voices in gay lit are included here. Three particularly different in their approach to gay parenting. There's also an artistic tale of a murder in Paris, a compelling romance between street youth, and some othertopics beyond the usual coming out of AIDS-related themes. Won a Lambda Literary Award. The publisher should put out a new edition, but I hear that won't happen.

Rating:
Summary: Book celebrates gay men through fiction
Review: Through the eyes of many men, the authors of Men on Men 2000 explore the realities of today's gay male in 20 fictional stories.

The newest in a continuing series of gay-themed fiction, 2000 proves itself a worthy read through its diverse writing and varied stories. It continues the prestige the series has earned itself over the past 14 years. During Pride Week, when gay people will celebrate their sexuality, this book celebrates gay men through its honest writing.

Editors David Bergman and Karl Woelz organized the stories in alphabetical order, yet this seemingly objective manner of organization blends the stories together perfectly. Each piece seems to have been placed very intentionally to create a larger story.

2000 wastes no time dealing with important issues. David Vernon, with his short story "Arrival," tells the story of Joe, a young man dying of AIDS who tries to break the news to his best friend from earlier in his life. The story is broken up into choppy segments with subheads, almost as if the story has (very) short chapters that help create its whole. By jumping between narratives, Vernon manages to study all aspects of his scenario.

"Erasing Sonny" confronts the notion of being publicly marked as gay when Sonny gets a tattoo from his sister's boyfriend. What is supposed to be a small drawing of Donald Duck holding a cigar becomes a tattoo of Donald Duck holding something more phallic. The tattoo covers the expanse of Sonny's back. His attempts to hide the tattoo from his family eventually fail, and his mother sends him to the doctor to get the picture removed - an early birthday gift. While the public display of sexuality gets removed, Sonny finds himself strangely attracted to his male doctor and is left with a more personal, permanent reminder of his own sexuality.

Craig T. McWhorter presents his take on absolute heartache with "Silent Protest." He writes of the oft-ignored struggle that occurs when two people of the same sex raise a child together and then separate. The law is often not sympathetic to both sides of the story, and the biological parent is the only one given the right to raise the child. From the point of view of the weekend-only parent, "Silent Protest" delves into the emotions of a part-time dad and his distancing relationship with his daughter.

It is stories like these that make 2000 the excellent collection that it is. The stories explore old issues with new fervor, such as AIDS or coming out, but they also take closer look at newer issues, like parenting and the establishment of gay marriages in Europe.