price：$4.78
Cleis Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Fabulous.) 『"Divas Las Vegas" is one of the best shows you'll get in Vegas. This hilarious and entertaining romp shines with wonderful characters and a vivid city backdrop. The witty narrator will carries off the outrageous tale with the perfect amount of drug induced elegance, laugh out loud observations, and a flair even Liberace would envy. No subject is off limits and no action too over the top for this story, which will have readers wondering where the adventure can possibly go next. Fans of the author and newcomers alike will devour this offering and ask for more.
Recently jobless "Em" is drowning his job sorrows in a pint of ice cream with a side of Antiques Roadshow when he recognizes his grandmother's vase, which his mother sold at a garage sale she's regretted ever since. With his severance pay burning a hole in his pocket, Em enlists the help of his wealthy but slutty and bored friend Justin to help him find the vase. What follows is an adventure no one could be prepared for, least of all Las Vegas and its residents.
The story is narrated from Em's first person perspective and reflects his personality wonderfully. Right from the beginning scene of Em hiding in a closet in a fabulous pair of silk Armani undies, Em sets the tone of the story with his flair for dramatics and style with an attention span shorter than a gnat. Thus the story seems to jump around from detail to detail, past memories to current activities including a visual tour of Las Vegas all while keeping the action and adventure fast and furious. The best a reader can do is sit back and enjoy the ride because trying to predict or guess the future won't work for this story.
The writing is full of humor and whimsy with a deft touch to detail. The setting of Las Vegas comes alive with intimate knowledge down to the slot machines in each casino and where to get the best hot dog. Readers will feel as though they are breathing the desert air and ensconced in the lush, glitzy casinos while delighting in the outrageous antics of the characters. From the recreational drug use to sad drag queens and a slew of slutty, sexy men, the laugh out loud moments are too many to count. If anything, the gags try to top each other too much and lose some of their pizazz when packed so tightly with bigger and better antics. However, the inherent charm of the narrator and the cast will smooth over any rough spots in the book.
The actual mystery is hilarious, complicated, and very well written. Em's search for the vase leads him and Justin into peril, murder, car chases, FBI agents, drag undercover assignments, and badges in unique places. The crisp dialogue and solid prose keep the pace fast yet interesting and never overwhelming. The action is balanced with shopping trips and visual tours of Vegas that keep the pace even. Rosen's unique style of writing shines in a plot that could overwhelm the reader with the antics and characters, but instead fascinates with glamor and allure. Be sure to pick up this whimsical delight today.』
(What a Romp!) 『What's not to love? A very fun read that combines some of my favorite things - Mystery, flaming, queen fights, sex and Antiques Roadshow! Mr. Rosen has outdone himself with this new novel that fits the traditional definition of a great "summer read". The dialog is snappy and catty and the plot moves fast, fast, fast. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. With my other half wondering what the hell I was laughing at in the other room the whole time. Buy this book. If you like to laugh, you won't regret it!』
What could possibly be more fun than a romp through Las Vegas with Rob Rosen? Em's grandmother left him a vase that was accidentally sold at a yard sale and it is worth thousands of dollars. Whoever bought it knew that and they are about to cash in on it on the Antiques Road show. Justin and Em jump on a plane to get it back but there is going to be a lot of fun along the way. They are two gay boys in their 20's who live in San Francisco and find themselves part of the craziness at Comdex week in Vegas. Now Justin is "a bit" man crazy and he likes everything about men that there is. Em knows that this will be fun so he plays along. What then happens is non-stop laughs and some great action. The twists and turns will keep you guessing as to what could possibly happen next. I have not laughed so much in a long time. The humor is bitchy and the rest is glitz--just like Vegas itself. This is also a whodunit as well as a roller coaster of fun and camp. We not only get a tour of Vegas but we also get a tour of the men of Vegas. It's a fun read that will having you praising Rob Rosen. 』
(Hysterically funny romp with two "party boys" in Las Vegas!) 『Bill (aka "Em", as in "Auntie ...") and Justin are two 20-something gay best friends from San Francisco, who descend into the craziness of COMDEX-week in Las Vegas, supposedly on a mission to locate the valuable vase that had belonged to Em's mother, but was shown appraised on an episode of "Antique Roadshow" taped in that city. Of course, with Justin along, the focus soon shifts to men, drinking, men, gambling, men, partying and men, and Em knows Jason well enough to hold on and enjoy the resulting insanity. The duo (along with their friend Glenda, whom they invite along for the fun) have madcap adventures with Jason's boyhood ex-lover, a Patsy Cline imitator, a lecherous motel owner, double dating possible murderers while in drag, and find themselves helping to solve an FBI investigation into organized crime.
Although the author has had over sixty short stories published in various anthologies, this is just his second novel, after 2001's "Sparkle," which was a delightful, witty and original romp. "Divas Las Vegas" is in the same vein, and likely even better, keeping the reader rolling with laughter as our campy duo gets into one imaginative situation after another. This is almost two books in one, as the author also gives some rather spot-on advice about places to see (and places to avoid) in Las Vegas. Secrets may be welcome to stay in Las Vegas, but clearly many of its residents were happy to see Em and Jason go back home to San Francisco! A rollicking, roller coaster of a read, sure to keep you smiling. Five stars out of five, on your fun reading slot machine!
』
(I'm not a Diva, but the book is!) 『Divas in Las Vegas is non stop humor and action! If you want to read about the connection of a vase, card dealers, chlorine, butter, friends, horses, Patsy Cline, the FBI, a 1976 Ford Pinto, a wallet, Caesar and yes, a few tricks, grab this book and read on and once you start, you won't stop. It has more twists and turns than Sarah Palin watching John McCain on election night. If you have ever spent anytime in Vegas, you will see yourself in this book and wondering if it could ever happen to you! Enjoy Rob Rosen's outlandish, hysterical and sarcastic adventure that in many ways, we could all only hope for in our wildest imagination!』 『
What happens when you find out that Grandma's vase mistakenly sold at a yard sale is worth tens of thousands of dollars—and somebody else is about to cash in on it on Antiques Roadshow? Of course, you hop on a plane with your best friend and race off to Las Vegas to get Grandma's vase back! Filled with action and suspense, hunky blackjack dealers, divine drag queens, strange sex, and sex in strange places, plus aFederal agent or two,Divas Las Vegasputs the sin in Sin City. A fun, new take on the murder mystery genre, Rob Rosen'sDivas Las Vegasis a hilarious, touching, and compulsively readable page turner!
price：$12.99
BookSurge Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Really boring/uneventful/unrealistic) 『I tried this book, even though I didn't really enjoy My Pet either. Sometimes it is the book not the author. Well, this time I just could not get over how naive the character Diane is, or the attraction of an 18 year old to a 50'ish year old woman/men. Unless there is money involved. Or you are looking for a mother/father figure.』
(Excitingly erotic) 『I had first read J.W. McKenna's "Office Slave" and found it a truly intriguing and well-thought out premise. "Boarding School Slave" is every bit as exciting and plausable as the earlier book. It really is refreshing to read erotica that is so well-written.』 『From the author of the best-selling 'Office Slave'! Diane Atherton was a cute, naïve 18-year-old nearing her graduation from the British boarding school, Argonne School for Girls. When she ran afoul of the rules, the imposing dean, Emily Winters, knew just what she needed: a little discipline -- and a little training to be her sexual slave. Over the ensuing weeks, Diane finds herself drawn to the older woman and soon they form a symbiotic relationship: Mistress and Slave. When Dean Winters needs to raise money for the school, she finds a willing participant in Diane, who is happy to 'encourage' donors to open up their wallets in exchange for a romp with the nubile lass.』
price：$13.95
Torquere Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Oddly enough, too much sex!) 『I didn't dislike these two books, but didn't love them either. I agree with the above comments, too much sex, not enough plot. Both books were that way. I was interested in the story, but it just got lost in the sex and "mine, mate, love" talk. I'm all about the love scenes, that's why I read these books, but I gotta have some plot to go with it, otherwise it's just porn. That's really what these books became. All about the porn..... All I came away with was "Mine", "Mate", and steak is good.』
(Too much sex - it got boring) 『I was all set to enjoy this book but was disappointed in the amount of sex scenes. It was a great story that was ruined by too little story action and too many recurring sex scenes (and no one likes a hot sex scene sprinkled throughout than me) which just seemed to repeat themselves over and over. Not sure I will buy any more of this author's books if this is a sample.』
(Still overrun by sex scenes, but much more plot than the first volume) 『Rating: 8/10
PROS: - Secondary romance that isn't even hinted at in the book's synopsis and which I found more interesting than the continuation of Anton and Greg's story. For at least the first half of the book, I found myself rushing through the "Anton and Greg" chapters to get back to the other storyline--just because the other guys are such an odd couple and their story is so sweet. - Much more plot than in Bite. Few chapters in this book pass without some mention of the villains and the havoc they are wreaking on the good guys' lives. Is it the best plot I've ever read in a romance? Not by a long shot, but it's a huge step up from its predecessor. - I love that Greg always bottoms and Anton always tops. I know that many couples in real life share those sexual roles, but there are also many couples who don't; and the m/m genre as a whole tends to depict the majority of couples the first way, in an attempt to portray that the two men are equals. But just because one man's always the bottom doesn't mean that he isn't just as important or powerful as the top. - Continued development of Anton and Greg. (My being more interested in the other two guys doesn't mean I don't still like these two.) Greg knows which buttons to push, and Anton (begrudgingly, at times) lets it happen so that he can fight back and assert his dominance. Greg knows this. Anton knows that Greg knows this. It's fun.
CONS: - Had a hard time picturing one of the characters--in particular, his age and his heritage (read: accent). Part of my brain says that this is not a problem; Mark Twain didn't describe Huck, after all. But another part of me gets frustrated when I'm picturing the character in my head and then a different character says something halfway through the book that conflicts with my mental image. - Even more possessiveness than in the first book. I understand that this is a story about werewolves and that they're territorial, but my goodness. I guessed at one point that Anton must use the word "mine" at least 50 times in Bite, and it's got to be at least 100 in this volume. The word makes an appearance in just about every sex scene.
Overall comments: This might not have *quite* as much sex as the first volume, Bite. But there's still a lot, so if you don't like a lot of graphic sex in your m/m romances, you should avoid both of these. (In fact, avoid Sean Michael altogether.) However, I really enjoyed this book. The plot truly is MUCH more involved than the plot in Bite, and the characters are the same.』
(Bitten) 『Anton has spent his life denying what he is - a were-wolf. However, now with a brand-new mate that has been unwillingly changed, a rival pack threatening all Anton holds dear and losing all his material possessions have forced Anton to face head-on his wolfish nature. But the power struggle is even more complex and deadly than Anton feared and just making a show of "being Alpha" will not be enough to take care of the problem - this time Anton will need to step into the role of Alpha of his pack and stick with it if he wants to survive the battle and keep what he holds dear...
But with black magics, unexpected attacks and the possibility of losing his family - will Anton be able to save it all by embracing his wolfish nature?
Bitten is a complex and long tale of coming to terms with oneself which is loaded with tons of erotic encounters between the main and secondary romantic relationships in true Sean Michael fashion. However, it must be noted that the plot development is slow and doesn't really begin until almost half-way into the book. Also, I found the secondary romance much more interesting than the continuing story line between the main characters, which was frustrating as by necessity, being secondary characters, there was much less of them to read and learn about. Still, when you are in the mood for some lava hot man-love with plenty of action pick up Bitten - you will not be disappointed, however don't look to it for its deep character development.
Sabella Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed』 『Anton has lost almost everything he holds dear: his apartment, his life in the city, and his long-time friend and butler, Jackson, who has been kidnapped by a rival pack. The one thing he still has is his lover and mate, Greg, who is learning to be a werewolf, even as they try to put their lives back to rights. Determined to get Jackson back, Anton finally approaches the werewolf pack that's his to lead by right, but that he's largely ignored. They agree to help him, but Anton has to embrace his inner wolf to work with them, and to help Greg come to terms with what he is. Meanwhile, butler Jackson is trapped - hurting and beaten - praying for rescue that looks wholly unlikely, even as his time is running out, while Greg is convinced he's going crazy, fearing he's hearing voices that won't go away. As pack Alpha, it all falls to Anton to keep his people safe, but there are forces at work that even the strongest werewolf might not be able to overcome. Can Anton keep his friends safe and save his beloved mate from the voices that call to him? Find out in this sequel to Sean Michael's best-seller, Bite.』
price：$3.30
Harper Perennial
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (poetic memoir about life and death and everything in between) 『Mark Doty's memoir, Heaven's Coast, is one of the most poetic books I've read in a long time. Ripe with the most vivid imagery, Doty's talent as a poet shines through in his prose.
In this book, Doty recounts the life and death of his lover Wally who succumbed to AIDS-related illness in the early 1990s. As Doty deals with this, he's also faced with the deaths of friends from AIDS and a very close friend who dies in a car accident. While all this sounds tragic, it's Doty's hopeful message that shines through. Parts of the story literally had me close to tears, but the articulation of hope and peace beyond grief - and survival through it - left me hopeful.
As an "AIDS" memoir, this is an important book to read for the younger generations of gays that didn't necessarily have to watch their loved ones struggle and die with this disease. It's important to remember a time when medicine wasn't as good as it is now, and to know what this plague has meant to the gay community. That being said, I think anyone who has ever lost a loved one can relate to the struggle through grief Doty so poetically describes. I can't say enough good things about this book.』
(Overcoming Loss) 『Heaven's Coast is a book about loss. Mark Doty approaches this topic through the loss of his beloved partner through AIDS, but, to me, this was not a book about AIDS. As some other reviews note, this topic has been covered by others probably more effectively.
First and foremost, Mark Doty is a poet. He views his life through images and metaphors. It is not surprising that he approaches personal loss in this same way? The power of the metaphor is that it is universal. It allows others to enter into the writer's thoughts without actually experience them. In this, Doty is masterful, and he uses this skill with Great power in Heaven's Coast. In doing so, he is able to describe loss - a feeling that is both deeply personal and yet universal. It may not be loss to AIDS - it may be loss of a relationship to addiction, loss of self-control to depression, loss of possessions to natural disasters. But it is all loss. Doty's writings help allow one's humanity to remain pinnacle during the time of loss. It may be submerged, but it is never loss. Looking for that essence of person-ality is what Doty emphasizes, and it is a message that transcends situation and becomes universal. Kudos to Doty for emphasizing this truth through his life story and captivating prose. 』
(5 stars aren't nearly enough) 『Doty's memoir shimmers with love, with joy, with pain, with grief. His prose is as rich and lyrical as his poetry. He invites us into his soul as he describes in unsparing detail his lover's journey through HIV. Doty honors his partner with every word; the love and respect is obvious, as well as the despair that results from knowing what is to come and being totally powerless to prevent it.
This book is certainly a tangible gift from Mark to Wally, but the sheer beauty of the writing is a gift to the reader. I draw no sustenance from the ocean, yet I found myself longing to walk across the dunes of Cape Cod-Doty's use of language is that powerful.
Heaven's Coast should be required reading for all healthcare workers.』
(A reader is correct. It isn't about Aids.) 『Nor was it supposed to be a book about AIDS. Doty writes magnificently about the loss of a loved one, and the grief, in its many forms, that follows.
If you want a book about AIDS, don't buy this. If, however, you want a book that honestly portrays one man's experience with devastating loss and how he begins the process of coming through it to the other side, this is the book for you. 』
(A Gorgeous Exploration of Grief...and moving on) 『HEAVEN'S COAST is Mark Doty's his first prose book and a stirring and stunning memoir of his year of grief following the death of his lover of a dozen years Wally Roberts. With this book Doty has created a genuine masterpiece. It is a brilliant and accessible memoir conveying sorrow without cliché and making sense of death through the beauty of writing. Death is no longer simply tragic but attains a variety of meanings that result in new levels of acceptance and understanding. His powerful emotional exactitude is culled from a brilliant mastery of language and a precise usage of metaphor. The combination transforms human loss into a redemptive art form. HEAVEN'S COAST is one of the most moving, beautiful, and poignant books to emerge on AIDS and more importantly on loss and grief.』 『The year is 1989 and Mark Doty's life has reached a state of enviable equilibrium. His reputation as a poet of formidable talent is growing, he enjoys his work as a college professor and, perhaps most importantly, he is deeply in love with his partner of many years, Wally Roberts. The harmonious existence these two men share is shattered, however, when they learn that Wally has tested positive for the HIV virus.
From diagnosis to the initial signs of deterioration to the heartbreaking hour when Wally is released from his body's ruined vessel,Heaven's Coastis an intimate chronicle of love, its hardships, and its innumerable gifts. We witness Doty's passage through the deepest phase of grief -- letting his lover go while keeping him firmly alive in memory and heart -- and, eventually beyond, to the slow reawakening of the possibilities of pleasure. Part memoir, part journal, part elegy for a life of rare communication and beauty,Heaven's Coastevinces the same stunning honesty, resplendent descriptive power and rapt attention to the physical landscape that has won Doty's poetry such attention and acclaim.』
price：$3.91
Torquere Press
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Combining two previous Sean Michael novels, The Center of Earth and Sky and Painting the Desert, Center focuses on twins Grey and Raine Holstein, who have a good life together. But that doesn't mean they're not willing to play. When they meet schoolteacher Whit, they both want to take him home. Whit is quickly drawn into a sensual world where passion overcomes panic, where a simple meal becomes an erotic feast, and where love is the paramount rule. The three of them try to find a way to make a life together, making sure no one is left out. Grey, Raine and Whit seem to be living a charmed life, but their whole world is threatened when Grey is diagnosed with cancer, and everything starts to fall apart. Grey is their rock, and as he's ravaged by the cancer treatment, Whit and Raine struggle to hold it together. Will Whit find the strength to be what his lovers need him to be? Can he remain in the center of such a storm and survive it intact?』
price：$3.75
InterVarsity Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Believers will love this book) 『The one stars given here for this book are obviously from non-believers so ignore these reviews if you are a believer and want this book for your child or friend.』
(Even the APA thinks "reparitive therapy" is dangerous) 『HERE ARE THE FACTS: NEW YORK -- The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments.
Instead, the APA urged therapists to consider multiple options - that could range from celibacy to switching churches - for helping clients whose sexual orientation and religious faith conflict.
In a resolution adopted on a 125-to-4 vote by the APA's governing council, and in a comprehensive report based on two years of research, the 150,000-member association put itself firmly on record in opposition of so-called "reparative therapy" which seeks to change sexual orientation.
No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the report, and some research suggests that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies.
The APA had criticized reparative therapy in the past, but a six-member task force added weight to this position by examining 83 studies on sexual orientation change conducted since 1960. Its comprehensive report was endorsed by the APA's governing council in Toronto, where the association's annual meeting is being held this weekend.
THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS. SAME SEX ORIENTATION IS A NATURAL PART OF THE SEXUAL CONTINUUM AND CANNOT BE CHANGED. REMEMBER: GAY AND TRANSGENDER KIDS HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH RATES OF SUICIDE. BOOKS LIKE THIS FEED THE HOPELESSNESS THAT THEY FEEL.』
(The Perfect Book) 『This is a great tool for those who are open to identify what caused homosexuality in their lives. You have to be open minded and objective to read and absorb this book. People CAN and DO change, otherwise Jesus never made miracles as it said in the Bible. Miracles happen everyday in the hearts of the true believers and this is one of those roads to feel them. 』
(nonsense) 『book such as these continue the myth that homosexuality is wrong - it is sad to think some people still believe this nonsense.』
(What a terrible shame.) 『You could read this. You could try praying. You could spend hours in church every day, crying, begging, wishing that you weren't gay. You could run away. You could marry someone of the opposite sex and go through the motions. One day you will realise that you have made yourself, and those who love you the most, very very sad. You will realise that the bible has been doctored and incorrectly interpreted. You will realise that there is a loving, wonderful, community of people wanting to support you, and that all this time you could have been happy. Until then, read this and torture yourself for no reason.』 『Bob Davies and Lori Rentzel offer a practical handbook for recovery and growth which examines the issues of sexual identity. Here are strategies for healing that have been developed and used by people around the world.』
price：$5.10
Co.
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A good start) 『In her Ar'n't I a Woman: Female Slaves in the Plantation South (1985), Deborah Gray White primarily challenges and corrects John W. Blassingame's singular focus on male slaves and masculinity, which was a product of the African-American males' Men's Rights Movement, so to speak. White is also adding to historiographical debates begun by Stanley Elkins, who says slavery made Africans into submissive, child-like individuals; Kenneth M. Stampp, who denies slaves had culture; and Eugene D. Genovese, who focuses on culture but uses the theory of paternalism focusing on slavery as a relationship based on consensus. Ultimately, however, all of these works serve as revisionist histories of U.B. Phillips's American Negro Slavery.
White's monograph is also the byproduct of the Civil Rights Movement and of the Women's Rights Movement. Although a precise date for the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement is impossible, it was clearly in progress with the Supreme Court's Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. This movement awakened the attention of historians and the public to recognize and study the agency and equality of black Americans. Prior to the late 1960s and 1970s, all women, black or white, were generally excluded from the historian's scrutiny; therefore, it is not exceptional that it took until 1985 for enslaved African women to truly receive scholarly attention. Furthermore, whether consciously or unconsciously, these then contemporary events influenced White's choice of a topic, if only because of the new attention these minorities received. White was the first scholar to truly study enslaved black women.
Although their responsibilities were different, African-American women, like men, were slaves in the American South during the colonial and antebellum period. These women, like their male counterparts, were all individuals who were neither singularly submissive, caring, and/or sexual, nor superhuman as the "Jezebel" and "Mammy" stereotypes/archetypes disseminate. Female slaves did face a "double oppression" due to the combination of their race and sex (23). They also had dual responsibilities working for their masters and for their families. White primarily focuses on the antebellum period, but she also briefly covers emancipation and the re-enslavement of African-Americans after the Civil War. White argues on the assumption that female slaves experienced a different slavery than men and had different responsibilities.
"The Nature of Female Slavery" is White's most effective chapter because it truly addresses her concerns in writing this book. It recognizes women as individuals with agency. It specifically looks at women as slaves. This chapter focuses on disease, violence, resistance, and childbirth in the lives of slave women. In other chapters, information tends to be somewhat disorganized and redundant at times. Perhaps an organization by themes such as resistance, mothers, fields, etc. would help improve this. White's focus does not stay singularly on women and their experiences. Overall, White's monograph reads more like a series of articles.
White accomplishes a great deal in Ar'n't I a Woman, but she also leaves more than enough room for future historians to expand the scholarship of African-American female slavery. White concentrates on women who lived and worked on cotton plantations. Rice, indigo, tobacco, sugar, and hemp, for example, were also grown in the South by slaves. Foodstuffs such as rice have a prerequisite for gang labor and allow less free time, thus allowing male and female slaves less time to cultivate relationships, bare children, and transmit culture. By focusing on one type of plantation and generalizing that experience, White homogenizes the experience of women, probably often leading to a better picture than reality allows. In order to truly understand slavery the individual differences that comprise these individual women need recognition. Ar'n't I a Woman also neglects, like other works, to shed light on the true and multiple horrors of slavery. Readers are not left with an impression of slavery's brutality. Sexual exploitation by whites is discussed, but the complexity and consequences of it are not discussed. In some ways, White does not contribute completely new and original information as much as she re-conceptualizes and re-phrases the story of women found in earlier scholarship. Ar'n't I a Woman seems to have been written before the sources were readily available that would enable this to be a more unified, sophisticated, and comprehensive analysis. WPA interviews were heavily relied upon due to the lack of sources revealing the female slave experience. Ar'n't I a Woman is important and should continue to be read because it is a first in the field of slavery. 』
(Sojourner's Truth Goes Marching On) 『February Is Black History Month. March Is Women's History Month
I have mentioned more than once in this space, dedicated as it is to looking at material from American history and culture that may not be well-known or covered in the traditional canon, that the last couple of scholarly generations have done a great deal to enhance our knowledge of American micro-history. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the study of American slavery and its effects on subsequent history for the society and for the former slaves. The book under review represents one such effort in bringing the previously muddled and incomplete story of the triply-oppressed black women (race, gender and class) to the surface.
As the author, Deborah Gray White, has pointed out in her introduction the general subject of the American slave trade, its place in the culture and the general effects of plantation life on the slave has been covered rather fully since the 1950's and 1960's. However, she set as her task filling the gap left by the mainly male historians (Elkins, Genovese, Apteker,et. al) who tended to treat the plantation slave population as an undifferentiated mass. Ms. Gray White undertook to correct that situation with this 1985 initial attempt to amplify the historical record. Although other, later researches have expanded this field (as a sub-set of women's history, at the very least) this is definitely the place to start. I might add that copious footnotes and bibliography give plenty of ammunition for any argument that the female slave has been under-appreciated, under-studied and misunderstood within the context of the historical dispute of the effects of slavery on the structure of the black family and black cultural life.
Ms. Gray White set up a five pronged attack on the then current (up to 1985) conceptions about the role of the female slave: the always `hot button' and continuing controversy over her role as sexual "Jezebel" or asexual "Mother Earth" nurturing Mammy: her central economic role in the upkeep of the plantation and of the slave quarters: her critical role as "breeder" of children in order to maintain the laboring population and slave-owners' profits; her relationship to other females on the plantation and the division of labor among them by age, child-bearing status and health; and, the myths or misconceptions about black families, marriage and culture.
As part of Ms. Gray White's argument she has addressed the thorny issue of the female slave as a sexual object (to both white and black men) on the one hand and her critical role of 'nurturer' to the next generation of slaves on the other. This is a tension that in many ways has not been resolved even in post-slavery times and so was worthy of her attention (and ours today, as well). Moreover, this ambivalence flows over into the kinds of work the female slave was expected to perform at various stages of her life as a "breeder" and the differential treatment she received by the slave-owners at various stages of that cycle. Ms. Gray White also has some interesting things to say about female social solidarity (and rivalries) in the workplace and in the cabins. The age old question of social hierarchy between "house" and "field" slaves also gets her close attention.
Additionally, Ms. Gray covers a then relatively new topic (brought about by male historian's conception of the female slave as dominating the family structure and therefore producing the stereotypical "Sapphire"). Although she has not provided any really new information about the economic and social structure of plantation life (which drove Southern society in the ante-bellum period in everything from national politics to "correct" racial attitudes among non-slave-owning whites) her great achievement is to give voice to the differences between male and female slaves that had not been previously appreciated.
Perhaps the most important scholarly achievement in this little book however is her challenge to the orthodoxy about the female dominance of black family life on the plantation and its effects on post-slavery life. This additional `hot-button' issue gets fully outlined here. To seek further insight in this issue today look at other sources to see how the arguments have continued not only as a question of historical importance but national social policy.
』
(Female Slaves) 『Deborah Gray White writes tellingly about the double evils faced by the Black woman of the old South: racism and sexism. Truly, they faced a lack of personhood at every turn.
The author weaves together quotes from enslaved Black women to tell her story. As other reviewers have noted, there does tend to be something of a feel of a feminist slant to the writing. I certainly would not argue against her basic premise of White male abuse of Black female slaves. However, having researched the White female slave owners, I would contend that women of the South were as guilty as the men of evil and condoning evil.
Reading firsthand accounts of these Black "sisters of the spirit" is the only way to truly gain a feel for what they endured and the larger cultural evils. Three examples include: "Behind the Scenes," "The House of Bondage," and "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl."
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends, and Soul Physicians.』
(Ar'n't I A Woman?) 『In the book Ar'n't I a Woman?, by Deborah Gray White, the reader is challenged by the author to set previous notions regarding American slave women aside to understand the truth, which has long been elusive to the majority of Americans. Over the course of the work, White shocks and appalls the reader in an attempt to inform her readers about the horrors and injustices that slave women were forced to deal with on a regular basis. In doing so, the author makes her point abundantly clear and leaves little question as to the authenticity of her research and work.
White begins her work quite firmly. She discusses two of the great myths of female slavery: Jezebel and Mammy. The author promptly exposes the lie that slave women were promiscuous, dirty women with an unquenchable lust for white men. She asserts, "The choice put before many slave women was between miscegenation and the worst experiences that slavery had to offer. Not surprisingly, many chose the former" (34). As a result, the act of the slave woman giving in to the sexual advances of her white owner branded her as unchaste, a Jezebel. The second stereotype discussed is that of mammy, the nurturing black woman who cares for the white children. Both of these stereotypes are important to note, not only because of their historical significance and their supreme effect on Caucasian beliefs, but also because White ties these ideas through the rest of her work.
After successfully debunking the myths regarding female slaves in America in the first chapter, White goes into great depth regarding the actual lives and hardships that slave women faced daily. For example, White paints a portrait of the female slave that depicts her as just as hard working, if not moreso, than her male counterparts. However, though her work in the fields was important, her true value was placed in keeping the male slaves sexually satisfied and reproducing new generations of slaves. As a result, most female slaves had families, though more disconnected than those of the American whites. The main reason for slave marriages, according to the author, was "to add to the comfort, happiness, and health of those entering upon it" (99). Indeed, even the supposedly sacred act of marriage was not off limits to Caucasian exploitation. As a result, the female slave trade did not highlight the hard-working nature of the slave, but rather her physical attractiveness, for the benefit of both the male slave and the slave owner. While all slaves were considered products, female slaves in particular were, quite literally, viewed as little more than sexual objects. This stigma did not immediately escape the black woman at emancipation either. White states, "From emancipation through more than two-thirds of the twentieth century, no Southern white male was convicted of raping or attempting to rape a black woman. Yet the crime was widespread" (188). Due to these injustices, the American people are too often subjected to an inaccurate portrait of the female slave and her female descendants, and therefore miss out on a truly inspiring individual.
In her work, Deborah Gray White tears apart the common misconceptions of female slaves and depicts a person that is loving, family-oriented, and hard-working. However, the book, though relatively brief in length can be a tedious read at times. Though White validates her assertions with just a few sources and anecdotes, she relentlessly re-asserts with numerous additional examples which come across as both unnecessary and excessive. As a result, Ar'n't I a Woman at times seems distractingly repetitive for the majority of its pages. In addition, the book could also present itself as an overtly feminist text, which has the potential to turn off many of today's readers of both genders. Though White places some of the blame for conditions and roles of slave women on Caucasian females, she undoubtedly places the majority of the blame on white men. However, it perhaps would have been more accurate and beneficial for her to blame Southern, and American, society as a whole, as Caucasian men were just a product of a long-standing tradition. Despite these obstacles, however, White cannot be discredited for her tireless pursuit to uncover the truth and discredit the myths that have haunted African-American women for centuries. Indeed, if she has accomplished anything, it is the true emancipation of America's most discriminated class. 』
(My Review) 『I have not yet read this book. It looks exciting and I hope I enjoy it. I am reading this book for a report in JROTC.』 『Living with the dual burdens of racism and sexism, slave women in the plantation South assumed roles within the family and community that contrasted sharply with traditional female roles in the larger American society. This new edition of Ar'n't I a Woman? reviews and updates the scholarship on slave women and the slave family, exploring new ways of understanding the intersection of race and gender and comparing the myths that stereotyped female slaves with the realities of their lives. Above all, this groundbreaking study shows us how black women experienced freedom in the Reconstruction South-their heroic struggle to gain their rights, hold their families together, resist economic and sexual oppression, and maintain their sense of womanhood against all odds.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Fine, save one scene.) 『Tony Kushner, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (Theatre Communications Group, 1993)
I thought Millennium Approaches was going along like a house on fire for the first two-thirds of its length. It's character-driven, it's funny despite its heartbreaking subject matter, it handles an historical figure in such a way as to make him larger than life. (I will admit up front that, despite my mother having suggested I do so for something like twenty years now, I have not read Citizen Cohn, her favorite Roy Cohn biography, and so I can't actually say how much of Kushner's portrayal of Cohn is accurate; it is, however, all kinds of fun.) And Kushner was getting his message across in just the right way--letting the story impart the message. Then comes Scene 2 of Act 3, where Louis and Belize are sitting in a bar talking. And Louis' logorrhea is message, message, message, message, message, and the whole thing just goes to hell in a handbasket. The funny thing is, Belize recognizes that it's all message, message, message, message, message and calls Louis on it repeatedly. Even Kushner's characters can't stand message drama! (That doesn't stop Louis from prattling on.) I've been seeing this more and more recently; authors trying to insert message drama (or fiction or poetry or...) by making the characters who have to put up with it slap the speaker into senselessness. (Unless it's internal, then they get nasty looks; think about the interminable message paragraphs that Kenzie suddenly comes up with in A Drink Before the War, for example.) Here's a tip, guys: it doesn't matter how you try to cache message-based writing into your work. It's still crap. It has always been crap (well, okay, 95% of the time), and it will always be crap. And here's the kicker, in Tony Kushner's case: if you're already treading on ground that activists have worked over hundreds of thousands of times, there's basically a guarantee that some political activist with a placard has already said everything you're trying to say. And probably said it better. In this case, it's been done hundreds, if not thousands of times. It's not only message crap, it's retreaded message crap.
Now that I've spent three hundred words on Louis and Belize's painful, conversation in Act Three, I'll say that the rest of the play is just plain awesome. The characters jump off the page, the pace is fast (despite there being almost no action), the dialogue is, in the main, witty and interesting. Take out that one scene, and this is great stuff. Unfortunately, no one thought to take out that one scene. *** 』
(You Have To Be Damned To Be Saved) 『This play has the secondary title "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," but the "Gay" portion seems unnecessary. Reflecting the self-seeking, ambitious attitude that dominated the middle 1980s, Kushner uses jagged language, a clash of characters, and tension born from manipulating audience stereotypes to make us wonder if perhaps we've lost sight of our original national purpose.
Not for nothing does this play begin at an immigrant's funeral. This nation is a fusion of peoples drawn from elsewhere, a mix that cannot be made again. We know the officiating rabbi means it in the most literal sense when he says, "You do not live in America. No such place exists." This America is a created land, but created of all the anger, frustration, and venality of the assembled characters.
The lies these characters tell themselves are phenomenal. After the funeral, Louis, a relative of the deceased confesses that he didn't introduce his male lover to the family because "I get so closety at these family things." This is probably the most direct any of the characters are at any point in the play. Perhaps it's introduced very early to let us know that levels of dishonesty will be calibrated in every scene. And no dishonesty is more powerful than when the characters come to believe their own lies.
When Roy Cohn is diagnosed with AIDS at the end of the first act, before he does anything else, he revises his own prognosis to correspond to his own self-figuration. Not only does he tell himself that he has cancer, he bullies his doctor to ratify the diagnosis so that he can go out and tell everyone else the same thing. Even when his protégé, Joe Pitt, admits his own homosexuality, Cohn continues to hide from the world, and excoriate himself for hiding. Cohn's self-loathing is epic in scope, entirely consistent with the hatred Kushner implies he pushed out into the world with his militancy.
Though she is not as open with other characters as Louis, Harper Pitt has the most elaborate system of self-deception of the play. She invents friends to talk to, justifying her refusal to interact with the world. She manufactures an illusory pregnancy to get pity--but who from? Herself? It's hard to imagine who else she might elicit sympathy from, because she alienates her only ally, her husband Joe, as her world turns more inward upon itself. Her imaginary friend, Mr. Lies, gives away his identity with his very name. But even Mr. Lies won't participate unreservedly in the process. "You can be numb and safe here, that's what you came for," he tells her.
Perhaps because of the lies, all the characters seem to seek their own destruction. Faced with his lover's increasing illness, Louis flees to reckless sex with an anonymous partner--and, it is implied, more partners than we see. Likewise, Joe first admits his homosexuality by calling his mother, a judgmental Mormon unlikely to take kindly to such a revelation. On top of that, he calls her from a pay phone in the most dangerous part of New York's Central Park at the most dangerous time of night. He's asking to get killed, and perhaps he's asking for it because he wants to be punished.
Though it's not the end of the play, the summation of the themes takes place in the Act 3n Scene 2. Louis' garbled, self-justifying monologue tries to make sense of the way in which a gay man can face himself in the disapproving world that is Reagan's America. But what actually comes out of his mouth is an incomprehensible hash of American national mythology, half-remembered Nietzschean philosophy, a badly scrambled reading of race and cultural relations across borders, and more. As a court word processor, Louis has made his life out of comprehending the rhetoric and literature of justice. But he cannot remember how it actually goes.
This play, being actually half a play, culminates with the potential for redemption, in the final scene. Prior Walter, ravaged by AIDS-Related Complex, is the one character who cannot lie to himself. We watch, over the course of three acts, as each untruth and every easy self-deception is progressively expunged. At the end, devastated and alone, he is the only character fit to bear audience to the titular Angel.
But honest Prior Walter, and the lying characters all around him, do not yet have that redemption. They cannot have it, they cannot be saved, until they have reached the very bottom of their arcs. And that is what we see in this play. We see them being burned away, bit by bit. We see them being made ready for the possible salvation that comes in Part Two.』
(Like Plays of Old) 『This play is very accessible to the reader accustomed to reading prose. Contemporary situations are embellished to make this play a work of art. 』
(A Piece of Garbage) 『This book was assigned to me as college reading and all I can say is that I am offended with the language and feel verbally abused by the content. The author is abusing the audience. I have friends whom are gay and they never talk like the trash that represnt them in this book, they hold themselves to a higher level and have class. The author creates gay hatred instead of encouraging people to embrace the gay culture. This book makes you think gays have no sense and that they are wierd instead of just average people. I believe the author has hurt the gay community more then he has helped.』
(The 'Angels' have come!) 『This remarkable play writen by the best playwrite since Shakespeare has achived not only rocking your mind with it's beautiful prose, language, and story, but also has gained the title of the most wonderufl play in modern liturature (counting plays). Its star-stricken plot will not make you put it down! It is truly wonderful.』 『The most anticipated new American play of the decade, this brilliant work is an emotional, poetic, political epic in two parts: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika. Spanning the years of the Reagan administration, it weaves the lives of fictional and historical characters into a feverish web of social, political, and sexual revelations.』
price：$3.91
Harper Paperbacks
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Stellar) 『Other reviewers have already said all the wonderful things I would tell you about this book so I won't repeat them. I'll just add that I'm a big fan of well-written romances - particularly ones that make you laugh out loud - and this is one of the best ever.』
(OMG! Buy this Book!) 『This is a brilliant gem of a book! Possibly the most romantic love story I've ever read. Sweet, funny, realistic, characters share their story through a variety of mediums including e-mails, memos and passed notes. The blending of seemingly opposite enjoyments as baseball and Broadway is masterful. If you want to feel the feeling of falling in love, read this book.』
(Probably my favorite book ever!) 『Hilarious, touching, intelligent, and incredibly original - these are just a few adjectives that I can use to describe this book. It had me smiling the entire time I was reading it, with more laughing out loud funny parts than any book I've ever had the good fortune to read.』
(Unequivocally and joyfully recommended) 『This incredibly witty and warm story is the kind of book which makes the world a better place. Forget this being about gay guys. This is about love, and friendship, and relationships, and the people who support us through our tribulations. Also baseball, which was the bit I connected with least, but hey, you can't have everything. But it's mostly about Travis and Craig, and their wonderfully funny and loyal friends. Every character in this is a standout. Travis is OCD, and a real sweetheart - mad, brilliant, neurotic and determined, obsessed with baseball and history, and prone to extravagant methods of catching the attention of men he fancies. He drives people insane, and makes them fall in love with him forever. He's the one who never found happiness after Craig, never found the right man, the ideal boyfriend, and it's his realisation that he has to go back to where it started, that gets everything rolling - but we're a good way into the book before that even begins.
Craig is a mover and shaker, a lawyer committed to personal rights, in love with a decent, faithful and supportive man, apparently happily settled. His partner Clayton is steady, doesn't like change, and is deeply committed to his lover - he's the kind of man every mother would want their son or daughter to bring home. He and Craig are truly happy, as married as two gay men can be. Yet when Craig suspects Travis is about to re-enter his life, he can't help but be glad to have a chance to settle a chapter in his life, with the first man he ever fell in love with. That this coincides with conflict with Clayton and potential huge changes in this life, means Travis might just have a chance with him.
Their story is told in letters, memos, checklists, legal reports, assignments, newspaper clippings, diary entries and emails between them and their friends, students, acquaintances, business colleagues and to each other. It's laugh out loud funny without degenerating into silliness, though Travis manages to get himself into some farcical situations, and the humour is crisp and fast, kind of like John Cusack on crack. Craig's law partner and best friend, Charleen, adds a blunt, common-sense flavour to the novel, and a precocious boy from a broken home has some of the best lines.
There's too much going on in the plot to summarise, but it's not confusing or difficult to follow, even though it skips back and forth between Craig and Travis's teenage years, the recent past and the present, mirroring Travis's manic search for love and happiness, and his crazed approach to just about everything. The story also doesn't end how you think it will, and pulls off the difficult trick of squaring Craig and Clayton's real love for each other with Craig and Travis's lifelong devotion.
The writing is simply terrific - masterly, in fact - and I fell in love with Travis, Charleen and Noah. Craig, I had reservations about because I liked Clayton so much and didn't want to see him hurt. Fortunately, the author gives these lovely people the happy and dignified futures they deserve.
"Almost like being in love" is about second chances, and the intensity of your first real love, a memorable romance, and a remarkably humane piece of writing.』
(Amazing characters) 『The best type of book is the one that makes you want to sit down and get to know all the characters better. This book does all that and more. I've always loved books written in an epistolary style, and "Almost Like Being in Love" is a terrific example.
The main character is endearing, quirky, and is obliviously hilarious. The plot is good, but really, what matters is the way the author showcases each of his characters. It's the perfect read whenever you're feeling a little gloomy, just like The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure or Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)』 『
A high school jock and nerd fall in love senior year, only to part after an amazing summer of discovery to attend their respective colleges. They keep in touch at first, but then slowly drift apart.
Flash forward twenty years.
Travis and Craig both have great lives, careers, and loves. But something is missing .... Travis is the first to figure it out. He's still in love with Craig, and come what may, he's going after the boy who captured his heart, even if it means forsaking his job, making a fool of himself, and entering the great unknown. Told in narrative, letters, checklists, and more, this is the must-read novel for anyone who's wondered what ever happened to that first great love.
price：$2.09
Torquere Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (More romantic and less disturbing than the first book) 『Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 9/10
PROS: - The serious, heavy BDSM actions continue in this volume, but I didn't find them as disturbing/disquieting. (Maybe I'm just used to the ways in which Noah submits to Tobias after reading the first book.) There's one scene in which Noah goes very deep into his headspace and Tobias has to coax him out of it that I found fascinating. - The relationship has evolved so that it's no longer 100% D/s. There are some graphic D/s scenes, but far fewer than in Book 1. Other reviewers have said that they don't like how the later books in this series have fewer BDSM scenes and more vanilla sex, but I enjoyed the vanilla sex scenes in this book just as much as the kinkier ones. I see them as proof that Tobias and Noah's relationship is BASED ON domination and submission but isn't entirely ABOUT those roles. And the idea that occasionally the two can make love while looking into each other's eyes is romantic and wonderful and...sigh. - Hot sex scenes involving various kinks. There are some sweet, passionate vanilla scenes, some sweaty, thrilling BDSM scenes (one particularly sexy one involving voyeurism to an extreme degree), and even a ménage scene that gave me a bit of a hot flash. - I love how honest the characters are with each other and how much focus there is on conversation. Owen and Payne must either have experienced the lifestyle personally or have spoken in-depth with both Doms and subs, because the psychological needs and desires of both characters in these books are examined in detail. - The character of Phan makes me smile. He's a wonderful friend to Tobias--and becoming one to Noah as well. (see cons below also)
CONS: - Phan makes me want to cry too. He's not just a friend to Tobias; I get the feeling that he's still very much in love with his old master--and not just in the "we love each other but we aren't IN love" way. I think he's IN love with Tobias but is just so messed up that he can't be right for Tobias anymore nor can he move on and fall in love with anyone else. Maybe Noah and Tobias could let him be a part of their relationship...threeways work sometimes, right? - There are two momentous, unrelated scenes at the end of the book that have been hinted at all through the story, and both of them feel rushed or a bit smoothed over. I was expecting something really explosive from at least one of them, and each one seemed to be over rather quickly.
Overall comments: I really, really enjoyed this book because of the characters--all of them. Even the small, secondary characters make an impact. It's got some BDSM elements that will make squeamish people squirm a bit, but if you made it through the first volume in the series, this one's mostly a piece of cake. And if you're interested in the characters' relationships (rather than just the kinky sex scenes), I think you'll like this one better than the first.』
(True Domination) 『An excellent book. I enjoyed reading it. You should read the First book Submissions first although This book can stand alone. I got attached to the characters and want to read more. If you like domination or submission this is a good book and easy to read.』
(Delicious and fun!) 『Boy was it good to be back reading about Tobias and Noah. I have to say, since the last book, I missed them. I actually craved to read this second book of the Deviations series because I HAD to know what happens with them. It didn't disappoint. There was a lot of hot action, a lot of hot scenes, and a lot of romance. This book was definitely more romantic than the first, and emotional in a different way. In this second book, Tobias and Noah have to find balance between having a regular romantic relationship and having a relationship based on the exchange of power. In this one, Tobias examines his weaknesses as Noah comes to terms with his. Their dynamic and struggles show that not even the best Dom in the world is infallible; no matter how strong we are, we break down, we screw up. We're not perfect. I can't wait to read number 3.』
(Excellent Sequel) 『This is the sequel to Deviations: Submission. "Submission" left the reader as the two characters, Tobias and Noah, began to move beyond simple dominant and submissive--falling in love. That book explored the BDSM world with Noah, the submissive, as the focus. "Domination" switches the focus to Tobias. These two are developing a relationship, and they have issues to overcome just as any other couple does.
This series is excellent; well-written, fast paced, with fully realized characters (both supporting and main). Another book featuring some of the supporting cast as main characters would be more than welcome. I understand the third book in the series will be coming out April 07 and the fourth in Fall 07. Yeah!
I never expected a BDSM-themed book to have such a powerful love story, but there it is. Read these two books--now.』
(Fascinating M/M BDSM) 『This is an amazing continuation of deviations:submission. I do not know how much truth there is in the BDSM world potrayed here. And it is not easy to understand anyone getting high from whipping, pain and subjugation. But I do appreciate the needs of both Subs and Doms in the story. The plot here is fascinating and charged with emotions and the characters beautifully drawn out. I wish there is more from Tobias, Noah, Bradford and Phantom and I hope both Chris and Jodi will deliver. And yes, I also like to recommend another emotionally charged M/M BDSM "Golden Boy" and "Golden Man" by Claire Thompson , e-books available from Ellora's Cave.』 『In this sequel to Deviations: Submission, Dom Tobias and Sub Noah are back, learning more about each other and their relationship, testing the boundaries of what they can and cannot handle, both together and apart. Tobias works at becoming more comfortable and finding his balance as a full-time Master again. Meanwhile, his work brings out the true submissive in Noah, who faces some of his greatest fears, and his greatest secrets, confessing to Noah about a terrible time in his past. He's not the only one who has a rough time. Tobias breaks down and shows Noah he's not all dominance, too, which sends shockwaves through their romance, leaving them to wonder if they can keep it together. With a deep exploration of the BDSM scene, secondary characters who shine, and a romance that has the reader rooting for these men from the start, Deviations: Domination is one book you can't miss. Authors Chris Owen, writer of the popular Bareback, and Jodi Payne, writer of String of Pearls have done it again. Hard at work on a third book in the Deviations series, these authors have many more projects planned. Look for them to come from Torquere Press!』
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