Hobo Sex
Red Jordan Arobateau
This short read, written by the Master Author of Queer Literature in 1991 bares a picture of him–prior to transition– in a photo from the 60’s on the back cover. Red Jordan was close to homelessness himself on so many occasions it ain’t funny, and proves the adage that Art Seldom Pays. He has dined out of garbage cans.– Which is sometimes higher quality then food in the Church free lines! It is rumored in a fine article by Michelle Tea which appeared in the San Francisco BAY GUARDIAN (June 23-29, 2004), that all of the furnishings in his studio are found’ objects, discards from the streets of Empire. HOBO SEX is about just that– dumpster diving. It is about two disenfranchised white women,–part of a 4th world estate right here inside the borders of the richest country on earth. One of them hampered by being young, the other, mentally challenged. Diana has made appearances in other of Red’s writings– notably THE HERMIT in the long ago feminist publication COMMON LIVES/LESBIAN LIVES. Diana is a cut above the average homeless person, as the territory she chooses to roam is Berkeley, a student area; particularly Telegraph Ave which dead ends on the UC campus; site of the demised Flower Children of the 1960’s, and People’s Park of the Free Speech Movement 4 decades past. Their lives together, Anne and Diana is just hanging on, daily with their dogs and shopping carts full of crap. We must warn the reader there is a lot of sex in this portrayal; as well as rotten food, and stained plastic garbage sacks. Sex- with a capitol SEX! And no holds barred!– Nor the least bit inhibited. Amazing what two dikes can do out in the streets under the cover of several shopping carts covered by tarpaulins! There is truth and humor. Like when some snotty middle class dykes’ catch them in their facility in the women’s restroom taking a bath– its hilarious. Mostly the book is high energy and greatly entertaining. A non stop read. How did (AKA) Diana get there? ‘Her name at that time had been Clara. — A Mother Given Name. Clara Van De Clerk. So it was bleak after her father committed suicide. Mrs. Van De Clerk and Clara sunk into poverty–of a specialized variety. Lived in a big house that was paid for by the fathers insurance, in an affluent neighborhood. Mother educated, but couldn’t earn a decent living. So they starved; shared a can of tomato soup for dinner and dwelled by candlelight, having the electricity cut off repeatedly for non-payment of bills. It was an antisocial upbringing. Clara’s mother was too hysterical to mix with co-workers; and took very negatively to being elbow to elbow with the stupidity of the common world.’ This novel is a view inside the private/public lives of the principal players Diana & Anne and compatriots like African Queen Zimballa & her gay son. Is also a portrayal of the dezines of the street and their collective essence: ‘And this of course was before the bulldozers lunged thru the lot & Park, vise-jaws uplifted-as the mouth of a giant sloppy eater dripping coats & backpacks out of its iron teeth–the peoples bedrolls and tents & carts and stuff scooped it up & vomited it out into garbage trucks that sped off to the city dumps, & cemented a chainlink fence around the property & kicked them out.’ More descriptions from HOBO SEX: ‘At first, a decade ago, when she’d been living on the streets alone, Diana’s survival plan was to creep away in secrecy into a park and no tell anyone. ‘No one knows where I’m hiding.’ That was the old defense. But now Diana was too prosperous to hide– 3 dogs, 2 shopping carts laden with rugs and sacks and sacks of clothes from the Free Box.—Possessions. Amid bags and bags of old mildewed clothes– older acquirements; and the cans and bottles that her and Annie Pickup picked up on their way to nowhere, bony white hands reaching from ragged sleeves and padded jackets; carts bursting with junk as they walked stoically up the streets from the lot to the Park 20 blocks off.’ There’s class consciousness in this very special book. The wheel of fate turns in a unexpected way: ‘Rich (primarily) that lived on their hill suddenly found themselves homeless. 5,000 people…. 2 billion dollars in lost homes; valued in the half million to multi-million dollar range. Luxury for it’s own sake. Red Cross stations were set up and food giveaway programs for the Yuppie Homeless affected the programs for the poor. The Food Give Away held every month was delayed several days. When Annie & Diana finally lined up, after waiting 2 hours they discovered instead of the usual 5 pounds of cheese and canned goods there was only stale bread and butter. Which Diana threw down in disgust & her tiny companion quickly retrieved. ‘THEY’RE GIVING AWAY OUR CHEESE TO THE RICH YUPPIES WHO GOT BURNT OUT BY THE FIRE! YOU KNOW THOSE RICH PEOPLE AREN’T GOING TO EAT THIS CHEESE! IT’S HIGH IN CHOLESTEROL! AND THEY HAVE TO WATCH THEIR FIGURES!’ Diana howled. ‘THEY’LL PROBABLY THROW IT AWAY!’ There’s spirituality in this book and a lot of love: ‘Soon winter winds would come, wet on the ground, and wash it clean. The century would change to 2000 AD,–it was just around the corner. Nothing else much would be different, just this cycling, the poor always with us; women having to defend themselves, the mad, the Christian, the rich, the oppressors, the darkness that envelopes us– and us always looking towards the Light beyond, from somewhere–that never dies.’ Book Review provided by RED JORDAN PRESS, 2005.
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Details
| ISBN | 9780970516138 |
| Genre | Erotica |
| Copyright Date | 1991 |
| Publication Date | 15-Sep-00 |
| Publisher | Red Jordan Arobateau |
| Format | Trade Paperback |
| No. of Pages | 129 |
| Language | English |
| Rating | NotRated |
| BookID | 5430 |
