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In Search of Pretty Young Black Men

A Novel

About The Book

Los Angeles has no ghettos, according to some. And that is nearly true. But even behind the sun-kissed facade of privilege in its Black upper middle class is a harsher reality.
In Search of Pretty Young Black Men is the tale of Dorian Moore, a mysterious and seductive young man who provides comfort to the moneyed, the neglected, the lost, and the lonely in an elegant hilltop community in Southern California.
Among the women is Maggie Lester-Allegro, who, disillusioned by a loveless marriage, finds support in her small circle of women friends and sexual healing in Dorian's arms. The blessing brought by this pretty black man soon becomes a fatal curse, as terrible truths come to light.
Maggie's husband, Lamont, seeks sexual solace outside of their picture-perfect marriage as well. He lives in the shadow of his larger-than-life father, a member of the Baldwin Hills gentry, and under the weight of secrets and lies that threaten to tumble the walls of his carefully guarded life and standing among the elite.
This stunning new novel, by the author of Diva, is a poetically rendered, provocative, and revealing tale that challenges every notion of what we believe equals success, prestige, and, most of all, love.

About The Author

Photo Credit:

Stanley Bennett Clay has received three NAACP Theatre Awards for writing, directing, and coproducing the critically acclaimed play Ritual, as well as a Pan African Film Festival Jury Award for the film adaptation. The author of Diva, Looker, and In Search of Pretty Young Black Men, he lives in Los Angeles.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atria Books (January 4, 2005)
  • Length: 144 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781416513094

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Raves and Reviews

"[A]n engaging novel...and the erotic scenes are as steamy as they come!"
-- Zane

"[A] sexy tale...[Clay] manages to give this novel the tension of live drama."
-- Time Out

"A lust-laced hallelujah."
-- G. B. Mann, author of Low Hanging Fruit

"A beautifully crafted, irreverent, sometimes wickedly funny look at...Southern California's black elite."
-- Tina Andrews, screenwriter, producer of Sally Hemmings: An American Scandal

"A well-told story that never fails to keep one turning the pages quickly."
-- Frontiers magazine

"[A] provocative -- often shocking -- tale of lost love, good sex, and secret longings told with a poetic boldness...Brilliant and unforgettable!"
-- E. Lynn Harris, bestselling author of What Becomes of the Brokenhearted: A Memoir

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More books from this author: Stanley Bennett Clay