Experimental Love: Poetry Book

This is a re-read. I think i first read this maybe 3 years ago. The audiobook is still on my iPod so I took a second go-round with it and found myself liking it less! I am removing it from my Favorites.

Let's be honest, the late E. Lynn Harris was a great storyteller but a pretty terrible author. You are certainly not expanding on your vocabulary after reading any of his works. I think he would have been perfect to 'write' reality shows. I Say a Little Prayer is no different.

Regarding the author, the characters fit every stereotype about Blacks, Gays, Baptists and Southerners that you can think up. Not to mention the Gays always seem to outsmart the Heterosexuals. Why is that? There are plenty of pretty dumb Gays who make poor judgements about people just as is with anyone else.

This novel is also yet another stretched out short story. Harris makes sure to place in familiar background characters from other novels for the fans, which is fine. But there are back-stories that are told here that do not move the novel along at all. Sylar's teen drag queen trilogy could have been told in one sitting, for example. I did enjoy the witty banter of Sylar but did not appreciate his animosity to females.

The main character, I realized in Round 2's reading, is a very material and label conscious type of man. It was never just a scarf or pants--we had to know the designer, the retailer and the price of such items. Why is this important? There is some actual growth in this person, thankfully. Starting out so self-absorbed and sex-crazed was getting to be uncomfortable.

I would be concerned if someone read this novel and said to themselves "I see now, so that is how Black Gay Men feel and think..." Granted that is an ignorant person to assume something so silly but unfortunately I'm positive this book has made such an impression on those folks.

Again this is a fun story with great characters but with poor writing. Enjoy.