Fishboys of Vernazza

Welsh Boys Too, John Sam Jones's first collection of stories, was credited as the first collection of queer fiction by a Welsh author. Jones hails from Barmouth, has been a teacher, a chaplain and a sexual health worker, and lives with his partner in a village on the Dee estuary. In Fishboys of Vernazza he continues to write resolutely out of his Welsh experience, and while his themes are ones that will be familiar to readers of gay literature, they have a bite and freshness that's due in no small part to the social context they explore. Two of the strongest stories portray breakdowns occasioned by the inability of colleagues or kinsfolk to accept the normality of gayness. In 'A Particular Passion', Ben Pasgen has determined to pursue his career as a science teacher in his native North Wales despite the fact that the conservatism of the local culture means staying in the closet. When questions about his sexuality arise, he's suspended by his reactionary headmaster. In 'The Wedding Invitation', Seth Williams has come home to Gwynedd to attend his sister's wedding. No invitation was extended to his Jewish partner, Jude. The rigid attitude of his parents, for whom homosexuality is "sinful and unnatural, bringing diseases and disgrace", contrasts sharply with that of his future brother-in-law, whose best man turns out to be gay. Ben Pasgen's situation may be retrievable, but Seth's relationship with his parents has reached the point of no return. AIDS inevitably features. In 'Eucharist', a long-celibate gay priest living in North Wales discovers that a former lover has died prematurely in San Francisco. Could he himself be infected? In 'The View from Sasso Fermo', Cai struggles to come to terms with the loss of his partner to lymph cancer. Not all the stories are dark. In 'Food for Thoughts' and 'Mischief and Deep Secrets', gay partners make plans to adopt children. 'Fishboys of Vernazza' and 'Just Beyond the Buddleia Bush' are erotic comedies, with 'Fishboys' adding a heady element of fantasy. Jones writes sensitive, skilful and fat-free stories. This book is a must for those who enjoyed its predecessor, and would make an excellent starting-point for anyone wishing to dip into queer fiction for the first time. -- Richard Poole @ www.gwales.com