One Gay Man, One Straight: Two Writers From the <i>Good Man</i> Project Read in NYC

Two guys I didn't know asked me to write a piece about men for an anthology about Good Men. I have learned to be cautious about invitations like this, so I asked for a list of possible topics. Sure, they said, and hit SEND.

"Boomers wasted years on sex and drugs," was one suggestion.

"Excuse me," I wrote back. "For this member of the college class of 1968, sex and drugs are how I learned to be a man."

"Cool," the editors said. "Write that."

So I did. I sent it off to them, they suggested some minor tweaks, and off it went -- along with the essays of 30 other guys -- to the printer.

I pretty much forgot about my little effort. Books are mostly doomed these days; I expected a small first printing, a handful of reviews and a quick trip to the shredder.

It hasn't worked out that way. The editors turn out to be madmen --- they're promoting this book hard. They're visiting schools and prisons, they're all over talk radio. They've even made a movie:

And now they've got me standing up to read "Sex and Drugs Made Me a Man" in front of a live audience in Manhattan. And not just me -- I've got a reading partner in Cary Wong, who will be reading from his essay, "In Bed With the New York Times."

Here's the crazy part. Cary, who is gay, writes about avoiding promiscuity in the hunt for true love. And I, the hetero, argue that promiscuity is what prepared me for true love. Talk about a shattering of stereotypes!

This historic reading -- followed by (yikes!) a discussion period -- takes place on Tuesday, November 17th, at 7 PM, at The Gay Center, 208 West 13th Street. It's free, but reservations are requested. Click here to reserve.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm really honored to be involved with my fellow contributors -- Pulitzer winners, Poet Laureates, ex-cons, pro-football Hall of Famers and just regular guys -- and those two guys I so badly misread.

To buy the DVD and book package, click here.

To buy the book, click here.