http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/235998806

100 men I have slept with (and other poems)

"100 Men I Have Slept With is, in reality, two books, as distinct as the two halves of the male figure gracing its cover. The first section, The Windy City, speaks of a young man's coming of age in Chicago during the early eighties and is filled with first experiences: first sexual experiences - both good and bad, first trip to a gay bar, first taste of freedom, first feelings of alienation - of being someone's dirty, little secret - and, of course, first love. It opens with a darkly erotic childhood fantasy and then moves on to describe a teenager's sense of being different, until he discovers music and poetry and along with them, himself. The title poem appears about midway through the first section and its name, inspired by the ever-popular Top 100 lists, is somewhat misleading, as the series ends on a positive note with number seven, which was to evolve into a long-term - if not exclusive - relationship. Any account of gay life in the eighties would be remiss without references to AIDS and as the tale unfolds, we see it transformed from a rumor to a disease that only affects "other people"--Trolls, clones and the shamelessly promiscuous - to a ubiquitous threat that claims the lives of friends, acquaintances and, ultimately, the author's partner. The second half of the book takes place in the City of Roses (Portland, Oregon). The sense of fear and adventure from the first part is superseded by a growing sense of isolation and depression and equally, the feelings of invincibility and fascination with the rich and famous are replaced by an awareness of one's mortality and a growing compassion for the less fortunate. The throbbing, red penis beneath the tight, designer jeans gives way to the throbbing, red heart beneath the midnight-blue shirt as the rough, streetwise exterior gives way to a poet's tender soul"--Amazon.com.

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