"Lust And Wonder" Made Me Wonder...But Not Necessarily In A Good Way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, what have I gotten myself into?  This Literary Brat Pack project I have taken on may turn out

for me to have bitten off more than I can chew.  Having polished off my sampling of Tama Janowitz--because I am not going to read all eleven books; besides, how would I track them down?--I decided it was time to move on to a writer who might be considered among the Brat Pack of today--if there is one, or if I can find my own--and that is Augusten Burroughs.

Now, I haven't read one of his books, since "Dry."  Of course, I read "Running With Scissors," finding it both wrenching and harrowing.  "Dry" was more smooth and polished, and there is no doubt the man can write.    "Lust And Wonder" still confirms that; however, within these  pages appear textual cracks pointing to annoyance, shared by Burroughs straight  Brat Packers, Bret Easton Ellis, and Jay McInerney.

The last two authors are unabashedly straight, and make no bones about it.  Rice is unabashedly gay--I think!--but the reason I add that last bit is because he seems  overly pre-occupied with conforming to some sort of image enforced by the Gay Police.

Burroughs is a big, burly guy, which is fine.  But he makes too much of it, painting himself as an over aged gym rat gay jock, with a baseball cap to complete the cliché, who lives in a smelly man cave, drinks beer, belches and farts, watches sports, and such, because, while he is gay, he is a MAN, and by God, he wants everyone--most of all himself--to know it!  What's more, this guy Christopher, whom he takes up with, although a literary agent, is pretty much the same thing.  I mean, he has sports trophies from high school!!!!!!!!  What kind of gays are these??????  Not the kind I know!!!!!!!!!

You know what kind they are?  They are faux gays!  If Burroughs had not demonstrated here that he could quote from "All About Eve," or reference "Grey Gardens." I might have thought him some big closet case.  Thankfully, that is not the case.

Now, having said all that, let me further state Burroughs is a good writer.  Just because I don't like his perspective does not mean he cannot state it eloquently.  If that is damning with faint praise, I really do not mean it to be, having liked his previous works, and planning to explore more.  At least, with Burroughs' pretensions, I can understand completely how he came by them, and where he is coming from.  Whereas, with Ellis and McInerney, I have no idea.  And I am about to tackle Ellis' signature works, so God help me!

Augusten, hon, get over it!  You are gay, so embrace it, if not for yourself, at least for your readers, because if you keep up the pretension, you will lose the predominantly gay reading public you now have. 

What few of them there are.  Because, face it, dolls, how many gay men actually read, or are literate?

Writing this post has brought out so much bitch in me!

Till next time, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!