thonglor55
June 18th, 2011, 10:07
The British novelist Alan Hollinghurst, who is gay, has written four novels based on gay characters. His fifth novel is not so gay. In a long interview (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/18/alan-hollinghurst-interview) publised in today's The Guardian, Hollinghurst as a "gay novelist" is discussed:
One question he refuses to engage with is whether he is still pigeonholed as a gay writer. This was the canard that followed him on his promotional tour for The Line Of Beauty, when interviewers asked whether his gayness defined him as a writer and every news piece was headlined, "Gay writer wins Booker". "I have a feeling it's changed," he says. "I spent 20 years politely answering the question, 'How do you feel when people categorise you as a gay writer?' and I'm not going to do it this time round. It's no longer relevant."It's an interview well worth reading for those who can cope with multisyllabic words. There's also an extensive review (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-strangers-child-by-alan-hollinghurst-2298468.html) of the novel itself in The Independent. Like bucknaway I'll be waiting to read the e-book on my WiFi-enabled 3G iPad (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/gay-thailand-f9/ipad-use-thailand-t21213.html).
One question he refuses to engage with is whether he is still pigeonholed as a gay writer. This was the canard that followed him on his promotional tour for The Line Of Beauty, when interviewers asked whether his gayness defined him as a writer and every news piece was headlined, "Gay writer wins Booker". "I have a feeling it's changed," he says. "I spent 20 years politely answering the question, 'How do you feel when people categorise you as a gay writer?' and I'm not going to do it this time round. It's no longer relevant."It's an interview well worth reading for those who can cope with multisyllabic words. There's also an extensive review (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-strangers-child-by-alan-hollinghurst-2298468.html) of the novel itself in The Independent. Like bucknaway I'll be waiting to read the e-book on my WiFi-enabled 3G iPad (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/gay-thailand-f9/ipad-use-thailand-t21213.html).