Whores of Lost Atlantis
"Flamboyant, emotional, would-be star Julian Young can wait no more for his starring vehicle, so he devises one in an epic eight-hour session and sets out to stage it, casting himself as the female lead (in drag, of course) and assembling a supporting cast that includes some of the most unforgettable eccentrics ever to answer a cattle call. Now the real drama begins..." Will the sinister Kiko steal Julian's play, Whore of Lost Atlantis - or, failing that, will she sabotage his career? Will...
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In this madcap novel, Drama Desk Award winner Charles Busch brings to the page the plot twists and flamboyant, appealing characters that made his Vampire Lesbians of Sodom one of the longest-running plays in Off-Broadway history. Set in downtown New York City, Whores of Lost Atlantis features Julian Young, a performer and playwright who tells the story of his acting troupe’s hilarious struggle to assemble an Off-Broadway production of Julian’s play, Whores of Lost Atlantis, in which Julian acts in drag. The novel’s unforgettable cast of characters includes Joel, a perfect English gentleman from Indiana; Roxie, an actress/librarian with moxie; Buster, a voluptuous young alcoholic; Camille, the fiery wig designer Julian considers having an affair with; Perry, Julian’s best friend, with a weakness for plastic surgery and peroxide; and Kiko, the wonderfully wicked performance artist who tries to sabotage Julian’s career. Getting his play produced proves to be a picaresque adventure with plenty of surprises, leaving the reader feverishly turning pages to see if the show can go on.Publishers WeeklyWell-known as the author of the play Vampire Lesbians of Sodom , Busch displays the same outrageous imagination and wacky humor in his first novel, a semi-autobiographical version of his life as actor and playwright. In this labyrinthine farcical melodrama about a young man and his kookie theatrical buddies, 30-ish performance artist Julian Young thinks he's missed his shot at the big time, until, while temping at a Wall Street law firm, he dreams up the drag vehicle that will establish his reputation. Quickly enlisting a bizarre group of misfits, he plans to stage his work at the Golgotha performance space in Manhattan's East Village. But he is opposed by Kiko, the evil Japanese performance artist who rules the scene, and her wicked aging drag-queen friend, Thirteen. Also menacing his success is Julian's married middle-aged lover, whose dark past and shady financial deals threaten to land the entire theatrical troupe in jail. Backstage romance makes up much of the drama, and humor is liberally provided by Julian's reflections on life in the theater. Busch is a natural storyteller and he spins a highly amusing--and at times highly erotic--tale, but his lack of experience as a novelist leads to a slowish start, mixed intentions (this is half memoir, half farce) and a terribly rushed conclusion. Still, it's lots of fun, particularly to anyone who's ever seen Busch tread the boards. (Nov.)
\ Publishers Weekly\ - Publisher's Weekly\ Well-known as the author of the play Vampire Lesbians of Sodom , Busch displays the same outrageous imagination and wacky humor in his first novel, a semi-autobiographical version of his life as actor and playwright. In this labyrinthine farcical melodrama about a young man and his kookie theatrical buddies, 30-ish performance artist Julian Young thinks he's missed his shot at the big time, until, while temping at a Wall Street law firm, he dreams up the drag vehicle that will establish his reputation. Quickly enlisting a bizarre group of misfits, he plans to stage his work at the Golgotha performance space in Manhattan's East Village. But he is opposed by Kiko, the evil Japanese performance artist who rules the scene, and her wicked aging drag-queen friend, Thirteen. Also menacing his success is Julian's married middle-aged lover, whose dark past and shady financial deals threaten to land the entire theatrical troupe in jail. Backstage romance makes up much of the drama, and humor is liberally provided by Julian's reflections on life in the theater. Busch is a natural storyteller and he spins a highly amusing--and at times highly erotic--tale, but his lack of experience as a novelist leads to a slowish start, mixed intentions (this is half memoir, half farce) and a terribly rushed conclusion. Still, it's lots of fun, particularly to anyone who's ever seen Busch tread the boards. (Nov.)\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalBusch's Vampire Lesbians of Sodom holds the record for the longest-running Off-Broadway play, with over 2000 performances. The title of this novel is also the title of a play, written by protagonist Julian Young in a single day while he's temping on Wall Street; it premieres deep in Manhattan's grungy East Village and goes on to become a cult phenomenon. First novels are supposed to be autobiographical, and this one is blazingly so. It is also often quite funny, peopled with a zany cast, most of them gay. Yet the novel obviously has deeper intentions than simply getting some laughs. It's about finding one's true identity amid the various roles--some sham and some sincere--that we all assume. It's long and repetitive, and the gay humor is sometimes strained, as are the Manhattan in-jokes, but on the whole this is a worthy first novel.-- Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.\ \ \ Library JournalMore gay fiction. The expanded edition of Busch's 1993 novel includes an entire new chapter and a new afterword. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.\ \
