Stella Maris: And Other Key West Stories (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781885983688)

When Cuban fisherman first spotted the Key West lighthouse floating in Florida waters, they called her Stella Maris, Star of the Sea. It's a beacon that draws people from everywhere seeking the end-of-the-line bohemian oasis that can still be found amidst the condo share towers, chain stores, and Redneck Riviera clientele. And it's a mecca for gay men and the women who love them. Sue Kaufman Prize- winning author Michael Carroll knows the territory intimately. His stories wind in and out of the bars and guesthouses and lives of this singular paradise: a memorial for a drag queen held at the vicar's Victorian leads to uneasy encounters; two southern sisters on a cruise ship holiday are up against the ravages of alcohol, estrangement, and deadly weather. Newly divorced gay men (already a phenomenon) lick their wounds and bask in the island's lasting social twilight. At the all-male, clothing-optional resort, guys of all ages fall into one another's paths, enjoy themselves as they please, and surprise one another on their views and preconceptions. Stella Maris is about the verities of illness and death. The past and its prisoners, AIDS, the young and not so young man's realization of his own mortality. It's about the unpredictable nature of life, and of survival. It's about new beginnings and final recognitions.

Author: Michael Carroll
ISBN-10: 1885983689
ISBN-13: 9781885983688
Publisher: Turtle Point Press
Language: English
Published: 04/09/2019
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 7.50h x 4.90w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Shelf Awareness 04/12/2019
Foreword 04/26/2019