Description:

Back Cover Blurbs:

"Andy Quan's matchless talents as a poet are in evidence in his luminous short fiction. His work is not to be missed by anyone wishing to experience writing that makes language serve a higher calling."
   Michael Rowe, author of Looking for Brothers and Other Men's Sons

Hardcover Edition!

Asian author Andy Quan takes erotic writing to new heights with a literary feel as he describes in detail his many excursions into clubs, saunas, and sex parties around the world—what he was thinking, what he was feeling, what he was seeing in each encounter.

“Instrumental” compares having sex with a flautist to making beautiful music—conductor, orchestra, instruments and all. A cryptic narrator describes what you should do with it “If It Sticks Out.” “Party Favors” is sexual sensory overload as Quan describes repeat performances at a popular orgy party—of over 200 men! “Getting It if You’re Asian” challenges every stereotype you expect from both being or being with a gay Asian man. “Surf” becomes much more than a lesson in wave riding with a muscular instructor.“Mistakes Were Made” is a brilliant side-by-side comparison of a dialogue between two men confronting their incompatibilities as they are having sex.And “Why I’m” is Quan’s soul-searching consideration of being a top, an attraction to redheads, being a slut, and more.

Erotica doesn’t get anymore personal—and hotter—than this. 210 pages, hardcover

Author's note:

To tell the truth, I'm not really expecting my non-gay friends to read this book - or heaven forbid, my family - but if people have a particular interest in erotica and sex writing, then I hope this is a great example of the gay genre.

It's getting good publicity and I'm having a lot of fun getting it out into the world. Please help me spread the word!

About a year after its release, I've done 5 launches, had 5 profiles, 14 reviews, a major blog mention, a best of the year runner-up mention, and 2 awards. I couldn't be happier with this. I'd also like to thank here Kevin Bentley, a marvelous editor, and Andrew McBeth and Green Candy Press for bringing Six Positions to the world!

Events

The Sydney launch was held at Manacle Bar on 23 June 2005 with international porn star and Colt model, Jake Andrews. There were about 150 people there and it was a great event. I hope to get photos up soon. Check out the superb invite here. And DNA Magazine published some photos from the launch, both in their current issue and up on the web. Cool, huh?

The Melbourne launch (check out an invite here) was on 4 August 2005 at Hares and Hyenas bookstore on Commercial Road. Stand-up comic Jules Wilkinson was on hand to introduce me.

The Canberra launch was on 9 August 2005 at Toast Cafe & Bar, 219 London Cct, Canberra (upstairs from Electric Shadows) supported by the AIDS Action Council of the ACT.

North American events

August 25th, 7.00pm: This Ain't the Rosedale Library, 483 Church Street Toronto - a great event. So many of my dear friends were there.

September 7th, 7.00pm: A Different Light Bookstore, 489 Castro Street San Francisco - I was so happy to read at the famous Different Light Bookstore and about 30 people came.

Launch Photos!

I've tried to take photos, or have friends help me take photos at most events.

Join in the Sydney launch here... And join in the Melbourne, Canberra, Toronto and San Francisco launches here.

Press

The Sydney Star Observer did a nice little profile on me in the lead up to the Sydney launch. Have a click here to read "Sexy is the Word" by Ian Gould.

DNA magazine, a glossy monthly national gay magazine in Australia, published an interview with me by the extraordinary Marc Andrews. Check out a PDF of the article here.

The Melbourne press has been so good to me. Bnews and Daren Pope did a great profile for the leadup to the Melbourne launch. On the front cover, they ran a banner on the bottom of the page that said: New gay sex book: Pure Poetry (in big letters!). A good teaser for the profile inside.

JOY Melbourne 94.9FM, Australia's only gay and lesbian community radio station, has done interviews with me on 3 shows (bless 'em):

1 August 2005, Monday, 8:30 - 9:30pm, Orange Ribbon, Multicultural Gay and Lesbian Radio Show with Allan Smales
3 August 2005, Wednesday, 6:30 - 7:00pm, the Rainbow Report, GLBT News with Doug Pollard
6 August 2005, Saturday, 10am - 12pm, Saturday Magazine with Adrian and Carol

Fridae.com, the online portal promoting gay and lesbian Asia, posted an interview with me by the (see above) very cool Marc Andrews. Read "Cocked and Loaded" here.

My writer pal Jameson Currier mentions me (and Six Positions) in his column on the Velvet Mafia site, and the same is posted on his blog, Queertype. An excerpt: What makes Andy’s work so exciting to read is his continual innovation with structure and language — his best work often explores and deconstructs a particular thematic issue of interest to gay men (i.e. muscles in “Something about Muscle,” hair in “Hair,” serostatus in “Positive.”). Among my favorite pieces in Six Positions are “Mistakes were Made,” a disastrous hook-up as seen from both sides of the dating coin, and “Why I’m,” a searing, high-flying manifesto of what it means to be gay and male and alive in the 21st century.

Short Reviews

The online GLBT news, resource and information journal, Gay Today, made mention of Six Positions in Jesse Monteaguado's Book Nook column which appears in a number of newspapers and magazines. Under "Summer Reading" in the August 18, 2005 edition, he said:

Andy Quan is the author of “Calendar Boy” and co-editor of “Swallowing Clouds: An Anthology of Chinese-American Poetry.” In spite of that distinction, Quan now lives in Sydney, Australia, where he works for the Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations. Fortunately for us, Quan continues his literary career Down Under. His latest endeavor is the short story collection “Six Positions: Sex Writings” (Green Candy Press; $14.95). This collection of “literotica” proves once again that literary excellence and stimulating sex can live together in perfect harmony. The plots range from exotic orgies to erotic romance, sometimes within the same story.

A nice mini-review by Richard Labonté appears in his syndicated column "Books to Watch Out For", Volume 2 Number 5:

Though several of these stories first appeared in such erotica collections as Quickies, Best Gay Erotica, and Best American Erotica, it's fitting, and not at all precious, that Quan's prose be thought of as "sex writing." These pieces are hot, to be sure, whether fictional or autobiographical. But the title story, for one - with its lyrically incantatory "making love to the oldest man\fattest man\most exotic man\smallest man\thinnest man\myself" first sentences - is raw emotional poetry. "Something About Muscle" is, powerfully, all about that; "Positive" is, luminously, about sex and AIDS; "Surf" and "Shoes" are, simply, all about sex. Not too many years ago, there was porn and there was literature. The current abundance of quality erotic writing has blunted that specious dichotomy; this collection erases it entirely.

Frontiers Magazine from Los Angeles said this in their July 19, 2005 edition:

Vancouver-born, now living in Sydney, Quan has had his work in many erotic anthologies, but his stories have always stood out for their poetic ruminations that reach beyond descrip tions of the old in-and-out. This new collection of short stories (some of which are reprints) reinforces the skill with which the author builds graphic sex situations into subtle metaphors for how human beings somehow connect. His Asian ethnicity is only the spring board for an often skeptical approach to international relations. The title piece, a riff on sex with the old, the thin, the exotic, the fat, the short, the self, charts the geography of need, curiosity and expanse, all in a few short paragraphs. Fun and provocative. (H.E.B.)

It was then great to get mentioned in their "Best of the Best 2005" in their Arts and Entertainment section under best books. Reviewer Harry Eugene Baldwin listed his top 5 of the year, and 5 runner-ups, of which Six Positions was one - and the cover was used as a graphic for the feature.

I can't be more excited to discover Come as You Are, Canada's first co-operatively- run sex toy, book and video store. They say, "our approach to sexuality is one of respect, openness, humour, communication and responsibility." One of the worker-owners is a grad of Trent University (like me)! They're selling my book online:

Canadian writer Andy Quan’s first collection of gay erotica and sex writings has finally hit CAYA’s shelves. As we all know, it’s a challenge to find really literary sex writing, but Andy Quan has found the perfect balance between pornography and art. His stories, some previously published in collections such as Best Gay Erotica and Quickies, are a mixture of clever, sad, ironic and critical, but they are all sexy and preoccupied with sexuality. Quan subtly approaches social issues, but keeps his touch erotic, exploring what sexuality means to gay men.

Gay porn magazine Unzipped said this in their "Hard Copy" reviews by Gary Ridgeley (this month's reviews were titled "Hot Back-to-Campus Sizzlers That Take The Chill Out Of Fall":

Assume the Position: After contributing to Best American Erotica 2005 as well as eight editions of the Best Gay Erotica Series, Andy Quan expands his portfolio with his own collection of literotica on the Green Candy Press imprint, Six Positions. It's a randy international road trip of clubs, saunas and sex parties. Quan takes common sexual fantasies - such as being propositioned by a hot muscle boy in the gym locker room or bagging the hottest stud at a Mardi Gras circuit party - and interweaves humor with some seriously hot scenes to make them real and attainable. The tales are so vivid, they're sure to stimulate your head.

I love this review because it appeared not in a gay newspaper or porn magazine or booksellers site, but rather a community library newsletter, the "Library Gazette: Your Ashfield Library Newsletter" (December 2005, Volume 11, Number 6), staff review by Karen:

Andy Quan's highly-charged erotic short stories are imbued with romantic ideals, but the handsome men who are attracted to each other are not always looking for love. Quan's stories are explicit, yet intimate explorations of his characters' dreams and desires - sometimes meeting at parties, or at ordinary locations - and the variety of relationships that ensure. The writing is beautiful, funny, sad and even confronting a Quan openly and honestly explores stereotypes and gay fantasies.

Reviews

17 good positions

Literary sex writing is a challenge because it can easily become overly technical and too, well, pornographic (a recitation of which body part slides into what orrifice) or else too poetic, to cooy, too Harlequine romance ("Like velvet-sheathed steel, his manhood..."). World-travelling (but born in Vancouver) singer/ songwriter/ writer/ Australian AIDS organization worker Andy Quan is adept with such fiction. In the 17 stories of Six Positions (GBP$18) Quan maintains admirable balance. While sex remains his preoccupation, he constantly looks at it from different angles, and in doing so allows his depictions of sexual contacts to be goals in themselves as well as doorways through which to ponder other ideas, like loneliness, fulfillment, spirituality, consumer culture and oppression.

The stories are a heady mix, funny and clever at times, then poignant and sad, ironic and witty or pointedly critical. They're erotic too, of course. Quan consistently mulls over race, masculinity and gay culture in his work, but his touch is gentle and subtle. He's not preaching or assigning blame. He's avid and thoughtful, exploring the myriad ways sex touches the lives of gay men.

A review in Qmedia by Shawn Revelle. "An equal mix of tongue-in-cheek sincerity and social awareness make Six Positions first-rate sex writing" Read the full review here

Andrew Wolter (and check out his website too!) said this in his column "Hot off the Press"for the magazine X-factor (also available online - thanks to them for their permission to post this here):

Celebrating the acts and atmosphere of erotica, Six Positions: Sex Writing by Andy Quan opens doors to a literary world that are rarely discovered. Although Six Positions could be considered a short story collection, it is more than that. Six Positions offers the sex writings of acclaimed Lambda Literary Award finalist Andy Quan. Quan's erotic works investigate the origins of insecurity, stereotypes, and untainted lust. Six Positions differs from standard short story literotica in Quan's ability to masquerade, expressing his first person narratives with the colorful words of a poet.

In the piece entitled "If It Sticks Out," Quan exemplifies remarkable use of metaphor and color to paint a portrait of the male sex organ. The story "Getting It if You're re Asian" breaks the stereotypical mold of the Asian boy toy. Quan's title story, "Six Positions," reveals sex with the good, bad, and the ugly in an attractive light. Other pieces revolve around romantic encounters gone awry and happenings at a gay orgy.

Quan is in top form with Six Positions. His characters breathe sexual desire the way humans inhale life; his poetic voice provides a scope in which one can fall adrift and lose sight of the world around oneself; ultimately, his settings are vividly candid, providing an atmosphere heaving with a reinvented, virginal yearning for the male body. After falling under Quan's spellbinding words, readers may find quickly find themselves pleasured by one position - a hand on their cocks!

This review is by Michael G. Cornelius and appeared in the Bloomsbury Review, September/October 2005

Andy Quan's first book, Calendar Boy, a collection of short stories, combined a deft and lyrical use of language with bold if at times plaintive plots. Calendar Boy resonates because though it tells stories we are all familiar with, it tells them in frank and imaginative ways that render them not quite familiar to us. Part of this is Quan's subject matter. Though the experiences of gay men, fictional or otherwise, are now quite commonplace in literature, the experiences of gay Asian males are not. Thus the familiar (the lives of homosexuals) is combined with the unfamiliar (the lives of homosexual Asian men) to create a synthesis of readily identifiable experiences any reader can identify with (the longing of desire, the trap of falling for an unattainable individual, the apprehension over one's own appearance) but from a perspective that is, for many of Quan's potential audience, new and unfamiliar. This is heightened by the fact that Quan is not an American, but currently resides in Sydney, and the international nature of his writing only adds to this effect. The result not only ingratiates readers but educates them as well.

In his latest collection, Six Positions, Quan has continued this trend of proffering stories and memoirs that combine something old with something new. However, by focusing almost entirely on male-male sexuality, Quan is presenting to most readers worlds they have never inhabited or perhaps even knew existed, all the while from the perspective of an outsider within an outsider community. Being a sexually active gay Asian male seems to Quan to result in his own fetishification, as if other men only viewed him as the Asian boy-toy stereotype they would have him be. And yet while Quan rails against this particular stereotype, he embraces more wholly the stereotype of the highly sexually active gay male, the "male slut" if you will. Six Positions explores this dichotomy, the embracing of one stereotype combined with the wholesale rejection of another.

If this seems complex, well, Six Positions is, in many ways, a complex work, and unapologetic about its complexity. Nor does the author offer any apologies for the works or actions presented here; and yet, erotic as they are, he seeks no justification either. Rather, Quan merely demonstrates a truth – many truths - of one particular life, an aspect that, though often decried as minimal in importance, television, film, literature, mass media, popular culture, and society in general would say otherwise. Sex may be simply what it is to each person, but culturally speaking, it's pretty important, and the experiences and fantasies of other people can become quite salacious, or educational, or even, in the right hands, both.

This is not to posit that every work in this collection is autobiographical. Indeed, some are quite clearly fictionalized pieces (one, "The Scene," features female narrator). But each piece is presented from the first-person perspective, and each, regardless of narrator, becomes an extension of Quan himself. Though the narrator shifts, the narrative voice remains constant, as if one tongue, one guiding hand, manifested itself in numerous interesting, but not quite unique, guises. Quan's story may be his, but in shifting narrators he lets us know that it is many other individuals' as well.

The best part of Six Positions is found in its writing. A poet as well as a short story author, Quan exhibits a deft touch for both understatement and conceit, such as in the following scene:

I'm making love to myself. Really. With elasticity and extra parts. I am seeing what all the others have seen before me, I am tasting my nipples, which come alive and harden, punctuation marks in the air all around me. My voice. Oh oh oh–periods, Uh uh uh-commas. Awuhaaahh-question mark.

The book also sparkles when Quan discusses his experience as a gay Asian male; as with his first book, these parts tend to be the most eye-opening and heart-impressing for me.

Six Positions does not proffer any serious answers about human sexuality; indeed, it does not proffer any serious answers about Quan's own sexuality. But neither is it simply erotic writing for the sake of erotica. Instead, Six Positions is an intriguing, engrossing, and often eloquent read about one man's experiences, fantasies, and observations as an outsider in an outsider community. In relating his experiences Quan offers us all a moment to take a glimpse into our own closets and sex lives, a moment to reflect not only on the complexity of sexuality in our modern world but also on the damned importance of it all.

REVIEWER: Michael G. Cornelius is the award-winning author of the Lambda Literary Prize finalist novel Creating Man. His latest book, Susan Slim, Girl Detective, cowritten by Kate Emburg, is spoof of detective series like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

There is a sense of excitement, and even joy, when someone connects with your writing - and I felt that Tom Cardamone really "got" what I wanted to do in Six Positions and with my erotica. This review appeared on the very cool Clean Sheets, a "premier venue for literary erotica on the Web." An excerpt:

It's a rare slice of erotica that can prod the reader to examine political and social issues while remaining hot. Where too many gay writers swab everything in their path with coyness or cynicism, Quan employs a knowing joy with writings mysterious but not intractable, hot but not humid. What really makes Andy Quan a successful storyteller is that these stories are invitations and not confessions. It's as if he's writing "Well, now that I'm naked, why aren't you?"

Check out the full review here. With thanks to both Tom and Clean Sheets for allowing me to excerpt/link.

The next review makes an interesting contrast. While Tom's favourite piece in the book was the short story Six Positions, Robert Fuller, in this review on the EDGE Boston website, found it a a real slog: "he pushes wordplay and metaphoric association so far that they revert back to meaninglessness." He hated the fanciful, highly poetic pieces in the book. Still, he also says what he likes, and is complimentary, calling me "a welcome arbiter of the erotic". What I found about negative reviews for Calendar Boy - that they didn't seem to understand my writing, or were cruel - isn't here. He intelligently states his case, and he writes with a spark and intellect which made me welcome his opinion. An excerpt:

Quan is great at using language to let us in on the situational complexities and variations of lust, at turning confusion and imagination and doubt and goofiness and etiquette into contributing byways of an erotic moment. Even a strategic use of cliché – like when he writes about the beginning of his first sex party that he was “too new at this for my heart not to be crashing around my ribcage” – provides a far more visceral jolt than all the ribcages seen through translucent skin that seem to pop up here and there in the more florid pieces.

Swerve, a gay and lesbian magazine from Winnipeg, Manitoba published this review in their issue #120 - 2 - 30 Sept 2005 by Brian Strong.

Andy Quan is a well-published author of poetry, fiction and erotica. His latest work, Six Positions, is a collection of personal short stories that confront Asian stereotypes while providing an introspective look at sexual desire. Quan shows creative sentence structure in "Instrumental". It is beautiful for its lyrical sexuality and for its emotive approach to sexual diversity. In an orchestra, every player has their own way of playing their chosen instrument - or lover.

In the same way, "If It Sticks Out" offers inspired imagery of male anatomy that will leave the reader with an afterglow. Quan's eloquently erotic style and his sense of humour will keep the reader smiling and "Mistakes Were Made" is a hilarious example of comedic wisdom. It is a tale of two Richards and their incongruous dating experience. It is also an avenue to discuss racial stereotypes.

It is evident that the author puts much of himself into his work. A combination of literature and lust, "First Draft" offers insight into the writing process and its ability to help the writer understand and express repressed desire. "Why I'm" is more personal and provides a retrospective look at the writer's search for self-awareness. The author writes, "I can write about my life believing that honesty is helpful, useful even, sometimes transgressive."

In many stories, Quan provides a first-person view of the sexual practises of gay Asian males. In "Rufo" he explains how it is necessary to look out for people who would use you for your fetish value and be oblivious to why that hurts. "Getting it if you're Asian" is an intimate account of what it is like to date and be sexual in the Asian community. Much depends on your environment: your family, friends, and schoolmates. Experiences with sex are different for everyone, but all face obstacles to sexual expression from cultural and social mores and prejudices.

Quan also works for the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations in Sydney and he has shared some of his thought on AIDS and sex in "Positive". The social commentary in Six Positions is subtle and does not intrude on the author's ability to provide lots of hot sex. Arousing scenes from "Party Favours" and "Just a Small Orgy" graphically describe uninhibited group sex, while the sex in "Surf" will make you want to head "Down Under."

In "The Scene", Quan offers something for fetish fans. His detailed description of hardcore BDSM fantasy play from the perspective of a cross-dressing lesbian inside a popular fetish club will definitely satisfy. The title story, "Six Positions" is like a cartographer's map of sexuality. It is a thoughtful summation and a testament to the pursuit of desire.

My last books were never reviewed in porno mags, so I'm really amused to get reviews (and good, intelligent ones) in their pages for Six Positions. This one appeared under the title "Find yourself in Six Positions: Sex Writing by Andy Quan" in "MAN Stuff", a column in MANDATE (not sure which issues, it's page 64 and page 65 would probably make you blush).

A poet whose short fiction reads like performance art, Andy Quan specializes in sex writing and most of the stories here appeared in the Best Gay Erotica series, the Quickies series, and Best Gay Asian Erotica as well as other anthologies. He's lived in Toronto, London, Brussels and now Sydney, Australia. The author of Calendar Boy and Slant, his poetic skill is part of what's going on here but it's also the smooth honest way he writes about sex - on dates, at clubs, in saunas or sex parties. He writes about orgies casually: "Once I was being given a blowjob while leaning up against some kind of gymnastic apparatus. I looked down and saw that a friend of mine had his head sideways on a cushion below me. He was being fucked vigoursly. He grinned and gave me a thumbs up. At orgies you see friends in a different light." At the same time, he's also writing about a lot more - not just sex, but all the dynamics that come into play between men in different kinds of relationships. Quan knows and tells the truth more than we expect. So when he describes attractions, techniques and orgasms, he also reveals wants, needs and personality. What you get is more wise, kind and compassionate than it is mean. For people who understand the importance of sex, this is friendly and familiar territory.

Nominations and Awards

The Erotic Awards are an independent British philanthropic venture of the Leydig Trust. The Erotic Awards are unique in the world: completely independent and non-commercial, quite separate from Erotica and the porn awards. They're now in their 12th year.

Drumroll please... 2005 Erotic Awards Writer of the Year! Yippee! I can't believe I won. Check out the news here. The award itself is a flying phallus. I just got it by post. It's amazing. I'll try to post a photo of it.

And

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association (SGLBA) 2005 Business Awards, October 2005.

Nominee: Literary/Arts Category... and then. I won. 2005 SGLBA Literary Award. Cool, huh. Check out a few photos from the event.

Extras

For fun, here's the original proposed cover:

Here's the top 5 bestsellers at Sydney's The Bookshop Darlinghurst as reported in July 2005.

The top five at Bookshop Darlingurst, Australia

1. Running With Scissors, by Augusten Burroughs Gay memoir
2. The Line of Beauty, by Alan Hollinghurst Gay novel
3. Dead Europe, by Christos Tsiolkas Advance readers report this long awaited new novel by the author of Loaded to be a bold and confronting read with a lot of (gay) sex.
4. Six Positions: Sex Writing, by Andy Quan (the author, a Canadian, has worked in Sydney for six years).
5. The Diaries of Donald Friend, Volume 3, by Donald Friend

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