Arts
Come Out, Come Out: M. Signorile's Queer in America
Coming Out is in the Details
COMING OUT IS IN THE DETAILS
by Cynthia Potts
In the Steps of Mister Proust Stanley
Ely |
On
the odd chance that nobody's noticed, let me be the first to tell you:
sometimes it's hard to decide if you're gay or not. Being 18 and a freshman
at Columbia University isn't exactly a piece of cake, either. Throw in
some tough questions about finances, friendships, and parental relationships,
not to mention a hefty dose of Jewish-tinged introspection, and you've
got Stanley Ely's coming-of-age novel, In the Steps of Mister Proust.
This novel, Ely's second, is set in the
early days of the AIDS era. It centers on the interaction between our
protagonist, Josh, his roommate, Richard, and his on-again, off-again
lover, Dean. Tangential, yet still important, are Josh's relationships
with his brothers and with his father, who had left the family four years
earlier to move in with his lover, Hugh.
Still stung by his father's abandonment,
Josh finds an unlikely solace in studying the works of Marcel Proust.
Renowned for his exacting descriptions of everyday life, Proust seems
an unlikely model for a college freshman. Yet it is this academic pursuit
that helps Josh parse his feelings to the nth degree, as well as earn
praise from Professor Hungerford. Ely does an admirable job of keeping
Josh's relationship with Hungerford a mix of professionalism and intimacy
- the hints are there, but the actions are never taken.
It's a motif that repeats throughout the
book. Josh's interactions with an attractive hustler named Al create a
time-line of self-acceptance, almost as clearly as the awkward development
of his relationship with Dean.
Dean is an incredibly patient lover, apparently
smitten with Josh at first sight, and willing to wait through Josh's orientation
difficulties. A larger issue is Dean's misshapen leg, a birth defect that
Josh has a hard time going to bed with. Dean is unnaturally complacent
about Josh's attitude, a jarring break with reality in an otherwise well-written
novel. The only scene where Dean even confronts Josh about his leg comes
across flat and devoid of any real emotion.
On the other hand, the scene where Josh
accompanies his roommate home is exceptionally done. We stand awkwardly
with the young man in the kitchen as he hears Richard tell his parents
that not only is he gay, but he's also HIV-positive. They're not sure
which is the bigger tragedy - an interaction that forces Josh to reconsider
his relationship with his own father.
Josh comes across as incredibly self-obsessed
in his dealings with his father, which is a fairly accurate picture of
most 18-year-olds. Even though his father is involved in the lawsuit of
his life, Josh's concerns center on whether or not his tuition will be
paid without tapping into his trust fund. He does make some inquiries
into financial aid, only to bring down dad's wrath. Dad's resistance to
financial aid is another jarring tidbit - does any family put a child
through university without incurring some debt? - but reveals a great
deal about this complex, under-developed character. Over the course of
the novel, we get a tantalizing glimpse of a relationship in flux, the
subtle dance that occurs when the child becomes adult.
Like Proust, Ely takes his time working
through the minutia of life. We know all about Josh's meal plans, his
class work, and a thousand other details that in themselves are wholly
without significance. The artistry lies in tying these tiny points together
to create a coherent whole, one that captures all of the subtle nuances
of a life in transition. Proust was a great observer, and Ely follows
in that tradition.
The novel is aimed at a young adult audience,
but would resonate better with readers old enough to remember the times
being described. Today's teens have encountered AIDS prevention information
as early as elementary school. As a result, Josh's naiveté throughout
the book would seem affected at best, willful ignorance at worst. Viewed
with knowledge of the early 1980's, this book becomes an insightful companion
on Josh's journey into life as an adult gay man.
Cynthia Potts lives with her family and an ever-growing collection
of animals in Plattsburgh, NY. She welcomes reader comments and can be
reached at ctpotts@juno.com