Cherry Grove’s own Jack Dowling, Tommy De Mastri, and Joyce Yaeger read us their new work at an event billed as “Gay Writers, Gay Stories: a Cherry Grove Reading,” on July 13 at the Community House, thanks to the Arts Project of Cherry Grove. The afternoon began with us all singing “Happy Birthday” to Janet, mother of Homecoming Queen Victoria Falls. Joyce Yaeger introduced the reading by speaking of the history of stories, explaining, “We’re spending time in each other’s heads,” and adding that, for the writer and the reader, it’s like sex: “It has to be good for both parties to enjoy it.”
Jack Dowling read us his erotic story “Seth,” which starts in the shower at a truck stop. The characters are the younger Seth and the older Racy, son and father truckers, and the action begins with Racy snapping his towel at Seth’s bare ass. Seth has been reading a 19th century novel, where men call each other, “My dear,” and wonders if that reflected common practice of the time—or more. How will things progress between these men and with another, Pierson, a New Yorker and Fire Islander?
Tommy De Mastri and Gay Nathan offered a scene from Tommy’s two-character one-act comedy “Exit, Stage Right.” Gay portrayed colorful actress Charlotte and Tommy, her no-nonsense agent Marvin. The director of the play that Charlotte has been cast in wants her to bare her breasts for a love scene with a past lover, with whom she has reconnected after 40 years, and she’s having issues. There are lines about a pet cat that are endearing, as well as about an often-rerun commercial Charlotte made that merit mention.
Joyce shared “Higher Ground,” a curious story about two women neighbors, one of them an obvious stalker—and the other?—and their 20-years-past intimacy. One of them—so focused that she misses what’s right in front of her—wonders, is there a future for them?
A wine and Pellegrino water reception followed.