The Perplexed Pumpkin, by Frank W. Butterfield

[Ulysses]

The Perplexed Pumpkin
By Frank W. Butterfield
Four stars
This novella is set at Hallowe’en in 1953, and continues the developing saga of Nick Williams, the richest gay man in America, and his ex-fireman lover Carter Jones.

But saga isn’t the right word, because these books all feel intimate and neighborly. Despite the troubles that Nick and Carter encounter, Nick is nothing less than a gay superhero, and manages to save the day while making life better for LGBT people – long before initials were ever conceived for the fractured community in which I live.

The crux of this juicy little book is a Hallowe’en part that Nick’s office manager Robert wants to co-host with his new boyfriend, Joe. As the party preparations get increasingly complex, Nick begins to worry.

The great joy of this series is Frank Butterfield’s attention to detail, and his strict adherence to optimism. He captures the language and the style of the 1950s, but he gives Nick the ability to conquer any and all obstacles thrown at him by the homophobic world, from the police to the newspapers. He also gives us a beautiful, loving relationship in Nick and Carter, and sets them as the exemplar for the embattled little community they are building in San Francisco.