Books
FALL ARTS 2016: ‘Looking’ for a good book?
Raising trans kids, Milwaukee’s gay history, queer Alaskan poets and more


The ‘Looking’ coffeetable book features scenes from the memorable HBO series. (Photo courtesy First Third Books)
Before it was possible to Google terms like “gender creative,” Julie Tarney had to trust her instincts when her 2-year-old son Harry told her in 1992, “Inside my head I’m a girl.” “My Son Wears Heels: One Mom’s Journey from Clueless to Kickass” (out this week for $24.95) is Tarney’s story of unwavering support for her son by listening carefully, keeping an open mind, and putting Harry’s happiness before society’s edicts.
Originally chronicled in a serialized national column in the Guardian newspaper in the U.K., “Trans: A Memoir by Juliet Jacques” (out Nov. 15, $19.95) provides an insider’s insight into gender politics and how popular media is either ignoring or distorting the transgender movement. Jacques also provides a completely honest account of her sex reassignment surgery at the age of 30 and the journey to redefine her life for her family, her friends and herself.
“Before Pictures” by Douglas Crimp (out Sept. 22, $39) ticks all the boxes for anyone who has followed the long career of art critic Crimp, who famously coined the term “The Pictures Generation” in reference to the postmodern work of artists like Sherrie Levine and Cindy Sherman during the 1970s and ‘80s. The memoir follows his experiences as a young gay man in New York City in the 1960s, partying alongside the Warhol crowd, and eventually becoming an activist as AIDS began to devastate both the gay and arts communities.
Running parallel to Crimp’s memoir, “Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor, 1980-1983” by Tim Lawrence (out Sept. 30, $27.95) examines the intersection of New York City’s party and arts scenes in the early ‘80s, a world of intense creativity, risk and cultural crossover. Lawrence’s history outlines the convergence of disco, punk, hip hop, salsa and jazz with performance and visual art, video, film and fashion, all leading to the development of 21st century dance music.
Having “Looking” withdrawal now that the series and movie are over? Savor memories of the uber-gay HBO series with a coffeetable book of photos from the show. It’s out in October in two versions — one for $59 and another for $88 that features a DVD with interviews, behind-the-scenes footage from the movie and a signed cast photo. Jump fast if you’re interested — only 500 copies of each version are being issued. Details at firstthirdbooks.com.
While New York or San Francisco might seem like the epicenters of America’s gay rights movement, “LGBT Milwaukee (Images of Modern America)” by Michail Takach ($22.99) seeks to correct that notion, highlighting the history of gay and lesbian culture that was evolving in the Rust Belt city of Milwaukee from the early 1960s. As part of the Wisconsin LGBT History Project, the book’s 150 photographs with detailed captions focus on secret back room hangouts to mega-discos to drag queen culture.
“Becoming Who I Am: Young Men on Being Gay” (out Sept. 19; $27.95) is the result of extensive interviews with about 40 young gay men whose average age is 20. Author Ritch C. Savin-Williams explores their first inklings of same-sex attraction, first sexual experiences and their thoughts on love and long-term relationships.
Young Adult, or YA, fiction is the fastest-growing segment of the publishing market, continuing to offer sophisticated stories and viewpoints that are just as interesting for the over-18 reader. “You Know Me Well” by David Levithan and Nina LaCour ($18.99) is a coming-of-age story set in San Francisco during Pride Week, as two high school classmates, Mark and Kate, who have never spoken, suddenly run into each other one night in the city while avoiding the people they want to be with. Mark is struggling with his unrequited feelings for his best friend Ryan, while Kate is fearful of finally meeting the girl she’s loved from afar.
Tippi Hedren, one of the most famous Hitchcock blondes, releases her memoir “Tippi: a Memoir” ($28.99) on Nov. 1.
“Girl Mans Up” by M-E Girard (released this month, $17.99) is another YA title that will resonate as Pen tries to navigate a world where the cultural expectations from people around her, from her parents to her friends, make it difficult for her to simply be who she is — a girl who isn’t interested in looking feminine, has strong feelings for other girls, and, at the heart of it all, is still a girl at the end of the day who doesn’t want to pretend to be something she’s not.
“It Looks Like This” (out this month, $16.99) by debut author Rafi Mittlefehldt is a tale of first love and loss, following Mike as he and his family move to a new city and he starts at a new high school, constantly urged by his father to give up art for sports as he befriends new kid Sean. Ultimately hopeful, the story doesn’t shy away from the fear that compels parents to send their kids to “straight camp” or the bittersweet need for acceptance from the people we love.
Flynn’s girlfriend is missing, but that’s the least of his problems in “Last Seen Leaving” by Caleb Roehrig (Oct. 4; $17.99). This suspenseful mystery forces Flynn to confront his own demons while being scrutinized by cops and friends, with wit, grit and realism.
“Murder Ink” (Oct. 1; $14.99) is the first offering in the Dakota Jones, P.I. Mystery series, as Jones, the owner of Runaway Investigations, tries to spend a quiet holiday with her girlfriend Kris, a homicide officer, until Kris gets caught up in the investigation of the sordid murder of the proprietor of Fantasy Escorts, who Jones once worked for, back in the old days.
Alaska may, indeed, seem like another country, a place where people go to reinvent themselves in a fresh landscape, as evident in “Building Fires in the Snow: A Collection of Alaska LGBTQ Short Fiction and Poetry” (out this week, $29.95). The anthology gathers stories and poems from across the wide spectrum of Alaska’s LGBT community, shining a light on the everyday lives of gay and lesbian individuals and families within a historically diverse culture.
“The Sea Is Quiet Tonight: a Memoir” by Michael H. Ward (Nov. 1, $19.99) is, by turns, a painful reminder and inspiration tale of both the love and loss experienced by so many during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Ward details his partner Mark’s diagnosis and death with honesty, delving into the closeness that can develop between partners, family and friends, even as death is imminent.
Using a collection of characters from pop culture, activism, and academia, “Queer: A Graphic History” by Meg-John Barker and Julia Scheele (Nov. 15, $17.95) uses the graphic novel to guide readers through the history of identity politics, queer theory and gender roles. Fresh interpretations and clever illustrations help bring new life to academic constructs and an understanding of the intersection of biology, psychology, and modern culture.

‘My Son Wears Heels’ by Julie Tarney tells of her experiences raising a gender non-conforming son. (Photo courtesy University of Wisconsin Press)
Books
Chronicling disastrous effects of ‘conversion therapy’
New book uncovers horror, unexpected humor of discredited practice

‘Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors’ Stories of Conversion Therapy’
By Lucas F. W. Wilson
c.2025, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
$21.95/190 pages
You’re a few months in, and it hasn’t gotten any easier.
You made your New Year’s resolutions with forethought, purpose, and determination but after all this time, you still struggle, ugh. You’ve backslid. You’ve cheated because change is hard. It’s sometimes impossible. And in the new book, “Shame-Sex Attraction” by Lucas F. W. Wilson, it can be exceptionally traumatic.

Progress does not come without problems.
While it’s true that the LGBTQ community has been adversely affected by the current administration, there are still things to be happy about when it comes to civil rights and acceptance. Still, says Wilson, one “particularly slow-moving aspect… has been the fight against what is widely known as conversion therapy.”
Such practices, he says, “have numerous damaging, death-dealing, and no doubt disastrous consequences.” The stories he’s collected in this volume reflect that, but they also mirror confidence and strength in the face of detrimental treatment.
Writer Gregory Elsasser-Chavez was told to breathe in something repellent every time he thought about other men. He says, in the end, he decided not to “pray away the gay.” Instead, he quips, he’d “sniff it away.”
D. Apple became her “own conversation therapist” by exhausting herself with service to others as therapy. Peter Nunn’s father took him on a surprise trip, but the surprise was a conversion facility; Nunn’s father said if it didn’t work, he’d “get rid of” his 15-year-old son. Chaim Levin was forced to humiliate himself as part of his therapy.
Lexie Bean struggled to make a therapist understand that they didn’t want to be a man because they were “both.” Jordan Sullivan writes of the years it takes “to re-integrate and become whole” after conversion therapy. Chris Csabs writes that he “tried everything to find the root of my problem” but “nothing so far had worked.”
Says Syre Klenke of a group conversion session, “My heart shattered over and over as people tried to console and encourage each other…. I wonder if each of them is okay and still with us today.”
Here’s a bit of advice for reading “Shame-Sex Attraction”: dip into the first chapter, maybe the second, then go back and read the foreword and introduction, and resume.
The reason: author Lucas F. W. Wilson’s intro is deep and steep, full of footnotes and statistics, and if you’re not prepared or you didn’t come for the education, it might scare you away. No, the subtitle of this book is likely why you’d pick the book up so because that’s what you really wanted, indulge before backtracking.
You won’t be sorry; the first stories are bracing and they’ll steel you for the rest, for the emotion and the tears, the horror and the unexpected humor.
Be aware that there are triggers all over this book, especially if you’ve been subjected to anything like conversion therapy yourself. Remember, though, that the survivors are just that: survivors, and their strength is what makes this book worthwhile. Even so, though “Shame-Sex Attraction” is an essential read, that doesn’t make it any easier.
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Books
How one gay Catholic helped change the world
‘A Prince of a Boy,’ falls short of author’s previous work

Brian McNaught, the pioneering gay activist and author of 1986’s “On Being Gay” and 1993’s “Gay Issues in the Workplace,” has written a personal account about his Catholic faith and homosexuality. It is a memoir without much substance.
“A Prince of a Boy: How One Gay Catholic Helped Change the World” (Cascade Books) is a strong personal statement by McNaught. He helped change family relationships. He helped change attitudes about homosexuality. He helped change workplaces, but the world?

In January 2023, the Catholic News Service reported that Pope Francis announced that, “being homosexual is not a crime.” In December 2023, NPR reported that Pope Francis approved “Catholic blessings for same-sex couples, but not for marriage.” Francis died Monday at age 88. Although Catholics may not see homosexuality as a crime, they see sex outside of marriage as a sin. They see same-sex marriage as a sin.
In 2021, Gallup reported that membership in the Catholic Church had declined 20 percent since 2000. In 2025, the Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study found that nearly 40 percent of Americans identified as Protestant, while the same study found that only 19 percent identified as Catholic.
McNaught devotes much of his book to his life as a gay Catholic. It is challenging to read about his personal struggle. Some readers may find it interesting. Others might find it boring. Catholic readers may find it more compelling than Protestant readers.
As the above statistics prove, McNaught has much more work to do to change the Catholic Church’s views about homosexuality. We should be glad for his contribution to the debate within the Catholic Church. We should pray for full acceptance of gays in the Catholic Church.
“A Prince of a Boy” becomes more interesting when McNaught describes his work as an educator on LGBTQ issues. He has had an impact on workplace policies, academic programs, and public education, and his lectures, books, and other materials are widely used.
Based on my experience in the federal government and volunteering with LGBTQ organizations from the Bay Area to Washington, D.C., I believe McNaught’s work as an educator has improved LGBTQ lives, careers, and families. During the Clinton administration, I gave many copies of “Gay Issues in the Workplace” to personnel directors. I felt their staff could benefit from reading it. I thought it would help the lives and careers of my federal LGBTQ colleagues.
McNaught’s “A Prince of a Boy” was released in December 2024. Anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant died the same month. Bryant campaigned against a gay rights law in Florida. She began a national campaign against gays.
When Bryant successfully reversed a gay rights ordinance in Dade County, Florida, McNaught wrote the important essay “Dear Anita, Late Night Thoughts of an Irish Catholic Homosexual.” The essay is not in “A Prince of a Boy”; however, McNaught mentions Bryant.
In his training programs, McNaught describes homosexuals as journeying from confusion to denial to acceptance to pride. “Anita Bryant and AIDS brought Gay people to identity pride very quickly,” McNaught writes. San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk (1930-1978) and other activists reached similar conclusions about Bryant’s vicious anti-gay campaign.
McNaught helped change the LGBTQ world and brought pride to many people’s lives. McNaught walks in pride, works in pride, and educates others in pride.
“A Prince of a Boy” is a disappointing book. It provides small details about Brian McNaught’s large, proud life. A meaningful biography about this great gay leader is long overdue.
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Books
‘Pronoun Trouble’ reminds us that punctuation matters
‘They’ has been a shape-shifter for more than 700 years

‘Pronoun Trouble’
By John McWhorter
c.2025, Avery
$28/240 pages
Punctuation matters.
It’s tempting to skip a period at the end of a sentence Tempting to overuse exclamation points!!! very tempting to MeSs with capital letters. Dont use apostrophes. Ask a question and ignore the proper punctuation commas or question marks because seriously who cares. So guess what? Someone does, punctuation really matters, and as you’ll see in “Pronoun Trouble” by John McWhorter, so do other parts of our language.

Conversation is an odd thing. It’s spontaneous, it ebbs and flows, and it’s often inferred. Take, for instance, if you talk about him. Chances are, everyone in the conversation knows who him is. Or he. That guy there.
That’s the handy part about pronouns. Says McWhorter, pronouns “function as shorthand” for whomever we’re discussing or referring to. They’re “part of our hardwiring,” they’re found in all languages, and they’ve been around for centuries.
And, yes, pronouns are fluid.
For example, there’s the first-person pronoun, I as in me and there we go again. The singular I solely affects what comes afterward. You say “he-she IS,” and “they-you ARE” but I am. From “Black English,” I has also morphed into the perfectly acceptable Ima, shorthand for “I am going to.” Mind blown.
If you love Shakespeare, you may’ve noticed that he uses both thou and you in his plays. The former was once left to commoners and lower classes, while the latter was for people of high status or less formal situations. From you, we get y’all, yeet, ya, you-uns, and yinz. We also get “you guys,” which may have nothing to do with guys.
We and us are warmer in tone because of the inclusion implied. She is often casually used to imply cars, boats, and – warmly or not – gay men, in certain settings. It “lacks personhood,” and to use it in reference to a human is “barbarity.”
And yes, though it can sometimes be confusing to modern speakers, the singular word “they” has been a “shape-shifter” for more than 700 years.
Your high school English teacher would be proud of you, if you pick up “Pronoun Trouble.” Sadly, though, you might need her again to make sense of big parts of this book: What you’ll find here is a delightful romp through language, but it’s also very erudite.
Author John McWhorter invites readers along to conjugate verbs, and doing so will take you back to ancient literature, on a fascinating journey that’s perfect for word nerds and anyone who loves language. You’ll likely find a bit of controversy here or there on various entries, but you’ll also find humor and pop culture, an explanation for why zie never took off, and assurance that the whole flap over strictly-gendered pronouns is nothing but overblown protestation. Readers who have opinions will like that.
Still, if you just want the pronoun you want, a little between-the-lines looking is necessary here, so beware. “Pronoun Trouble” is perfect for linguists, writers, and those who love to play with words but for most readers, it’s a different kind of book, period.
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