Talking Dirty with Edmund White
When others were not brave, Edmund White was open. Through his books, he forced the reality of the queer man’s life into the consciousness of this country. Not only was he one of the first openly gay writers to put the experience of gay life in the world on paper, he also made the people of the world want to hear more about it. His many books contain a thousand different worlds, countless unforgettable characters, and all of the complicated affairs of the human spirit. The erotic moments, I find, have the strange ability to give not only the crotch, but also the heart, an unflappable chubby.
His first novel, Forgetting Elena, was written 40 years ago, and he remains prolific up to this day. Ask any somewhat-educated homosexual and they will tell you how their life changed after reading A Boy’s Own Story, the book many consider to be his capolavoro. White released his latest book, Jack Holmes & His Friend, a few days ago, and it is already a bestseller in London.
Edmund is one of the last living giants, and will always be our Great Gay Hope. I once heard him say that his life is an open book; I recently interviewed him and tried my best to crack the spine.
(N.B. If you’re looking for thoughts on the craft, you won’t be finding them here.)
VICE: Your new novel is about a relationship between a straight man and a gay man. I’ve heard you say that no one has covered that subject in a novel before, but you must have had other reasons to write it.
Edmund White: Well, gay life is the most likely variation on sex. If you want to look at straight life and sex, just turn the tapestry over.
Have you ever been in love with a straight man? What happened?
Yes. A straight guy I sucked off in the 60s while he pretended to be asleep. Several times. He was a pompous lawyer with bad skin. I loved a wrestler in college who loved jazz and shot up heroin. Just as I was about to give my speech on how his friendship was enough he pulled down his underpants and revealed a big hard dick
Most of my friends are straight. I feel like a lot of gay men don’t accept me because I don’t comport myself in a certain manner. Why do you think that is?
You’re sort of a tough, thuggish guy. I’d imagine gays would go for that.
Is there a difference between sex with a straight man and sex with a gay man?
Straight guys usually just lie there and get sucked, though I had one straight guy whom I worked with in 1970 who got stoned and fucked the shit out of me and then ran away— literally—with his pants around his ankles. I guess he was freaked out by how much he liked it.
You lived through some of New York’s most sexually promiscuous times. What was the gay scene like then compared to now?
There was a lot of meat on the hoof before the internet. Pick-ups were quick and easy and often you’d score three times a night. Now, even with online cruising, it’s sort of slow.
Have you ever fallen in love with an anonymous hook-up?
I fall in love with everyone I have sex with—even stand-up sex.
