Arts & Entertainment
Sizzling summer suspense
Gay teen flees home in new Tomas Mournian thriller
‘Hidden’
by Tomas Mournian
c.2011, Kensington
$15
387 pages
Gay teens face all kinds of existential dread and disproportionate numbers are homeless, but few are truly on the lam-“Fugitive” style.
In the new novel “Hidden” by Tomas Mournian, staying concealed may be a life-or-death matter.
Ahmed was drugged. At least, he was sure he was. He felt really high and everything was slow. His father and Stepmother Number — was it four? — had come to pick him up at Serenity Ridge, and they expected complacency on the way home. No problems here.
But even woozy, Ahmed knew that escape was essential. There was no way he was going to be sent back to SR, a “residential treatment facility” for queer teens.
So when whispers turned out to be correct — that there was a certain truck stop near a certain sign in the middle of the desert where he could find help — Ahmed told his father that he had to “go.”
And when two women motioned for him to follow them, he went.
Passed from vehicle to vehicle, Ahmed ended up in a bus station with a phone number in his hand and a ticket to San Francisco. But getting there and finding the safe house he was told to seek wouldn’t be easy. There were men, bounty hunters, whose job it was to find runaway teens who could potentially embarrass their parents. And they were looking for him.
In the safe house, Ahmed became Ben. Someone dyed his hair and told him that he couldn’t look out the window. He was told that he couldn’t leave, either, but the other kids living there found a way: there was a rooftop area, perfect for smoking and listening to music. It was comfortable and semi-private. It was the perfect place to escape the drama of too many kids hiding.
It’s only a book. Those are the words you’ll want to remember while reading this pulse-racing novel.
“Hidden” is an easy book to get caught up in. The first half is pure classic chase-scene, complete with evil henchmen, vicious dogs and an Underground Railroad-like passage to safety. You almost want to look over Ahmed’s shoulder for him, lest he get caught.
Then author Tomas Mournian switches gears by adding a tiniest amount of malevolence to the discomfort of a dozen varied personalities packed in a small area for an unspecified time. This only ratchets up the tension, making “Hidden” a heart pounder.
Though geared for older teens, it’s an excellent read for adults too. If you’re looking for a book from which your attention may never escape, “Hidden” is one to seek.
The D.C. Front Runners held the 14th annual 5K Pride Run at Congressional Cemetery on Saturday, June 6.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Books
‘Mighty Real’ explores history of LGBTQ music
From Judas Priest to Whitney, something for every taste
‘Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000’
By Barry Walters
c.2026, Viking
$35/496 pages
Step, step, tap, back step.
Shimmy in a circle, left hand waving over your head, shake your tail feathers, repeat to the beat. Once there was a time when you could do any dance in your sleep, but it’s been a while. So read “Mighty Real” by Barry Walters, and see if your toes don’t tap.
Fifty-seven years after Stonewall, and here we are: LGBTQ musicians still face scrutiny for their sexuality because, says Walters, music isn’t created for gay listeners. No problem: LGBTQ artists and writers have often penned lyrics carefully in order to say what can’t be said, “coding” songs for gay audiences that straight (and ignorant) listeners can dance to and enjoy with apparent obliviousness.
Walters offers “just a few” examples.
Lou Reed sang about trans people in the late ‘60s and offered a rallying song for the Gay Liberation Front in 1972, the latter of which felt like a message to a then-11-year-old Walters. Janis Joplin claimed she was straight, but she had several girlfriends. Motown singers often offered sometimes-ambiguous lyrics.
John Lennon’s hand placement on the back cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band made Walters begin to understand that he was different from other boys.
David Bowie is on his list, of course, as is Bette Midler, Elton John, Donna Summer, and Queen. You’ll find Judas Priest here, Green Day, and punk music. The Village People are included in this book, also Grace Jones, Duran Duran, and Cher, Whitney, Melissa, Latifah, and the lyrics from several blockbuster movies.
Two of Prince’s band members were lesbians, and they heavily influenced his albums. Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” cemented her position in LGBTQ culture, and Michael Jackson’s inclusion here takes much careful consideration.
Read about Olivia Newton-John and the B52s. And then there’s Sylvester, for whom Walters has a soft spot in his heart. Sylvester’s death still makes Walters cry.
In his preface, author and music writer Barry Walters points out that music is what you make it and that it’s interpreted differently by each individual. To that end, this book naturally consists of preferential history and personal opinions about singers, bands, albums, and songs.
Agree or disagree. That’s where much of the appeal lies in “Mighty Real.”
Here, Walters wraps his memories around his choices, giving readers room for their own views, memories, and list making. Music-loving readers might also be surprised to note who’s not on Walters’ list – there aren’t many country performers here, for example, and the overall list focuses entirely on music from roughly 1968 to the year 2000, mostly on the kinds of songs you’ll want at the club or party. Again, discuss, and curate your own playlist.
This is a hefty book, but the chapters are browse-able and generally short enough to read in under five minutes. It’s nostalgic, yet also serious in the history it presents. This is the kind of book you want to leave near your album collection, or wherever you get your tunes. But finding “Mighty Real” is your first step.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington performed “Soul Divas” at the Lincoln Theatre over the weekend. The show featured songs popularized by Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Whitney Houston and more.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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