Monster: Gay Adventures in American Machismo

by Brian Bouldrey

"Bouldrey's goofy sense of humor makes you laugh at your own stereotypes of masculinity."- Out Self-proclaimed sissy Brian Bouldrey goes undercover to investigate Ameri-can machismo, infiltrating everything from a bachelor party to the World Wrestling Federation's RAW. Whether he's hosting a red-meat barbecue where the menu reads like the supporting cast of Crocodile Hunter or deer hunting with his ex-Marine brother who works as a prison guard, Bouldrey's sharp wit and wry autobiographical reflections prove that manly stereotypes yield surprising subtleties and contradictions when viewed up close. Brian Bouldrey is the author of Love, the Magician , and The Genius of Desire . He edited the anthologies Best American Gay Fiction 1,, 2 and 3 ; Writing Home ; and Traveling Souls . He lives in Chicago

Genres: LGBT

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Brian Bouldrey, is the author of the nonfiction books Honorable Bandit: A Walk Across Corsica (University of Wisconsin Press, September, 2007), Monster: Adventures in American Machismo (Council Oak Books), and T he Autobiography Box (Chronicle Books); three novels, The Genius of Desire (Ballantine), Love, the Magician (Harrington Park), and The Boom Economy (University of Wisconsin Press ; and editor of several anthologies. He is recipient of Fellowships from Yaddo and Eastern Frontier Society, and the Joseph Henry Jackson Award from the San Francisco Foundation, a Lambda Literary Award, and the Western Regional Magazine Award. Teaches fiction and creative nonfiction at Northwestern University and Lesley College MFA Program for Writers.

Reviews

[Joan]

In these essays, Bouldrey chronicles the world of the macho man from the point of view of a self-confessed "part-time opera queen" who once killed a bear (he wasn't only three, though). From rodeos to car racing, from bullfighting to boxing, Bouldrey analyzes male bonding and homoeroticism with wit and affection.

Despite the title of the book, it isn't all about "American" machismo, as Bouldrey also writes about his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, conversations with a spa attendant in the Azores, and the aforesaid bullfighting.

[Debby Author · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed very hard and long...Seriously funny essays.

[Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't engage me as much as I had anticipated, but my anticipation might have been more at fault than anything. "Monster" is more of a personal journal of the author's experiences in situations that may be traditionally defined as the domain of macho men than it is necessarily a commentary on gay experiences in those environments. Also, much of the book is about international machismo - not American - and Bouldry comes across as being far more adaptable than I think I would be in most situations. I didn't feel drawn in to his essays, but I wasn't annoyed by them. I'll probably read something else by this author somewhere down the road.