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Speak My Language, and Other Stories: An Anthology of Gay Fiction
'There is something special about literature . . . that addresses our innermost sexual and amatory selves. Gay stories offer us vindication, fellowship, validation and a sense of shared identity that we need now as much as ever,' writes Stephen Fry in the foreword to this anthology.In this exciting new collection of gay short stories, we hear from authors imagining, surmising, and revealing aspects of gay life from a multitude of perspectives, ages, eras, locations, cultures and political climates. Contributors range from those emerging into a life of writing to those who have enjoyed international mainstream success. Some, such as Felice Picano, were pioneers of not only gay writing but also gay liberation itself. Others are recipients of world-class awards, including Vestal McIntyre, whose Lake A Novel was named Editor's Choice by the New York Times Book Review and Out magazine, and a Best Book of 2009 by the Washington Post. It also won the Grub Street National Book Prize and Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction. The premise for stories included in this anthology was very simple - other than the stipulation that a major component of the story be in some way concerned with gay life, there were no restrictions. The aim was to bring together fictional reflections of gay life from the minds of authors approaching 'gay' from very different angles.As a result, genres in this collection range from action to sci-fi, from thriller to fantasy. The stories are set in countries including Australia, Cuba, England, Greece, Italy, Kenya, Portugal, Russia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, and the USA. The youngest contributor is in his twenties, the oldest in his eighties.Readers will find themselves immersed in an engaging set of stories remarkably different from one another, yet, as Stephen Fry notes, offering a surprising sense of shared identity.With stories Nick Alexander; Tim Ashley; James Robert Baker; Damian Barr; Neil Bartlett; Sebastian Beaumont; Scott Brown; Michael Carroll; Robert Cochrane; Alfred Corn; Neal Drinnan; Royston Ellis; Nigel Fairs; Hugh Fleetwood; Ronald Frame; Patrick Gale; Damon Galgut; John R. Gordon; Drew Gummerson; Matt Harris; Cliff James; Francis King; Joseph Lidster; David Llewellyn; Paul Magrs; Vestal McIntyre; Brent Meersman; Joseph Olshan; Diriye Osman; Tony Peake; Felice Picano; David Robilliard; Jerry Rosco; Jeffrey Round; Lawrence Schimel; Rupert Smith; Colin Spencer; Joshua Winning; Ian Young; and Richard Zimler.
592 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2015
18 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 4, 2015
A great anthology of a very high quality. A shame it contains some short stories already published in What is Love. I hope Torsten Hojer will edit a new one soon.
The foreword by Stephen Fry is just there to attract some readers. Obviously he didn't read any of the short stories. Therefore, the reader can skip it.
The foreword by Stephen Fry is just there to attract some readers. Obviously he didn't read any of the short stories. Therefore, the reader can skip it.
October 29, 2017
Enjoyed some of the shorts better than others within this book. But overall, good quality reads.
December 9, 2020
I was relieved to have finished this - it was a hard slog. There were a few good stories here and there, but most were just utterly boring and my kind kept trailing off as I read them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
January 13, 2024
EDITOR'S WARPED STORY CHOICE: BLAMING THE JEWS FOR ANTISEMITISM. I love and support gay fiction. Unfortunately, Torsten Hojer's anthology includes Colin Spencer's anti-semitic and boring “A Night with Mr. Goldstein”. It has a weak LGBT theme, but the story's focus is the "extremely short" soft, pink, pudgy Mr. Goldstein who speaks English with a Polish accent and who has laughably poor taste in art. This story is replete with antisemitic tropes and Jewish caricature.
Here, a painter wants to sell to Mr. Goldstein, a wealthy hotel-chain owner. Mr. Goldstein thinks himself a discerning collector but buys expensive, gaudy kitsch. The painter is invited by Goldstein's art advisors to join them & Mr. Goldstein for a night in the buyer's country estate. Mr. G. keeps them all waiting by the time he enters 45 min late. Later, due to the lack of enough beds, staff arranges that the painter will share the buyer's bed. Mr. G makes passes at him there. The painter shoves Mr. G. and his fancy bed into its aperture in the wall. Later he realizes this might have killed the man.
The author described Mr. Goldstein as “extremely short”, "pink skinned" "podgy" whose “naked form is covered in grey hair”. The author created an ugly, abnormally short Jewish man who is soft & pink, with doofus taste in fine art and design. His main interest in art is its monetary value.
Quoted from the end of story:
“MR. GOLDSTEIN WAS THE KIND OF PERSON THAT WOULD BRING ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN EVEN THE MOST LIBERAL AND KIND-HEARTED.”
This is nasty twisting by the author. Mr. Goldstein isn't a person, simply the author's creation from his own view of Jews as distasteful— including accent & pudginess & extreme short stature, obsessing on real-estate and fine art assets, loving gaudy art and decor. Mr. G. pitifully tries to seduce the stong tall painter who squirms but finally lashes out, then runs.
Author Spencer shows us how Mr. Goldstein, Spencer's own vision of a Jewish person, is so repulsive and evil that even good-hearted liberal persons naturally hate him. Indeed, the old man uninvitedly coming on to the painter is attributed to his being Jewish. In straight stories without Jews to blame, this act would be due to G. being gay & therefore bringing on homophobia in the most liberal and kindhearted persons.
Editor Torsen Hojer wouldn’t have published this story proudly had the antagonist been a person of color, or other minority. Hojer, including this story as worthy of his LGBT anthology, the editor shows that these are his own feelings about Jews as well.
Here, a painter wants to sell to Mr. Goldstein, a wealthy hotel-chain owner. Mr. Goldstein thinks himself a discerning collector but buys expensive, gaudy kitsch. The painter is invited by Goldstein's art advisors to join them & Mr. Goldstein for a night in the buyer's country estate. Mr. G. keeps them all waiting by the time he enters 45 min late. Later, due to the lack of enough beds, staff arranges that the painter will share the buyer's bed. Mr. G makes passes at him there. The painter shoves Mr. G. and his fancy bed into its aperture in the wall. Later he realizes this might have killed the man.
The author described Mr. Goldstein as “extremely short”, "pink skinned" "podgy" whose “naked form is covered in grey hair”. The author created an ugly, abnormally short Jewish man who is soft & pink, with doofus taste in fine art and design. His main interest in art is its monetary value.
Quoted from the end of story:
“MR. GOLDSTEIN WAS THE KIND OF PERSON THAT WOULD BRING ON ANTI-SEMITISM IN EVEN THE MOST LIBERAL AND KIND-HEARTED.”
This is nasty twisting by the author. Mr. Goldstein isn't a person, simply the author's creation from his own view of Jews as distasteful— including accent & pudginess & extreme short stature, obsessing on real-estate and fine art assets, loving gaudy art and decor. Mr. G. pitifully tries to seduce the stong tall painter who squirms but finally lashes out, then runs.
Author Spencer shows us how Mr. Goldstein, Spencer's own vision of a Jewish person, is so repulsive and evil that even good-hearted liberal persons naturally hate him. Indeed, the old man uninvitedly coming on to the painter is attributed to his being Jewish. In straight stories without Jews to blame, this act would be due to G. being gay & therefore bringing on homophobia in the most liberal and kindhearted persons.
Editor Torsen Hojer wouldn’t have published this story proudly had the antagonist been a person of color, or other minority. Hojer, including this story as worthy of his LGBT anthology, the editor shows that these are his own feelings about Jews as well.
July 4, 2020
I think this is the best gay fiction anthology I’ve ever encountered. The quality of the writing, the scope and the names involved is just excellent. One to dip in and out of and enjoy thoroughly... many many gems and even if one doesn’t grab you, there’s plenty more that will.
November 14, 2020
A really diverse collection of stories often reflective; many dealing with what could have been. I'm really looking forward to the next collection Torsten Højer puts together.
August 28, 2021
Anthologies are usually of uneven quality, and this one is no different, but I enjoyed it as a whole, especially selections by Tim Ashley and Paul Magrs.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews