Fiction Monday: Gulliver Travels – Gay Fiction by Justin Luke Zirilli

Back in September of 2011, I was contacted by a new author, Patrick Stevens, who was looking for reviews to promote his book, The Spins (Thursday Night). Patrick lives in Northern, New Jersey and he writes from whence he knows. His book is a work of “fiction” with a plot that involves the gay dance and house party scene. Presumably, much of the action takes place in New York City and environs. No, I didn’t actually read his book because, as I said then, it’s not my thing, but Patrick is so nice and so earnest that I wanted to help him out.

Fast forward a few months or so to the present day. As a middle aged and settled lesbian, I’m still not into the gay dance party scene. Imagine that! However, another book along similar lines to The Spins recently got my attention. It’s gotten so many good reviews, I had to read it to see what all the hype was about. The book is Gulliver Travels by Justin Luke Zirilli. It was published by BoiParty Books (go figure!) this past May.

Justin, who is the Co-Director and Head Promoter of the New York-Based gay nightlife events company, BoiParty.com and who together with his business partner, Alan Picus, throws weekly dance parties throughout NYC, claims this book is not based on his life. Okay, I’ll pretend to believe that!

Now, Amazon/BoiParty have a nice, typical cover synopsis of this book. That’s not what’s selling it. The author’s own “review” says it all:

People ask me if Gulliver Travels is based on my true life experiences. In all honesty, it isn’t really. Gulliver Travels is based on many, many people’s true life experiences. His travels come from the many tales I’ve heard from a wide variety of twenty-something-year-old gay guys working, partying, adventuring, living, and trying to survive in New York City.

Working in gay nightlife, I have met thousands of guys who came to this city from far away – to start over, to continue their life’s path, whatever it may be. And none of them (or very few of them) had an easy time doing it. This story is my homage to them – to the people who move here and try their darnedest to not only survive, but also make something of themselves.

I don’t seek to glorify nor tear down the world that Gulliver stumbles and falls into; I am merely reporting my observations. This world isn’t tragic and shameful. Nor is it shiny and glorious. Much like the rest of life and everything, it has sweet ups and bitter downs, all of which are present here in these pages.

This is a book for gay men living in New York City who are looking for a story to which they can relate. It is a book for those who dream of moving to New York City and have no connection to it. It is also a book for those who completed the same path that Gully embarks on in the story – so they can see just how similar the experience still is, and yet how different it has become.

Gulliver Travels is also the beginning of a series. More are on the way. Ever since I met Gully, I’ve been unable to let him go, and release him from my head. He’s my blonde-haired, blue-eyed Muse. So I’ll be relating his travels to readers and fans until he decides to move on.

I honestly couldn’t be more excited.

If this guy and Patrick don’t already know each other, I think I should attempt to get them together. They have much in common even if, as they both claim, it’s only in a literary sense. I think they’ll have plenty to talk about!