Items

• Below the belt : & other stories
  These stories were written by Samuel M. Steward (1909-1993) under the pseudonym Phil Andros. Andros is also the central character – a drifter and hustler, intelligent and well-read, and as handsome as a Greek god – who recounts his sexual exploits in these erotic stories. This book contains an introductory note which flips the interlinked identities of author and subject by suggesting that Andros has lived these experiences, and Steward is an “alter ego” writing them for him. This was the first of seven Andros titles published by Donald Allen of Grey Fox Press, who created the Perineum Press imprint for this purpose. This copy is inscribed by Andros to Gay’s the Word, with hopes that they overcome the “hypocritical, archaic, stupid, and middle-class” Customs officials.
• Gay sunshine interviews. Volume 2
  This volume contains interviews with gay artists and cultural figures, including Ned Rorem, John Wieners and Samuel M. Steward. It also features Harry Britt, who was a gay member of the legislative San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and succeeded Harvey Milk, who had been the first openly gay man in such a role. Winston Leyland (1940-), the publisher of this book, had been ordained as a priest, a role he abandoned as he became more involved in radical and gay politics. This is most clearly seen in his work as a publisher, which he described as follows – “I see Gay Sunshine Press as a catalyst in the evolving Gay Cultural Renaissance and myself as deeply involved in that process”.
• My brother, my self
  This is the second of three Phil Andros (pseudonym of Samuel M. Steward, 1909-1993) titles seized during the raids. As with the other Andros titles published by Perineum Press, the cover is a specially commissioned Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen) illustration of the Phil Andros character (Steward was very pleased with these drawings). This novel was first published in 1970 by pulp publisher Gay Parisian Press under the title ‘My Brother, the Hustler’, so the title was altered to avoid legal issues. Featuring more sexual exploits of the character Phil Andros, the “brother” of the title is his doppelgänger, Denny. The two men can psychically communicate and are often confused for one another.
• Roman conquests
  The third Phil Andros (pseudonym of Samuel M. Steward, 1909-1993) book seized during the raids, this erotic novel is set in Rome where Andros meets and has sex with a range of characters, some of whom are described on the back cover, including “a sexton with a feeling for ritual” and “a carabiniere in black boots”. The book was first published in 1971 by the pulp publisher Gay Parisian Press under the title ‘When in Rome, Do...’ In keeping with his tendency to merge fact and fiction, Steward has dedicated this book to another of his alter egos, Ward Stames. This copy has an inscription from Andros to Gay’s the Word which refers to supposedly ‘obscene’ Roman classical works held at the British Museum.