January 24 - 30, 2013
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A queerly engaging novel Drawing out the dynamics of gender-bending relationships ing — in every sense of the word — in both its critical exploration of gender identity and its display of those personal tensions within real life relationships. And although it lacks exceptional prose, Sam Rosenthal’s second RYE book raises plenty of provocative questions about sexuality and polyamory, while telling a pretty good story (and, I guess, helping you By Sam Rosenthal get off, depending on your inclinations). We follow Matt, a 40-year-old divorced Published by Projekt father, who’s romantically involved with Rye, November 15, 2012 a 31-year-old biological female who identifies as male — and whom Rosenthal refers to 268 pages with male pronouns throughout the novel. Their relationship is equal parts passionate and tumultuous, as both struggle at times to understand their own needs and desires, from both physical and emotional perspectives. BY SAM SPOKONY But the most complicated thing about the While I want to believe what “Star Trek” taught me, I think space might not really be interactions between Matt and Rye might be the final frontier. Sure, there’s this unfath- the battles with binary oppositions — clashes omable depth of infinity to be investigated and ironies seemingly more associated with outside us, but what might be even more the heteronormative world — that surface complex is the stuff inside — the farthest throughout their seemingly “free” gender reaches of our own human identity, and all neutral lifestyles. Both are forced to confront the psychological twists that go along with questions about their personal quests for hedonistic happiness in a world that largely deciphering that. ignores3:36 or PM simply doesn’t understand them Or at DDF leastDTEx thisadis 3how I feel, as a typically Jan 2013.pdf 1 2013-01-16 vanilla heterosexual male, after reading my (although Rosenthal himself largely ignores first genderqueer erotic novel. “Rye” is prob- actual depictions of the world of hetero “val-
Books
Photo courtesy of the author
ues”). And the reader, alongside the fictional lovers, is asked to further dissect traditional notions such as marriage, monogamy and its related intimacy issues, and the masculine/female power dynamics within sexually unpredictable relationships. On top of all that, we later find Matt engaged in a simultaneous relationship with Rain, a queer 23-year-old hermaphrodite who tends to switch between male and female pronouns, and whose distinctly different personality and sexual attitude forces Matt to further struggle to understand his feelings for Rye. It’s difficult for me to describe all the gritty details in a G-rated setting, so I’ll just say that you’re going to be very, very close to all three of these characters by the end of the novel. So, yes, there’s a lot of sex in this book. A lot. And for people who don’t share these particular inclinations, the underlying themes might seem too cryptically embedded within nonstop images of sheer kinkiness. But I think there are theories worth digging for in Rosenthal’s jumble of words and bodies — ideas that will probably mean different things to different people, and will probably also leave most readers with some previously hidden sense of curiosity, a new insight into queer lifestyles, or at least a more intellectual way to get off.
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A "BURN THE MORTGAGE" CELEBRATION! Saturday, January 26th 5:00 to 7:00pm REJOYCE! THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY Has Paid Its Mortgage! $717,000 to $0!
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THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY Celebrates its 40th Year, and celebrates its future as The Cultural Center for the East Village and the Lower East Side— serving its neighborhood with Free and Low-Cost Theater, Art, Music, Poetry, Puppetry, Multimedia & Street Theater.
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