I WAS LIKE
Snaps of Gay New York: Micro-fiction by John Stahle
(120 pages, Corbenic Press 2008)
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"...an enjoyable and highly engrossing collection."
RAINBOW REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW (July 2009)
Short fiction, essays, photographs about gay New York

This is a collection of stories, memories, photographs, poems, and thoughts of the author. I have no idea if the material presented is autobiographical but I hope so. The ideas and experiences presented give an intimate glimpse into a fascinating mind and life. The writing and prose is eloquent with striking turns of phrase, showing wit and intelligence. This is the type of author I’d love to have a cup of coffee with and just listen to whatever subject he wants to talk about. From childhood experiences to political and cultural observations, this collection allows readers to learn without being taught.

The first group of short stories offers a cultural history of New York from a decidedly gay perspective. The author remembers New York through the late 1960’s to the late 1970’s, discussing art, architecture, religion, literature, and theatre trends and specifically how the gay community impacted these various elements. The lovely prose has articulation and appeal, creating a light and flowing telling of history and memory combined. Interspersed are memories of men and encounters, both important and passing, giving a texture and weight to the culture and atmosphere. There are observations on the various types of gay men, cruising spots, the evolution of dating and emotional needs with a humorous description of appropriate night after behavior to include brunch. "Shop, screw, sleep late, then test your trick’s gentility and conversation over a 2pm brunch ~ a fashion we created. (When people ask me what separates gays from straights physically, I explain that we have a second stomach just for brunch.)"

Examples of unique and inventive turns of phrase and descriptions used through this collection are:
--I am inside the labyrinth of what might have been, where the blameless reverberance of issues causes them to spin and turn about.
--“How firmly you grasp my pastry while extracting the filling,” Fifi breathed approvingly in my ear. “Looks like we got to eat high tea after all.”
--Striking commonalities lost out to demographics: I did not earn six figures, I was neither young nor attractive.

The author states during his cultural asides, “Puncturing the pretense of originality among greats is a favorite pastime of mine.” He does so with humor, intelligence, research, and creativity as he explains the allure of Mae West was built upon the act of a well-known drag queen. After that delightful expose, Stahle tackles the beginnings of Carmen Miranda and the origins of camp. From there, the essay about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s closeted sexuality and criminal past, all well documented, is an entertaining piece that shows the true gullibility of Americans.

Closing out the essays with an interesting perspective on the early writing of Chekhov and current translations, Stahle’s observations and thoughts are amusing and informative at the same time. This is especially evident as he discusses gangster movies from the Godfather to Road to Perdition and a porn star with the famous name of Dred Scott. Amazingly, each of these essays offers an interesting perspective and written observations that feel fresh and innovative even with material no doubt already heavily discussed.

The book finishes with two short reviews for books about literature. As I’ve read both books, I can agree with the recommendations offered. The first is actually a wonderful book about homosexuality through history. The review highlights two very important points as they pertain to homophobia and religion. The second book reviewed is a theory on the real author of the Shakespeare plays and supports the Oxford speculation. Also a well researched and wonderfully written, thorough examination, Stahle clearly supports this theory. If you’re interested in the long-standing debate on authorship, the book listed does offer a solid argument, which Stahle discusses briefly.

In total, I especially liked the Daphne and Fifi story as well as the interlude with the character of Chris and concept of Date Bait. The author’s own essays on culture and politics were entertaining. This was an enjoyable and highly engrossing collection. The various photographs were lovely as they appeared between pages, and the different media used to express the author’s opinion and experiences adds up to a well-crafted and well-written look at gay past and present.

"Powerful and restrained"
--British gay poet GREGORY WOODS on the poems in this collection

"Brilliantly articulated...evocative...Becket-like precision [with words]"
--Chroma, Britain's top gay lit/art journal, on the stories in this collection

--The story DAPHNE AND FIFI, from this collection, was selected for the leading anthology BEST GAY STORIES 2009 (Lethe Press) and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize for Short Stories.

SAMPLE PAGES: click on thumbnails to see larger view