Beyond the down low : sex, lies and denial in black America.

In the past year, J.L. King's On the Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of "Straight" Black Men Who Sleep with Men, a New York Times Magazine piece and Oprah attention helped make a cultural phenomenon out of life "on the DL." Here, writer and activist Boykin (One More River to Cross) addresses what he sees as the implicitly racist and homophobic undertones of the media's coverage. He offers a point-by-point refutation of King's take on the DL-King's book, Boykin says, suffers from overgeneralizations, inconsistencies and distortions-and accuses King of serving up another "stereotypical image of black men as pathological liars, surreptitiously satisfying their primitive sexual cravings by cheating on their wives." But the heart of Boykin's argument is that the media, which often blame closeted black men for transmitting HIV to their female partners, are avoiding the opportunity to responsibly discuss the realities of sexuality, gender, race and AIDS. Boykin lucidly draws on science as well as personal experience in this important book. And while many of the cultural manifestations of black sexuality that Boykin documents here are fascinating-e.g., references to the DL (which Boykin defines as cheating on a partner regardless of one's sexuality) in popular music-the power of his book comes from his impassioned call to examine the real facts of sexual behavior and HIV transmission. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The term down low refers to straight men having sex with men, a pseudo-phenomenon that has become common knowledge in the past few years, high-profile media outlets having seized on it because of its high titillation factor. One reason for such frenzy is concern that HIV is being transmitted heterosexually. Boykin, an Ivy League-educated journalist/commentator and former White House aide, thankfully applies reason to this controversy. The result is both personal memoir and thorough analysis. This issue has special significance for the African American community, and Boykin discusses the role of sexuality in that community with a rare frankness. Taking on an investigator's role, he dismantles the hyperbole usually attending such matters. Most readers will also appreciate the honesty with which Boykin describes his own life. All these factors make for a riveting read that deserves the widest audience.-David Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.