Groovy Books: TOUSSAINT!

David Toussaint is a great writer. I recently came to this conclusion while reading his latest book, TOUSSAINT!, which made me laugh out loud on almost every page. David previously wrote Gay and Lesbian Weddings: Planning the Perfect Same-Sex Ceremony back in 2004, but his sharp, biting wit really comes to life in the 36 columns collected in TOUSSAINT!--most of which he originally wrote as a columnist for EDGE, the popular network of local GLBT news and entertainment websites.

If you enjoy the work of writer David Sedaris, I think you'll love the new David in town, who documents his life as a man "who happens to be gay" through his always amusing views of current events, pop culture and politics. And Sedaris himself even shows up in a wicked story about Wikipedia, in which Toussaint exposes the "truth" behind the famous author's SantaLand Diaries. He also states that he (David T.) was the original choice for the movie version of Evita and that he once lived with his partner of five years, Jake Gyllenhaal. Toussaint obviously knows his way around the padded profiles on Wikipedia.

Here are a few of my other favorite TOUSSAINT! stories:

"Daddy's Day", in which he confesses that he wants to be raised by two men who are older than he is--"by a good six months." He's also able to work in a reference to Logan's Run, the 1976 sci-fi film starring Michael York and Farrah Fawcett, which tickled my funny bone.

"Legend of the Fall", in which he gives us his unique take on a Barbra Streisand concert and her fans: "Because if there's one thing more enjoyable than hearing Babs belt out 'Don't Rain on My Parade', it's having a guy in the audience turn it into a duet--off-key."

"What's (LOL) Got to Do with It", in which he hilariously discusses how many of his close relationships ("It was like John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the opening scene from Grease, only slightly less gay") have been adversely affected by modern communication (Facebook, MySpace, texting).

Toussaint certainly knows how to make a person giggle through his words, but I also admire a writer who can also make me a bit verklempt at times. And David beautifully succeeds in this in his story, "Constant Craving", in which he recalls bumping into an ill friend on the street one day. It's a very sad--and real--moment amongst all the delicious fun of his other tales.

I could go on and on and list my favorite parts of each and every one of David's wonderful stories, but I'll refrain and let you discover them for yourself. I highly recommend his book, which should be at the top of everyone's summer reading list. And I can't wait to read his first novel, which he's currently working on. If it's anything like his humorous essays, it should be fabulous.

TOUSSAINT! is available as an Amazon Kindle book, which can also be downloaded on to an iPhone for your reading pleasure. Click here to purchase a copy. You can also check out David on his website at www.davidtoussaint.com.

I'll end this review with one last favorite quote (I just couldn't resist), in which Toussaint describes the 2006 movie, Children of Men:

"While some viewers saw the film as anti-Utopian, I thought it was heaven. A world in which men who look like Clive Owen wander around drunk and vulnerable, and there are no pesky children to get in the way? One man's nightmare is another man's wet dream."