“Pornography for the Gods” – a short story published in The Queer South

My short story, “Pornography for the Gods,” was published in The Queer South Anthology: LGBTQ Writers on the American South.  The anthology, nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, was published by Sibling Rivalry Press in 2014.

Order your copy from the publisher here.

You can also order a copy on Amazon.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the story:

“It says so in the Bible,” she said, her back to me.  I stared at the poofy, peroxide-tinged curls hanging down her back like orange cotton candy.

“Really?” I asked.  “It says that?”

“Yes, of course,” she answered with a certainty I didn’t yet know how to doubt.  “The Bible talks about demons walking the earth in different forms. Gay people are just one of ’em–one of the disguises they use.”

Although I’d never heard of these so-called demons before, it was hard to question my sister’s biblical expertise.  I mean, she could have been right since I never paid attention to anything in the Bible outside the book of Revelation.  Most of the rules and stories filling the rest of the holy book bored the hell out of me.  But what kid wouldn’t be captivated by tales of a great beast, the end of time, and all the other apocalyptic doom in Revelation?

“Saving Ben Affleck” – a short story from 2006

Back in July 2006, The Blotter Magazine published a short story of mine called “Saving Ben Affleck.”  Below is a brief excerpt; click here for the full story (it’s a pdf of the full issue, so just scroll down to find my story):

I just saw Ben Affleck. Ok, well, he’s not really Ben Affleck, who I don’t find attractive at all. But let’s call this guy Ben Affleck. You see, when I met him, I let him know how much he resembled Mr. Affleck … but not in a bad way.

From then on, I’ve referred to him as Ben Affleck.

At times, I can’t remember his real name. If I happen to be with a friend and see him some where around campus, I might say, “Oh my god — there’s Ben Affleck.”

Then, I have to explain that, no, Matt Damon’s celebrity friend isn’t hanging out at our little university herein North Carolina – it’s his younger, more attractive doppelganger …

[full story]