A Modern Allegory, Part 2.
by Michael G. CorneliusVinyard Press. 213 pages, $18.95
Michael G. Cornelius's engaging first novel continues the story of the creation as told in Genesis. After God rests on the seventh day and sighs on the eighth, the archangel Michael snatches a branch from the Tree of Life, forging a flute; when Jehovah blows different notes upon this instrument, He creates hatred, guilt, fear, pride, and finally love. In the novel's first four sections, Cornelius's protagonists, all gay men, deal with the emotion created by God's blasts, the characters finding resolution with their emotions at the end of their respective chapters.
In the chapter on Hate, Joshua, a young medieval literature scholar, falls for Shawn, a professional wrestler. The relationship rather quickly sours, with Shawn often abusing and raping Joshua, whose decision to stay with Shawn contributes to his hatred of himself as well as his partner. Remaining in the volatile relationship, Joshua debates whether or not he will murder Shawn; when Shawn's early death denies Joshua his revenge, Joshua, overcome with emotion, futilely mutilates Shawn's body.
In the section on Guilt, Cornelius takes a story line often associated with gay pornography and gives this plot a serious, thoughtful treatment. This section involves a gay couple, Jake and Todd. Jake dies as a victim of a drunk driving accident, and Todd assumes custody of Jake's son, Keene, who is also gay. Keene realizes that, like his father, he is in love with Todd, and after Jake's death Keene reveals his feelings. Todd is appalled, but realizes that he has romantic feelings toward Keene as well. Eventually, the two men overcome their guilt--they both feel that they are "cheating" on Jake--and decide to attempt a sexual relationship.
In Fear, we meet an upcoming young tennis pro, Jeremy Winterbourne, who must deal with the media frenzy that ensues after he's photographed leaving a gay dance club. Cornelius highlights the fears both of Winterbourne--what will happen to him and his career if he comes out? will ever be able to work his way out of a serious losing streak?--and of his agents, who worry about what will happen to the sponsors, fans, and contracts if the upstart player comes out of the closet. What comes across even more than their fear is the sheer indecision felt by these characters.
The fourth section, on Pride, is a revision of a stalker story, set in a college environment. The gay "golden boy," Trevor, pursues other young gay men who are adrift in life. Trevor, who "loves 'em and leaves 'em," becomes the boyfriend of these men, inspiring them to gain confidence and to make something of themselves (such as by joining the swim team or by becoming involved in wheelchair tennis), but once Trevor's boyfriends taste success and begin to build their self-esteem, Trevor breaks up with them. When Trevor eventually confesses to Dave, one of his latter boyfriends, the reasons for his actions--which Trevor considers benevolent but everyone else sees through--Cornelius subtly reveals the importance of being true to oneself.
In Love, the reader discovers the fate of the characters in the previous sections. Glimpses of humor appear more in this section more than in the earlier ones. An example is when Jeremy and his boyfriend decide to engage in a sexual fantasy, but the characters are so limited in their sexual experience, they don't know what to do: "We stood, staring at each other, as if waiting for our clothes to fall off of their own volition. 'Someone has to do something,' I said."
Some portions of Cornelius's first novel are a bit uneven. For instance, his analysis of the type of person (emotionally wounded) who would find professional wrestling entertaining seems a bit one-sided and even derogatory. Likewise, he fails to complicate the notion of an openly gay professional wrestler enough to bring the character to life. However, Cornelius's characterization of Joshua is quite brilliant: an expose of the all-too-familiar phenomenon of victims choosing to remain victims. Likewise, throughout the novel, Cornelius expertly captures the awkward side of a gay man approaching a potential love or sex interest. Long on narrative and dialogue, short on descriptions, Creating Man is ultimately a satisfying and rewarding novel.
William Hampl teaches English at the University of Rhode Island
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| Title Annotation: | Review; Creating Man |
|---|---|
| Author: | HAMPL, WILLIAM |
| Publication: | The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide |
| Article Type: | Book Review |
| Date: | Jul 1, 2001 |
| Words: | 715 |
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