From Publishers Weekly
John Rechy's 1963 debut, City of Night, a thinly fictionalized account of his adventures in male hustling from one end of the country to the other, was a milestone in American gay literature. But even as Rechy, who had grown up in the Mexican slums of El Paso, Tex., became a literary darling, he continued having sex for money and went to great lengths to keep his two worlds separate. This biography by L.A.-based journalist and novelist Casillo (The Marilyn Diaries), written with extensive cooperation from his subject, is most engrossing when it focuses on the years immediately before and after that initial success, when Rechy was constantly testing his personal and creative limits. As he makes the transition from dazzling young writer to literary icon, the anecdotes become much less interesting. Casillo doesn't delve much into the psychological aspects of Rechy's sexuality beyond hinting at the possibility of childhood sexual abuse by his domineering father, and while some might look at Rechy's behavior as a pattern of sexual addiction, the biography merely ventures that one novel, depicting the author's quest to seduce 30 men in quick succession, indicates an "excessive attachment to sex." Given the raw, primal quality of the frequent excerpts from Rechy's fiction, it's disappointing that the biographer's prose can't rise to the occasion; cliches like "one of those budding sexual experiences when the universe conspires with you and everything falls into place" are all too common. This respectful life story will confirm Rechy's status among literary critics and will undoubtedly reintroduce him to a new generation of gay readers, but it lacks the oomph for mainstream success. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Frontiers, November 8, 2002
Casillo does a masterful job analyzing Rechy's literary oeuvre and presenting a psychological portrait of the enigmatic writer.


Detour, December 13-19
Casillo has done a lot of homework and legwork ... making a persuasive case for Rechy's artistic and cultural significance.


Ambush, December 13 2002
A joy to read. Casillo has done a wonderful job recreating Rechy ... bringing him to a new generation of readers.


Washington Blade, January 31, 2003
"Outlaw" explores every aspect of Rechy's development in a compact, lucid way that should be a model for every biographer.


Just Out, February 7, 2003
Casillo deserves praise, inciting our curiosity with an expansive knowledge of his subject ... a generously conceived, tightly executed, indispensable book.


Book Description
When John Rechy_s City of Night first appeared in 1963, it was greeted with equal parts fanfare and horror. The unapologetically sexual story of a young gay hustler shocked readers with its frank treatment of a subject most knew about but chose to pretend did not exist. Yet more shocking was Rechy_s revelation that the book was largely autobiographical. For a street hustler to reach literary fame and widespread acclaim was unheard-of, especially if he was gay. Rechy continued to publish explosive novels, including Numbers, The Sexual Outlaw, and Rushes_even as he continued hustling seedy Hollywood Boulevard_and soon became an integral part of the new literary elite that included Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and Christopher Isherwood. In this enlightening biography, Charles Casillo provides an absorbing picture of the outlaw writer, examining the dichotomy of Rechy_s life as both a respected author and professor and a tough-as-nails sex worker. Working closely with Rechy himself as well as his family, friends, admirers, and colleagues, Casillo presents a complex portrait of a man who found sexual liberation through prostitution and used it to create a vivid and influential artistic legacy.The work of John Rechy: Bodies and Souls, City of Night, Coming of the Night, The Fourth Angel, Marilyn_s Daughters, Numbers, Our Lady of Babylon, Rushes, The Sexual Outlaw, and The Vampires.Charles Casillo is a Los Angeles_based freelance writer. He is the author of The Marilyn Diaries, a novel about Marilyn Monroe.


From the Inside Flap
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR "OUTLAW: THE LIVES AND CAREERS OF JOHN RECHY" "Charles Casillo has written a most original biography of what, in retrospect, now seems to be one of the few original American writers of the last century." --Gore Vidal "John Rechy is one of the few major American writers whose life is almost as interesting and meaningful as his work. I thank Charles Casillo for this insightful biography." --Michael Cunningham (The Hours) "I was dazzled and captivated by this very daring book." —Carolyn See "It is an absolute joy to read Casillo's telling of John Rechy's complicated, aristocratic, and varied history—you must read this biography immediately." —Gus Van Sant

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When it first appeared in 1963, John Rechy's City of Night was greeted with equal parts fanfare and horror. The unapologetically sexual story of a young gay hustler was praised by critics but shocked some readers with its frank treatment of an underground world most pretended did not exist. Equally unsettling was that the novel was largely autobiographical. That a street hustler had gained such literary fame and widespread acclaim was disturbing to many, but Rechy continued to publish explosive novels, including Numbers, The Sexual Outlaw, and Rushes - even as he continued to hustle seedy Hollywood Boulevard - and soon became an integral part of the new literary elite that included Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and William Burroughs. In this biography, Charles Casillo offers an absorbing picture of the outlaw writer, exploring the contradictions and ironies in Rechy's "several lives" as author, university professor, and inscrutable hustler. Working closely with Rechy as well as his family and those who knew him during his various incarnations, Casillo presents the first uncensored portrait of a complex man who found sexual liberation through prostitution and used it to create a compelling and influential literary legacy.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

John Rechy's 1963 debut, City of Night, a thinly fictionalized account of his adventures in male hustling from one end of the country to the other, was a milestone in American gay literature. But even as Rechy, who had grown up in the Mexican slums of El Paso, Tex., became a literary darling, he continued having sex for money and went to great lengths to keep his two worlds separate. This biography by L.A.-based journalist and novelist Casillo (The Marilyn Diaries), written with extensive cooperation from his subject, is most engrossing when it focuses on the years immediately before and after that initial success, when Rechy was constantly testing his personal and creative limits. As he makes the transition from dazzling young writer to literary icon, the anecdotes become much less interesting. Casillo doesn't delve much into the psychological aspects of Rechy's sexuality beyond hinting at the possibility of childhood sexual abuse by his domineering father, and while some might look at Rechy's behavior as a pattern of sexual addiction, the biography merely ventures that one novel, depicting the author's quest to seduce 30 men in quick succession, indicates an "excessive attachment to sex." Given the raw, primal quality of the frequent excerpts from Rechy's fiction, it's disappointing that the biographer's prose can't rise to the occasion; clich s like "one of those budding sexual experiences when the universe conspires with you and everything falls into place" are all too common. This respectful life story will confirm Rechy's status among literary critics and will undoubtedly reintroduce him to a new generation of gay readers, but it lacks the oomph for mainstream success. (Dec.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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