John Rechy
Encyclopedia
John Francis Rechy, is an American
author, the child of a half-Scottish
and half-Mexican
father, Roberto Rechy, and a Mexican-American mother, Guadalupe Flores. In his novels he has written extensively about homosexual culture in Los Angeles and wider America, and is among the pioneers of modern LGBT
literature. Drawing on his own background, he has also contributed to Chicano
literature, especially with his novel The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez, which is taught in several Chicano literature courses in the United States. His work has often faced censorship due to its sexual content, particularly (but not solely) in the 1960s and 1970s, but books such as City of Night have been best sellers, and he has many literary admirers.
. . . . in Texas
". It is a story of a lonely male hustler who desperately seeks to find love on the bright neon streets of New York City
, Los Angeles
, and New Orleans.
According to the author's statements, this is his own least favorite work. It is, however, the novel in which his hometown of El Paso, Texas figures most prominently, and provides a valuable window into the personal impact of California's historic criminalization of homosexual behavior.
and the weaknesses and vices of human beings collide on a remote tropical island in which a group of people—Richard, the host; Tarah, his first wife; Lianne, his second wife; Karen, his third wife; Joja, his former mistress; his son; a midget named Topaze; a tattooed thug named Rev; Duquesa, a mystery woman in veils; a ravishing beauty named Savannah; Bravo, an actor in underground films; and a male prostitute, Blue; and others—are victimizers and victims in strange, evil rituals
The book juxtaposes alternate chapters devoted to the author's sexual exploits on the one hand, and analysis of anti-homosexual laws and the effects of law enforcement's selective targeting of active homosexual populations on the other.
This book is largely considered a fair cross-generational tableau of Gay America's age-discriminated big city bar scene in its heyday—following the Christopher Street Rebellion, but immediately prior to the devastating first appearance of AIDS in the Gay community.
and Bobby Kennedy. She journeys to Hollywood to find out whether the rumor is true and learns the differences between Hollywood's fantasies and the complexities and demands of real life.
's The Adventures of Tom Jones). Rechy has also written essays that have been anthologized in Beneath the Skin and several plays, including Tigers Wild (first performed as The Fourth Angel), Rushes (based on his novel), and Momma As She Became—Not As She Was, a one-act play.
He has contributed essays and reviews to The Nation
, the The New York Review of Books
, the Los Angeles Times
, L. A. Weekly, The Village Voice
, The New York Times
, and Saturday Review.
A biography, Outlaw: The Lives and Careers of John Rechy was written by Charles Casillo. A CD-Rom
of his life and work was produced by the Annenberg Center of Communications and is titled: Mysteries and Desire: Searching the Worlds of John Rechy.
's Lifetime Achievement Award (1997); he is the recipient of the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement from The Publishing Triangle (1999) and an NEA
fellow. He is a faculty member at the Master of Professional Writing Program
at the University of Southern California
. He is the first recipient of ONE Magazine Culture Hero Award.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, the child of a half-Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and half-Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
father, Roberto Rechy, and a Mexican-American mother, Guadalupe Flores. In his novels he has written extensively about homosexual culture in Los Angeles and wider America, and is among the pioneers of modern LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
literature. Drawing on his own background, he has also contributed to Chicano
Chicano
The terms "Chicano" and "Chicana" are used in reference to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. However, those terms have a wide range of meanings in various parts of the world. The term began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, mainly among Mexican Americans, especially in the movement's...
literature, especially with his novel The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez, which is taught in several Chicano literature courses in the United States. His work has often faced censorship due to its sexual content, particularly (but not solely) in the 1960s and 1970s, but books such as City of Night have been best sellers, and he has many literary admirers.
Novels and other works
Rechy is the author of the following novels and other works:- City of NightCity of NightCity of Night is a novel written by John Rechy. It was originally published in 1963 in New York by Grove Press. Earlier excerpts had appeared in Evergreen Review, Big Table, Nugget, and The London Magazine....
(Grove Press, 1963) - Numbers (Grove Press, 1967)
- This Day's Death (Grove Press, 1969)
- The Vampires (Grove Press, 1971)
- The Fourth Angel (Viking, 1972)
- The Sexual Outlaw (Grove Press, 1977) (non-fiction)
- Rushes (Grove Press, 1979)
- Bodies and Souls (Carroll & Graf, 1983)
- Marilyn's Daughter (Carroll & Graf, 1988)
- The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez (Arcade, 1991)
- Our Lady of Babylon (Arcade, 1996)
- The Coming of the Night (Grove Press, 1999)
- The Life and Adventures of Lyle Clemens (Grove Press, 2003)
- Beneath the Skin (Carroll & Graf, 2004)
- About My Life and the Kept Woman (Grove Press, 2008) (memoir)
City of Night
According to Rechy, "City of Night began as a letter to a friend of mine after I had been to New Orleans. I wrote City of Night because they were my experiences hustling, and it began as a letter. I didn't think of it as a book. But it should begin in El PasoEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. . . . in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
". It is a story of a lonely male hustler who desperately seeks to find love on the bright neon streets of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and New Orleans.
Numbers
In Numbers, the protagonist seeks to convince himself that he is desirable, if not loved, by the sheer numbers of men who bed him; however, he has a problem he can't solve—he's getting older, and his looks are beginning to fade.This Day's Death
This Day's Death looks at a man whose dying mother and humiliating trial (on "lewd behaviour" charges following an arrest in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California) leave him with nothing left to lose but his dignity and passion.According to the author's statements, this is his own least favorite work. It is, however, the novel in which his hometown of El Paso, Texas figures most prominently, and provides a valuable window into the personal impact of California's historic criminalization of homosexual behavior.
Vampires
In Vampires, the supernaturalSupernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
and the weaknesses and vices of human beings collide on a remote tropical island in which a group of people—Richard, the host; Tarah, his first wife; Lianne, his second wife; Karen, his third wife; Joja, his former mistress; his son; a midget named Topaze; a tattooed thug named Rev; Duquesa, a mystery woman in veils; a ravishing beauty named Savannah; Bravo, an actor in underground films; and a male prostitute, Blue; and others—are victimizers and victims in strange, evil rituals
The Fourth Angel
Three 16-year-old 'angels" recruit another, the same age, and together, they play wicked games with bums, deviants, and each other, mindful that, in the cold, hard world of The Fourth Angel, only the fittest—or cruelest—survive.The Sexual Outlaw
The Sexual Outlaw is a non-fiction work on the devastating effects of homophobia.The book juxtaposes alternate chapters devoted to the author's sexual exploits on the one hand, and analysis of anti-homosexual laws and the effects of law enforcement's selective targeting of active homosexual populations on the other.
Rushes
Rushes recounts the stories of the patrons of a gay bar on the waterfront of a large, anonymous city. Among the characters are a young heterosexual slumming, as it were, in the gay neighborhood, a young homosexual man on his first night out on the town, transvestite hookers, and seasoned gays seeking a quickie or a one-night stand.This book is largely considered a fair cross-generational tableau of Gay America's age-discriminated big city bar scene in its heyday—following the Christopher Street Rebellion, but immediately prior to the devastating first appearance of AIDS in the Gay community.
Bodies and Souls
Through vignettes of various characters, Rechy examines the seamy underside of modern Los Angeles in Bodies and Souls.Marilyn's Daughter
At age 18, Normalyn discovers that she may be the daughter of Marilyn MonroeMarilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
and Bobby Kennedy. She journeys to Hollywood to find out whether the rumor is true and learns the differences between Hollywood's fantasies and the complexities and demands of real life.
The Miraculous Day of Amalia Gomez
In seeing the huge silver cross in the blue sky over Hollywood, has Amalia Gómez seen a miracle? If so, God has chosen to enter her life just when she needs his help the most, for it is a life that is quickly falling apart.Other works
Rechy is the author also of The Coming of the Night, The Life and Adventures of Lyle Clemens (a modern novel loosely inspired by Henry FieldingHenry Fielding
Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones....
's The Adventures of Tom Jones). Rechy has also written essays that have been anthologized in Beneath the Skin and several plays, including Tigers Wild (first performed as The Fourth Angel), Rushes (based on his novel), and Momma As She Became—Not As She Was, a one-act play.
He has contributed essays and reviews to The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, the The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...
, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, L. A. Weekly, The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and Saturday Review.
A biography, Outlaw: The Lives and Careers of John Rechy was written by Charles Casillo. A CD-Rom
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
of his life and work was produced by the Annenberg Center of Communications and is titled: Mysteries and Desire: Searching the Worlds of John Rechy.
Awards
Rechy is the first novelist to receive PEN-USA-WestPEN Center USA
PEN Center USA, founded in 1943, is one of two PEN centers in the United States and 145 centers in the world. It was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1981...
's Lifetime Achievement Award (1997); he is the recipient of the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement from The Publishing Triangle (1999) and an NEA
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
fellow. He is a faculty member at the Master of Professional Writing Program
Master of Professional Writing Program
The Master of Professional Writing Program is a graduate creative writing program which offers a variety of courses at the University of Southern California's College of Letters, Arts & Sciences....
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He is the first recipient of ONE Magazine Culture Hero Award.
External links
- JohnRechy.com Official website