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In Search of Pretty Young Black Men
Los Angeles has no ghettos, according to some. And that is nearly true. But even behind the sun-kissed façade of privilege in its Black upper middle class is a harsher reality....
So begins the tale of Dorian Moore, a seductive young man who provides comfort to the moneyed, the neglected, the lost, and the lonely in an elegant hilltop community in Southern California -- Maggie Lester Allegro among them.
Disillusioned by a loveless marriage, Maggie finds support in her small circle of women friends, and sexual healing in Dorian's arms. But the blessing brought by this pretty black man soon becomes a fatal curse for Maggie and her husband, Lamont. When Lamont -- the son of an influential member of the Baldwin Hills gentry -- seeks sexual solace outside the marriage, a series of terrible truths come to light...and soon he begins to crumble under the weight of his own family secrets and lies that threaten to shatter his carefully guarded life.
Poetically rendered and provocative, In Search of Pretty Young Black Men is an illuminating novel that challenges our notions of sex, success, prestige, and, most of all, love.
So begins the tale of Dorian Moore, a seductive young man who provides comfort to the moneyed, the neglected, the lost, and the lonely in an elegant hilltop community in Southern California -- Maggie Lester Allegro among them.
Disillusioned by a loveless marriage, Maggie finds support in her small circle of women friends, and sexual healing in Dorian's arms. But the blessing brought by this pretty black man soon becomes a fatal curse for Maggie and her husband, Lamont. When Lamont -- the son of an influential member of the Baldwin Hills gentry -- seeks sexual solace outside the marriage, a series of terrible truths come to light...and soon he begins to crumble under the weight of his own family secrets and lies that threaten to shatter his carefully guarded life.
Poetically rendered and provocative, In Search of Pretty Young Black Men is an illuminating novel that challenges our notions of sex, success, prestige, and, most of all, love.
176 pages, Paperback
First published December 23, 2004
2 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Stanley Bennett Clay
13 books131 followersStanley Bennett Clay received 3 NAACP Theatre Awards and 3 Drama-logue Awards for writing, directing and co-producing the stage play “Ritual.” He made his film writing/directorial debut with the film version, which was voted the Jury Award at the 2000 Pan African Film Festival. Recently he wrote and directed the documentary "You Are Not Alone," and examination of depression among black gay men.
He wrote the plays “Lovers” (Theatre of Arts), wrote and composed the musical “Street Nativity” (Celebrity Centre Theatre), and wrote and starred in “Armstrong’s Kid” (Roy Arias Off-Broadway Theatre/NY).
He directed the west coast premiere of the play “Jonin’” (Estelle Harmon Theatre, Drama-logue Award/Direction), produced the GLAAD award-winning “Children of the Night” (Ebony Showcase Theatre), and produced the world premiere of “Willie & Esther” which was a Los Angeles Times Critics’ Choice and won 2 L.A. Weekly Awards, including Best Play. He most recently directed the premiere production of "B-Boy Blues: The Play" adapted from the James Earl Hardy classic novel. The production won The Audience Award at New York City's Downtown Urban Theatre Festival.
As an actor, Clay starred, guest-starred and was featured in more than fifty TV and film productions including “Good Times,” “Cheers,” “Minstrel Man,” "James Michener’s Dynasty,” “Cannonball” and “All The President’s Men.” On stage, he did leads in “Zooman and the Sign” (Drama-logue Award/NAACP Image Award Best Actor nominee) “Anna Lucasta” (NAACP Image Award Best Actor winner) and “Six Pieces of Musical Broadway” (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion). He also appeared in Albert Camus’ “Caligula” (Zodiac Theatre) Bill Duke’s “Sonata” (Theatre of Arts) and “A Hatful of Rain” (Argo Repertory Company).
He’s the author of 6 novels: “Diva” (Fleming & Sons), “In Search of Pretty Young Black Men” (Atria), “Looker” (Atria), "Aching For It" (Ellora's Cave), "Hollywood Flames" (Ellora's Cave) and "Madame Frankie" (Ellora's Cave). “Search” won the 2005 New York HOTEP Society Award for Best Gay Novel. He also co-authored “Visible Lives: Three Stories in Tribute to E. Lynn Harris.”
For ten years (1991-2001) he edited and published SBC Magazine, then the most widely distributed national monthly for the Black LGBT community. He received Genre Magazine’s Life Guard Award, The National Black Writers’ Founder’s Award, the first Black Gay and Lesbian Cultural Alliance Award, the 2008 Oakland Black Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, Blatino Oasis 2010 Award for Literature, the Indianapolis Black Pride/Brothers United Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature, and the first Better Brother Los Angeles Lifetime Achievement Award.
He lives in Manhattan, New York with his husband Reny.
He wrote the plays “Lovers” (Theatre of Arts), wrote and composed the musical “Street Nativity” (Celebrity Centre Theatre), and wrote and starred in “Armstrong’s Kid” (Roy Arias Off-Broadway Theatre/NY).
He directed the west coast premiere of the play “Jonin’” (Estelle Harmon Theatre, Drama-logue Award/Direction), produced the GLAAD award-winning “Children of the Night” (Ebony Showcase Theatre), and produced the world premiere of “Willie & Esther” which was a Los Angeles Times Critics’ Choice and won 2 L.A. Weekly Awards, including Best Play. He most recently directed the premiere production of "B-Boy Blues: The Play" adapted from the James Earl Hardy classic novel. The production won The Audience Award at New York City's Downtown Urban Theatre Festival.
As an actor, Clay starred, guest-starred and was featured in more than fifty TV and film productions including “Good Times,” “Cheers,” “Minstrel Man,” "James Michener’s Dynasty,” “Cannonball” and “All The President’s Men.” On stage, he did leads in “Zooman and the Sign” (Drama-logue Award/NAACP Image Award Best Actor nominee) “Anna Lucasta” (NAACP Image Award Best Actor winner) and “Six Pieces of Musical Broadway” (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion). He also appeared in Albert Camus’ “Caligula” (Zodiac Theatre) Bill Duke’s “Sonata” (Theatre of Arts) and “A Hatful of Rain” (Argo Repertory Company).
He’s the author of 6 novels: “Diva” (Fleming & Sons), “In Search of Pretty Young Black Men” (Atria), “Looker” (Atria), "Aching For It" (Ellora's Cave), "Hollywood Flames" (Ellora's Cave) and "Madame Frankie" (Ellora's Cave). “Search” won the 2005 New York HOTEP Society Award for Best Gay Novel. He also co-authored “Visible Lives: Three Stories in Tribute to E. Lynn Harris.”
For ten years (1991-2001) he edited and published SBC Magazine, then the most widely distributed national monthly for the Black LGBT community. He received Genre Magazine’s Life Guard Award, The National Black Writers’ Founder’s Award, the first Black Gay and Lesbian Cultural Alliance Award, the 2008 Oakland Black Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, Blatino Oasis 2010 Award for Literature, the Indianapolis Black Pride/Brothers United Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature, and the first Better Brother Los Angeles Lifetime Achievement Award.
He lives in Manhattan, New York with his husband Reny.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 30, 2011
"A lust-laced hallelujah."
That's how G. B. Mann described the steamy novel, In Search of Pretty Young Black Men by award-winning filmmaker and playwright Stanley Bennett Clay. The quote, by the author of Low-Hanging Fruit, is on the back cover of the dust-jacket. I made a skeptical little sound at the magnificent, though extremely `authorly' quip-one carefully crafted to be repeated, and therefore, somewhat self-serving.
Why am I repeating it? Because after reading the book, I realize that Mr. Mann's four little words can't be bested. He hit the nail with this one ... dead center.
I took the provocatively titled tome on my birthday cruise and between peaceful moments staring at the sea, I was enraptured by this tale of Dorian Moore, "... a mysterious and seductive young man who provides comfort to the moneyed, the neglected, the lost, and the lonely in an elegant hilltop community in Southern California."
It was the title that drew me in, and I ordered it from Amazon without knowing a thing about Stanley Bennett Clay. Maybe because I've resigned myself to the fact that, in a way, my life has been a search for pretty young black men ever since I WAS one ... and also that, until the day I die, they'll have the heart-stopping ability to bring a smile to my face, a tingle to my nether-region, and make me play the biggest fool. Yeah. The good ones can.
As J and I sun-bathed and enjoyed the pleasant rocking of the ship (he was reading the hip debut by Blaire R. Poole ... Breathe), I peeked over my shades at the most pleasant sight. A real, live, pretty young black man (who'd only been old enough to drink for ten minutes, tops) sauntered by looking edible, dangerous and darkly Brazilian in his Speedo. My elbow nudged J and we both watched him set up a deck chair opposite us ... and then put on a seductive show involving languid application of oil, and a few choice stretches.
`Oh ... my ... God.' J muttered, expressing his appreciation for my heads-up.
I thought of Stanley Bennett Clay's character, Dorian Moore-who drove some residents of the exclusively rich black enclave of Baldwin Hills to lascivious and tragic distraction-and I had to admit that lust for such heavenly creatures ... can do exactly that.
Stanley Bennett Clay grabs you by the nuts, and slowly squeezes. In Search of Pretty Young Black Men made me question the objectification of the pretty young `anythings' of the world, and ponder society's ideas (and my own) about lust and morality. And reading it was kinda like being ravaged by a pretty young black man. Well ... almost. ~
That's how G. B. Mann described the steamy novel, In Search of Pretty Young Black Men by award-winning filmmaker and playwright Stanley Bennett Clay. The quote, by the author of Low-Hanging Fruit, is on the back cover of the dust-jacket. I made a skeptical little sound at the magnificent, though extremely `authorly' quip-one carefully crafted to be repeated, and therefore, somewhat self-serving.
Why am I repeating it? Because after reading the book, I realize that Mr. Mann's four little words can't be bested. He hit the nail with this one ... dead center.
I took the provocatively titled tome on my birthday cruise and between peaceful moments staring at the sea, I was enraptured by this tale of Dorian Moore, "... a mysterious and seductive young man who provides comfort to the moneyed, the neglected, the lost, and the lonely in an elegant hilltop community in Southern California."
It was the title that drew me in, and I ordered it from Amazon without knowing a thing about Stanley Bennett Clay. Maybe because I've resigned myself to the fact that, in a way, my life has been a search for pretty young black men ever since I WAS one ... and also that, until the day I die, they'll have the heart-stopping ability to bring a smile to my face, a tingle to my nether-region, and make me play the biggest fool. Yeah. The good ones can.
As J and I sun-bathed and enjoyed the pleasant rocking of the ship (he was reading the hip debut by Blaire R. Poole ... Breathe), I peeked over my shades at the most pleasant sight. A real, live, pretty young black man (who'd only been old enough to drink for ten minutes, tops) sauntered by looking edible, dangerous and darkly Brazilian in his Speedo. My elbow nudged J and we both watched him set up a deck chair opposite us ... and then put on a seductive show involving languid application of oil, and a few choice stretches.
`Oh ... my ... God.' J muttered, expressing his appreciation for my heads-up.
I thought of Stanley Bennett Clay's character, Dorian Moore-who drove some residents of the exclusively rich black enclave of Baldwin Hills to lascivious and tragic distraction-and I had to admit that lust for such heavenly creatures ... can do exactly that.
Stanley Bennett Clay grabs you by the nuts, and slowly squeezes. In Search of Pretty Young Black Men made me question the objectification of the pretty young `anythings' of the world, and ponder society's ideas (and my own) about lust and morality. And reading it was kinda like being ravaged by a pretty young black man. Well ... almost. ~
March 12, 2012
Finished this story in mere hours and was so blown away I just reread it and went to sleep..deep in thought..I dont even know if I can adequately review this book as it is very complex, poetically yet confusingly written with flashbacks, drunk memories and the rambling thoughts and desires of a married couple with haunting, sad secrets that all come to light with the arrival of the conniving pimpstress Elaine and her young, mysteriously sexy pretty young black man Dorian Moore..This book was deep, issues of racial and sexual stereotypes on our black men are interestingly introduced as well as the story of the meeting and marriage of Margaret and Lamont Lester-Allegro, well to do African Americans from the prestigous and affluent Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles. Their backgrounds and prejudices ultimately bring them together and prove to be ultimately their downfall.. Their plight is written so poignantly and touching that despite the choices made you feel their pains, understand their motives and however ridiculous and forced they are you are genuinely shocked as the events of the book play themselves out and more and more secrets are introduced..I want to say I recommend this book but I dont know if everyone is ready for this read, it is challenging but rewarding true- but also disturbing, hard hitting and unapologetic about its love and the controversy around the elusive and priceless pretty young black man, admittedly I was not ready for this book either but after rereading it I am so glad I stumbled upon it as I know I will never forget this short little thrilling educational read..Daring attempt that I think worked on some level..
June 16, 2007
It's kind of too complicated to describe. It's not a complicateb but, but I still feel as though the context for it is not well established so explaining it will make it seem as though I'm apologizing for it.
which I am most certainly not.
which I am most certainly not.
February 15, 2012
The book ended up being nothing like I thought it would be from the title. It was an interesting read. I liked how everything was tied together.
August 13, 2013
Dirty naste!
January 20, 2017
A provocative cover for a provocative tale. It took a while for me to get to this one in my reading stack, but once I started reading, I finished it in hours.
January 25, 2018
I honestly didn't know what to think of this book at first. It reminded me of this show that was on BET when I was younger called Baldwin Hills. My mother never let me watch it, but I could tell from the preview that it was nothing but drama. I was curious to see how the people of the black Beverly Hills lived. I imagine it was just as crazy an chaotic as this book.
I loved this book because it was/ is a great conversation starter. It touches on a lot of events that have happened, it touches on homosexuality in the black conservative community, interracial relationships, beauty, and so many other things that we as A.A. aren't so open about.
It wasn't until about halfway through the section with Lamont that I truly came to understand everything that Dorian stood for. He represented things that all these other people wanted to be. He was okay with being who he wanted to be. All of the other characters are older and came from a generation where it was normalized to repress certain parts of yourself, your wants and desires, because they weren't acceptable.
This book is also a perfect example of money not being able to buy happiness. Besides Dorian none of the other characters are completely happy with the lives the they live. Lamont got a glimpse of happiness late in his life, but it took so much for him to allow himself to be who he really was.
Also I just like the visuals that Clay created of the characters. I think most authors have a singular way of describing what blackness (i.e. Deep, mahogany, chestnut, cotton) and these words are so overused even if they do give a clear view. His words made everyone seem unique in their look and the way they presented themselves.
The only reason I will not give it a five is because of the way the flashbacks are inserted it is a way that is quite confusing. Some of them are explainable due to the fact the narrator at the time is under the influence of something but at other times there's no excuse.
I loved this book because it was/ is a great conversation starter. It touches on a lot of events that have happened, it touches on homosexuality in the black conservative community, interracial relationships, beauty, and so many other things that we as A.A. aren't so open about.
It wasn't until about halfway through the section with Lamont that I truly came to understand everything that Dorian stood for. He represented things that all these other people wanted to be. He was okay with being who he wanted to be. All of the other characters are older and came from a generation where it was normalized to repress certain parts of yourself, your wants and desires, because they weren't acceptable.
This book is also a perfect example of money not being able to buy happiness. Besides Dorian none of the other characters are completely happy with the lives the they live. Lamont got a glimpse of happiness late in his life, but it took so much for him to allow himself to be who he really was.
Also I just like the visuals that Clay created of the characters. I think most authors have a singular way of describing what blackness (i.e. Deep, mahogany, chestnut, cotton) and these words are so overused even if they do give a clear view. His words made everyone seem unique in their look and the way they presented themselves.
The only reason I will not give it a five is because of the way the flashbacks are inserted it is a way that is quite confusing. Some of them are explainable due to the fact the narrator at the time is under the influence of something but at other times there's no excuse.
October 17, 2017
Slow in the telling of the tale that was woven. Characters development felt a bit scattered to me and had a bit of a struggle understanding them. I suppose the heavy use of cultural cues to invoke connection to the creation could be to blame. Overall, I enjoyed the tale just fear that with time the dating on this piece will begin to fray the edges.
May 3, 2019
This was not the book I thought it was when I picked it up, and I am not its target demographic. But it was well written enough for me to appreciate the art at its core and the arc of redemption and understanding at its heart.
May 13, 2009
Was not exactly the story I was looking for,
or expected, when I ordered this. Did not care
much for how the author would have a character
in thought, then actually doing something, then
back in thought again. I had to keep flipping
back to see if I had overlooked a passage, to
see if this person was just thinking about something,
or if the scene was actually taking place.
It got favorable reviews, so apparently others
r-e-a-l-l-y enjoyed this. It only gets 2 stars
from me.
or expected, when I ordered this. Did not care
much for how the author would have a character
in thought, then actually doing something, then
back in thought again. I had to keep flipping
back to see if I had overlooked a passage, to
see if this person was just thinking about something,
or if the scene was actually taking place.
It got favorable reviews, so apparently others
r-e-a-l-l-y enjoyed this. It only gets 2 stars
from me.
July 30, 2016
Lyrical, dark and deeply disturbing.
Read
December 4, 2022TRASH. And not the cult material, Jon Waters kind of trash either.
File under badreads.com.
File under badreads.com.
May 26, 2014
not bad
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews