It Only Hurts When I Polka

Book excerpt: Syndicated gay humorist Kevin Isom is back—with more hilarious and thought-provoking takes on queer life. In this follow-up to his book Tongue in Cheek and Other Places: A Seriously Humorous Look at Queer Life, Isom takes a cue from his latest interest—couples dancing—and looks at queer life as a dance. From chapters like Couples Waltz (a mostly upbeat dance with occasional dips and unexpected turns) to Last Tango (when your dance partnership has exceeded its sell-by date), and from Lead or Follow (stereotypes just can’t boogie) to Queer as Polka (sometimes it’s just plain odd), Isom shows us a Dancin’ Queen who knows how to get into the gay groove. Tap your toe to the rhythm, and read on, baby! Kevin Isom is the author of Tongue in Cheek and Other Places: A Seriously Humorous Look at Queer Life. His syndicated humor column, “Tongue in Cheek,” appears in gay and lesbian newspapers and magazines across the United States, Australia, and Canada. His upcoming book is a novel titled Like Fruit on the Vine, and he may be reached at [email protected].