MY MOVIE by David Pratt

Reviewer: Alan Chin

Publisher: Chelsea Station Editions

Pages: 220

David Pratt—who won a Lambda Literary Award for his delightful novel, Bob The Book—has published this anthology of fourteen short stories. Many of these stories have appeared in periodicals and other anthologies over the years, and the lion’s share of these tales feature young gay men coming to terms with being queer, which makes My Movie a look back on our own past of learning to deal with love and lust and isolation.

As with most anthologies I’ve read, I connected with several of these stories and didn’t connect with others, but each story carries Pratt’s unique voice and is pushed over the top by his superb imagination. The reader never really knows what will happen next, nor how far to extremes the story will take them.

Some of my favorites in this collection are: “Calvin Gets Sucked In,” where the hero who loves porn gets swept into a porn flick, only to realize the fictitious life in the movies is not all it’s cracked up to be, or is it?; and “One Bedroom,” about a young man who’s first sexual experience is answering an ad that says “Use My Face For A Toilet”; and “Ulmus Americana,” the tale of a long-term relationship between two trees in a city park; and best of all “The Addict,” where a guy takes a beautiful man home for sex, but the trick is too strung out on drugs.  

The author writes about love between men, and the yearning, loss, and loneliness that brings. These are not happy stories, but the author does use his distinctive brand of humor in the telling. He writes with unyielding perception with a precise, controlled voice.

Pratt has an amazing attention for detail, which is always a blessing and sometimes a curse—blessing because it brings each story to vivid life, a curse because some stories occasionally drag the reader down, like wading through quicksand.

My Movie showcases the versatility of David Pratt, confirming that he is an important voice in LGBT literature. I can recommend My Movie to all readers.


http://www.chelseastationeditions.com/Pratt-MyMovie.html

Bob the Book by David Pratt

Reviewer: Alan Chin
Publisher: Chelsea Station Editions
Pages: 184

Bob is a book about pre-nineties gay porn, complete with many hot pictures. He is delivered to a Greenwich Village bookstore, where he goes on sale beside another book, Moishe, whose title is Beneath the Tallis: The Hidden Lives of Gay and Bisexual Orthodox Jewish Men. Bob and Moishe fall in love, but are separated by an unlikely buyer.

As Bob journeys through sales tables, used book bins, different owners, and lecture halls, he meets a variety of other books and people, but he’s always hunting for Moishe.

Bob finds himself in a peculiar position; both he and his owner are searching for love. Both seem to find something, but it’s not ideal for either of them. Can Bob, being at the mercy of people, somehow find fulfillment? Can his owner find the same contentment? All I can say is, it’s not easy being a book in love.

This is one of the most delightful stores I’ve read all year, and the fact that it is a debut novel only adds to the pleasure. On the surface it seems like a whimsical love story, both for Bob and his human owner, as well as several other book couples. But under that simplicity, there are some important life lessons to be examined. There is much Zen-like wisdom woven into this enchanting tale, lessons on taking one’s self too seriously, and of striving for things that are not important, just to name a few.

The pace and tone never drags. This story carries the reader along with many funny twists regarding the literature industry. Of course it’s not at all believable, but it is an extremely well constructed love story, both for the books and human characters.

What amazed me most was in the examining these books’ personalities. By giving them human characteristics, the reader clearly sees where humans spin their wheels dealing with unimportant life issues.

Readers who are familiar with the publishing industry will especially appreciate this novel, but all readers can enjoy this wonderfully smart and touching book. Because the main characters are books, it transcends every boundary of gender and sexual orientation, making it an entertaining read for men and women, boys and girls, gay and straight. That’s its genius.

http://www.chelseastationeditions.com/id3.html