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Taste Test
Taste Test: Artistically Yours
Art mirrors life, right? Or is it the other way around?
In "Drawing Conclusions" by Andy Slayde and Ali Wilde, Alex Harper and Zed Roxbury have been friends since age two. They're at college now, and Alex is fed up with drawing his girlfriends for art class so he decides to use his best friend as a model. Zed's not too happy about being drawn on the sly, but he might just be convinced to like it.
In "Solitude of the Photo" by C.T. Piatt, Jonah makes decent money taking photos, but he's never has he done a model's portfolio. Until Michael asks him. The photos torment Jonah, long after he's completed the shoot, and only when he sees Michael with his wife, happily spending time at an event, does Jonah swear to forget. So when Michael turns up at his door, magazine in hand Jonah, has no idea what to do.
Finally, in "The Artist's Model" by Z.A. Maxfield. Emile Laurent had a child's fascination for artist Auguste Fournier. Now a grown man, he pursues Fournier with a passion born of worship. Fournier has denied his nature for the whole of his life. Paralyzed with fear, he rejects Emile's advances, even in the face of desire that threatens to consume them both.
In "Drawing Conclusions" by Andy Slayde and Ali Wilde, Alex Harper and Zed Roxbury have been friends since age two. They're at college now, and Alex is fed up with drawing his girlfriends for art class so he decides to use his best friend as a model. Zed's not too happy about being drawn on the sly, but he might just be convinced to like it.
In "Solitude of the Photo" by C.T. Piatt, Jonah makes decent money taking photos, but he's never has he done a model's portfolio. Until Michael asks him. The photos torment Jonah, long after he's completed the shoot, and only when he sees Michael with his wife, happily spending time at an event, does Jonah swear to forget. So when Michael turns up at his door, magazine in hand Jonah, has no idea what to do.
Finally, in "The Artist's Model" by Z.A. Maxfield. Emile Laurent had a child's fascination for artist Auguste Fournier. Now a grown man, he pursues Fournier with a passion born of worship. Fournier has denied his nature for the whole of his life. Paralyzed with fear, he rejects Emile's advances, even in the face of desire that threatens to consume them both.
45 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 13, 2018
Drawing Conclusions by Andy Slayde and Ali Wilde - 3 stars
Solitude of the Photo by C.T. Piatt - 1.5 stars
The Artist's Model by Z.A. Maxfield - 1 star
Solitude of the Photo by C.T. Piatt - 1.5 stars
The Artist's Model by Z.A. Maxfield - 1 star
April 18, 2010
“Drawing Conclusions” is a quick, sexy story about best friends and unrequited passion. Alex and Zed have been best friends all their lives and finally on a fateful camping trip, Zed admits that he has a crush on his best friend. Alex, being straight, is not interested and rebukes Zed’s advances, but a kernel of interest and intrigue is laid. Several years later, Alex finds himself sketching Zed over and over again in his notebook. Late one night, Zed finds the notebook and confronts Alex on his actions. What follows is a sexy, highly charged tussle between the men, inevitably winding up in bed. Alex and Zed are fun characters, both lightly written with a flirty edge. Although Alex is a typical “gay for you” character with Zed, the duo author’s writing style was engaging and drew you into the story easily. The ending is left hanging, perhaps more to be seen from these two?
A new author, Piatt offers “Solitude of the Photo” in which photographer Jonah (not Johan) is drawn to a man he sees at a nearby racetrack. As a man happy for the emotional and physical distance the camera affords, Jonah is taken aback by his visceral reaction to one of the drivers. Unable to look away, he takes hundreds of photographs of the driver to pour over later when he’s alone. So he’s somewhat shocked and excited when that same driver contacts Jonah to take personal pictures. The story is told exclusively from Jonah’s point of view, creating a sympathetic and likeable character. From the onset of a man with a crush to attempting to move beyond that emotion, Jonah is by turns funny, kind, sexy, charming and sad. Michael, the object of affection, is little more than a name and his story is deliberating misleading. However, the pace was quick and easy with a sweet character in Jonah and some incredibly hot scenes. It’s a sexy offering from a new author and likely to delight.
Lastly, “The Artist’s Model” is the sole historical offering in this anthology, surrounded by contemporary pieces. Emile is nineteen years old and desperately in love with a childhood hero of sorts, an artist friend of the family, Auguste Fournier. Although an artist at heart, Emile makes a meager living by offering himself as an artist’s model when his own art doesn’t pay the bills. When he finally is commissioned by his longtime love, Emile is excited and flushed, a fact he cannot hide from the artist himself. Although sexually interested in Emile, Fournier is also very clearly repressed and unwilling to act upon his desires. Driven to Emile’s lodgings to apologize, need and want override Fournier’s reticence when faced with evidence of Emile’s long time devotion. While both characters are typified so very well as pining for want of love, the author has a deft hand in keeping the story moving and interesting, without allowing it to tip easily into melodrama. The best written of the three stories, Maxfield creates engaging characters while giving life to the overly dramatic time period and denied lovers theme. But not to worry, there is a happy ending, done justice with flair as only French characters can manage.
This collection of stories was flirty, sexy, and charming. All three offer the drama of artists and their muses with alluring and fun encounters. Although the last story was out of place with its historical setting amidst the others, all three are engaging reads. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite of the three stories as they all were entertaining. For those who are art lovers, or wish to be lovers of artists, you will enjoy this anthology.
A new author, Piatt offers “Solitude of the Photo” in which photographer Jonah (not Johan) is drawn to a man he sees at a nearby racetrack. As a man happy for the emotional and physical distance the camera affords, Jonah is taken aback by his visceral reaction to one of the drivers. Unable to look away, he takes hundreds of photographs of the driver to pour over later when he’s alone. So he’s somewhat shocked and excited when that same driver contacts Jonah to take personal pictures. The story is told exclusively from Jonah’s point of view, creating a sympathetic and likeable character. From the onset of a man with a crush to attempting to move beyond that emotion, Jonah is by turns funny, kind, sexy, charming and sad. Michael, the object of affection, is little more than a name and his story is deliberating misleading. However, the pace was quick and easy with a sweet character in Jonah and some incredibly hot scenes. It’s a sexy offering from a new author and likely to delight.
Lastly, “The Artist’s Model” is the sole historical offering in this anthology, surrounded by contemporary pieces. Emile is nineteen years old and desperately in love with a childhood hero of sorts, an artist friend of the family, Auguste Fournier. Although an artist at heart, Emile makes a meager living by offering himself as an artist’s model when his own art doesn’t pay the bills. When he finally is commissioned by his longtime love, Emile is excited and flushed, a fact he cannot hide from the artist himself. Although sexually interested in Emile, Fournier is also very clearly repressed and unwilling to act upon his desires. Driven to Emile’s lodgings to apologize, need and want override Fournier’s reticence when faced with evidence of Emile’s long time devotion. While both characters are typified so very well as pining for want of love, the author has a deft hand in keeping the story moving and interesting, without allowing it to tip easily into melodrama. The best written of the three stories, Maxfield creates engaging characters while giving life to the overly dramatic time period and denied lovers theme. But not to worry, there is a happy ending, done justice with flair as only French characters can manage.
This collection of stories was flirty, sexy, and charming. All three offer the drama of artists and their muses with alluring and fun encounters. Although the last story was out of place with its historical setting amidst the others, all three are engaging reads. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite of the three stories as they all were entertaining. For those who are art lovers, or wish to be lovers of artists, you will enjoy this anthology.
March 13, 2024
I enjoyed all three stories in this "taste test" from Torquere, but the gorgeous period language and imagery of ZA Maxfield's "The Artist's Model" made it a particular favorite. There's a subtle sense of longing that threads through the piece and tugs at the heart, as well as a charming kind of awkwardness and a passionate but still tender conclusion.
"Solitude of the Photo" by C.T. Piatt is sexy and seductive and builds to a breathtaking climax—no mean feat, considering there's almost no physical contact between the characters. Piatt makes it easy to sympathize with Jonah, to find oneself caught up in his voyeuristic attraction to Michael. The first-person narrative may be off-putting to some, but was done well, and the intimacy of it balanced the sense of distance inherent in a story that unfolds through the lens of a camera. My only criticism is that in retrospect there's a little too much authorial misleading going on; the characters make assumptions that aren't corrected when they ought to be, and a re-read stretches my suspension of disbelief to an uncomfortable degree.
I think the opening story, "Drawing Conclusions" by Andy Slayde and Ali Wilde, is the weakest of the three. The only thing I can truly put my finger on is that the pacing felt off; when I tried to think of concrete criticisms, I found I could remember very little of actual plot of the story, which I suppose is the most telling criticism of all.
"Solitude of the Photo" by C.T. Piatt is sexy and seductive and builds to a breathtaking climax—no mean feat, considering there's almost no physical contact between the characters. Piatt makes it easy to sympathize with Jonah, to find oneself caught up in his voyeuristic attraction to Michael. The first-person narrative may be off-putting to some, but was done well, and the intimacy of it balanced the sense of distance inherent in a story that unfolds through the lens of a camera. My only criticism is that in retrospect there's a little too much authorial misleading going on; the characters make assumptions that aren't corrected when they ought to be, and a re-read stretches my suspension of disbelief to an uncomfortable degree.
I think the opening story, "Drawing Conclusions" by Andy Slayde and Ali Wilde, is the weakest of the three. The only thing I can truly put my finger on is that the pacing felt off; when I tried to think of concrete criticisms, I found I could remember very little of actual plot of the story, which I suppose is the most telling criticism of all.
January 31, 2011
I wanted to like this much more than I did. I read it all, and maybe it's my fault for expecting more, but it fell flat for me. I wanted the stories to be fleshed out more, and for once I don't think that it was just me being greedy for more of an author I enjoy. I'm still mulling it over, but it didn't engage me as I expected.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews