By
R.A. Padmos (Guest Blogger)
It
sometimes happens that we writers, who have lived with our characters
for months, sometimes even years, discover something very essential
about that fictional person we weren’t fully aware of when we were
in the process of writing.
Dylan
Archer, the main character of In the Privacy of their Home, is
a gay man living in the England of the Sixties. Sex between men was
illegal. Anti-homosexuality laws don’t exist in a vacuum, but are a
reflection of how society thinks about human relationships. Dylan
can’t help but internalise this philosophy to the point he’s
almost unable to express any kind of feelings out of fear someone
might notice “something that is not quite right" He’s one of
those gay men who’s able to pass as straight without even trying,
and he’s not planning on making the people around him think
anything else. In short, Dylan is a man afraid to live life even the
tiniest step beyond what he feels society allows.
Then
he meets Max, office-help, aspiring artist and all-round cutie. And
he does something quite unusual. He not only falls in love (because
that is something that can’t be controlled) but he accepts those
feelings. He even goes so far as to celebrate them.
Even
as this character’s creator, I can only become aware of his quiet
courage and admire him for it. As a gay woman of a younger generation
(Dylan Archer is born around 1937 and I in 1961) I have a pretty good
idea, and not just from the standpoint of an observer, what it means
to simply admit to yourself that you’re in love with someone of the
same sex and enjoy it too. I know it sounds pretentious, but in a
way, writing this kind of stories connects me to the nearly invisible
gay men and women of the past.
Being
the kind of man he is, and the reality of place and time, Dylan
assumes his feelings won’t be reciprocated. But when Max tells him
how much he in return is attracted to Dylan on the day sex between
men becomes legal (which, I admit is not exactly subtle symbolism)
Dylan again proves he’s braver than he ever thought possible. He
has the courage to embrace love, to let go when he thinks the time
has come, and rethink his sacrifice when it has a different effect
from what he intended.
Who
knows, he might even get married one day…
A
small taste?
It
was half past five and time to go home. The weatherman had been right
after all, it turned out to be a lovely day and Dylan enjoyed his
short walk to the bus stop. The streets were busy with people leaving
the offices and Dylan couldn't stop himself noticing a tall, muscular
man with dark hair walking past him …
No,
don't do that. You had better look at that girl, the blonde one in
the miniskirt - that one, yes. Do it discreetly, but make sure people
around you know you're a healthy man with a healthy appreciation for
the female form. Now stop it, don't overdo it. That handsome man
across the street? Don't even notice him. Blank stare, you've seen
nothing. Perhaps he notices you, he might like you, but don't give
yourself away. Not to him, not to anyone. Look, another cute girl in
a miniskirt.
About
In the Privacy of Their Home
Dylan’s
life is regulated and precise, and as a gay man in the England of the
1960s it’s also necessarily secretive; the law regarding
homosexuality may have changed, but unfortunately society’s
attitudes are slow to catch up. Meeting Max – younger and less
inhibited – is a shock to Dylan’s system; suddenly his world,
which has been black and white, explodes into vivid colour. But
loving Max is not without difficulty; Max is an artist, talented and
ambitious, and there’s no way someone as ordinary as Dylan can hold
on to him for long … or is there?
I
will give away one copy of In the
Privacy of their Home. Simply state in
your reaction that you are interested, together with an e-mail
address where I can reach you in case you win.
In
the Privacy of their Home by R.A.Padmos
is available as e-book at:
Barns&Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-privacy-of-their-home-ra-padmos/1122885447?ean=2940152440768
Find
out more about me!
12 comments:
Hello, R.A. Welcome to Beyond Romance. I'm so glad you decided to talk about this aspect of your story. I think we're rather spoiled at this time in history, at least in western countries. We can love whom we want. Actually, though, if you happen to be gay in Uganda, or even Russia, things are at least as bad as they used to be in the UK.
Anyway, thanks for being my guest, and for the giveaway!
This sounds really interesting. Please enter me in the comp. xxx
halliday.sally@yahoo.co.uk
Very happy to be your guest.
And yes, there is still so much to fight for. I'm very aware of how incredibly lucky I am.
Thanks for your reaction.
Definitely want to read this!
Trix, vitajex@aol dot com
Thank you! Hope you'll enjoy.
interesting post
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Gay history is interesting. :-)
This does sound intriguing. Please enter me.
debby236 at gmail dot com
Will do. And thanks.
It's amazing how much society has changed over the last fifty / sixty years. I am grateful to be part of a more accepting society.
It does. If anyone had told my wife and me when we started to date, back in 1981, that we would get legally married in 2001, we would have laughed about so much nonsense. But here we are...
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