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BORGO PRESS BOOKS BY VICTOR J. BANIS
The Astral; Till the Day I Die
Avalon; An Historical Novel
The C.A.M.P. Cookbook
The C.A.M.P. Guide to Astrology
The C.A.M.P. Guide to Sex and the Single Gay
Charms, Spells, and Curses for the Millions
Color Him Gay; That Man from C.A.M.P.
The Curse of Bloodstone; A Gothic Novel of Terror
Darkwater; A Gothic Novel of Horror
The Daughters of Nightsong; An Historical Novel (Nightsong Saga #2)
The Devil’s Dance; A Novel of Terror
Drag Thing; or, The Strange Tale of Jackle and Hyde
The Earth and All It Holds; An Historical Novel
A Family Affair; A Novel of Terror
Fatal Flowers; A Novel of Horror
Fire on the Moon; A Novel of Terror
The Gay Dogs; That Man from C.A.M.P.
The Gay Haunt
The Glass House; A Novel of Terror
The Glass Painting; A Gothic Tale of Horror
Goodbye, My Lover
The Greek Boy
The Green Rolling Hills; Writings from West Virginia (editor)
Green Willows; A Novel of Terror
Kenny’s Back
Life & Other Passing Moments; A Collection of Short Writings
The Lion’s Gate; A Novel of Terror
Love’s Pawn; A Novel of Romance
Lucifer’s Daughter; A Novel of Horror
Moon Garden; A Novel of Terror
Nightsong; An Historical Novel (Nightsong Saga #1)
The Pot Thickens; Recipes from Writers and Editors (editor)
San Antone; An Historical Novel
The Scent of Heather; A Novel of Terror
The Second House; A Novel of Terror
The Second Tijuana Bible Reader (editor)
The Sins of Nightsong; An Historical Novel (Nightsong Saga #3)
Spine Intact, Some Creases; Remembrances of a Paperback Writer
Stranger at the Door; A Novel of Suspense
Sweet Tormented Love; A Novel of Romance
The Sword and the Rose; An Historical Novel
This Splendid Earth; An Historical Novel
The Tijuana Bible Reader (editor)
Twisted Flames
The WATERCRESS File; That Man from C.A.M.P.
A Westward Love; An Historical Romance
White Jade; A Novel of Terror
The Why Not
The Wine of the Heart; A Novel of Romance
The Wolves of Craywood; A Novel of Terror
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Copyright © 1967, 2012 by Robert Reginald
Originally published under the title, Sex and the Single Gay.
Published by Wildside Press LLC
www.wildsidebooks.com
DEDICATION
I am deeply indebted to my friend, Heather, for all the help she has given me in getting these early works of mine reissued.
And I am grateful as well to Rob Reginald, for all his assistance and support.
INTRODUCTION TO THE 2012 EDITION
More than any of the other books in the C.A.M.P. collection, I entertained doubts about reissuing this one, for the simple reason that it is the most obviously dated. Of course social niceties have changed greatly since all of the books were originally written, but in the Jackie Holmes adventures there are always stories to distract the reader, and the realities of cooking (The C.A.M.P. Cookbook) and astrology (The C.A.M.P. Guide to Astrology) have changed hardly at all in the intervening years.
Sex and the Single Gay was inspired by the bestselling Sex and the Single Girl, written by Helen Gurley Brown of Cosmopolitan fame. Like its predecessor, my book offered advice on a wide variety of fronts—furnishing an apartment, for example, cooking, entertaining, styles and—mostly—attracting and seducing men.
Men aren’t so much different now from what they were then, but otherwise things have changed on nearly every front. To cite just one example, by 1970, no one batted an eyelash at shoulder-length hair on men, but when I was writing this book only a few years earlier, masculine hair that long was still so rare as to look peculiar. Dancing then was still mostly closed dancing; the frug, the watusi and all those moves commonly seen in dance clubs today were still around the corner. To be sure, in a few clubs you could already see guys shaking their booties, but it was regarded as a bit freaky.
Even the realities of day-to-day gay life have changed. The subterfuge I recommended then will surely seem odd to today’s young gay males, who will undoubtedly wonder why the fact of their gay-ness should be concealed from office mates, heterosexual friends, and at straight gatherings. But in those days, though many of us were peeking out of our closets, the gay lifestyle remained perilous—arrests and getting fired from one’s job were still realities for many of us, and straight friends and families could and did shun the openly gay. It was still necessary, in other words, to live a more or less secret gay life.
So, why, then, reissue a book that will strike many as out of touch with the gay life of today’s readers?
The best reason I can offer is that I think much of what I had to say then is still valid today. Much of the advice—on managing a budget, for instance, or furnishing an apartment still applies (though certainly the prices have changed), and even where it doesn’t, there is an even better reason to read—it’s funny. Yes, campy funny, but, hey, take another look at the title.
So, in addition to what I offer in the book, I would add this advice—take what you can use, consider the rest of it a window on what life was like for us back then—and in any case, do enjoy, please.
Otherwise, you’re missing the point.
—Victor J. Banis
CHAPTER ONE
MR. WONDERFUL, THAT’S YOU
It’s New Year’s Eve, the big night itself. Dressed in your finest, you are (pick one):
1.) at a marvelous party, surrounded by friends. At the stroke of midnight, your handsome date gives you your first kiss of the new year.
2.) drinking alone at a bar, watching the festivities on television and trying to convince yourself it’s just a lot of noise.
3.) preparing to jump from the top of your city’s highest building.
Did that one scare you? Well, let’s try again. Let’s suppose you are at a party. Unfortunately, it’s been rather dull, and you’ve just been cornered by a dreary auntie, when into the room walks the most gorgeous hunk of man you’ve ever seen, and he’s absolutely alone. An hour later:
1.) you and Handsome Hunk have managed to escape the dull party together, and are now creating your own excitement.
2.) you are still in the corner with auntie, watching some other guest whisk Handsome Hunk