BOOKS

12 years of advice shows decade's sexual changes

Ask Larry

by Larry Townsend Richard Kasak, $12.95 paperback

Reviewed by Frederick Lee

Larry Townsend currently is, by my count, the most published gay writer in the country. His new book is a compendium of his twelve years writing Drummer magazine's popular

NSEND

SK LARRY

The collected Leather Notebook columns

column "The Leader Notebook." The period covered by hundreds of readers' questions and Larry's answers starts in 1980 and continues through 1992. Becuse of this, we are made most poignantly aware of the changes in attitude and sexual behavior that came about as the AIDS epidemic progressed--creating the fearful specter that forced all of us to revise the way we lived and thought about our own sexuality.

Unlike several reprises done by other columnists, Townsend was meticulously careful in organizing his material, dividing it into 13 chapters, with the contents presented chronologically within each category. And what a variety of subjects he covers! The questions range from requests for specific advice on how to perform various sexual or SM specialties, to how best to socialize with the parents of one's lover, to how to assure the financial welfare of a surviving partner, and on into some subjects in his "Outrageous" chapter that defy the imagination.

The questions are presented as they were received, along with Townsend's original answers, plus his current comments on both the question and his original response. Although he occasionally made a tart reply, I found his answers-even on relatively frivilous subjects---to be complete and generally on target. Therefore, when he seemed to lose patience and skewered his questioner, the humor (or the harshness) was all the more telling.

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In some ways the material was so specific and personalized, it was almost as if I was reading a third Leatherman's Handbook, replete with advice on how to do it for maximum pleasure, how to do it for the ultimate titillation of your partner, and how to keep healthy through it all. I was particularly taken by the chapter on SM techniques, because of the common sense, down to earth approach which Townsend has always maintained in this sort of discussion. His attitude is very much: "If it feels good, and it isn't going to injure anyone, go ahead and try it." The advice of several later entrants into the field of leather and SM advisors is frequently more concerned with technique and appearance than with the behavior itself, and the natural head-trip that is bound to result from it.

I also found a great deal of advice that applies to any gay man-and even some women-advice that is not restricted to the leather community. In fact, if one didn't know that it was the leading exponent of leather and SM writing these answers, there would be many instances where one could well think he was reading a gay men's Dear Abby.

I found this new book an easy read, despite some distracting typos. Still, it had me hooked from the first couple of pages, so that it was difficult to put it down. I would definately recommend it for both the uninitiated novice and for the experienced leather guy even for some of us twinkies who just like to read and dream about it.

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