Nonbinary merpeople on a magical journey of self-discovery meets teen swim team relationship drama, Jason June (author of Jay’s Gay Agenda) has delivered a queer rom-com that’s, well, okay… silly and cheesy and a bit daft, but also adorable AF. Crest is about to start they’re Journey, a tradition for teen merfolk (mer are nonbinary,... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Heat Wave by TJ Klune ★★★
TJ Klune wraps up his YA superhero trilogy, The Extraordinaries, with Heat Wave which sees teenager Nick launching into his superhero career, as well as launching into his fully-fledged relationship with Seth. Quick note: being the last part of a trilogy, there’s no way to avoid spoilers for the previous books in this review. Nick... Continue Reading →
Book Review: Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper ★★★★
If you’re looking for a cute, contemporary gay romance to snuggle up with then Kris Ripper’s Book Boyfriend is a good place to start. Behind it’s rom-com trappings, it has hidden depths and a beautifully flawed lead character in PK. Preston ‘PK’ Harrington is an editorial assistant (and wannabe author) working at a book publisher... Continue Reading →
The Queer Review 2021 – LGBTQ+ highlights of the year
With the end of this challenging year in sight, we asked some friends of The Queer Review, including prominent creators, performers, artists, and activists to share the LGBTQ+ culture or events that sustained, stimulated, or inspired them in 2021. The eclectic list features two deserving mentions for a Spanish-language limited TV series that was released... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: Ashish Gupta on his intimate queer photography book GAZE “I wanted to be unapologetic about gay cruising & sex & hookups & trade”
Ashish Gupta, best known for his eponymous fashion label, has departed from his usual creative practice to photograph intimate, frequently unashamedly explicit portraits of men, that capture the queer male gaze with tenderness, joy, and humour, while challenging established notions of masculinity and sexiness in mainstream gay culture and porn. The result is GAZE for... Continue Reading →
Benjamin Wolbergs on curating his New Queer Photography anthology
Benjamin Wolbergs, editor of the stunning new 300-page hardback photography anthology, New Queer Photography, offers us glimpse inside the book with an illustrated insight into the work of some of the 52 contemporary photographers included in the project, his own selection process, and the journey to publication. What exactly do we see in Matt Lambert’s... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: erotic artist Sam Morris on his debut book Don’t Fall In Love, Sam – “usually my work is very carefully constructed but this is the reality of who I am & what I feel”
This month saw the publication of gay erotic artist Sam Morris' tender, intimate and emotional debut book Don't Fall In Love, Sam. Morris' unguarded personal essays take us behind his hugely popular online image as constructed by his visually sumptuous and carefully composed photography and video work, as he contemplates anxiety, sex, and sexuality as... Continue Reading →
Book Review: I Know You Know Who I Am by Peter Kispert ★★★
New York writer Peter Kispert’s debut collection of short stories, I Know You Know Who I Am, is an interesting, frustrating and frankly disheartening look at gay life. Though unconnected, these stories and snippets paint a world of insecurity, dishonesty and dystopia covered in a gloss of language. Deception is the core theme running through... Continue Reading →
Book Review: The Coming of the Night by John Rechy ★★★★
The Coming of the Night (1999) is a novel that shouldn’t work. Readers ought to be left frustrated, disappointed, and confused. How, they may wonder, was the book authored by the mastermind behind City of Night (1963), a landmark in gay storytelling? Often, when plot fails, characters can save a text. We fall for their... Continue Reading →