Queer · and · Loathing · in · America

One of the rewards I got the last time I was at the Compound was a chance to forage through a book collection about to be discarded; as odd as that may sound, one never knows what treasures you can discover in someone else's discards. One of the books I took was one of those really nice leatherbound classics editions of Shakespeare's Love Poems and Sonnets, which I have never read. My antipathy to Shakespeare is deep and goes back to being forced to read it in high school and to take an entire semester course in it--with the added plus of one of those horrendous instructors who made my college experience unriching and unrewarding. Other authors or English majors are often shocked and appalled by my aversion to the Bard; of course I am very familiar with the plots and characters of his plays (who isn't?), but I never cared much for the language. However, between bouts of work today I would curl up on the sofa and started reading this book. It's actually quite lovely; and I am not a reader of poetry either; that is one writing discipline I know absolutely nothing about. I've never written poems, and I don't read them. But, as I said, this is quite lovely; and I am thinking that perhaps I should broaden my reading a bit and start reading poetry more often.

After all, one of the reasons I love Tennessee Williams' plays so much is the poetic language.

Sigh. I hated not being down there today; I felt like a senior who'd been grounded the night of his prom. Ah, well, I got quite a bit done today, and I am certain that, regrets to the contrary, that I made the right decision in staying home and working today. I like the way the book is going for me, and I am enjoying doing the work. I am trying to remember the last time I enjoyed writing, and it's been a very long time--Jackson Square Jazz, maybe. It is also very challenging to write this book; on many different levels. What is Chanse's verdict on how the recovery is going? How much has he healed? What is going to happen with him next? Am I making him too stupid? LOL. And how has he changed, adapted, grown up since the close of the last book? Has he at all?

It's the characters in my books and stories that I love; even the reprehensible ones. I always try to make them seem real, or as real as possible. I don't know how much or how often I succeed, but I know there have been times that I have succeeded, and that's nice to know. And sue me, but it's nice when people respond to characters you've created. It's nice when people love your characters. Then you know you succeeded with what you set out to do, which was create real people that would live in the minds of your readers and in their imaginations.

I have often said that my biggest weakness as a writer is plot. I suck at plot. I always struggle with it, never feel completely comfortable with it, and even after the book is in print I go back and second-guess myself. Oh, I should have done this or had this person do that, then this would have made SO much more sense. My books are generally made up of about half plot and the other half is the life of my character and the setting. I like the personal stories of my characters in the books; I like to write about who they are, and why they are who they are.

As I've worked on this book, I've thought a lot about the Scotty series. I still get the occasional email asking me when there will be another one; those always make me a little sad. I got one from someone in Australia today; when I gave the standard answer I've been giving everyone, for the first time the reality of the statement kind of hit me. There probably won't be another Scotty book, and it made me a little sad. Before, it was just an automatic response; I typed it out without thinking too much about what I was actually saying. When asked in person, I would just dismiss the question gently with a shrug and a simple, "Probably not" and then would move on. But today, for some reason it hit me. I guess deep down, I always thought I would probably do another one at some point; that I would go back to his and Frank's and Millie's and Velma's and David's and his family's world again.

Over the last few days, as I've checked through the Scotty books for continuity with the characters of Venus and Blaine, who appear in both series, it started niggling at me--so I guess it was already in the forefront of my mind, so answering the email triggered the finality.

Oh, don't worry. I'm fine; I am not reaching for the Xanax bottle. I guess I never really had the chance to, freaky as this sounds, grieve for the series. Scotty was great, great fun for me. Those books were a joy to do readings from for me; because to do the reading I had to go into Scotty's head, and no matter what was going on, Scotty's head was always a nice place to be. I loved him, and it made me so happy that other people did as well, laughed at him, cried with him, and just enjoyed his crazy life right along with him. Those books are very special to me.

Even Mardi Gras Mambo, the book that haunted me for two of the most horrible years of my life.

When that one was finished, I was happy and relieved, and had already thought about the next Scotty book. Three weeks later everything changed, of course, as things are wont to do in this world...and I got very far away from a Scotty frame of mind. I had to write, though, I had to write about New Orleans and what it was like then; Chanse's voice was the right one to show the city as it was then, and as it is now.

I don't rule it out; I never rule anything out. I said once that the Scotty books to me were a time capsule of the wonder and beauty and fun that was New Orleans before that wicked day, and I kind of wanted to always view them, and the character, that way. And I think that is the right way to look at them.

I hope they will always find readers, so that people can see what gay life in the Quarter was like for a guy who liked to have a good time. I am sure they'll someday go out of print, but so far they've had a great run; Bourbon Street Blues is still in print five years after it was published--so even if it were to go out of print tomorrow it had a good run.

So, one more time, I want to thank everyone who took Scotty and his adventures to their hearts. You have no idea how happy you, the readers, made me.