The Long Blue Moan

I've been sitting here for awhile trying to figure out the words and phrases to describe the emotions the book "The Long Blue Moan" written by my cherished friend L.M. Ross evoked. I've admitted in the past I am a simple man with simple ideas and views of the world and have never been blessed with the gift of expressing myself in writing so I ask Lin for his forgiveness at my ineptness. I lost myself in the characters and their world spending hours reliving my own life experiences long since buried in unmarked emotional graves in my heart. The full spectrum was there; love, compassion, anger, loss, horniness. He managed to unearth them all with stark and raw slashes of his pen. The setting and fast paced world was different but he managed to tap into those universal trials many of us have faced crossing gender, racial and cultural lines. His book has earned a place in my nightstand right there with the other books that have inspired growth and change in my heart. It will be one that I will pick up and thumb trough over the years to come continually discovering new facets and without doubt old emotions. Thank you Lin for allowing a peek inside.

Tyrone, David, Face, and Browny: four seemingly different boys of the 70s, all students at Performing Arts High, are brought together when they are assigned the task of forming a musical group. Despite the success of their first song, the group falls apart, and what "The Long Blue Moan" shows the reader is the 20-year history and aftermath of these men's lives, lives that are full of drama, dreams, passion, sex, violence, and so much more.There are several positive qualities to Ross' "The Long Blue Moan," such as the frankness of his writing and of his characters. These four main characters represent a myriad of personalities, all unique in their pains and wishes, as well as their desires. Another kudo to Ross must go out for his detailing of New York City and his rhythmic, poetic writing style which flows well with the NYC setting and the entangled personalities of his main characters. Ross keeps it real with his male characters, who love men and yet, a few of them, must deal with the conflicts within themselves that arises because of this love. Ross places the drama right in the readers' faces and forces us to look at every crevice of these characters' lives.Though the novel's 'realness' is a positive for me, it also presented a negative reaction as well. There was way too much drama and problems for these characters, and for me, a little drama goes a long way. Another minor concern for me was the character of Browny. His character does not grow too much in the story and, typically, this isn't a problem; the problem came when I read various phrases of Browny's that he used as an adult that he used as a kid and it just did not ring true to me. It was the continuous usage of those phrases throughout the novel that rankled me a bit.Overall, this is a novel that I would definitely recommend to others. E. Lynn Harris and James Earl Hardy have been two of the most popular black authors to introduce readers to the loves and lives of gay Black men, and I would encourage everyone to add L. M. Ross to that list. I don't think you would be disappointed.Shon Bacon

It took two tries in order to really read the book but when I finally sat down and read it, I was amazed with the plot and the twist and turns. Even though it is fast paced and has a lot of sex scenes, it is a good reading. I was surpised with how the men were diverse SGL Men. I mean from the flaming Daivd to the homophobic homosexual Pascal to the mild Tyrone in th middle it was really good to see the developement of these characters. I enjoyed the fact that there was a straight guy out of the group and to see him turn from gay basser to gay friend though the book it was refreshing. Cannot for some more works from the author. I recommend this for anyone.

All I have to say is that this book was as real as it gets. The content in this books deals with the details of being a gay or bisexual man that E Lynn Harris sugar coats in his book. The characters in this book were so real and just had so many real flaws. The character in the book I related to the most was Tyrone, the things that he went through in his life just mirrored some of the issue I have been facing as a gay young man in his early twenties. All I have to say is that this book is a good guide for any gay or bisexual black man

Ross captures the rhythm of real New York in this novel that entertains, stuns, and (sadly) mirrors the emotions and challenges of many gay men in NYC. How refreshing to read a gay0-themed novel that strikes a balance between the fabulous and forlorn. Indeed, the author proves that even those at the top of their game struggle with some of the same issues of acceptance as the rest of us. Ross' characters (many though they are) have depth and believability. The ways in which each of them deals with their passion--not just sexual passion, at that--makes them all too real. This book may not appeal to a lot of straight folks. Ross' acute attention to genital size and his graphic descriptions of intimate moments may prove too much for some. But what a fine book for anyone with a gay friend. It shows in heartbreaking reality the struggle that lives just below the surface.