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(Search for and buy these books at this link via Amazon and Outsports gets a commission.) Recommended Reading: NovelsNote: Some of these are not masterpieces, but each in its own way rewards reading. In the process of coming out – and after! – it is valuable to read fiction that reflects what we experience in our own lives. Forman Brown (Richard Meeker), Better Angel, Greenberg, 1995. Autobiography disguised as fiction. Forman Brown writes of living a gay life with dignity between the wars. Recommended. Todd D. Brown, Entries from a Hot Pink Notebook, Washington Square Press, 1995. Teen coming-out story. E. M. Forster, Maurice, various editions (and video). Not published until after Forster’s death, and somewhat dated in its social conventions; nonetheless, it’s one I re-read from time to time. A gay novel by one of English literatures minor greats. Brent Hartinger, Geography Club, Harper Tempest, 2003. Well-written story about coming out, friendship and finding courage and support in high-school. Alex Jeffers, Safe as Houses, Faber & Faber, 1995. Wonderful, at times with odd but wonderful details, about life, partnering, raising kids, positive. One I re-read from time to time with great pleasure. Armistead Maupin, Tales of the City, Harper Perennial, 1978, many subsequent editions. San Fransisco in the ‘70’s. A hilarious romp. Read it, and the sequels for good fun. The perfect airplane or vacation book. Eatham Mordden, How Long Has This Been Going On?, Villard, 1995. Well worth looking for. One I like to re-read: fictionalized history of gay life in America from post-WWII to now. Jamie O’Neill, At Swim, Two Boys, Scribner, 2003. Don’t ask – just go get it. The Irish dialect takes a little getting used to, but the novel pulls you in. Deeply moving, good history, multi-faceted, weird, wonderful. Jim Provenzano, Pins, Myrmidude Press, 1999. Teen coming-out book centered on wrestling. Positive, well-written. Good read. Mary Renault, The Charioteer¸ Pantheon, 1959. One of the first out gay novels, finely written with nuanced characters working on finding each other during World War Two. Careful reading is rewarding. I re-read this every few years. A must. Mary Renault, Fire From Heaven, Longman, 1969, but many subsequent editions. The first of the Alexander the Great novels Renault wrote--followed by The Persian Boy (told from the vantage point of Alexander's male Persian lover) and Funeral Games. The homosexual--in this context one can’t say “gay”--element is a strong, under-stated undercurrent. Good history, brilliantly written, a true classic. (Also recommended: The Last of the Wine.) Alex Sanchez, Rainbow Boys, Simon & Schuster, 2001. Well-written teen coming-out novel, aimed largely at younger readers. Followed by Rainbow High. Mike Seabrook, Out of Bounds, Gay Men’s Press, 1992. A novel about a gay cricket player. Seabrook writes a good, plain story with clearly-drawn conflicts and characters. Not great, but it’s a pity not more gay-oriented writers can construct a book so well. Patricia Nell Warren, The Front Runner, Wildcat, 1974 (but many subsequent editions). Ten million copies in eight languages says it all. Basic library material. In places just a bit dated, but I found this deeply moving the first time I read it, and still do. Among many other attributes, Warren can make you feel the sports aspects of the book. Read it. History, autobiography, biography, religion, etc. Note: Some of these titles are no longer in print, but I have been able to scare up copies on the internet. Amazon often gives sources for second-hand copies. All of these are worth reading, but I have put the ones I believe especially useful in bold print. Leroy Aarons, Prayers for Bobby, Harper, 1995. The deeply moving story of a fundamentalist Christian mother coming to terms with here son’s homosexuality after his suicide. Gary Atkins, Gay Seattle, Stories of Exile and Belonging, University of Washington Press, 2003. Highly readable: the story of gay pride and progress in Seattle since 1890, but a microcosm of gay history across the country. Hard to put down. Bruce Bagemihl, Biological Exuberance, St. Martin’s Press, 1999. Homosexuality in nature observed and exhaustively documented. Howard H. Bess, Pastor, I am Gay, Palmer Publishing, 1995. A very readable look at issues surrounding homosexuality by an American Baptist Minister. Probably the easiest source for broader examination of the "troublesome verses." Highly recommended. John Boswell, Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality, University of Chicago Press, 1980. Highly scholarly and deeply notated; the study of linguistics and Biblical texts, and a history of the relatively "new" phenomenon of anti-homosexuality within the Church and society. Fundamentally important reading. Fairchild & Hayward, Now That You Know, Harvest, 1989. A good book for parents whose children have come out to them. Answers a lot of basic questions. Robb Formann Dew, The Family Heart, Addison-Wesley, 1994. Well-written account of the growth of a family through coming to terms with the homosexuality of one of their sons. Highly Recommended. Stephen E. Fowl, Engaging Scripture, Blackwell. 1998. A distinctively theological interpretation of scripture, as opposed to a subjective or personal one. Heavy, but most valuable. Daniel A. Helminiak, What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, Alamo Square Press, 1994 .Examination of Biblical texts. Ann Heron, Two Teenagers in Twenty, Alyson, 1994. Stories of 20 gay teenagers. Richard Holloway, Dancing on the Edge, Fount/Harper Collins (UK), 1997. Tremendously exciting look at core Christian beliefs in the post-modern age. Richard Holloway, Godless Morality, Canongate (UK) 1999. Presents a superb and challenging way of examining inherited dogma. Highly recommended as a basis for further examination and discussion. Kaufman & Raphael, Coming out of Shame, Doubleday, 1996 .Written by two psychologists. Very affirming and useful in the coming out process – or even after. Recommended. David Kopay, The David Kopay Story: An Extraordinary Self-Revelation, Arbor House, 1977. Kopay's book is in its fifth printing and still inspires athletes everywhere with its first-person groundbreaking account of the life of a gay NFL player. Eric Marcus, The Male Couple’s Guide, Harper Perennial, 1988, 1992. Practical advice. Any of Marcus’ books are worth looking for and reading: Is It a Choice?, Harper San Francisco, 1999 – answers to 300 of the most frequently asked questions about gays and lesbians. Together Forever, Anchor 1998 – narratives of gay and lesbian long-term partners: how they met, how they build a life together. John J. McNeill, Freedom, Glorious Freedom, Beacon Press, 1995. McNeil, a former Jesuit, offers some of the most inspiring directions for gay and lesbian lives to take, in deeply spiritual and very clear writing. This was a very important book in my own coming to terms with spirituality as a homosexual Christian. John J. McNeil, The Church and the Homosexual, Beacon, 1976 Neil Miller, Out in the Past, Vintage Books, 1995 .Gay and Lesbian history from 1869 to the present. Eugene F. Rogers, Sexuality and the Christian Body, Blackwell, 1999. A scholarly and very challenging examination of Christian attitudes towards homosexuality. Cannot be too highly recommended. A. L. Rouse, Homosexuals in History, Barnes & Noble, 1977. Useful history Colin Spencer, Homosexuality in History, Harcourt Brace, 1995. Useful reference for historical questions and research. John Shelby Spong, Living in Sin?, Harper, 1990. Highly readable, thoughtful and at times provocative meditation on Christian sexual ethics. Highly recommended whether one agrees or not, as a starting point for reexamination of a broad range of issues. Shilts, Randy, Conduct Unbecoming, St. Martin’s Press, 1993. History of gays in the military. See also, Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street, and And the Band Played On. Andrew Sullivan, Love Undetectable, Vintage, 1999. A conservative and often inspiring reflection on homosexuality from a Catholic point of view. Michael Vasey, Strangers and Friends, Hodder & Stoughton (UK), 1995 "A new exploration of homosexuality and the Bible." Very scholarly be most readable; highly recommended. Nat Brown is a three-time Olympic coach in cross-country skiing, and has coached at seven World Championships and seven Junior World Championships.He was the first American to take over ski service for a foreign country (Slovenia). Prior to coaching, he taught at the Overlake School in Redmond, Washington for 16 years. He is the author of "The Complete Guide to Cross-Country Ski Preparation" (The Mountaineers Book - now in a Russian edition), and owns and runs a small race-service shop in Edmonds, Wash. His loves are classical music, good books, and his ranch in British Columbia. On the Web (Search for and buy these books at this link via Amazon and Outsports gets a commission.) |
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Four
years ago I started the annual Matthew Shepard Memorial Sermon at
our church, Trinity Episcopal, in Seattle. I decided to place a
reading list near the door, so that anyone interested could find the
titles of some well-written and useful books that I felt I could
recommend. We went through three printings in the first week, and
afterwards I had several occasions to pass the list on to friends or
people who had contacted me through the Internet. Because of its
church origin, and because religious questions are so often at the
forefront when discussing gay issues, the list was originally
weighted towards theological discussion.