Homewrecker: An Adultery Anthology

by Daphne Gottlieb (Editor/Contributor)

Exploring the realities of public piety and private philandering, Homewrecker combines fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to present a multitude of perspectives on adultery and the emotional complexity that affairs entail. Acclaimed contemporary writers share space with fresh talent in its pages, each with a different take on adultery and its aftermath. In "The Other Man," Stephen Elliot remembers the dominatrix who two-timed him with a square. Lori Selke spins steamy erotica in "Sex and the Married Dyke," a story about how quickly queer marriage can degenerate into extramarital queer activity. Neal Pollack's "Confessions of a Dial-up Gigolo" recalls the early days of the Internet when anything seemed possible, even destroying the marriage of someone you've never met.

Contents:

Let's just get this out in the open by Daphne Gottlieb
How to have an affair by Michael Hemmingson
How to commit adultery by David A. Hernandez
The business of leaving by Felicia Sullivan
Laurel by Heather Shaw
After hours by Jonathan Harper
All the bad stuff by Barry Graham
Cuck(h)olding a stranger by Lenelle Moise
The blind tiger of love by Thomas Hopkins
Homewreckers by Kevin Sampsell
Sex and the married dyke by Lori Selke
Break-up sex by Eli Brown
The other man by Stephen Elliott
Protection by S. Bear Bergmann
Stalking God by Gina Frangello
Making adultery work by Merri Lisa Johnson
Animal husbandry by Christine Hamm
Chicken by Scott Pomfret

Genres: Anthologies, Sexuality, Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, Queer

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Daphne Gottlieb is a San Francisco-based Performance Poet.

Gottlieb has served as the poetry editor of the online queer literary magazine Lodestar Quarterly and was a co-organizer of ForWord Girls, a first spoken word festival for anyone who is, has been or will be a girl, which was held in September 2002.

She has taught at New College of California, and has also performed and taught creative writing workshops around the country, from high schools and colleges to community centers. She received her MFA from Mills College.

Photo by Marlo Gayle

Reviews

[Richard]

We live in a culture founded on transgressive desire (apple, serpent, party of five) even as it insists on suppressing it. What does it mean when our most sought-after emotional state--being beloved--comes into direct conflict with our most deeply ingrained values--being honest--in our most prized relationships? When desire is aroused, what are the consequences as it is silenced, suppressed, subverted, or fulfilled? And what happens next? Although recent estimates insist that half of all women and men have cheated in their relationships, the climate of silence surrounding such behavior (except in the lowest forms of popular culture and in conjunction with major public figures) would have us believe that affairs are an anomaly.

In a post-queer, post-nuclear family age, the "affair" looks different from media representations--that is to say, what's violated may not be the marital bond, and the betrayal may not be a sexual one. Homewrecker explores the emotional intensity and complexity that affairs entail: euphoric, unapologetic, guilty, torn, ashamed, unrepentant, creative, insatiable, self-loathing and many more--sometimes all at once, and from a multitude of perspectives. The anthology also examines what is destabilized by the affair--(heterosexual) pair bonding and the nuclear family--and the consequences on those who challenge it.
Major shapers of contemporary writing share space with fresh talent in Homewrecker, each with a different take on the desire and its aftermath. Steven Elliot remembers the dominatrix who two-timed him with a square while Lori Selke spins steamy erotica about just how quickly queer-marriage can degenerate into extra-marital queer activity. Neal Pollack recalls using the early days of the internet where anything seemed possible--even destroying the marriages of those you-ve never met--while Matthue Roth wonders if it-s possible to cheat on God. Cris Mazza, Susannah Breslin, Kevin Sampsell, and 19 other writers prove that there are no victims here, no villains, and no innocent bystanders. Only lovers, with all the responsibility the word implies.

[Joshua Eisenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a collection of short stories has a title like Homewrecker, you know exactly what to expect. You know to expect stories about relationships and sex stripped down to their barest parts. You know to expect liberal use of words like “fuck” and “cock” and, if you’re lucky, sentences like “I picked him out as an adultery partner because I knew he was weak and troubled.” Though as much as the collection excels at providing the reader with crisp tales of selfish lust and cast aside consequences, it isn’t all foul language and smut. In one story, a father deals with the difficult task of having to tell his children that he’s leaving their mother for another woman. In another, a lesbian decides to start an affair with a straight woman she meets at her company Christmas party, only to realize once she’s gotten her that the thrill is gone, thinking, “I liked you as a straight girl, but not as a dyke.” What’s compelling about these stories is that they’re unapologetic and brash in their ideas, admitting that adultery is wrong, and that these people have made bad choices, but deep down it’s something we all do; at one point or another we all mess up and want things that will hurt us. Instead of an easier, sugar-coated or a removed look, Homewrecker shows cheating for exactly what it is.

[Troy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some stories in the collection are funny, some sad, some conflicted, and pretty much all center around the theme. Problem is, most of these stories are pretty uneven, not in plot or character, but in how involved you get with said plot and characters. Many did not take the position that women = bad when they strayed and were simply chaste vessels for dudes to get their kicks in, which was refreshing.

A quick read; might inspire you to write, if only to maybe write something risque...

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a long time to get through this book...honestly, because I found it boring. Some of the poetry was good, but most of the stories only served to highlight the mundane reality that adultery is.

From the title and description, I was expecting something a little titillating...not merely snore-worthy.

[Qiana]

So far I think the collection is fantastic. Definitely unique.

The writing is not superior. But the subject matter and the passion with which these authors describe their experiences is powerful.

[Noleian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of emotional and sexy shorts. There is some questionable poetry thrown in as well but overall it was a tasty read that I flew right through. I also found a new (to me)author that I really enjoyed in this collection and she's from Chicago: Gina Frangello.

[jillbertini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Collection of essays, poems and short stories on the theme of adultery. Pretty much just reinforced what I already though of adultery.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would be too much of a theme for me to handle, but it was actually really varied and everything but the poetry was great. The poetry really could have been left out.

[Afranzoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great essays about the pros and cons of cheating.