RANDOM ACTS OF HATRED

by George K. Ilsley

arsenalpulp.com : The boy sleeps and dreams and wakes and feels the same. Different, but the same. The core of his body burns bright, hazy but strong. He's never felt so strong as he does now, on the verge of something he's not sure about, and terribly excited. from "The Boy Who Stopped"

In these raw, uncompromising stories, author George K. Ilsley explores the thin line between love and hate, and the outer parameters of desire that can both heal and destroy. Random Acts of Hatred infiltrates the dark confines of decidedly queer sensibilities, in which young men are undone by self-loathing and the powers-that-be, begging the What happens when people know they are hated? And yet in between the primal fantasies and bitter ironies are images of humour and the wayward families, the unspoken gestures, and the faces in the mirror of posers and dreamers, saints and demons. Both gay and straight, they suggest a new definition of masculine power as a field with two poles, dissonant and equal at the same time. Evocative of Dennis Cooper and David Wojnarowicz, Random Acts of Hatred collects the fragments of a disintegrated generation, numbed yet empowered by their varied, inexplicable desires.

Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

A Canadian reader and writer.

"The Home Stretch: A Father, a Son, and All The Things They Never Talk About," a book about my relationship with my father when he was in his 90s, is available everywhere (Arsenal Pulp Press). This book includes "Bingo and Black Ice" which was the winner of a creative non-fiction contest.

(Somehow, I won the same contest the next year for fiction.)

Previous books are the novel ManBug, and the short fiction collection, Random Acts of Hatred.

Was a writer in residence, in the Yukon, in winter. And loved it.

Link above to Instagram @g.k.ilsley
❤️

NOTE: if you have few books listed and hundreds of friends, I am unlikely to accept your friend request. Try following me instead! Thanks

Reviews

[George Ilsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many of these short stories are told in a faux-fairy tale format, where the protagonist is described not by name, but by a label, such as "The Boy Who Stopped" or "The Boy Who Sang When Wet." Fairy tales can be a slightly ironic format for stories about gay men, and their childhoods, but being defined by behavior is of course another way of illustrating themes of identity. Many people have said very kind things about this collection.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read so many negative reviews posted here I was bewildered, did we read the same book? I read this book for first back in 2005 or 6 and subsequently reread it, maybe twice, maybe more, and aside from leading me to Ilsley's equally wonderful novel 'ManBug', it was and is one of the finest collections of stories I've read and is also very, very funny, even when dealing with dark and disturbing things - like anorexia in the 'Boy Who Stopped' also known as the 'Boy Who Sang When Wet' - even that story and particularly the truth behind the boy who sang when wet is funny but also painful and heart breaking. When I first reread these stories and although I realised that, without knowing it, so many elements from them they were buried deep in my psyche - phrase like 'camping with tents' had brought me pleasure long after I had forgotten were it came from. As had the memory of the stories like 'The Brochure' or 'The compassion Club' while 'Talisman' is by far one of the sexist stories I have read -a total fun turn on - but not in anyway a wank story - though you could - I just adored how the unpredictability ways of these such stories brought a combination of emotions together to create a kaleidoscopic range of responses from this reader.

I cannot say enough about this book - get it and read it and give yourself a treat.

[Debra Komar · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of anger here, although given the title, that should not be surprising. This is definitely part of the writing-as-therapy movement, which can be vital to the author but not always good for the audience. Reading this is like watching someone throw a very public temper tantrum and hoping the raging person doesn't pick you to vent on. A lack of empathy on my part or the inability of the writer to connect with the audience? Either way, I felt his rage but did not share it.

There is some good wordplay here and I would be interested in reading more by this author, once his primal scream ends.

[Brett Waytuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gritty, searing, engaging look at gay and bisexual youth. Through a series of short stories, George Ilsley masterfully explores what it means to be marginalized in a complex world.

[Barbara Westman · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories alternate between sexy and disturbing. Occasionally both at the same time. I'm looking at you vacation story. You know what you've done.

Read it.

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

there were a few good stories in this book. but overall my general impression was that of boredom. at times it seemed that the author was trying to be too artsyfartsy. other times the author wrote in a more narrative style. a good read. but not entirely memorable.