The Mirror of Love

Moore's desire to chart the length of homosexuality from the infancy of life and onward to the cradle of Middle Eastern civilizations and through the path of Western society is a grand ambition from which he doesn't falter. The narrative is a steadfast declaration of same-sex love, poetic in construction, at turns whisper-quiet as a lover's voice, outraged, tender, hopeful, defiant, determined. In tracing the course of our love and persecution over the millennia the persistence of our culture as well as highlighting its achievements.

Photographer Jose Villarrubia illustrates the writing with his classical sensibilities and keen eye. Each image provides a resting-place for the eye while the reader contemplates Moore's metered prose, in much the same way that paths in Japanese gardens are often crooked to induce a new rhythm and experience in the visitor. The book is a history and celebration of same sex love and romance. Villarrubia's work is appropriately erotic in places, but again, his aesthetics are classical. You won't find images of hot naked men in this book though I hope you'll be curious enough to browse a copy at a local bookstore before completely deciding against this book. One image that consistently attracts my attention is of an ancient Greek sculpture of nude youth's torso, its arms and penis lost to history, but the hand of his lover still resting on his stomach.

Rounding out the volume are four appendices. The first is a "Who's Who" overview of the figures mentioned in the book, followed by the various poems quoted in it; a short of list of suggested readings (an excellent idea for those now curious); and the last concerning Clause 28 itself. Villarrubia and Paul Ryan impeccably designed the book. The front dust jacket image is a balancing act of ornate black script against stark white, and a luscious red rose as anchor. An image of a sculpture of a pair of idealized young decorates the end papers. One last mark of quality is the choice in bookbinding. Top Shelf went an extra step to have the pages sewn to the spine rather than having the pages glued, a less expensive and less permanent option. Additionally, this means that the book lies flat when opened instead of annoyingly trying to close itself.

Advancements have been made since its first publication in 1988. Thankfully, Clause 28 was repealed in 2003. In the same year, the US Supreme Court in a landmark case struck down state sodomy laws. Gay characters, albeit often played by straight actors, are almost a staple on American television. Several European countries and Canadian provinces allow for some type of state recognition of same-sex couples. After fits and starts homosexual couples can, for now, marry in Massachusetts. Despite these and other gains there are tragic reminders in the brutal murders of people like Matthew Shepard and Gwen Araujo and President George W. Bush's uncompassionate desire to legislate discrimination into the US Constitution to bring us back to reality. This book is invaluable as a poetic reminder of the journeys made by those before us, so that we may hopefully have an easier road ahead.