los angeles times book prize
art seidenbaum award for first fiction, 1996
ferro-grumley award for distinction in gay writing, 1996
Sadly out of print, but you can find plenty of copies at alibris, with prices ranging from $2.95 to $129.95. (I get nothing, so go for the cheap one.)
Read the first chapter.
One
of the finest first novels to appear in many a moon. Its simple, noble,
graceful prose refreshes the very language, and its unsquinting portrayal of gay
men is searing and authentic. Merlis’s novel belongs to the best of
contemporary literature, gay or other. – Library Journal
Mark
Merlis’s first novel accomplishes that great thing that gives fiction its claim
on truth: It creates a world so real that readers believe they live in it…This
is a book that transcends genre in portraying the abyss that divides one
ostracized human soul from all others. – Los Angeles Times
The
power of this novel is in Merlis’s writerly skill (his fiercely perfect timing,
his flawless, always believable diction), in his comprehension of American
cultural history, and ultimately in his human wisdom…With this novel, gay
literature enters maturity. – James White Review
Stunningly good…Haunting, funny, and masterfully written, American Studies
provides keen insight into our own history and our lives. -- Genre
Desolating, bitterly comic, beautifully written…an eye-opening and heart-opening
book. – Richard Wilbur