Funny That Way: Adventures in Fabulousness - Softcover

Don't let the slow opening of Joel Perry's essay collection turn you away from his fruity good humor, proud queer consciousness, and rapid-fire delivery. The sketches in Funny That Way first won fans in the gay rag Frontiers and the magazine Instinct. Perry recounts a trip through the retail rat maze in "Putting It All Together at Ikea." In the frivolous "Ill-Serviced," he imagines a helper positioned at the entrance of every store, ready to comfort shoppers, intuit their needs, and guide them expertly to the finest goods: "And when I'm at Neiman's, at their prices, the service should finish with a rinse-and-spit." In "Athletically Challenged: Confessions of a Try-Athlete," Perry describes his misguided attempt at water-skiing:

I was immediately yanked face forward into the water and dragged a quarter mile, mouth wide open in shock and gathering krill. Nobody had bothered to tell me to let go if that happened, so, terrified, I hung on for dear life forming a six-foot bubble going down the Intracoastal Waterway. This lasted less than a minute but still long enough for me to gulp enough salt water to have me passing sea monkeys for days.

His conclusion about water-skiing? "It's a 30 mile an hour enema." Pretty, witty, and gay, Perry is at his best in urging fellow queers to come out of the closet, spread their fabulousness throughout the culture, and accept the applause of a grateful straight world. --Regina Marler

Joel Perry is also the author of "Funny That Way" and "That's Why They're in Cages, People!" He lives in Los Angeles, CA.