In September, the Light Changes is a newly released group of short stories mostly written since 1998. The author of this remarkable collection creates for us a world infused with emotion…anger, sexual longing, despair, catty back biting, and occasionally, nay rarely, love.
In his early novel, Dancer from the Dance, Holleran created a world populated by self involved narcissistic gay men, but in that novel the protagonist was truly New York City, more precisely gay New York City. These stories however focus more directly on individuals and examine their world with a sad clarity which is almost painful to experience.
Holleran’s world (and worldview) has remained consistent over the years and the feeling from his earlier writings continues to permeate these short literary gems. Three stories in particular impressed me: “The Penthouse”, “Blorts”, and “In September, the Light Changes.”
“The Penthouse” is most closely related thematically to Dancer from the Dance. In this short story the self-absorbed rich former clothing designer holds court in lower Manhattan in a space that is Spartan resulting in a very voguish minimalism. The men who visit also are in vogue, trendy and occasionally emotionally minimalist seemingly to fit the surroundings. They fear their host, worship him, long to continue to be in his “in group,” take serious emotional abuse at his hands (tongue) to stay in his orbit. None love him, themselves or each other. Ultimately the mini-community disintegrates brought down by these same men who once sought to belong. Oh how those men feasted on the status of their world…loved it more than life and then viciously destroyed it!!
“Blorts” may be the most optimistic of all the stories, a tale of two men who meet on the train coming back to Manhattan after times spent at the Pines, the absolutely “innest” of the “in” summer gay communities at Fire Island. The narrator befriends Joshua who allegedly has the most perfect ‘pecs’ in NYC. There is sexual longing, no communication of feelings, and separation in which contact (at any level) is lost. But wait! Beautiful Joshua calls the narrator then moves in as a roommate. Joshua continues his gym workouts, bemoans the difficulties of being so attractive (his chest at least) and is seriously sexually obsessed…and active. None of his relationships contain love however. The roommates, chaste to the end, rely on each other, support each other, respect each other, and dare we say it, love each other. Finally we learn that the chance meeting years ago at the Long Island train station was not chance. Beautiful Joshua actually, oh so subtly, cruised then psychologically seduced the narrator. The love which grew between them probably is truer for having been non-sexual…it goes beyond mere passion and sexuality to a spiritual respectful honoring of the beloved. Not exactly you typical happy ending but certainly more positive that most of Holleran’s tales.
Lastly, “In September, the Light Changes.” This is the last story in the book, spare and clean in its beautifully descriptive prose. The plot is simple. The narrator remains at the Pines after the season ostensibly to be alone with the beauty of nature, the trendy gay summer population having returned to the City following Labor Day. He relishes his solitude, the stark dunes, beach, the ocean and the quiet. But he is not entirely alone, another house is inhabited by two handsome men, partners whose relationship seems so perfect, so inwardly focused that they seem to need no one else, no outside input, societal involvement, social interaction. The narrator idealizes their relationship, longs to be included in their warmth and affection, dreams of their probable love. He visits hoping to be invited to stay a while but senses that he cannot enter into their cozy home life, their love. We cannot, of course, believe that the partners are as perfect as the narrators wishes. What causes us pause…and sadness, is the loneliness and isolation which has masqueraded as wish for solitude.
All 16 stories are well crafted, all but one were likable…the three reviewed tales, I think, exemplify the superb insights and writing skills of a master storyteller.
Holleran is not a writer for everyone. He remains at the top of my list, but oh! how depressing!