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• Taking care of Mrs. Carroll : a novel
  This first novel by poet and novelist Paul Monette (1945-1995) begins with the sudden death of wealthy estate owner Mrs Beth Carroll and the introduction of her houseboy David who awakens in bed alongside John, the gardener. The narrative that follows, involving unsigned wills, forgery and impersonation, was described by one reviewer as “a most entertaining venture into fantasy, hilarity, and gay sex”. Monette’s later works, including a memoir of his partner Roger Horwitz’s illness and death from AIDS, took a more serious turn. Horwitz’s presence is felt in the novel displayed here – the book is dedicated to him, and the author photograph gracing the back cover was taken by him. Before Monette’s own death from AIDS, he founded the Monette-Horwitz Trust to honour individuals and organisations that fight to eradicate homophobia.
• Winter music
  Set in the Philadelphia classical music scene of the late 1970s, Karen Rile’s first and only novel concerns gay concert flautist Lawrence Chatterjee, whose performance career has been cut short following an accident, and child flute prodigy Gabriel, who also loves Kool-Aid and the Beatles. Rile herself studied flute at university level, before going on to become a writer and journalist for publications including ‘The New York Times’, ‘The San Francisco Chronicle’ and ‘The Philadelphia Enquirer’, and her fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in several literary magazines. She teaches fiction and creative nonfiction at the University of Pennsylvania.