As a reader, my anticipation for the new book by Andrew Holleran was palpable. Many people recognize him as the author of the seminal (both definitions of the word are relevant) novel “Dancer from the Dance,” published in 1978 and still cited as a modern classic of gay literature. That novel has always felt different to me than his later work because the characters remained somewhat distant. Later novels, particularly “The Beauty of Men,” published much later in 1996, remains one of my favorite novels. Period.
What a distinct pleasure to read “Kingdom of Sand” and feel like a witness to the reunion of those richly drawn characters. It is not a continuation of the same story but is a return to the small, northern Florida setting with aging gay males figuring out the complications of their circumstances and station. There are cutting remarks and descriptions but it never seems mean-spirited, just precise and often very funny.
Why northern Florida? The narrator had no choice in where his parents chose to retire. Saddled with their care as they become elderly, his parents are compromised physically and eventually, mentally.
If reading about older, white, gay men in Florida seems uninteresting, tedious, or not particularly relevant, this novel would probably be of limited interest to that reader. As most of us age, we become invisible. If you are blessed with lasting beauty, sexual prowess, a lot of money or any combination thereof, you might be of interest to other potential partners. There is yearning for something, anything to brighten the dreary prospects for companionship, friendship, love or even a bit of sex.
You create a vivid dream life since the reality is sorely lacking in options for an older gay man. Just BEING an elderly gay man is an effort. You are not only dealing with age-related health and social issues but often facing them alone. Once you have given up so many of your productive adult years to be a caregiver, what do you do with the remainder of your life?
In “Beauty” the characters often met at a boat ramp in northern Florida to cruise the slim pickings for sex partners. In “Kingdom,” a rundown, sad video store is the setting for this pursuit. The men are middle-aged, have survived a plague, and are pretty far removed from the centers of gay life. Many are closeted and all are worried that missteps in their behavior might prove disastrous. It is a public site where men often meet for sex and the danger is legitimate. In a small town, such mistakes and the attendant consequences are of a larger magnitude.
What keeps these men coming back to a boat ramp or video store? There is not that much sex actually happening. The willing partners are rarely stellar. A lot of time is wasted hoping for something that is unlikely to happen. The obvious reason for all this effort is they simply want friendship and need support from a group of like-minded comrades.
In “Kingdom,” with the boat ramp now off-limits, the video becomes the default. The kids are all hooking up online. Face-to-face, chance encounters on the street, in a bar, at a bathhouse are a quaint relic. The narrator does indulge in lots of online (free!) porn in lieu of actual sexual congress.
The narrator’s relationship with Earl, a man twenty years older than he, forms the heart of the novel. Earl is a retired accounting professor who enjoys music and especially old films but can be rather stingy with his invitations to sit for a movie and a meal. As Earl’s health declines, the invitations recede. Even neighborly banter dwindles. The narrator acts as a somewhat removed caregiver who questions the motives and actions of Earl’s handyman.
To summarize the plot of the novel is beside the point. The reader follows the random, quixotic thoughts of a man facing the truth of his existence. Aging, healthcare, social engagement are always worth our attention but those subjects become more pronounced if we are lucky enough to live to the point of serious introspection.
Instead of a book review, this might sound like more of a love letter to Mr. Holleran. That love is the emotion I feel toward his work and talent. May we please have another?
Andrew Holleran’
s first novel, Dancer from the Dance, was published in 1978. He is also the author of the novels Nights in Aruba and The Beauty of Men; a book of essays, Ground Zero (reissued as Chronicle of a Plague, Revisited); a collection of short stories, In September, the Light Changes; and a novella, Grief.
The Kingdom of Sand is published by Macmillan
Review by STEPHEN COY Queerguru Contributor STEPHEN COY has been an avid reader all his (very long) life? and is finally putting his skills to good use. He lives in Provincetown full time with his husband Jim, having finally given up the bright lights of Boston and now haunts the streets mumbling to himself that no one reads anymore
Labels: 2022, Andrew Holleran, book review, Macmillian, Stephen Coy, The Kingdom of Sand
