On Law of Desire, Obsession, Lust, and Going Naked Before
the Camera: A Conversation Between Greg Wharton and Ian Philips
With
Candi Staton belting out songs of love gone wrong in the background, Ian
Philips and Greg
Wharton sat down on their infamous home to “hotties of literature” sleeper
couch to choose which shots to have printed up from a recent photo
shoot with Jack
Slomovits and discuss their new anthology, Law
of Desire: Tales of Gay Male Lust and Obsession from Alyson
Books.
Greg Wharton: Jack did such a beautiful job. How
does it feel to see photos of yourself naked and all horned up like
that?
Ian Philips: They’re not all naked! We did
get some “author” shots done too. And the ones he took
of you and Sean [Meriwether, hotty in chief at Velvet Mafia] weren’t
skin pics…though I do think that would have been fun to watch…
GW: Hehe… No, we didn’t get Sean naked.
But Jack did suggest he could send a camera with Sean down to New Orleans
for Saints and Sinners if
we wanted. Hehehe…
IP: Really? He did? And promised not to hunt us down
later?! Maybe I can take shots of you and Sean…
GW: No, I don’t think he meant it for that
reason. I think he meant for Sean to take more pictures of us, since
I mentioned how much fun we had. But we did already shoot quite a few
rolls without clothes. Look at all these! Look at that! Naughty man.
What’s that in your hand?
IP: That’s you in my hand.
GW: It was fun. I felt a little tentative and shy
with Jack since we’re friends—
IP: That sure didn’t stop you from getting
frisky.
GW: Nor you, tiger! Show-off.
IP: That was because I just focused on you—
GW: Whose butt is that? I can’t tell…
IP: —and Jack was very unobtrusive, letting
us have personal space and do what we wanted—
GW: Now there’s one to send to Mom!
IP: —it wasn’t like he was saying, Yo,
get chewin’ on that root…
GW: That might have been fun though!
IP: Oh my god! What do you think Jack was thinking
when you did that?
GW: I wasn’t thinking of Jack right at that
moment. You want to have more done?
IP: Maybe. Do you? I’m not sure what we’ll
do with most of what we’ve already done.
GW: A photo album. A coffee table photo album!
IP: First, we’ll have to get a coffee table—
GW: We’ll have copies of our new anthology Law
of Desire casually stacked up on one side of the coffee table
and our sex photo album on the other.
IP: Conversation starters?
GW: Exactly. When we entertain guests we can start
conversation by asking, Would you like to buy a signed copy of a fabulous
new obsession-themed erotic anthology, or would you rather see photos
of me sucking—”
IP: Always the Showman, Mr. P.Q. Barnum.
GW: P.Q.?
IP: Pretty Queen, dear.
GW: I am.
IP: You so are. And I am so excited to finally see Law
of Desire this month. I think we collected some amazing—and
very sexy—work.
GW: Me too. It’s about the best line-up of
authors I’ve ever seen in a smut collection. And the reading
launch is now set for June 24th at Modern
Times with Chris [M. Christian], Simon [Sheppard], Greg [horehound
stillpoint], and Patrick [Califia] reading for sure and…what
about Kevin [Killian]?
IP: Out of town that week.
GW: Have you heard from Justin [Chin]?
IP: No. I haven’t heard from him recently.
Call him.
GW: Now?
IP: No. Later, Mary. We’ll never get this done
if you don’t focus.
GW: I’m trying… And if we can get Francisco
[Ibáñez-Carrasco] Marshall [Moore], Trebor [Healey],
and Travers [D. Travers Scott] to come down too…Looks like this
couch will get some new blood.
IP: Marshall’s already slept on it before.
But Francisco, Trebor, and Travers would be new. What are you doing?
GW: Taking off my clothes.
IP: Oh…okay. Naked photo shoot. Naked interview…
GW: [Greg shucks the last of his clothes and sits
back down on the couch now wearing only a mischievous grin.] Where
were we? Hehehe…
IP: Nice outfit… We were trying to discuss
our new book…
GW: Oh yeah. What’s your obsession?
IP: You. And sleep. It’s been a long day…
GW: Sweet talker! Mine’s apple pie. Mmmm…apple
pie. And Candi Staton—
IP: I’m stunned. She’s all you play now.
Donna Summer’s Four Seasons of Love is so last week.
GW: And what my new tattoo should be. And seeing
Kill Bill 2! And—
IP: And Dick Wolf.
GW: You said it, not me. And he’s not really
an obsession. He’s just hot!
IP: Yes he is. It’s hard to resist the charms
of a super-foxy power bottom musclepunk who’s a wild writer and
such a good puppyboy.
GW: Woof!
IP: Mr. Man, can you stop doing that to yourself
or we’ll never finish this…
GW: Maybe I should get one of those butt plugs with
a tail. My birthday’s coming up. Woof woof! Wanna? [Greg gets
up from puppy position, stops a song mid-point, and starts “Victim” again]
IP: I liked that song, Greg. Can’t we hear
any other song but “Victim”?
GW: Sorry, just one more time!
IP: I do like what Candi does to you! And you’re
such a good puppy. Come here... Will you marry me, Laddie?
GW: I did marry you, stud. I mean, woof woof.
IP: [Ian grabs their digital camera, conveniently
located on the side table, turns it on, and zooms in.] Do that again.
Good boy. Sit. Gooood boy! Turn arooooound.
GW: Woof!
IP: Now. Roll over.
Law
of Desire: Tales of Gay Male Lust and Obsession will be
released from Alyson Books in June 2004. Available at all fine independent—and
not so independent—bookstores everywhere.
Table of Contents:
Sex, Death, and Some Rock 'n Roll: An Introduction / Ian Philips
When Romeo Wakes / Taylor Siluwé
A Perfect Scar / Trebor Healey
Echoes / M. Christian
Bruiser / Travis Jon Mader
The Test / Rick R. Reed
The Theory of Forward Motion / Sean Meriwether
Wanted Bad Boys 4 Adult Video / Kevin Killian
Get on Your Bikes and Ride / D. Travers Scott
Spunk / Francisco Ibáñez-Carrasco
Something About Muscle / Andy Quan
The Pornographer's Apprentice / Marshall Moore
Queen / Justin Chin
Devoted / Simon Sheppard
Love, Sex, and Death on the Daily Commute / Jerry L. Wheeler
The Night My Bubble Burst / horehound stillpoint
Eight Hours a Year / Cary Michael Bass
Pussy Boy / Patrick Califia
Fidelity / Mel Smith
Read “When Romeo
Wakes” by Taylor Siluwé, first published in Velvet
Mafia-Issue 6.
Read “Bruiser” by
Travis Jon Mader, published in Velvet Mafia-Issue 4.
Read “The Theory of Forward Motion” by
Sean Meriwether, first published in Velvet Mafia-Issue 2.
