The Dandelion Clock

1986. If David hadn't missed his train and if Rob hadn't been in the kitchen when his mother was baking a birthday cake, they might never have met. Both found themselves sitting at the same table in the cafe on waterloo station and got talking. There was an instant rapport between them, despite their differences. David twenty eight with a good job and a house all to himself, Rob more than ten years younger and homeless. The solution to the latter seemed obvious...But was David, who'd admitted his homosexuality when asked, just being a good Samaritan or were his motives suspect? And why had Rob left home?

Review :
It's been a long time coming, but at last we have the first worthy British equivalent of the well-loved anthology of short story publications that the American lovers of well written gay fiction have enjoyed for several decades with the best-selling Tales of the City series by Armistead Maupin. I say 'series', as this is the second collection of enjoyable stories by Jay Mandal who handles the genre as well as, if not better, than the celebrated Armistead Maupin. In fact, from a high standard literary point of view, I would place Jay Mandal near the same level as the other leader of short fiction in this field, Edmund White. The first Jay Mandal collections 'Slubberdegullion' was reviewed for Speakout in the Summer of 2001 (no 6) issue. What makes me even more pleased, - even eager - to highly recommend this extremely good anthology is that Jay Mandal's first published story appeared in Speakout in our very first issue. Since that launch issue, at least on Mandal story has been used in every issue. Anything I am able to add will only reinforce the opinion held by so many of our subscribers and readers who have always been avid admirer's of Jay's writing abilities. Any issue of Speakout that does not contain a Mandal story would be incomplete. This is not just a book that will appeal to gay readers, but will be enjoyed by everyone. As the publisher noted on the back cover 'blurb;: "Perhaps the title of this collection should carry a question mark: no intelligent reader - of whatever sexual persuasion - can fail to close Jay's book without asking 'Well, what's so different about this kind of love after all'." Gay readers will be pleased that, at last, here is an author who shies away from the hoary and overworked themes of 'coming out', AIDS, prejudice, perversion, social stigma and brutality. This is a collection of love stories with the only difference being that the main protagonists are not the usual boy-girl romantic figures; they share more than the ordinary magnetism that binds two lovers, they share the same sex. Not all the stories have the 'and they lived happily ever after' fairytale ending. They are true to life, with the correct proportion of sadness, pathos and despair. But that is what good authorship is all about - a reflection of real, everyday life. The stories by Jay Mandal used in this issue are not included in A Different Kind of Love which means that you have a veritable feast of fresh and new Mandal stories to look forward to. The only thing each story shares in common is genre. Each one is refreshingly different. The author has the rare gift of making the reader share the emotions of the protagonist. You will identify yourself or someone you know with many of them. You will be amused by Jay's unique sense of humour, laugh at the witty dialogue and repartee, sympathise with the character in each awkward or embarrassing situation and many of you will find you have to wipe away the tears as you, too, share the despondency and disappointment, The publishers have done the author proud by producing an attractive, well-bound, clearly printed and expertly designed book that is a first class example of good publisher craftsmanship. I am not able to do better than end this review by repeating the quote printed on the cover of A Different Kind of Love. This was written by me when I reviewed Jay Mandal's first collection 'Slubberdegullion' for Lookout in July last year. For every story in this new collection I can once again repeat that they are all: "Written in the sympathetic, amusing and inimitable style which has become Jay's trademark. All the characters are well drawn and in almost everyone, a reader will easily identify with someone they know. Jay handles dialogue extremely well and is a master of quick-witted repartee." Neil Barnett, Speakout Magazine, Summer 2002. Jay Mandal's selection of sometimes funny, sometimes bitter-sweet stories deal with a wide range of instantly recognisable aspects of gay life - closetry, coming out, older gay men's experience of the gay scene, loss, bereavement and rekindled hope. These are written with a good ear for dialogue and are both affirming and insightful. Sebastian Beaumont, Gay Times, November 2002