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Two Natures
Jendi Reiter's debut novel offers a backstage look at the glamour and tragedy of 1990s New York City through the eyes of Julian Selkirk, an aspiring fashion photographer. Coming of age during the height of the AIDS epidemic, Julian worships beauty and romance, however fleeting, as substitutes for the religion that rejected him. His spiritual crisis is one that too many gay youth still face today.
This genre-bending novel couples the ambitious political analysis of literary fiction with the pleasures of an unconventional love story. Vivid social realism, enriched by unforgettable characters, eroticism, and wit, make Two Natures a satisfying read of the highest sort.
Perry Brass, Amazon bestselling author of The Manly Pursuit of Desire and Love and the novel King of Angels, says of Two Natures: "If you want to know what life is like in Nineties New York, when Style has become God, sex has become a contact sport, and jobs, money, and survival are always around the corner someplace else, then this late coming-of-age novel is a good place to start."
This genre-bending novel couples the ambitious political analysis of literary fiction with the pleasures of an unconventional love story. Vivid social realism, enriched by unforgettable characters, eroticism, and wit, make Two Natures a satisfying read of the highest sort.
Perry Brass, Amazon bestselling author of The Manly Pursuit of Desire and Love and the novel King of Angels, says of Two Natures: "If you want to know what life is like in Nineties New York, when Style has become God, sex has become a contact sport, and jobs, money, and survival are always around the corner someplace else, then this late coming-of-age novel is a good place to start."
376 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2016
3 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Jendi Reiter
15 books29 followersAuthor of the novel "Two Natures" (Saddle Road Press, 2016), the poetry collections "Bullies in Love" (Little Red Tree, 2015), "A Talent for Sadness" (Turning Point, 2003), and several chapbooks. Award-winning short stories published in Iowa Review, Bayou, OSA Enizagam, and others. 2010 Poetry Fellowship from Massachusetts Cultural Council. Working on novel series about gay men's spiritual journeys.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 29, 2017
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
True to its title, Two Natures references several inherent dychotomies while at the same time challenging them. 'Reality' and 'Appearance' is perhaps the strongest axis around which the polarity is structure but also the related 'Truth' and 'Beauty' as well as 'Spiritual' and 'Carnal'. This final one is immediately present given that the time echoes the Bible, a reference that is extremely important throughout the novel.
Which such heady subject themes at its core, it would be easy to compromise the fictional mode of story telling but Two Natures avoids this entirely. The story of Julian, a young fashion photographer trying to make it in the fast and furious 90's New York environment, is not simply the vehicle through which gay rights, religious issues, the AIDS epidemic, family breakdown and queer identity are addressed: by immersing the reader fully into its well developed world, the novel conveys all this and so much in an organic manner.
This immersive quality is achieved in part thanks to a very apt usage of the first person narrative. As a photographer Julian employs highly image saturated language to frame his experiences, in a most literal sense. Visual intense descriptions punctuate the story and is the lenses through which the storytelling process happens. But these also serve to show a sense of alienation from the actual world, a pressing anxiety that haunts Julian.
The narrator's repressive, traditional Christian upbringing also factors in his means of expression, with many biblical references strewed very liberally throughout the entire novel, to the point of the title, as it has already been mentioned. The biblical imagery covers a gamut of tones, from lyrical, pensive and musing to snarky and highly cynical.
The richness of tone is present in the prose as a whole with interesting results. It ensures that Julian comes across as a rounded character. He is a very flawed person in a whole cast of flawed people, all fumbling for something to tether them amidst a chaos of easy sex and the glitter frayed with danger that is just around the corner to a gay man in the 90's.
The time period in question is a problematic one. Homosexuality is far from mainstream and it pushes Julian and most of his partners into a twilit existence of sorts in which relationships are not expected to last. The pressure is both external and internal as the club-scene culture of immediate gratification is also a force of emotional disintegration. With exclusivity being almost a myth and pick-ups are the norm, gay men find it difficult to maintain a functional relationship. And all this is compounded by the AIDS epidemic exploding with a viciousness that is made so much worse by authorities failing to provide any kind of support.
This angle of gay rights struggling to gain respectability amidst a deadly disease that was so linked with male homosexuality becomes increasingly more relevant as the plot progresses and Julian becomes entangled with an activist that while gay must hide it in order to better push for anti-poverty policies. Julian, who calls himself apolitical, approaches activism with a sense of jaded lack of conviction that provides one of the best sources of genuine friction in the whole novel.
Two Natures is in all respects very honest. It does not shy from being graphic, painful, at times horrifying, often moving, all without caring for niceties. The comprehensive scope of the endeavor has its own artistic vision, both in-universe- Julian strives to capture some form of beauty- and at a structural level as the novel is almost flawless in how it harnesses highly personal moments to turn into literature.
Ultimately, Two Natures questions the very notion of 'either/or' system: perhaps there is a way of sublimating truth into beauty, or vice-verse, and reach an integrated way of feeling in which one can be true to oneself and still find actual love. There are no guarantees but the mere possibility is enough.
This may not be for everyone. Its raw, no-frills approach may antagonize some readers but there are many who are sure to appreciate the brutal honesty, "where spit and cum are words of love."
True to its title, Two Natures references several inherent dychotomies while at the same time challenging them. 'Reality' and 'Appearance' is perhaps the strongest axis around which the polarity is structure but also the related 'Truth' and 'Beauty' as well as 'Spiritual' and 'Carnal'. This final one is immediately present given that the time echoes the Bible, a reference that is extremely important throughout the novel.
Which such heady subject themes at its core, it would be easy to compromise the fictional mode of story telling but Two Natures avoids this entirely. The story of Julian, a young fashion photographer trying to make it in the fast and furious 90's New York environment, is not simply the vehicle through which gay rights, religious issues, the AIDS epidemic, family breakdown and queer identity are addressed: by immersing the reader fully into its well developed world, the novel conveys all this and so much in an organic manner.
This immersive quality is achieved in part thanks to a very apt usage of the first person narrative. As a photographer Julian employs highly image saturated language to frame his experiences, in a most literal sense. Visual intense descriptions punctuate the story and is the lenses through which the storytelling process happens. But these also serve to show a sense of alienation from the actual world, a pressing anxiety that haunts Julian.
The narrator's repressive, traditional Christian upbringing also factors in his means of expression, with many biblical references strewed very liberally throughout the entire novel, to the point of the title, as it has already been mentioned. The biblical imagery covers a gamut of tones, from lyrical, pensive and musing to snarky and highly cynical.
The richness of tone is present in the prose as a whole with interesting results. It ensures that Julian comes across as a rounded character. He is a very flawed person in a whole cast of flawed people, all fumbling for something to tether them amidst a chaos of easy sex and the glitter frayed with danger that is just around the corner to a gay man in the 90's.
The time period in question is a problematic one. Homosexuality is far from mainstream and it pushes Julian and most of his partners into a twilit existence of sorts in which relationships are not expected to last. The pressure is both external and internal as the club-scene culture of immediate gratification is also a force of emotional disintegration. With exclusivity being almost a myth and pick-ups are the norm, gay men find it difficult to maintain a functional relationship. And all this is compounded by the AIDS epidemic exploding with a viciousness that is made so much worse by authorities failing to provide any kind of support.
This angle of gay rights struggling to gain respectability amidst a deadly disease that was so linked with male homosexuality becomes increasingly more relevant as the plot progresses and Julian becomes entangled with an activist that while gay must hide it in order to better push for anti-poverty policies. Julian, who calls himself apolitical, approaches activism with a sense of jaded lack of conviction that provides one of the best sources of genuine friction in the whole novel.
Two Natures is in all respects very honest. It does not shy from being graphic, painful, at times horrifying, often moving, all without caring for niceties. The comprehensive scope of the endeavor has its own artistic vision, both in-universe- Julian strives to capture some form of beauty- and at a structural level as the novel is almost flawless in how it harnesses highly personal moments to turn into literature.
Ultimately, Two Natures questions the very notion of 'either/or' system: perhaps there is a way of sublimating truth into beauty, or vice-verse, and reach an integrated way of feeling in which one can be true to oneself and still find actual love. There are no guarantees but the mere possibility is enough.
This may not be for everyone. Its raw, no-frills approach may antagonize some readers but there are many who are sure to appreciate the brutal honesty, "where spit and cum are words of love."
August 1, 2016
I have to admit, this is a really tough read. Not because it isn’t well-written—it is indeed stellar in that regard—but because it is so stark and unflinching. Content warning not because it’s explicit (many of us have read books with far more graphic content) but because of the heaviness of the subject matter. Anyone old enough to have lived through the early 1990s, and lost loved ones during that time, needs to be aware that the middle of the story is about the death of one character from AIDS-related illness. You have been warned.
This is a difficult book for me to review. On the one hand, despite its length, it’s surprisingly fast-paced. There isn’t a lot of wasted space; everything has a purpose, so it doesn’t feel as though it’s lagging anywhere in terms of moving forward. The writing style is superior, in the style of the best literary fiction. At the same time, my reaction to it is very much along those lines—I’m not here to be entertained by this book. It’s not a feel-good love story or a tale of tragedy-to-triumph. It’s meant to be appreciated mainly for its historical value and technically skilled craftsmanship. For a number of reasons (the heavy topics, the highly literary style, the depth of the psychology), this is one to read with a group for the purpose of discussion.
There’s a lot covered in this novel, and the title says it best. Everything in Julian’s life is split, and he spends most of the story trying to make whole the things he sees as fractured. Despite the fact that there’s a sub-thread about the religion of his youth, it actually doesn’t factor in much beyond his musings until near the end. However, his broken trust in his faith and family of origin drive nearly every other relationship he has. It’s vital for people of faith to read this with the understanding of how religious institutions create and contribute to the oppression specifically of the LGBT community.
On a personal level, I found this hard to read. For one thing, those were my coming of age years as well. It’s Peter, rather than narrator Julian, to whom I relate most—his idealism is different from mine, but I understand him. Several times while reading I had to put the book down because although I had a much more sheltered existence at that time, I certainly do remember those years. Reading this certainly puts into perspective why achieving marriage equality is not merely a sign of assimilation and imitation of heteronormativity, and also why it’s too little, too late.
Beyond that, I did find this sometimes frustrating to read. Julian is spectacularly unlikable until closer to the end, and his friends aren’t a whole lot better. They read to me as self-absorbed, and the only time they appear to break out of that is when caring for their dying friend (which, by the way, is just about the most excellently written part of the entire thing, despite it being so profoundly heartbreaking). Outside of that, they treat each other terribly. In particular, I couldn’t stand the way Julian talks about and to Ari. None of them seem compelled to take a whole lot of responsibility for their behavior, and I don’t mean with regard to sex. I wanted to see Julian grow and mature a bit more, I think. In some ways, we do get that, and there are flashes of it when he finally stands up to a person who has been using and lying to him. I suppose I just needed more.
Ultimately, I could probably talk for days about this book because it’s impossible to capture everything about such a dense read in a short review. My own personal grievances with the characters aside, I do think this is a phenomenal work, and I highly recommend it. It should be required reading if for no other reason than that we’ve already forgotten what life was like in those days.
For top-notch writing, gritty realism, and historical value, this gets 5 stars.
This is a difficult book for me to review. On the one hand, despite its length, it’s surprisingly fast-paced. There isn’t a lot of wasted space; everything has a purpose, so it doesn’t feel as though it’s lagging anywhere in terms of moving forward. The writing style is superior, in the style of the best literary fiction. At the same time, my reaction to it is very much along those lines—I’m not here to be entertained by this book. It’s not a feel-good love story or a tale of tragedy-to-triumph. It’s meant to be appreciated mainly for its historical value and technically skilled craftsmanship. For a number of reasons (the heavy topics, the highly literary style, the depth of the psychology), this is one to read with a group for the purpose of discussion.
There’s a lot covered in this novel, and the title says it best. Everything in Julian’s life is split, and he spends most of the story trying to make whole the things he sees as fractured. Despite the fact that there’s a sub-thread about the religion of his youth, it actually doesn’t factor in much beyond his musings until near the end. However, his broken trust in his faith and family of origin drive nearly every other relationship he has. It’s vital for people of faith to read this with the understanding of how religious institutions create and contribute to the oppression specifically of the LGBT community.
On a personal level, I found this hard to read. For one thing, those were my coming of age years as well. It’s Peter, rather than narrator Julian, to whom I relate most—his idealism is different from mine, but I understand him. Several times while reading I had to put the book down because although I had a much more sheltered existence at that time, I certainly do remember those years. Reading this certainly puts into perspective why achieving marriage equality is not merely a sign of assimilation and imitation of heteronormativity, and also why it’s too little, too late.
Beyond that, I did find this sometimes frustrating to read. Julian is spectacularly unlikable until closer to the end, and his friends aren’t a whole lot better. They read to me as self-absorbed, and the only time they appear to break out of that is when caring for their dying friend (which, by the way, is just about the most excellently written part of the entire thing, despite it being so profoundly heartbreaking). Outside of that, they treat each other terribly. In particular, I couldn’t stand the way Julian talks about and to Ari. None of them seem compelled to take a whole lot of responsibility for their behavior, and I don’t mean with regard to sex. I wanted to see Julian grow and mature a bit more, I think. In some ways, we do get that, and there are flashes of it when he finally stands up to a person who has been using and lying to him. I suppose I just needed more.
Ultimately, I could probably talk for days about this book because it’s impossible to capture everything about such a dense read in a short review. My own personal grievances with the characters aside, I do think this is a phenomenal work, and I highly recommend it. It should be required reading if for no other reason than that we’ve already forgotten what life was like in those days.
For top-notch writing, gritty realism, and historical value, this gets 5 stars.
March 2, 2020
Really really REALLY enjoyed this. Thoughts to come but I highly recommend it.
September 15, 2016
Talk about a debut novel that grabs you, bleeds you, and makes you cry until you're raw. It's one of those books that when it ends you realize you stopped breathing. This is not an easy read. The subject matter is very heavy and the author really thrusts you into the gritty.
Many of us remember the early 90's and how AIDS was actually vocal. Yes, it had been around for years before but it wasn't really until the 90's that people talked about it. Many people suffered and died because of this virus. This book not only addresses AIDS and that time period but you are gutted at the loss of one character because of the virus. That is the only warning you're getting about the seriousness and emotional upheaval in this book.
This tale is close to 400 pages long but it flowed. Pacing was terrific and the characters were fleshed out nicely. There's a high angst count on this story obviously so be ready.
You may walk away from this book angry and frustrated and that is really just a testament to the realism the author creates. The truth here is a beacon for awareness. Take a deep breath and be ready for an emotional pummeling.
Many of us remember the early 90's and how AIDS was actually vocal. Yes, it had been around for years before but it wasn't really until the 90's that people talked about it. Many people suffered and died because of this virus. This book not only addresses AIDS and that time period but you are gutted at the loss of one character because of the virus. That is the only warning you're getting about the seriousness and emotional upheaval in this book.
This tale is close to 400 pages long but it flowed. Pacing was terrific and the characters were fleshed out nicely. There's a high angst count on this story obviously so be ready.
You may walk away from this book angry and frustrated and that is really just a testament to the realism the author creates. The truth here is a beacon for awareness. Take a deep breath and be ready for an emotional pummeling.
July 18, 2016
Again, it is necessary to acknowledge a profound debt of gratitude to my favorite author Kittredge Cherry for the opportunity to read an extremely meaningful and powerful book, “Two Natures” by Jendi Reiter. Set in the “peak AIDS years” of the early-to-mid 1990’s, the novel is presented as the memoir of Julian, a young fashion photographer in New York City.
I will say at the outset that this book offers an amazing level of honesty and insight. Like the earlier work of Patricia Nell Warren, Reiter’s representation of gay male psychology and eroticism is clear-eyed and unabashed. Although her descriptions of male-male sexual encounters are no more explicit than the similar descriptions of heterosexual lovemaking in many modern-day romances, some readers may find this unpalatable. To them, I can only say, “Get over it, people!”
Although Reiter is investigating the link between sexuality and spirituality in this narrative, as well as presenting a deeply incisive exploration of the social and cultural aspects of the urban LGBTQ community during the AIDS crisis, she is not heavy-handed or in any way “preachy”. Her main characters and many of the peripheral cast members are sympathetically and vividly described. Julian himself is voiced with wry and biting humor.
A trigger warning: for those who, like me, have “been there and done that” with respect to losing dear ones to AIDS, and who have experienced the anger, disgust and grief resulting from the vicious and callous rejection of gays – especially those stricken with HIV – by the so-called Christian establishment, the honesty of this book is stark. Although it reflects back on an era that may be fading in the memory of many of us, it is really the very recent past. It is not a story to “love” in the trivial sense, but is rather deeply and painfully moving, and therefore deserves the highest approval rating.
I will say at the outset that this book offers an amazing level of honesty and insight. Like the earlier work of Patricia Nell Warren, Reiter’s representation of gay male psychology and eroticism is clear-eyed and unabashed. Although her descriptions of male-male sexual encounters are no more explicit than the similar descriptions of heterosexual lovemaking in many modern-day romances, some readers may find this unpalatable. To them, I can only say, “Get over it, people!”
Although Reiter is investigating the link between sexuality and spirituality in this narrative, as well as presenting a deeply incisive exploration of the social and cultural aspects of the urban LGBTQ community during the AIDS crisis, she is not heavy-handed or in any way “preachy”. Her main characters and many of the peripheral cast members are sympathetically and vividly described. Julian himself is voiced with wry and biting humor.
A trigger warning: for those who, like me, have “been there and done that” with respect to losing dear ones to AIDS, and who have experienced the anger, disgust and grief resulting from the vicious and callous rejection of gays – especially those stricken with HIV – by the so-called Christian establishment, the honesty of this book is stark. Although it reflects back on an era that may be fading in the memory of many of us, it is really the very recent past. It is not a story to “love” in the trivial sense, but is rather deeply and painfully moving, and therefore deserves the highest approval rating.
August 23, 2023
5 Stars
I struggled to come up with the right words to do justice to this book. This was a powerful, raw and gritty novel. The subject matter is dark and heavy and isn't easy to read. It tore me apart at times and left me sobbing. Anyone who remembers the early nineteen-nineties, knows that the AIDS epidemic was in its peak and still a prominent cause of death among members of the gay community. This book doesn't just touch upon the subject, but brings it to the forefront of the story with the death of one of the characters. It was heart-wrenching to watch not only his demise, but the aftermath it leaves behind for the people who are left to pick up the pieces and try to go on with their lives. To try to fill the emptiness that person has left in your life.
The author grabs you and pulls you in, not letting go until the end. This book was riveting and I couldn't put it down. The author brings us along on Julian's journey, over a 5-year period, from college student to fashion photographer, with such vivid visualizations, I felt transported back in time, like I was witnessing all this happening before my very eyes.
The story is superbly written and the political climate of the time period well researched. The characters are real, intriguing and likable. This isn't your normal run of the mill gay romance, and while, it packs an emotional punch, it's told with Julian's biting humor, which breaks up some of the heaviness of the situations. This was an excellent and enjoyable read. Highly recommended!!
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement.*
I struggled to come up with the right words to do justice to this book. This was a powerful, raw and gritty novel. The subject matter is dark and heavy and isn't easy to read. It tore me apart at times and left me sobbing. Anyone who remembers the early nineteen-nineties, knows that the AIDS epidemic was in its peak and still a prominent cause of death among members of the gay community. This book doesn't just touch upon the subject, but brings it to the forefront of the story with the death of one of the characters. It was heart-wrenching to watch not only his demise, but the aftermath it leaves behind for the people who are left to pick up the pieces and try to go on with their lives. To try to fill the emptiness that person has left in your life.
The author grabs you and pulls you in, not letting go until the end. This book was riveting and I couldn't put it down. The author brings us along on Julian's journey, over a 5-year period, from college student to fashion photographer, with such vivid visualizations, I felt transported back in time, like I was witnessing all this happening before my very eyes.
The story is superbly written and the political climate of the time period well researched. The characters are real, intriguing and likable. This isn't your normal run of the mill gay romance, and while, it packs an emotional punch, it's told with Julian's biting humor, which breaks up some of the heaviness of the situations. This was an excellent and enjoyable read. Highly recommended!!
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement.*
March 9, 2017
3.5 stars- The story and writing were great
Two Natures is a coming of age novel set in New York City that gives a stark, honest look into the LGBT scene in the 1990s. The main character is an aspiring fashion photographer so there is a lot of background glimpses into the fashion magazine and design world. The story is told in a first person point of view, solely from the main character Julian’s perspective.
Overall the story is interesting and poignant. The author’s examination of the AIDS epidemic in the urban environment and the LGBT community during the 1990s is what drew me to the title originally. My mother is in healthcare academia and participated in a lot of work, research, and initiatives centered on HIV during the same time period. Her colleagues and our family friends were personally affected, and I was interested to see how the author addressed the topic. I think the author did an excellent job humanizing what positive patients and their friends and family faced before there was a significant medical breakthrough to manage the virus. I also like when the author wove in the aspects of equal rights and the bigotry the LGBT community dealt with during this time. The bulk of these substantial insights into Julian and the secondary characters’ and how they were affected by the world around them are in the latter half of the book. Unfortunately, I felt less drawn to the first part of the story. I think this is largely due to the characters, especially Julian. I found his attitude and judgement on those around him difficult to handle. His critical personality wars with an almost apathetic approach to life at the start. While this gives the author a lot of room to develop his character as the years pass, it makes it exceedingly hard to connect to the story.
The pacing of the narrative is steady, but my lack of investment in the characters caused it to drag at times. The author writes beautifully. However, the artful prose, descriptions, and attention to detail occasionally works against the pacing. I like how we see glimpses of Julian’s true feelings throughout the novel and it becomes more cemented as he faced difficult and sometimes sorrowful situations. His growth as a character is undeniable. However, I wish I hadn’t felt so distanced from the characters at the start so those emotional moments were more powerful. In my opinion, this coming of age story plays out like a docu-drama. I felt like a viewer stuck on the outside rather than immersed in the emotion and journey. Regardless, the author does a fantastic job tackling difficult subjects and giving an unflinching portrayal of Julian and what he and his friends faced gay men in NYC during the 1990s. I think fans of coming of age stories will enjoy Two Natures, but readers looking for a story focused on romance and a relationship may be disappointed.
Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club
Two Natures is a coming of age novel set in New York City that gives a stark, honest look into the LGBT scene in the 1990s. The main character is an aspiring fashion photographer so there is a lot of background glimpses into the fashion magazine and design world. The story is told in a first person point of view, solely from the main character Julian’s perspective.
Overall the story is interesting and poignant. The author’s examination of the AIDS epidemic in the urban environment and the LGBT community during the 1990s is what drew me to the title originally. My mother is in healthcare academia and participated in a lot of work, research, and initiatives centered on HIV during the same time period. Her colleagues and our family friends were personally affected, and I was interested to see how the author addressed the topic. I think the author did an excellent job humanizing what positive patients and their friends and family faced before there was a significant medical breakthrough to manage the virus. I also like when the author wove in the aspects of equal rights and the bigotry the LGBT community dealt with during this time. The bulk of these substantial insights into Julian and the secondary characters’ and how they were affected by the world around them are in the latter half of the book. Unfortunately, I felt less drawn to the first part of the story. I think this is largely due to the characters, especially Julian. I found his attitude and judgement on those around him difficult to handle. His critical personality wars with an almost apathetic approach to life at the start. While this gives the author a lot of room to develop his character as the years pass, it makes it exceedingly hard to connect to the story.
The pacing of the narrative is steady, but my lack of investment in the characters caused it to drag at times. The author writes beautifully. However, the artful prose, descriptions, and attention to detail occasionally works against the pacing. I like how we see glimpses of Julian’s true feelings throughout the novel and it becomes more cemented as he faced difficult and sometimes sorrowful situations. His growth as a character is undeniable. However, I wish I hadn’t felt so distanced from the characters at the start so those emotional moments were more powerful. In my opinion, this coming of age story plays out like a docu-drama. I felt like a viewer stuck on the outside rather than immersed in the emotion and journey. Regardless, the author does a fantastic job tackling difficult subjects and giving an unflinching portrayal of Julian and what he and his friends faced gay men in NYC during the 1990s. I think fans of coming of age stories will enjoy Two Natures, but readers looking for a story focused on romance and a relationship may be disappointed.
Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club
November 21, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Two Natures by Jendi Reiter
1) For this novel to be Ms. Jendi's first I found it super fantastic. The topic in question is one that, as many say, it's not an easy one to tackle. But Jendi has built a great world within these pages. It is heart-breaking and yet satisfying in the end. It is a well done, well-written book, one that will leave you wanting more out of it. The protagonists, as well as all the people involved within the pages, are quite likable and the reader is simply involved as part of the story. My hat's off to you, Ms. Jendi!
2) This is one of the best books I read for this year’s Rainbow awards. Beautifully written, it touched a chord in me that I can’t quite explain but I will be looking for more from this author.
1) For this novel to be Ms. Jendi's first I found it super fantastic. The topic in question is one that, as many say, it's not an easy one to tackle. But Jendi has built a great world within these pages. It is heart-breaking and yet satisfying in the end. It is a well done, well-written book, one that will leave you wanting more out of it. The protagonists, as well as all the people involved within the pages, are quite likable and the reader is simply involved as part of the story. My hat's off to you, Ms. Jendi!
2) This is one of the best books I read for this year’s Rainbow awards. Beautifully written, it touched a chord in me that I can’t quite explain but I will be looking for more from this author.
September 22, 2016
Beautifully crafted, raw, makes you understand just what it was like coming out in the 90's. Hard to believe this is a debut novel, as this reads like a literary classic. The main character is full of depth, and if this book isn't on the New York Times best seller list someday, I'll be shocked.
October 28, 2016
You can read my review of “Two Natures” at my web site.
March 2, 2019
Jendi Reiter’s wise and ambitious novel Two Natures is the story of young gay man Julian Selkirk who, Crusoe-like, finds himself washed ashore in New York in 1991 and ‘dependent on the kindness of strangers.’ Julian is an aspiring fashion photographer, whose career lows and highs quickly alternate, mirroring his personal exploration of the gay scene and his search for love. The spiritual and the carnal, the beautiful and the sordid, interweave in complex patterns, overshadowed by the gathering AIDS crisis, as the years to 1996 become increasingly hostile to difference. The intensely personal is the politically fraught, and Julian has to cope with the vagaries of love and ambition while mourning friends and lovers.
Two Natures is an all-encompassing work that plunges us into New York’s rent-controlled apartments, gay bars and nightclubs, and the overlapping world of fashion shoots and glamour magazines, in pursuit of the spirit of the times. We accompany Julian in his life of one-night stands and copious casual sex, his interactions with models and photographers, and the conversational jousting with publishers and agents on whom his career depends. A great deal of this whirl is ephemeral, but then, every so often, something permanent is created – a beautiful design, a miraculous photograph, a loving relationship.
Accurate assessment of a life requires perspective. Photography also has two natures, its concern with surface and space, texture and composition sometimes piercing the veil of appearances to reach something beneath that is true and profound. In Paris on a shoot, Julian stands at the top of the Eiffel Tower: ‘I felt like so far I’d stumbled into beauty, taking lucky shots of miracles I didn’t cause, being praised for effects I couldn’t control.’ The professional and the personal are imbricated here, and neither offers a smooth ascent to fulfilment.
In 1991 Julian shares a flat with Dmitri, whose poster of Andres Serrano’s polyvalent photograph ‘Piss Christ’ is a symbolic bone of contention. ‘“All I ask,” [Julian] said slowly, “is for one fucking place … where I don’t have to walk on fucking eggshells … for once in my fucking life.”’ Julian’s appetite for some kind of congenial faith that has the grace to accept him has survived his conventional Christian upbringing in Georgia. Somewhere concealed in religion there exists ‘a picture of life where nobody’s trapped by being different. I feel like, if I took a fresh look at myself, I don’t know what I could find.’ But then: ‘It’s always the wrong people who can’t see themselves in mirrors.’
In 1992 the pace quickens:
Phil has a secret life starring as Randy O’Tool in the Pump Me Hard gay porn movies. This is an era of frantic post-sex hygiene, of taking ‘the test’, of waiting weeks for the result, of not daring to open the envelope when it arrives from the clinic. It’s also a time of more subtle cruelties and exclusions: barred from visiting lovers in hospital, uninvited to their funerals. Even when Julian and his friends turn up anyway, he cannot express his sorrow: ‘Any break from my invisibility would be read as drama, not grief.’
Yet all this sadness and anger is laced with humour. ‘Nobody puts adhesive on a good suit,’ Julian quips as an ultimate insult. ‘Saturday I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and watched the sun set over the Jehovah’s Witnesses world headquarters.’ Anger and humour mix it up when Julian’s family visits New York and he feels he has to put on a heterosexual front in order to keep the peace. ‘My family. Here. Next week.’ We share his dread at the prospect even as we are told that ‘Lying is my family’s preferred form of communication. It’s traditional and cultural, like chopsticks.’ Another time, Julian’s father gives ‘a coherent toast about being proud of his children, including me. He told several of his friends that I’d been working in Paris, though he said the ads were for Christian Dior.’ They weren’t.
Behind the profane – and sometimes mixed in and virtually indistinguishable – is the sacred, glimpsed in little experiential epiphanies, such as the unexpected response of a homeless man to the gift of a dead lover’s clothes: ‘Have a bleshed day, man.’ Sometimes the gift of happiness is hard to accept, as when Julian’s friend Peter looks love in the eye: ‘It feels like a mistake – this can’t be for me, it’s too good.’ The lucky ones among us, surely, have all felt as unworthy.
Above all, there is sex, described in minute anatomical detail, in all its sticky mess, pain and pleasure, guilt and innocence. There is an awful lot of it in Two Natures (some of it quite possibly with the Angel of Death himself) – perhaps too much to make its point or avoid repetitiveness. Yet the point seems to be this: sex is not essentially the opposite of the sacred; rather, it can be a manifestation of the sacred, surprising us as such even when our appetites are at their most lustful. In the milieu of Two Natures, sex is a refuge and reassurance, at once dangerous and companionable, an assertion of togetherness and belonging in a wider culture that rebuffs and ridicules:
Jendi Reiter’s work in Two Natures is quite different to that in An Incomplete List of My Wishes. The novel largely eschews the poeticism of the short stories and is told exclusively from Julian’s point of view, so that what happens to him, happens to us. A great deal happens to Julian, all of which we believe but some of which might get lost in the mix. Along with the copious sex, there is perhaps too much narrative in Two Natures, or too much narrative that is too similar. There is room for something qualitatively different to occur, such as a dramatic family confrontation with grievances aired and secrets exposed. Drama tout court. There are fights and falling outs, failures and successes aplenty, but the passing of time – reading it as well as living it – probably requires more variety to be made completely memorable. Julian himself is memorable even though his emotions can sometimes feel not quite his own, filtered through his self-reports as if they are happening to someone else.
Two Natures re-creates the pain and the glory of New York’s gay community and the awful pressures it faced in the 1990s. It’s an enlightening and challenging novel that is often compelling and always frank. Above all, it is a book for gay and straight readers – anyone, in fact, with a love of fine writing, witty repartee and genuine feeling.
‘The birds of the air have nests, and the foxes have holes, and Julian Selkirk needs a place to bring his boyfriend if he should ever find one who returns his phone calls.’ Jokingly, Julian echoes the complaint of the Son of Man and, for one brief instant, shows us the sorrow and significance that unites them.
Two Natures is an all-encompassing work that plunges us into New York’s rent-controlled apartments, gay bars and nightclubs, and the overlapping world of fashion shoots and glamour magazines, in pursuit of the spirit of the times. We accompany Julian in his life of one-night stands and copious casual sex, his interactions with models and photographers, and the conversational jousting with publishers and agents on whom his career depends. A great deal of this whirl is ephemeral, but then, every so often, something permanent is created – a beautiful design, a miraculous photograph, a loving relationship.
Accurate assessment of a life requires perspective. Photography also has two natures, its concern with surface and space, texture and composition sometimes piercing the veil of appearances to reach something beneath that is true and profound. In Paris on a shoot, Julian stands at the top of the Eiffel Tower: ‘I felt like so far I’d stumbled into beauty, taking lucky shots of miracles I didn’t cause, being praised for effects I couldn’t control.’ The professional and the personal are imbricated here, and neither offers a smooth ascent to fulfilment.
In 1991 Julian shares a flat with Dmitri, whose poster of Andres Serrano’s polyvalent photograph ‘Piss Christ’ is a symbolic bone of contention. ‘“All I ask,” [Julian] said slowly, “is for one fucking place … where I don’t have to walk on fucking eggshells … for once in my fucking life.”’ Julian’s appetite for some kind of congenial faith that has the grace to accept him has survived his conventional Christian upbringing in Georgia. Somewhere concealed in religion there exists ‘a picture of life where nobody’s trapped by being different. I feel like, if I took a fresh look at myself, I don’t know what I could find.’ But then: ‘It’s always the wrong people who can’t see themselves in mirrors.’
In 1992 the pace quickens:
Now Sundays were the only day Phil and I both had off, so the closest I generally came to a house of worship was driving Dane to important funerals. The back pages of the Times were full of them, those discreet half-columns for designers dead at 38, 40, 46; lived, loved, invented the T-shirt dress, died, details of last illness not disclosed.
Phil has a secret life starring as Randy O’Tool in the Pump Me Hard gay porn movies. This is an era of frantic post-sex hygiene, of taking ‘the test’, of waiting weeks for the result, of not daring to open the envelope when it arrives from the clinic. It’s also a time of more subtle cruelties and exclusions: barred from visiting lovers in hospital, uninvited to their funerals. Even when Julian and his friends turn up anyway, he cannot express his sorrow: ‘Any break from my invisibility would be read as drama, not grief.’
Yet all this sadness and anger is laced with humour. ‘Nobody puts adhesive on a good suit,’ Julian quips as an ultimate insult. ‘Saturday I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and watched the sun set over the Jehovah’s Witnesses world headquarters.’ Anger and humour mix it up when Julian’s family visits New York and he feels he has to put on a heterosexual front in order to keep the peace. ‘My family. Here. Next week.’ We share his dread at the prospect even as we are told that ‘Lying is my family’s preferred form of communication. It’s traditional and cultural, like chopsticks.’ Another time, Julian’s father gives ‘a coherent toast about being proud of his children, including me. He told several of his friends that I’d been working in Paris, though he said the ads were for Christian Dior.’ They weren’t.
Behind the profane – and sometimes mixed in and virtually indistinguishable – is the sacred, glimpsed in little experiential epiphanies, such as the unexpected response of a homeless man to the gift of a dead lover’s clothes: ‘Have a bleshed day, man.’ Sometimes the gift of happiness is hard to accept, as when Julian’s friend Peter looks love in the eye: ‘It feels like a mistake – this can’t be for me, it’s too good.’ The lucky ones among us, surely, have all felt as unworthy.
Above all, there is sex, described in minute anatomical detail, in all its sticky mess, pain and pleasure, guilt and innocence. There is an awful lot of it in Two Natures (some of it quite possibly with the Angel of Death himself) – perhaps too much to make its point or avoid repetitiveness. Yet the point seems to be this: sex is not essentially the opposite of the sacred; rather, it can be a manifestation of the sacred, surprising us as such even when our appetites are at their most lustful. In the milieu of Two Natures, sex is a refuge and reassurance, at once dangerous and companionable, an assertion of togetherness and belonging in a wider culture that rebuffs and ridicules:
I felt the chill of embarrassment, the familiar sickness. From the locker rooms of my suburban high school to the bars of New York, that echo would never die, the baying of the pack.
Jendi Reiter’s work in Two Natures is quite different to that in An Incomplete List of My Wishes. The novel largely eschews the poeticism of the short stories and is told exclusively from Julian’s point of view, so that what happens to him, happens to us. A great deal happens to Julian, all of which we believe but some of which might get lost in the mix. Along with the copious sex, there is perhaps too much narrative in Two Natures, or too much narrative that is too similar. There is room for something qualitatively different to occur, such as a dramatic family confrontation with grievances aired and secrets exposed. Drama tout court. There are fights and falling outs, failures and successes aplenty, but the passing of time – reading it as well as living it – probably requires more variety to be made completely memorable. Julian himself is memorable even though his emotions can sometimes feel not quite his own, filtered through his self-reports as if they are happening to someone else.
Two Natures re-creates the pain and the glory of New York’s gay community and the awful pressures it faced in the 1990s. It’s an enlightening and challenging novel that is often compelling and always frank. Above all, it is a book for gay and straight readers – anyone, in fact, with a love of fine writing, witty repartee and genuine feeling.
‘The birds of the air have nests, and the foxes have holes, and Julian Selkirk needs a place to bring his boyfriend if he should ever find one who returns his phone calls.’ Jokingly, Julian echoes the complaint of the Son of Man and, for one brief instant, shows us the sorrow and significance that unites them.
November 18, 2024
4.75 stars rounded up to 5
This is so good - poetic, emotional, and queer as fuck. The author knows their way with intimate scenes, showing us how much more can be conveyed through the medium of sex. My only quibble is that I occasionally felt lost in the story as its swift pacing and deliberate choice of style have left many things unsaid.
I'm not sure how to categorise this book. It's too trope-defying to be called an M/M romance, more literary than your average gay fiction, and has more warmth (and sex) than your literary fiction. Highly recommended if you're in the mood for something unique.
Edited: Just realised we did have a sequel with Peter as the first person narrator - Reiter’s new release Origin Story. I love the characters too much to not read the sequel, but I don’t know if I’m mentally prepared enough for another book dealing with the aftermath of child sexual abuse….
This is so good - poetic, emotional, and queer as fuck. The author knows their way with intimate scenes, showing us how much more can be conveyed through the medium of sex. My only quibble is that I occasionally felt lost in the story as its swift pacing and deliberate choice of style have left many things unsaid.
I'm not sure how to categorise this book. It's too trope-defying to be called an M/M romance, more literary than your average gay fiction, and has more warmth (and sex) than your literary fiction. Highly recommended if you're in the mood for something unique.
Edited: Just realised we did have a sequel with Peter as the first person narrator - Reiter’s new release Origin Story. I love the characters too much to not read the sequel, but I don’t know if I’m mentally prepared enough for another book dealing with the aftermath of child sexual abuse….
November 4, 2016
For this novel to be Ms. Jendi's first I found it super fantastic. The topic in question is one that, as many say, it's not an easy one to tackle. But Ms. Jendi has built a great world within these pages. It is heart-breaking and yet satisfying in the end. It is a well done, well-written book, one that will leave you wanting more out of it. The protagonists, as well as all the people involved within the pages, are quite likable and the reader is simply involved as part of the story.
This book is highly recommended. My hat's off to you, Ms. Jendi!
This book is highly recommended. My hat's off to you, Ms. Jendi!
July 20, 2024
Six stars, at minimum.
I felt obliged to read this because I'd picked up an ARC of Reiter's Origin Story without realizing that it was a sequel, so I can't really take the time to review in depth. [ETA: Oops.] However.
I've lived in NYC since 1980 and I'm queer. So I'm here to say that Two Natures slammed me back hard into a time I had almost managed to -- not forget, okay, but put behind me: the time of young emaciated purple-spotted men in wheelchairs. The metallic smell of pentamidine. (Pneumocystis pneumonia treatment.) The obituaries. The obituaries. The obituaries.
This is something like a bildungsroman, in that Julian Selkirk, narrator and protagonist, has just started college at the beginning and by the end is a twenty-five-year-old AIDS widower tentatively beginning a long-delayed relationship with his dead partner's best friend. Normally I'd put that under a spoiler tag, but I really don't think suspense about the plot matters here: the point is the evocation of that time and place and the depth and complexity of the characters making their way through it, or brought by bad luck and/or self-destructiveness to not make their way through.
As it happens, not only was I living in NYC during the early and mid 1990s, when Two Natures is set, I spent several years living in the same neighborhood as Julian, which puts me in a position to say that Reiter's evocation of the time is very nearly perfect. If the author ever does re-edit and republish, though, I offer a suggestion: double-check those Starbucks coffees, because I'm pretty sure Starbucks wasn't a thing in the city yet.
More unpleasantly jarring were a few casual instances of drive-by fatphobia, misogyny, and transphobia. I'm of two minds about these, because they're appropriate to Julian's character, especially given his social and professional situation -- he's not always the nicest person in the world, and he's a fashion photographer; plus, the attitudes he expresses were pretty much SOP at the time, especially among white cis gay men. I could have done without, even back then. But. Julian is so real, and part of what makes him so fascinating is the gulf that emerges between his occasional nastiness and his behavior, most especially the tender care he and Phil's friend Peter take of Phil during his illness. Perhaps all I want to say is that readers should expect to love and grieve with someone they also, not infrequently, will want to slap. Also, you may have to step away repeatedly and read some fluff -- Two Natures is just that painful.
In closing: it's beyond me why I'm about to post only the twenty-first GR review of a book that ought to be famous.
I felt obliged to read this because I'd picked up an ARC of Reiter's Origin Story without realizing that it was a sequel, so I can't really take the time to review in depth. [ETA: Oops.] However.
I've lived in NYC since 1980 and I'm queer. So I'm here to say that Two Natures slammed me back hard into a time I had almost managed to -- not forget, okay, but put behind me: the time of young emaciated purple-spotted men in wheelchairs. The metallic smell of pentamidine. (Pneumocystis pneumonia treatment.) The obituaries. The obituaries. The obituaries.
This is something like a bildungsroman, in that Julian Selkirk, narrator and protagonist, has just started college at the beginning and by the end is a twenty-five-year-old AIDS widower tentatively beginning a long-delayed relationship with his dead partner's best friend. Normally I'd put that under a spoiler tag, but I really don't think suspense about the plot matters here: the point is the evocation of that time and place and the depth and complexity of the characters making their way through it, or brought by bad luck and/or self-destructiveness to not make their way through.
As it happens, not only was I living in NYC during the early and mid 1990s, when Two Natures is set, I spent several years living in the same neighborhood as Julian, which puts me in a position to say that Reiter's evocation of the time is very nearly perfect. If the author ever does re-edit and republish, though, I offer a suggestion: double-check those Starbucks coffees, because I'm pretty sure Starbucks wasn't a thing in the city yet.
More unpleasantly jarring were a few casual instances of drive-by fatphobia, misogyny, and transphobia. I'm of two minds about these, because they're appropriate to Julian's character, especially given his social and professional situation -- he's not always the nicest person in the world, and he's a fashion photographer; plus, the attitudes he expresses were pretty much SOP at the time, especially among white cis gay men. I could have done without, even back then. But. Julian is so real, and part of what makes him so fascinating is the gulf that emerges between his occasional nastiness and his behavior, most especially the tender care he and Phil's friend Peter take of Phil during his illness. Perhaps all I want to say is that readers should expect to love and grieve with someone they also, not infrequently, will want to slap. Also, you may have to step away repeatedly and read some fluff -- Two Natures is just that painful.
In closing: it's beyond me why I'm about to post only the twenty-first GR review of a book that ought to be famous.
August 25, 2017
The novel begins in new York City in January 1991. Our protagonist is a fashion photographer in New York, and yes this is during the height of the AIDS epedimic. This book offers a brutal, but not unkind vision of early 1990's.
Two Natures is a very honest bildungsroman, a coming of age novel, with all the key factors, finding your path, breaking with your parents' traditions, learnig to stand independent, with a healthy side of Southern Baptist guilt and a childhood fractured by abuse. His journey is complex and the people that populate his life are founded and defined. Julian is a serious person, and artist, a person sometime prone to self reflection. He felt familiar to me, just like an old friend. There are no caricatures here, no one sided coins. This book could have been about my college friend, who was coming to terms with his own sexual identity during the years I knew him, the same years this book covers. He was creative and passionate, and a little awkward about who he was recognizing as himself, just like we all are. Julian touches the underbelly of New York City, and we are witness to it. Reiter does a great job of bringing the city, and all of her locales to life. She gives enough description and flavor that I got to be there without having to examine every blade of grass along the way. Reiter does exactly what I like in a book, she lets me walk as the character. I am Julian as he struggles against the traditions of his family and the calling of his own soul. I feel his tormoil as he moves through this time in his life and I feel his heart break, along with his joy.
This book is complex, with religious, political, and social realities in the mix. Reiter paints the deminsions of her characters with a very fine brush, capturing their shadows and scars very nicely. This book does not shy away from anything, but it also doesn't make you wallow. There were scenes that made me uncomfortable, in my middle aged, traditional soul, and the very next scene would remind me again of all of our shared human condition. People are people, regardless of their trappings, we all want the same things of lives, to be safe, to know love, to be accepted. You will cheer for Julian in his triumphs, You will weep for him in his dispair. You will know him.
Two Natures is a very honest bildungsroman, a coming of age novel, with all the key factors, finding your path, breaking with your parents' traditions, learnig to stand independent, with a healthy side of Southern Baptist guilt and a childhood fractured by abuse. His journey is complex and the people that populate his life are founded and defined. Julian is a serious person, and artist, a person sometime prone to self reflection. He felt familiar to me, just like an old friend. There are no caricatures here, no one sided coins. This book could have been about my college friend, who was coming to terms with his own sexual identity during the years I knew him, the same years this book covers. He was creative and passionate, and a little awkward about who he was recognizing as himself, just like we all are. Julian touches the underbelly of New York City, and we are witness to it. Reiter does a great job of bringing the city, and all of her locales to life. She gives enough description and flavor that I got to be there without having to examine every blade of grass along the way. Reiter does exactly what I like in a book, she lets me walk as the character. I am Julian as he struggles against the traditions of his family and the calling of his own soul. I feel his tormoil as he moves through this time in his life and I feel his heart break, along with his joy.
This book is complex, with religious, political, and social realities in the mix. Reiter paints the deminsions of her characters with a very fine brush, capturing their shadows and scars very nicely. This book does not shy away from anything, but it also doesn't make you wallow. There were scenes that made me uncomfortable, in my middle aged, traditional soul, and the very next scene would remind me again of all of our shared human condition. People are people, regardless of their trappings, we all want the same things of lives, to be safe, to know love, to be accepted. You will cheer for Julian in his triumphs, You will weep for him in his dispair. You will know him.
October 29, 2017
Julian Selkirk is a fashion photographer, to the horror of his Georgia father. Even though Julian is safely in New York and removed from his father’s disapproval, Julian has additional conflicts: the religious culture of his childhood and the awareness of his attraction to men. Set in the 90s, TWO NATURES unflinchingly discusses the AIDS crisis hovering over the characters.
The structure tends towards the episodic but that doesn’t impact the forward motion of the story. Spikey humor bounces off the page but cleverly spliced in between are the sinewy layers of history—an abusive father, cruel school kids—that go to make up Julian’s complex nature. He isn’t an attractive protagonist. He’s shallow and selfish (when his sister needs his help, he completely bails), and extremely sensitive to his own needs. However, as we move into the second part of the book, Julian does mature.
He’s also sharply observant except when it comes to his boyfriend, Phil, but love does tend to make most of us blind. We are gifted Julian’s insightful POV on the world as viewed through photography. When he turns that lens on himself it is often flinty and unsparing.
The AIDS epidemic is introduced smoothly and credibly, as though we’re right there in the sauna with the other disbelievers. It can’t happen to us.
In this book, fashion serves as a gaudy veil over reality. Reiter examines what is true and what is false under the assault of media and consumer expectations. The camera never lies is completely blown apart as we hear about elaborately staged shoots, tortured lighting, ingénues plastered with makeup, and the urgency to “produce a picture that hadn’t existed before”. It isn’t a new concept but it’s one that Reiter deconstructs in a deliberate and surgical way. As one character says, “It’s the cover up that feels shitty. The scars are your life.”
Jendi Reiter has delivered a complex, nuanced, heartbreaking, and intellectually engaging novel about life in the 90s for the gay man, along with a wittily scathing putdown of the fashion industry and its fragile pretentious foibles.
The structure tends towards the episodic but that doesn’t impact the forward motion of the story. Spikey humor bounces off the page but cleverly spliced in between are the sinewy layers of history—an abusive father, cruel school kids—that go to make up Julian’s complex nature. He isn’t an attractive protagonist. He’s shallow and selfish (when his sister needs his help, he completely bails), and extremely sensitive to his own needs. However, as we move into the second part of the book, Julian does mature.
He’s also sharply observant except when it comes to his boyfriend, Phil, but love does tend to make most of us blind. We are gifted Julian’s insightful POV on the world as viewed through photography. When he turns that lens on himself it is often flinty and unsparing.
The AIDS epidemic is introduced smoothly and credibly, as though we’re right there in the sauna with the other disbelievers. It can’t happen to us.
In this book, fashion serves as a gaudy veil over reality. Reiter examines what is true and what is false under the assault of media and consumer expectations. The camera never lies is completely blown apart as we hear about elaborately staged shoots, tortured lighting, ingénues plastered with makeup, and the urgency to “produce a picture that hadn’t existed before”. It isn’t a new concept but it’s one that Reiter deconstructs in a deliberate and surgical way. As one character says, “It’s the cover up that feels shitty. The scars are your life.”
Jendi Reiter has delivered a complex, nuanced, heartbreaking, and intellectually engaging novel about life in the 90s for the gay man, along with a wittily scathing putdown of the fashion industry and its fragile pretentious foibles.
April 7, 2018
As a card-carrying member of Generation X, I expected to be caught up in waves of nostalgia and an emotionally gripping story.
I was wrong. This story ripped my guts out, made me laugh, made me cry, made me angry (that part is a testament to great writing and compelling characters - I wanted to hug Julian on one page and slap him into next Tuesday on the next), and left me with the strangest sense of hope at the end.
Given how far we've come on LGBTQ rights (though we still have a long way to go), it can be easy to forget the recent past and the struggles that gay men and women faced. This book is a poignant reminder, cleverly weaving those lessons and history into a compelling story and doing so without being preachy - no small feat!
On a personal note, one of my dearest friends from graduate school and one of the first openly gay men I ever met once told me that he was resigned to a life of serial monogamy. That was so heartbreaking and eye-opening. The possibilities that I as a cis straight woman took for granted — marriage/legally and societally sanctioned commitment complete with benefits, public displays of affection that wouldn't result in possible violence, children that couldn't be ripped away from me and my future partner at the whims of judgmental politicians, etc. I think I got a glimpse of what life might have been like for him in Two Natures. I'm pleased and proud that most of my gay friends from that era are now married and/or in committed relationships that have lasted for decades. It's beautiful, it's incredible, and it's definitely worth celebrating and working hard to protect.
I'm so glad this book came my way. It will stick with me for the long haul, I think.
I was wrong. This story ripped my guts out, made me laugh, made me cry, made me angry (that part is a testament to great writing and compelling characters - I wanted to hug Julian on one page and slap him into next Tuesday on the next), and left me with the strangest sense of hope at the end.
Given how far we've come on LGBTQ rights (though we still have a long way to go), it can be easy to forget the recent past and the struggles that gay men and women faced. This book is a poignant reminder, cleverly weaving those lessons and history into a compelling story and doing so without being preachy - no small feat!
On a personal note, one of my dearest friends from graduate school and one of the first openly gay men I ever met once told me that he was resigned to a life of serial monogamy. That was so heartbreaking and eye-opening. The possibilities that I as a cis straight woman took for granted — marriage/legally and societally sanctioned commitment complete with benefits, public displays of affection that wouldn't result in possible violence, children that couldn't be ripped away from me and my future partner at the whims of judgmental politicians, etc. I think I got a glimpse of what life might have been like for him in Two Natures. I'm pleased and proud that most of my gay friends from that era are now married and/or in committed relationships that have lasted for decades. It's beautiful, it's incredible, and it's definitely worth celebrating and working hard to protect.
I'm so glad this book came my way. It will stick with me for the long haul, I think.
October 25, 2018
Reiter's remarkable expertise with steamy tales, and insider understanding of those AIDS-haggard years, present a rich narrative so real you will be certain it is autobiographical.
In the raging battle between lust and the harsh reality of queer heroes taken out by the “gay cancer”, lust sometimes wins the contest: Rock Hudson, Keith Haring, Nureyev, Robert Mapplethorpe, Liberace, far too many more, all of them gone; often in shame. Why is the lust for flesh powerful enough to end the bright lives of queer men? Reiter skillfully chronicles the ugly process, sometimes with humor, other times with raw, aching pictures of fear and grief.
This is one book where you CAN judge a book by its cover: too hot to handle; a pair of glistening, sweat-steamed men, merged as one and inseparably welded by flesh on fire.
If you can’t handle the heat, this is a read you’d best relegate to your dumpster of untouchables.
The Poet Spiel
In the raging battle between lust and the harsh reality of queer heroes taken out by the “gay cancer”, lust sometimes wins the contest: Rock Hudson, Keith Haring, Nureyev, Robert Mapplethorpe, Liberace, far too many more, all of them gone; often in shame. Why is the lust for flesh powerful enough to end the bright lives of queer men? Reiter skillfully chronicles the ugly process, sometimes with humor, other times with raw, aching pictures of fear and grief.
This is one book where you CAN judge a book by its cover: too hot to handle; a pair of glistening, sweat-steamed men, merged as one and inseparably welded by flesh on fire.
If you can’t handle the heat, this is a read you’d best relegate to your dumpster of untouchables.
The Poet Spiel
November 6, 2021
The novel, which centers on the gradually developing career and life of the main character, Julian Selkirk, as he makes his way through the worlds of high fashion photography and gay social life, is one which speaks to any person forced to struggle between their spiritual life and their sensual/sexual life. Julian is a transplanted devoutly religious Southerner from an abusive home, who is at the same time a gay man seeking his identity in the world of NYC in the 1990's, when AIDS was still not easily treatable because of the cost of the drugs involved. He must find himself both emotionally/sexually and religiously at the same time in order to be a whole man, and while he has both friends and colleagues, and some people who fit in both categories, the sands are continually shifting beneath his feet as he tries to seek stability. This book is a frank and explicit picture of the lives of Julian and his friends as they live their lives and sometimes exchange the easier options for the more difficult, but ultimately more rewarding, options of bravery while being "out." No one who wants to understand the contemporary scene in all its fullness will want to miss this book.
August 31, 2016
A marvelous book. I enjoyed Julian's story so much and found it very relatable. There were so many beautiful, little surprises ("Spring Chicken Perfume") and a great many laugh out loud moments. It brought up a lot of memories for me—young men who had to shoulder more responsibility and grief than was reasonable for their years, and too many who never got to grow up and old. Too many losses. I really appreciate the characterization of Julian—so on the ball in so many ways, and yet so readily apt to drop it. Very realistic.
Reiter is a marvelous writer and this is a rich, wonderful, and heartbreaking, story. I enjoyed reading it very much.
I received an advance reading copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Reiter is a marvelous writer and this is a rich, wonderful, and heartbreaking, story. I enjoyed reading it very much.
I received an advance reading copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.
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February 27, 2019Jendi Reiter's beautiful novel, Two Natures, is a deep dive into the 1990s, love, identity and a fight for one's authentic self. Reading as a modern love story meets
thriller, Two Natures explores the dangers for gay men in the 1990s. This is a book that makes resonant the fear of turning a corner and bumping into death (in the novel the AIDS epidemic is at its peak) or the searing judgment of family. Loaded with clever, southern snark the main character, Julian, guides us through the glamour and grit of New York's downtown scene. A student at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Julian is a rising star in the snakey and two-faced fashion world. Reiter brilliantly plays with the superficiality Julian is being drawn into while still exploring the deeply personal journey he is on to be accepted, loved and released from a life of family induced shame for being gay. Reiter gives gorgeous descriptions that cut to the heart of the glamorous hero, "When mama returned from retrieving the family's coats, I bent to kiss her cheek, but she turned aside with a tragic expression. Southern women love no-account men; every smashed glass and squandered dollar is another stitch in their martyrs' robes. In her mind she was probably already toting up the love she had wasted on her second son, starting with her fourteen hours in labor." The book is loaded with expressions of longing for resolution and belonging. The novel's sexy interior is met head-on with a serious exploration of a time now long gone, yet ripe with creativity and pain. A tour de force and hopefully just the first in our travels with Julian and Two Natures.
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thriller, Two Natures explores the dangers for gay men in the 1990s. This is a book that makes resonant the fear of turning a corner and bumping into death (in the novel the AIDS epidemic is at its peak) or the searing judgment of family. Loaded with clever, southern snark the main character, Julian, guides us through the glamour and grit of New York's downtown scene. A student at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Julian is a rising star in the snakey and two-faced fashion world. Reiter brilliantly plays with the superficiality Julian is being drawn into while still exploring the deeply personal journey he is on to be accepted, loved and released from a life of family induced shame for being gay. Reiter gives gorgeous descriptions that cut to the heart of the glamorous hero, "When mama returned from retrieving the family's coats, I bent to kiss her cheek, but she turned aside with a tragic expression. Southern women love no-account men; every smashed glass and squandered dollar is another stitch in their martyrs' robes. In her mind she was probably already toting up the love she had wasted on her second son, starting with her fourteen hours in labor." The book is loaded with expressions of longing for resolution and belonging. The novel's sexy interior is met head-on with a serious exploration of a time now long gone, yet ripe with creativity and pain. A tour de force and hopefully just the first in our travels with Julian and Two Natures.
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