Entertainment

October 16, 1992 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Page 27

Gay Sex: A Manual for Men Who Love Men

by Jack Hart

Illustrated by Bradley M. Look Alyson Publications, 1991. $14.95 paper Reviewed by Timothy Robson

Many of us who came out in the 1970s remember Ed White's The Joy of Gay Sex, the gay follow-up to Alex Comfort's bestselling The Joy of Sex, which recently has been re-issued in a 90s version.

The Joy of Gay Sex has long been out of print--not to mention that in the age of AIDS much of the information it contained is dated, if not downright dangerous--and there has been no real successor until Jack Hart's Gay Sex. If Gay Sex lacks White's lyrical prose fantasies, Hart's book is filled with sly humor which is compensation enough. The tasteful line drawings by Bradley M. Look are sometimes erotic and atmospheric (for example, the illustration of the J/O club), other times diagrammatic (e.g., the illustration of male genital anatomy).

I can imagine that Gay Sex is the kind of book which is always dog-eared when it is on display in a bookstore. I hope that people don't just look at it, but that they screw up their nerve and buy it, because it ought to be read by every newly-come-out gay man. It contains over 125 entries with an abundance of common sense and non-judgmental advice. The articles range in length from a few sentences to several pages.

This is not merely a "how-to" sex manual, but covers a whole range of topics on gay male love and sexuality. The viewpoint is strictly male; lesbian sex is not covered in any way. Just a few examples are the entries on aging, alcoholism, cruising, dating, finding a lover, jealousy, and straight men as sex partners. There are informative entries on just about every flavor of gay male sex, from anal intercourse to zoophilia. The author does not judge any particular kind of sexual prac-

Mr. Benson

by John Preston

Masquerade Books, 1992 ("A Bad Boy Book") paper, $4.95

Reviewed by Timothy Robson

With Mr. Benson, Bad Boy Books continues their series reprints of classic pornographic novels. Mr. Benson is one of the best known S/M novels, and if a book such as Larry Townsend's The Leatherman's Handbook II (Carlyle Communications, 1989, $5.95) is the textbook of S/M, Mr. Benson must be considered the supplemental readings. Most of the physical and psychological aspects of S/M described by Townsend are mirrored in Preston's fiction.

It is rare that a writer of John Preston's talent writes porn and admits it.

He is a prolific writer and editor, including the brilliant Hometowns: Gay Men Write About Where They Belong; The Big Gay Book; and the forthcoming A Member of the Family: Gay Men Write About Their Closest Relations, as well as numerous works of fiction. His use of language and plotting in Mr. Benson is superior to that of most Honcho or Drummer J/O stories. While the language is that of S/M sex, the story is that of a domestic novel with a touch of the thriller thrown in.

Preston explores the idealized S/M relationship between Mr. Benson and his slave Jamie. It is not just one sex scene after another, although there is plenty of that. (It is a porn novel, after all!) Rather, Preston demonstrates the complex psychological bonds between Master and Slave. In many respects, the relationship closely resembles an ancient marriage contract, in which the Slave (bride) promises to love, honor, and

tice; he does, however, admit to ignorance about some; "You're on your own in uncharted waters," he says about sex with animals.

It is possible to find out the etiquette of tea-room sex and what to expect when one goes to the baths. If you have forgotten the color code for handkerchiefs, it is summarized here. There are succinct descriptions of the symptoms and treatments of various sexually-transmitted diseases. The book contains an annotated bibliography for more in-depth sources.

You won't find family values discussions here, but the author does advocate ethical behavior toward sexual partners--a kind of sexual Golden Rule. The book is highly AIDS-conscious, and safer sex is described throughout. The author promotes the idea of "risk management"--that virtually all sexual practices have at least a slight chance of transmitting disease, and that an individual must choose how much risk he is willing to take. An HIV transmission chart is included as an appendix, comparing various activities and their relative risks, compiled from the advice of ten safer sex educators.

The chart bears out the startling discrepancies among AIDS experts as to the relative safety of some activities. For example, mutual masturbation is on almost everyone's list of"safe" activities, yet two of the experts felt that mutual masturbation involved a slight risk. Likewise, half of the respondents felt that oral sex to the point of ejaculation without a condom was safe; the other half rated it unsafe. It is the author's contention that such information and seeming contradictions should be in the hands of the reader, so that each individual can make his own choices.

The audience for Gay Sex is presumably younger gay men; however, there is entertaining and informative reading here for everyone, whatever age or experience.▼

obey; the Master (groom) promises to love, honor, and care for the Slave.

Mr. Benson is presented as the perfect master. In Preston's words, ."..Master. Torturer. Drill instructor. Confidant. Instructor... Daddy." Jamie is a bored Christopher Street disco clone who becomes Mr. Benson's "slave, lover, brother, possession, recruit, masochist." Mr. Benson is set apart from most porn in that the plot is served by the sex scenes, and not vice versa, as is usually the case. But don't worry--there's enough hot sex for many a chilly autumn evening.

Mr. Benson would appear to have been written in the late 1970s, although the original publication date is not stated anywhere in the preliminaries of the book. Many of the sexual escapades would now be considered foolhardy in this age of AIDS; although Larry Townsend describes safe sex versions of many of them in The Leatherman's Handbook II. And Preston never lets us forget that much of the real "action" of the relationship takes place in Jamie's mind--the torture is merely the physical representation of the more significant emotional bonding taking place between Jamie and Mr. Benson.

Bad Boy is to be commended for making several out-of-print novels available again. Mr. Benson is a classic of a sort. If Bad Boy had put the books in different bindings, given it a series title ("Classic Works of Male Erotic Fiction," perhaps?) and chosen a slightly different marketing strategy, they could be selling the whole series to

libraries across the country. Wouldn't you like to run into Mr. Benson in the stacks?

VISION hair studio

SHERI

TICE

1360 depot street

rocky river

ohio 4 4 1 1 6

216.333.3239

.............................................................................

WANDEDEU

INDULGENCES!

WUNDERT U

• Classic French Baguettes Mini-Baguettes ⚫ Croissants

• Muffins. Cookies Cheesecake • Patés Cheeses Daily Specials • Sandwiches • Specialty Salads • Herbed Rotisserie Chicken • Wines, Beers & Soft Drinks • Coffees. Flavored Waters

• Party Trays & Boxed Lunches Always fresh, Always different,

Always wonderful! Dine-in, Take-out or Phone ahead & pick-up your order.

Lonesome

DOVE CAFE

& Bakery

3093 Mayfield Rd. at Lee in the historic Heights/Rockefeller Bldg. 397-9100

Akron Area Therapy

James L. Helmuth, Ph.D. Psychologist Eric Helmuth, M.A., L.S.W. Therapist

•Chemical Dependency ●Depression, Anxiety •Attitudinal Healing

3725 S. Cleve-Mass. Rd. Norton, Ohio (Akron)

Since 1984

⚫Gay, Lesbian, Bi Issues ●HIV+ & Caregivers Support ●Individual and Couples

825-0133

Most Insurance Accepted

Medicare and Medicaid

Flamingo Productions Antiques & Art Gallery

2924 Bridge Ave.⚫ Upstairs "Promoting Womyn's Music"

Rainbow of Love Concert Public Hall June 12, 1993 Call For More Information

Bonnie Nolan

Office: 861-5916

Proudly Serving Cleveland's Gay & Lesbian Community

BODY LANGUAGE

Monday-Saturday

Noon-Nine Sundays Noon-Five

3291 W.115th St.

(1/2 Block North of Lorain) Cleveland, OH 4411.1 251-3330

"The Thinking Person's

Adult Store!"