His Steadfast Love & Other Stories
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9781590214381
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by Paul Brownsey
In the world of Paul Brownsey, God is a camp old queen trying to split up a gay couple; Judy Garland did not die in 1969 and instead ended up wowing her fellow residents in a Scottish care home on karaoke night; a fan of musical theatre steals an Irving Berlin lyric as a Valentine's poem and spends decades contriving to hide the theft from his lover; after a one-night stand, two men maintain a distant awareness of each other's lives for a quarter of a century and then face the question: are we in love? Often playful, Scottish author Brownsey's stories in this collection cast an imaginative eye on gay romance--but, make no mistake, they deal with the life most gay men will recognise, in which meeting lovers and sustaining relationships go alongside the uneasy terrain of acceptance, both internal and external. And as a former philosophy professor at Glasgow University, Brownsey knows how our everyday lives embody the big questions, but he shows this with a light touch and dark humour.
Paperback, 194 pages
In the world of Paul Brownsey, God is a camp old queen trying to split up a gay couple; Judy Garland did not die in 1969 and instead ended up wowing her fellow residents in a Scottish care home on karaoke night; a fan of musical theatre steals an Irving Berlin lyric as a Valentine's poem and spends decades contriving to hide the theft from his lover; after a one-night stand, two men maintain a distant awareness of each other's lives for a quarter of a century and then face the question: are we in love? Often playful, Scottish author Brownsey's stories in this collection cast an imaginative eye on gay romance--but, make no mistake, they deal with the life most gay men will recognise, in which meeting lovers and sustaining relationships go alongside the uneasy terrain of acceptance, both internal and external. And as a former philosophy professor at Glasgow University, Brownsey knows how our everyday lives embody the big questions, but he shows this with a light touch and dark humour.
Paperback, 194 pages
"Brownsey's first solo collection showcases his aptitude for clever and evocative language. His pieces are droll and imaginative, deepening the narrow theme of long-standing gay couples who struggle with cravings for approval and acceptance from themselves, their lovers, and the wider world." - Publishers Weekly, starred review
"These sixteen stories explore many areas of Scottish gay life: sexual, emotional, cultural, political and religious. They are all, without exception, entertaining and exquisitvely written, running the whole gamut of emotions from humour through reflective sadness to occasional touches of anger." - Am Bratach
"Brownsey’s stories affirm that relationships are the same heaven and hell for everyone, for the obvious reason that people, of course, are people. These stories are romantic in an unromantic way, which is the most romantic way of all. Hilarious, irreverent, wise, fast paced, they range from tales of domestic rows about whether or not to accept a party invitation (and therefore whether or not to divorce), to stories narrated by a jaded God, maliciously hoping for a human’s weakness to override his capacity for kindness and forgiveness. There is not a single story that feels like a weak link. Every one, a gem." - Cynthia Rogerson for North Words
"His Steadfast Love and Other Stories, the debut collection by Paul Brownsey of Glasgow, Scotland, contains sixteen short stories; despite their deceptive shortness and deft humor, these stories examine many aspects of modern gay life, and even the human condition, with a dispassionate, discerning eye.... For all their surreality and even unreality, these stories will strike chords of recognition with most gay men (indeed, anyone who has navigated the uncertain seas of relationships)." - Out in Print
"These sixteen stories explore many areas of Scottish gay life: sexual, emotional, cultural, political and religious. They are all, without exception, entertaining and exquisitvely written, running the whole gamut of emotions from humour through reflective sadness to occasional touches of anger." - Am Bratach
"Brownsey’s stories affirm that relationships are the same heaven and hell for everyone, for the obvious reason that people, of course, are people. These stories are romantic in an unromantic way, which is the most romantic way of all. Hilarious, irreverent, wise, fast paced, they range from tales of domestic rows about whether or not to accept a party invitation (and therefore whether or not to divorce), to stories narrated by a jaded God, maliciously hoping for a human’s weakness to override his capacity for kindness and forgiveness. There is not a single story that feels like a weak link. Every one, a gem." - Cynthia Rogerson for North Words
"His Steadfast Love and Other Stories, the debut collection by Paul Brownsey of Glasgow, Scotland, contains sixteen short stories; despite their deceptive shortness and deft humor, these stories examine many aspects of modern gay life, and even the human condition, with a dispassionate, discerning eye.... For all their surreality and even unreality, these stories will strike chords of recognition with most gay men (indeed, anyone who has navigated the uncertain seas of relationships)." - Out in Print