cover image His Steadfast Love and Other Stories

His Steadfast Love and Other Stories

Paul Brownsey. Lethe (lethepressbooks.com), $15 trade paper (188p) ISBN 978-1-59021-438-1

Brownsey's first solo collection showcases his aptitude for clever and evocative language. His pieces are droll and imaginative, deepening the narrow theme of long-standing gay couples who struggle with cravings for approval and acceptance from themselves, their lovers, and the wider world. His characters go traipsing around the streets of Glasgow, Scotland ("Damage Enough"), and the Scottish countryside ("An Episode of Rural Depopulation"), confide in the reader about a trivial but lifelong secret ("True in My Fashion"), and discover the queen of England in the woods and in need of aid ("Tea at Balmoral") or Judy Garland, who's hiding and looking for a new best friend ("God's Own Country"). They all somehow live in a coherent setting, an off-center Scotland that's current yet timeless, with an otherworldly tone even during such down-to-earth events as hospital visits ("In Terra Pax") and dinner parties ("The Uses of Literature"). Despite the sometimes implausible setups, Brownsey taps into human longing in a way that connects with the reader, and his clever wit never falls into crudeness or farce. This is delightful light reading that lingers longer than one might expect. (Sept.)