I've just uploaded a new video explaining the image I created in response to the book 'Closet Case' by Robert Rodi. Please feel free to check it out, if you have any questions about the piece let me know I would love to know your thoughts!
In case you are new to this project I am uploading videos on a Wednesday reviewing fiction with queer characters at the heart of the stories. You can take part as well by linking in with my Facebook group which you can find here. I upload regular quotes from the stories involved and provide fan art images from the titles I'm exploring.
If you want to see what I'm working on at the moment check out my Instagram account as I upload images of works in progress there. You can see them here or search for the hash tag #bookdraw
Hello! I've uploaded a reveiw of Closet Case by Robert Rodi you should definitely check it out! I found this book in a second hand shop when I was sixteen. I had just come out to my friends and family, it was all very scary and new. I saw the title and thought I wonder what if this is what I think it's about? and it was. At the time it was a real relief to know wasn't alone with the thoughts and feelings I had. His journey and coming out story was certainly funnier than mine but it was easy to identify with someone who was being their most authentic self.
It's all about Lionel Frank who works in a marketing agency in the 90s and is a massive gay, but doesn't want anyone to know because he doesn't want it to impact negatively on him. What I didn't mention in the video (and should have) is that their is another really key character in the whole story- Donna.
The reason why Donna is important is because she represents living your authentic self. She's a bit of a 'role model' character in the story and I just erased her from my review and art work (sorry!). I did the video ages ago though and hadn't thought about her importance at the time. But I will go back to the image later and incorporate her into the final image.
So Donna is 'out' at the work place a visible, Lesbian. Lionel freaks out at the start of the story because he was at a gay bar and she saw him. He completely over reacts and tries to make it appear that he was there for other reasons (making himself look even more suspicious). Donna is also Deaf and Lionel gets paranoid her lip reading abilities (he is on the other side of a gaybar talking to a friend). He thinks that she must have seen that he was talking about how he intends to take his colleague Tracy on a date to 'The Trippy' Award's dinner as a date (to help hide his true sexual identity).
"He should've been more careful of her. He'd known Donna was gay from the day she started- everyone knew it. To look at her was to know it (She wore a crew cut and had shoulders like a linebacker! She wore Doc Marten boots! She chewed tobacco!) And the relentless, increasingly filthy dyke jokes that had since been told behind her (literally behind her back, as there was no danger of her overhearing them) had the effect of pushing Lionel fathrt and fathrt into his metaphorical closet, until he was trapped behind metaphorical tennis rackets and ski boots and piles of old, metaphorical magazines, utterly and hopelessly trapped." p21-22
Remember that this was the 90s and you could either be like Lionel and hide in the closet or you could be brave like Donna and say 'this is who I am'. Donna's character can bes described as a sterotypical 'dyke ' as something pejorative. She was however an open and visible character in a working environment and although excluded and bullied for being who she is, she was still working in that office. Donna continues to feature at different key parts of the book.
He had the option of approaching Donna confiding in her and gaining an alley but instead, he distances himself from her because he is threatened by her just for being so visible and comfortable in who she is. Had Lionel come out and confided in her he probably would have never got himself into the mess that he does. It is however also uncertain that if he had come out, would he have been able to secure the job he does later in the story or does he actually gain job security because of nepotism (because one of the directors' son is gay.)
The question I have for myself now is, how do I represent Donna in the image? I like the triangulation between Lionel, Emil and Tracy in the image. I think I will incorporate her as a symbol similar to the spear I added to represent the antagonist of the story, Bob. I'm contemplating adding in a pair of Doc Martins outside of the frame. The she is outside of the drama but I'm not sure? If you're reading this let me know what you think?
I Just uploaded next video introducing the next three books I'll be looking at. They are The Hours by Michael Cunningham, Closet Case by Robert Rodi and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz- (all happen to be incredibly handsome men as well!)
(from left to right Michael Cunningham, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Robert Rodi)
These three books will be reviewed with images coming over the next few weeks. Reviews are posted on Wednesday and explanation of the images are uploaded on a Sunday.
I also have a Facebook group to complement the videos. On the Facebook group I provide a daily quote and find an image, fan art or book cover of the novel I'm looking at. What I'm encouraging people to do is add their own art works, doodles, fan arts, collages or quotes on this platform as well. I'm hoping that it will build up into an archive of different LGBT fiction were people can share their interests and discuss their favorite books. You can see the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/158306257987684/
Please support either by subscribing, liking or commenting- I love seeing people comment it lets me know you're really out there!
