I love this photo that I took:
of author William J. Mann
One of the reasons that I, and so many others, mourn the demise of independent GLBT bookstores is because of experiences like the one I had when I was introduced to the writing of Bill Mann. I went into Houston’s Crossroads bookstore one day, where the biography Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines was prominently featured on a display table.
I’d never heard of William Haines (or, at that time, William J. Mann), so without Crossroads, I might not have found this story of a man who was the number-one leading box office star in America in 1930. The reason I–and maybe you–never heard of Haines is because he walked away from a career in show business rather than pretend he wasn’t homosexual and living with his partner, Jimmie Shields. Considering that in 2007, the Hollywood closet still exists, with its doors tightly shut, Haines’s story is an amazing one of courage and honesty.
That book led me to the novels and other work of Bill Mann, including some of these:
You can read descriptions of all the books on Mann’s web site.
I was fortunate enough to attend his master class at Saints and Sinners, in which he talked about the unique challenges facing those who want to write biographies and memoirs. I also got him to sign my brand new copy of his latest novel:
Having met the men in this novel in The Men From the Boys, and caught up with them again in Where the Boys Are (the cover of which remains one of my all-time favorites ever), I was eager to see how they’re doing in Men Who Love Men. It’s good to know they’re still around, grappling with love, romance, friendship, and commitment as they settle into their mid-thirties and forties. Now that I know Mann has done right by them, I can get back to work on my own novels.
Isn’t Bill awesome?
He really is.
I really enjoyed the talk he gave on writing biographies. (So much in fact that I bought his book.) He’s very approachable too. Can’t wait to start reading my signed copy of Kate.
I say ‘thank you.’
My credit card says, ‘You brazen harlot!’
That credit card of yours has always been so sassy.
I just finished “Men Who Love Men” two days ago.
I’m still hoping it’s not the end. Not yet.
Yeah, really. I want the real story on Luke!
Oh, yes!
And the guys are too young to be “finished”!
I have all three of the novels you mention in my summer reading stack. I didn’t realize I needed to read the first two before starting Men Who Love Men. Thanks for the heads up. I hope to have at least one o fthem done in time for my “Gary’s Favorite Summer Reading” endcap in July.
That “from above” picture is wonderful. Thanks for sharing it.
I’ve read “The Biograph Girl” and “Wisecracker”. Thanks for the tip about the others. I didn’t realize they were a series.
As to the death of the LGBT stores, the last of the ones here in Orlando passed a few years ago. While the man who ran it was nearly insufferable, I still miss having a source for a wider selection than the one offered by the small sections in the superstores.
The store that I used to go to in Tampa, Tomes and Treasures, died due to the indifference of the community, not that of the owner. He was tireless in his giving to the Bay area and they still snubbed him, holding their gatherings at a nearby Barnes and Nobles even after he put a cafe into his store. Bill, the former owner, is a wonderful man and I still keep tabs on him.
You’re welcome for the info.
Shame about Bill in Tampa Bay. I don’t know what’s wrong that people won’t support a business owner who gives of himself that way.
I almost went to Hollywood this weekend because I wanted to experience an LGBT bookstore, but ended up not going. Hollywood leaves me cold. Something’s just missing there for me.
Thanks for the the Men from the Boyd recommend. I read All American Boy, but didn’t care for it, and was wondering if his other stuff was worth checking out.
I think the writing in THE MEN FROM THE BOYS was literary, whereas WHERE THE BOYS ARE was more popular than literary (though that’s all very subjective, I know). The third one, though some readers criticize the narrator of being too young to feel as midlife angsty as he does, definitely reflects the concerns of gay men I’ve known as they hit their mid-thirties and yearn for what they haven’t yet found. (Not all men, but some of them.)
Does Hollywood have books again yet? I’ve gone there in the past to try to soak up some atmosphere, but I long since faced the truth. What I want is Crossroads, and Crossroads is gone. =(