Brother to brother : new writings by Black gay men /

This second collection of writings exclusively by black gay men is more distinguished than the first, In the Life (Alyson, 1986). The contents include fiction, poetry, and a variety of nonfiction from diary excerpts to scholarly critical essays. If much of the verse is offputtingly rhetorical or too personal or just plain amateurish, as much of the prose is well crafted or thought-provoking. Charles R. P. Pouncy's "A First Affair" and Guy-Mark Foster's "Book of Luke," both short stories about youngsters coming into their gayness, evoke pleasingly complex emotional responses. Ron Simmons' essay on developing a "progressive view of homosexuality in the African American community," Charles I. Nero's discussion of contemporary black gay literature, and Marlon Riggs' critique of fashionable "Negro Faggotry" in the mass media and popular arts are trenchant and complacency-shaking. For these stories and essays and others as good, Brother to Brother is a valuable addition to both gay studies and black studies collections. ~--Ray Olson

Believing that the ``gay community . . . operates from a one-eyed, one gender, one colorstet without hyphens. sg perception of community ,'' Beam and Hemphill have compiled a volume of writings that addresspk the emerging black gay sensibility in all of its glory, pain and promise. The strength of the book's politics, however,pk is undermined by offerings of dubious literary merit.pk Generally, the short fiction is only adequately written, depicting young closeted men afraid to come out to their abusive parents and peers. One exception is John Keene Jr.'s ``Adelphus King,'' a sweet tale about a man who falls head over heels for his cousin's boyfriend, a charismatic jazz musician. The poems in the collection speak routinely about sex and love; the most touching deal with the loss of loved ones to AIDS. By far, the most satisfying writing is Ron Simmons's incisive ``Some thoughts on challenges facing black gay intellectuals,'' which exposes the homophobic views of many black writers and calls for the development of ``an affirming and liberating philosophical understanding of homosexuality that will self-actualize black gay genius.'' Hemphill is a poet; Beam, who edited In the Life , died in 1988. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved