American Fiction, Short Story Collections (Single Author), Irish Americans - Fiction & Literature, Gay & Lesbian Fiction
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Overview
The five stories and two short novellas in This Thing Called Courage examine the lives of gay men and gay youth in South Boston, a heavily Irish-Catholic working-class community. In a place known for its fierce loyalty to ‘our own’ and a strong, traditional religious ethic, we meet characters caught in the crossfire of traditional values, Irish tragedy, and the inevitable intrusion of diversity. The result of this lethal mix is often tragic, sometimes redemptive, and sometimes disastrous, but always compelling.Editorials
Stephen McCauley
Joe Hayes is AN EXCITING, ORIGINAL NEW VOICE in American fiction. His stories are sad, violent, erotic, and, when you least expect it, sweet and romantic. He writes with passion and a cinematic eye for color and detail. You get to know the world of his characters inside out: the tough streets and the tender hearts. I CAN’T WAIT FOR MORE.—Stephen McCauley, Author, The Object of My Affection, The Man of the House, The Easy Way Out, and True Enough
Publishers Weekly
Set in the rough neighborhoods of South Boston, This Thing Called Courage is a collection of seven moving stories dealing with sexual desire among young, working-class Irish Catholic men. Author J.G. Hayes does an excellent job of capturing the conflicting emotions of his characters as they wrestle with "some bastard child of... shame and desire." In "Jimmy Callahan, Married, Three Kids," a firefighter is drawn to a widowed co-worker; the narrator of "The Rain" suffers a breakdown after a beloved friend plummets to his death; and in the title story, a repairman recalls an ill-fated affair with his high school gym teacher. These stories, often bleak but always deeply moving, are a welcome addition to the Boston Irish subgenre of hard-knocks fiction. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.Book Details
Published
August 28, 2002
Publisher
Haworth Press, Incorporated, The
Pages
246
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9781560233800