Tush

This is a very funny book, which I heartily recommend. Most of it takes place in Provincetown, and the way the author evokes its gay scene makes me wish I could spend a summer there with all the great characters, many of whom are fabulously colorful and memorable. There are lots of great quotable one-liners. Much of the novel involves painting and the theatrical scene, both of which get skewered by the narrator's sarcastic wit. If you need lots of laughs, get this book and enjoy.

'Ya gotta' love this book. Why? Simply because it is so silly and campy that it provides tons of entertainment for a very little price. TUSH will make you laugh, cry, wince, cheer, and groan. At times I found myself wanting to slap Joel, our hero, silly, and plant my foot into the respective tushes of a host of characters in the book. Good Fun.

Joel Eisenberg is a thirtysomething gay Jewish astrologer who uses (and embellishes, to the point of fraud) his destiny-forecasting expertise to feed his obsession of luring young men with shapely posteriors with new-age "bodywork" sessions that simply allow him to feel their butts. On a weekend trip to Provincetown with the current focus of his "tush" obsession, Joel runs into Dennis Fairchild, a local artist who everyone admires, and most gay men want, and instantly "falls in lust" with the younger man ... or, more accurately, with his shapely butt. Joel takes advantage of an opportunity to stay in P-Town, by accepting a job as the live-in caretaker for his dog, Bunny, and so begins a series of attempts to seduce his employer, who considers Joel (dubbed by locals to be the "a**-troleger" based on stories some of his "victims" have told) to be more of an eccentric home accessory. Joel also meets Bill Doyle, the older alcoholic handyman who lives in Dennis' guest house, who is instantly attracted to Joel, apparently the image of his deceased lover at his age. Bill also seems to meet the description that Joel's "psychic advisor" said was his "Twin Flame" (truly destined life-partner), but Joel prefers to interpret it in a way that allows Dennis to be his intended. Gay comedian/screenwriter/author Jaffe Cohen spins a madcap, very amusing tale of obsession, manipulation, love, lust and jealousy, complete with bitter drag queens, a gay former child actor, aggressive hunks who want to be spanked, a scene-stealing dog, advice from ghostly spirits, and a gay camp version of "The Sound of Music." A delightful, light summer read, perfect for the beach. (If you're going to P-Town it can also double as a kind of travel guide!)