GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

JANUARY 9, 1998

Evenings Out

Definitely better, the third time around

by Lincoln Pettaway

James Earl Hardy, author of B-Boy Blues and 2nd Time Around, has authored a third book in the "B-Boy" series, If Only for One Nite. In this book he takes his readers full circle on a marvelous journey through main character Mitchell Crawford's life, all the way back to his first love.

In Hardy's first and second novels, he explores Crawford's interpersonal relationships, giving the reader a blow-by-blow narrative of what it means to be black, gay and in hot pursuit of “Mr. Right." His most recent work, however, looks at Crawford's past, and examines his first intimate relationship.

Hardy takes the reader to Crawford's tenyear high school reunion, where he runs into Warren Reid, his first love. Reid was the school's gym teacher and Crawford's gymnastics coach. Their two-year relationship is a roller-coaster ride that leaves the reader totally surprised and wanting more.

The reunion isn't just about Crawford's high school gym coach, there are a number of different characters who are introduced along the way. Hardy describes Candyce "Candy" Lane as the sister who "wore the corn roll 'do that white folks still believe Bo Derek invented. And just about everything in her

"We really need to think about what being out means and why more of us are not out, in the context of who we are as black people, because its not the same thing."

wardrobe was made by those two famous sistersPoly and Ester."

Since graduating high school, Lane has become a millionaire from the restaurant chain she opened. Her restaurants are based on the same concept (if one could call it that) as Hooters. The only twist is that her establishments are designed for women. The entire male staff wears boxer shorts and tank tops at her "Hoofers" restaurants.

We're also introduced to Hunt Grecco, who was the president of the Greek Club during his school career. Grecco graduated

James Park

high school and went straight into the pornographic film industry. At the reunion he told people that he was a stunt man in Hollywood--but he failed to give the nature of his stunts or the titles of the films: Till Dick Do Us Part, The Halfblack of Notre Dame and The Honky 'n the 'Hood.

Hardy's treatment of all his characters is comical and wicked. Hardy's portrayal of white people his books, however, has received much criticism.

"The very interesting thing about much of the so-called criticism I have received," Hardy said in a interview, "has not necessarily come from white people, but from people of color-particularly black gays and lesbians--about the manner in which white people are or are not portrayed in my work.

"We are all so used to seeing white people portrayed as okay, as natural, as normal, as if they don't have pathologies and problems. What I have done with the B-Boy Blues series is just present the manner in which white people are often viewed by certain segments of our perspective community, given the situation," he continued.

"Now if white people have a problem with that, that's their problem. I'm writing about white supremacy, and that's not a nice subject to talk about and it can't be written about nicely. So if it's too harsh for some people to take, then don't read it.”

Race is just one of the hot spots in If Only

for One Nite. Hardy goes one step further to address the issue of statutory rape. The relationship which is the main focus of the book is between a teenager and a grown man. Their age difference is handled in a very casual manner. Hardy doesn't want you to see this relationship as a bad thing. Instead, you hear a love story, which is narrated through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old.

"By the time you get to the end of that novel I wanted you to be so surprised when it finally dawns on you what type of relationship this was," Hardy said.

If Only for One Nite leaves the reader wanting more. You are going to have to wait a little while for the next part of the B-Boy Blues series though, because Hardy says he is tired.

SEARL

IF ONLY FOR ONE

“[I'm] taking a break from writing,” he said. "I just need the space to put between myself and the B-Boy Blues series. I'm grateful for it, I'm thankful for it, it's a blessing, it's a calling that I'm glad I answered. I've had a whole lot of fun. I've met some great people. I've gone to a great number of places. It's enriched my life tenfold, but I don't want it to suffocate me. I don't want it to take over my life.

Hardy has also been working on many other projects since the completion of his latest book. He was just featured in the December issue of the Source magazine.

A NOVEL BY THE AUT

In the Source, he wrote an article that responded to the current gay rapper controversy, which has been the big whisper over the past few months in the urban hiphop and rap music industry. The article was his way of reaching a large, young black community.

Hardy said the main idea he wanted to address in the piece he wrote for the Source was the difference between the black gay experience and the white gay experience.

"We really need to think about what being out means and why more of us are not out, in the context of who we are as black people, because its not the same thing," Hardy said. “No, white people, it's not the same thing. Yes, we all may be homosexual. Yes, we may all be people of the same sex who love people of the same sex, but the experience is not the same when we decide to declare who we are publicly. I mean there are a whole lot more risks. So I understand full why those brothers of the hip hop nation chose to be on the down low.

"Like I say in that essay, I spent much of my career trying to avoid writing the word homosexual," he added. "It was like wait a minute, hold up, we're avoiding me. And how can you truly say that you value yourself as a person if you're avoiding yourself."✔