Monday

Secrets, and Understanding

I read quite a few blogs, both literary and personal, and have found of late that I don't have enough time to read them all, so I've had to really cut back. One that I stumbled upon some time ago by accident is by a blogger called Chris who's been married for over two decades and he's also a father, but always felt something was different. The 'something' is that he's also attracted to men, that he's gay, and last year matters came to a head and he resolved to discuss these core feelings with his wife and family, moved out of the home to live a short distance away, and has been blogging about his whole painful experience, and the joy he's finding now in being true to himself. I found the blog compelling right from the first paragraph I read and it's become one of my favorites both because of the quality of his writing and the content. What compelled me about the content? Well, the subjedct interested me and I was bowled over by its searing reality and the subtext, if you will, that we are on this earth for a short period of time and must be true to who we are no matter how hard while we walk the fields and streets.

Anyway, it turns out this chap has read my novel recently and posted his feelings entitled Living With Secrets in relation to it on Coming Out at 48. I was stunned by how well he understood Gabriel, how infinitely more so than the vast majority of professional reviewers and interviewers who've had me on their shows. He went to the core of Gabriel and literally touched his quivering soul. He understood, and I am tremendously moved by what he has written.


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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Went round to the bookshop (the other day) enquiring for a book called "A boy called Gabriel" but they didn't have it; nor could they reference to it anywhere upon keying in the words "A boy called*...". I'll make an effort at being better informed befor making enquiries the next time, and you'll be all the richer.

M. Damian McNicholl said...

Thanks for the comments, guys. Yes, it takes a lot of effort to blog regularly, Spencer.

And yes, Trevor. I've heard people say A Boy called Gabriel i.s.o a Son Called Gabriel. It happens. Not often, thankfully.