Horse Crazy

A male writer meets, and falls self-destructively in love with, a handsome waiter in this superbly wrought novel by art critic Indiana ( Scar Tissue ). The waiter, Gregory, is a talented photographer who's recovering from some of his many addictions--heroin among them. At the same time, the writer is trying to get a grip on his life and work in an era of "gay cancer." While the theme is familiar, the offhand detail and the frequently brilliant turns of phrase that inform this portrait of an exotic relationship contribute to a compelling narrative. Ordinary life in lower Manhattan is depicted with spare but razor-sharp clarity. Equally spare, however, is the nod toward the terror of AIDS; but the verisimilitude of that knowing nod yields compassion where a trenchant or self-pitying approach would have elicited distance (at the very least) in the non-gay reader. But most important is Indiana's portrayal of a human relationship--a portrait whose sincerity and depth makes it a well-polished gem. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.