Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Gay lovers find temporary respite from adversity in this collection of stories by Scott D. Pomfret. Ranging from a cocaine-fueled rampage to the blind eye of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, these stories depict the bonds gay men forge when political unrest, drugs, HIV/AIDS, the Church or a demanding T-ball schedule put their commitments to the test.

Book Review

‘You Are the One’ is a collection of stories about some of the bonds gay men form in a variety of different circumstances. Quite a few of them are about men in the military and their partners, but there are others as well. All of them have an almost magical ability to pull me right into the situations the author picked, and quite a few are utterly thought-provoking. I think that the writing style – many are in second person – and the lack of character names makes them more widely applicable to anyone and everyone.

The stories in this collection were written over many years (between 1998 and 2015), so they offer a glance into history and the changing or not changing, in some cases) circumstances gay men can find themselves in. I found each and every one fascinating, and highly recommend you take the time to read them.

You Are the One (2008)
Written when Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was still in full force, this story is a deeply touching account of a soldier’s partner and his feelings about the threat of death his partner will face, yet again, when he returns for another tour in Iraq. Names are never mentioned, which makes for an engaging style. The narrator is a gardener, a pacifist, and the idea of war –never mind his lover possibly dying because of it – is abhorrent to him. He addresses his soldier lover as “you” throughout, making the story sound like a discussion between the two, making it sound like a rant full of anger and despair. The story covers flashbacks, the narrator’s fear about his lover not returning, or returning in a casket, his helpless rage about the soldier’s unwillingness to put life and their love above his duty, and the temptation to tell the soldier’s commanding officer that he is gay – thus getting him expelled from the military.

The ending isn’t clear (at least it wasn’t to me), but I think this may be intentional. It gave me a tiny taste of what it must feel like to see a loved one depart – and not knowing what will happen, if he will ever return. A very poignant story!

The Casualty Assistant (2013)
“Casualty Assistant” is not a term I was familiar with before this story. They are men and women appointed by the various branches of the military to support the next of kin after a soldier’s death. I can’t even imagine the emotional toll this job takes on someone who, in this story’s case, returned from active duty and has now been appointed to inform families about the loss of their loved ones. The use of second person made the story more direct and increased its effect on me, because it pulled me into the narrator’s thoughts. He went out to “prove he was a man”, and the bond he feels is with the dead officer over the duty they shared, rather than his surviving wife.

An interesting look at a job that I wish weren’t necessary, and one that made me appreciate this somewhat unusual way to serve.

Kali: A Love Story (1998)
As confusing as it must be to take “the white powder”, this story is a rambling account of two married teachers who are tempted to get rich quickly by a somewhat disreputable friend who offers them an opportunity to sell some coke for him. Little vignettes of the increasing addiction follow, and while the bond of love is still there, the joint addiction quickly replaces everything that used to be there.

A somewhat scary look at what might happen if you become addicted, this story’s straightforward style hides nothing.

Dry Things (2015)
Temporary bonds can be as powerful as long-term ones, and this story is a good example. Even though Patrick travels with a female friend, everyone assumes she is his wife. When they get separated by a fight and political unrest in Cairo, where they have traveled for fun, Patrick’s first worry is not for his friend, but for the local waiter who flirts with him. The resulting look into his life provides Patrick with both expected and unexpected insight.

A colorful description of a passing link between two strangers.

FOB Loyalty (2008)
Without giving details about the physical injuries other than extreme weight loss and a brace under the uniform, this narrator tells the story of his lover returning from the war and the subsequent issues of dealing with his wounds. Not much is said openly, but it becomes clear how different the soldier and his lover see duty, loyalty, and the need to serve. Battlefield discipline is something a soldier will understand, but the one left behind, the one who worries, will never see it the same way.

A fascinating, subtle criticism of military obedience from an outsider’s point of view.

Bugged (2015)
Short and powerful, this is the story of a man who has let others f*ck him without protection. He watches his body over the next few days and knows he has been infected. He wonders how life can go on while he has only the certainty of death. It’s interesting, and a little scary, how comparatively easily he accepts his destiny, or maybe he is just without hope. He is too scared to get tested, and since he is so sure that he is now HIV positive, he no longer cares. His world has changed. He ends up going back to the location of anonymous encounters, and it becomes clear that his self-destructive behavior is addictive. Or maybe this is the only place he feels accepted?

Written in second person, this is a compelling story that I suspect will touch everyone a little differently. But it is worth reading because it is so thought-provoking no matter which way you look at it.

Devils (2015)
In this story, Bobby attempts to deal with the fact that his lover, Sean, has AIDS. Not from lack of being careful, but it seems he has brought it back from one of his trips to Africa as a development worker. Sean refuses to go to the hospital, since none of the many doctors they have talked to had anything of substance to offer. Bobby takes care of him, with the occasional help of friends and a nurse here and there. Bobby’s thoughts are chaotic, he tries to make deals with God, and he somehow believes what he does can make a difference. His going back and forth between hope and despair is deeply touching.

A very realistic look at the feelings of a man whose partner has AIDS.

Transport (2009)
The narrator feels all the hopelessness and loneliness of a gay man among a unit of straight soldiers in the middle of the war in Iraq. He has fought for his place, and nobody will send him away, but he has no illusions about finding a companion, someone who can understand him. The brief connection he makes with a young soldier as they share a Humvee on its way to an undisclosed location is not real, and even though he knows it, he can’t stop himself from making it.

A sad story about isolation and lack of any sort of meaningful or permanent bond with a like-minded man.

Hit and Run (2013)
Imagine living in a society that isn’t comfortable with who you are on a good day, and wants to “convert” you to being “normal” on a bad day. Imagine living in fear that the daughter you have with a good friend will be taken away from you because you prefer to live with your boyfriend rather than the mother of your child. Imagine living in a small town where gay-friendly means you don’t get beaten up on a regular basis, but real acceptance is nowhere to be found. These thoughts and many more go through the narrator’s head as he watches his daughter’s T-ball game, and reading them is a wake-up call for anyone who thinks the issues of gay discrimination are behind us.

Both moving and distressing, this is a witness statement in first person from someone who has to try to “pass for straight” or face the consequences.

Swagger (2014)
Warriors come in many different shapes and sizes, and this story is about a man who may never have entered the military, but with a father who treated his wife and children worse than most unit commanders treat the people they are responsible for, the narrator knows it all. Worse than that, for him, is that he desperately wants a connection with a soldier, but not one who wants to go back on active duty.

What we want and what we get is not always the same, and while the two men in this story share a few things, the lack of a chance for a permanent bond is palpable – and very sad.

Sketch, Wilde Oats (2015)
Niels is a lonely painter with quite a reputation. A lot of rumors, a lot of bad blood between him and the gay men in Bay Village, but his attitude and refusal to talk about it don’t help. When Jordan, a much younger man, wanders into the warehouse Niels live in, they feel a strange connection. But Jordan has to deal with the rumors, and Niels has to deal with his need to be alone and his refusal to ever trust anyone again. With a surprising ending, this is a story about a very unusual connection between two men who struggle with forming bonds, yet somehow manage to find each other.

Thought-provoking and unusual, with a hint of mystery and danger.

Embrace (2015)
In this story, Sherwin tries to be a pure, devout Catholic, he really does, but his impure thoughts come between him and his declared objective of becoming a priest. The man he works with on the Easter decorations in church, Christopher, seems to have it all under control. But not everything is as it looks, and the ending is very different from what Sherwin expected.

An interesting look at a gay young man’s struggle in light of his faith.

Kissing Fists (2006)
What happens when a gay man goes on a short vacation with a group of two straight women and a straight man who he thinks are his friends? He has to find out that, despite everything, they are not the ones who understand him. They can’t, not without making an effort, and none of them even realize they are missing part of the picture. It was interesting to watch what happens when Alan’s partner, Gar arrives. They have their differences, but the bond between them is so much stronger, and not just because they love each other.

A fascinating look at the way a gay man’s way of looking at relationships, friendship, and life in general.

If you like seeing the world with the eyes of a selection of different gay men, if a collection of stories that runs the gamut from sad to amusing, and from angry to resigned is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read full of variety and different perspectives, then you will probably like this bundle of short stories as much as I did.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Collection/13 short stories, 155 pages/54000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	04-April-2016
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-One-Scott-Pomfret-ebook/dp/B01DSDQW34