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Borderline
1st edition trade paperback, fine (as new) as new,
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2005
4 people want to read
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August 6, 2025
This 2001 anthology contains a great deal of very fine writing by the likes of Thomas Healy, Jack Dickson, Graeme Woolaston, Marti Foreman, Toni Davidson and Sebastian Beaumont to name only a few of the fine writers I have read elsewhere. Not mentioning the other writers is not to suggest that their contributions are in any way less worth mentioning. It is an anthology that contains almost exclusively first rate writing. But...
I hate to bring in a 'but', but this is an odd anthology. First of although it is edited by Joseph Mills (author of 'Towards the End' and a contributor to this anthology) it has an introduction by Toni Davidson (author of 'Scar Culture', probably better known then Mills, and a contributor to this anthology). Usually the introduction provides the editor's thoughts on the contributors and something of his working definition of what would or would not be included in the anthology. I can only presume that what Mr. Davidson says in the introduction is inline with Mr. Mills' intentions because what he does is question, without providing an answer of his own, what 'gay' writing is. Does the author have to be 'gay' or does the subject matter have to be 'gay'.
The result is that there is writing from fine writers like Irvine Welsh, Gordon Legge, Alisdair Gray, James Kelman, Alexander Trocchi and A.L. Kennedy, who are not gay, and whose work hardly fits into David Leavitt's definition of what makes a 'gay' story:
'...a gay story has been defined as one that illuminates the experience of love between men, explores the nature of homosexual identity, or investigates the kinds of relationship gay men have with each other, with their friends, and with their families...' (from his introduction to the 'Penguin Book of Gay Short Stories').
I wouldn't hold Leavitt's definition as binding but it is useful if you don't have an alternative. I can understand the desire to include writers like Kelman or Trocchi but the 'gay' content of their contributions is peripheral at best. Also, although described as a 'Book of Scottish Gay Writing' it includes an excerpt from the screenplay for the film 'Priest' by Jimmy McGovern who is not even Scottish!
So what we have here is a collection of fine writing that isn't necessarily by Scottish or gay writers, though that depends on how you are going to define gay. The contributors are worth five stars, but the anthology is - well - I don't know, problematic. But if this sampling leads you to explore any of the writers in this anthology it will have done a sterling job.
ABOUT THE EDITOR JOSEPH MILLS:
Joseph (Joe) Mills was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1958, where he would live for the rest of his life. He was the author of the novel Towards the End and the short story collection Obsessions. His short stories were published in a variety of anthologies, including The Picador Book of Contemporary Scottish Fiction, The Mammoth Book of Gay Short Stories, and New Writing Scotland 17. He was the editor of the anthology Borderline: The Mainstream Book of Scottish Gay Writing, which featured stories about gay life from luminaries such as Irvine Welsh and Alisdair Gray as well as many other up-and-coming and established Scottish writers (including our very own Jack Dickson). Joe also wrote the screenplay for Edie’s POV, a short film about Edie Sedgwick.
He worked as a librarian for Glasgow City Libraries where he enthusiastically promoted Culture, Leisure, and Homosexuality.
He died in 2017 and you will find an obituary at:
https://denniscooperblog.com/in-memor....
That Dennis Cooper marked his passing is about as important and significant a tribute as any writer could ask for.
I hate to bring in a 'but', but this is an odd anthology. First of although it is edited by Joseph Mills (author of 'Towards the End' and a contributor to this anthology) it has an introduction by Toni Davidson (author of 'Scar Culture', probably better known then Mills, and a contributor to this anthology). Usually the introduction provides the editor's thoughts on the contributors and something of his working definition of what would or would not be included in the anthology. I can only presume that what Mr. Davidson says in the introduction is inline with Mr. Mills' intentions because what he does is question, without providing an answer of his own, what 'gay' writing is. Does the author have to be 'gay' or does the subject matter have to be 'gay'.
The result is that there is writing from fine writers like Irvine Welsh, Gordon Legge, Alisdair Gray, James Kelman, Alexander Trocchi and A.L. Kennedy, who are not gay, and whose work hardly fits into David Leavitt's definition of what makes a 'gay' story:
'...a gay story has been defined as one that illuminates the experience of love between men, explores the nature of homosexual identity, or investigates the kinds of relationship gay men have with each other, with their friends, and with their families...' (from his introduction to the 'Penguin Book of Gay Short Stories').
I wouldn't hold Leavitt's definition as binding but it is useful if you don't have an alternative. I can understand the desire to include writers like Kelman or Trocchi but the 'gay' content of their contributions is peripheral at best. Also, although described as a 'Book of Scottish Gay Writing' it includes an excerpt from the screenplay for the film 'Priest' by Jimmy McGovern who is not even Scottish!
So what we have here is a collection of fine writing that isn't necessarily by Scottish or gay writers, though that depends on how you are going to define gay. The contributors are worth five stars, but the anthology is - well - I don't know, problematic. But if this sampling leads you to explore any of the writers in this anthology it will have done a sterling job.
ABOUT THE EDITOR JOSEPH MILLS:
Joseph (Joe) Mills was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1958, where he would live for the rest of his life. He was the author of the novel Towards the End and the short story collection Obsessions. His short stories were published in a variety of anthologies, including The Picador Book of Contemporary Scottish Fiction, The Mammoth Book of Gay Short Stories, and New Writing Scotland 17. He was the editor of the anthology Borderline: The Mainstream Book of Scottish Gay Writing, which featured stories about gay life from luminaries such as Irvine Welsh and Alisdair Gray as well as many other up-and-coming and established Scottish writers (including our very own Jack Dickson). Joe also wrote the screenplay for Edie’s POV, a short film about Edie Sedgwick.
He worked as a librarian for Glasgow City Libraries where he enthusiastically promoted Culture, Leisure, and Homosexuality.
He died in 2017 and you will find an obituary at:
https://denniscooperblog.com/in-memor....
That Dennis Cooper marked his passing is about as important and significant a tribute as any writer could ask for.
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