Richard Perez, The Losers' Club

      Ludlow Press
      ISBN: 0-9713415-9-1
      Price: $12.95

ccording to the biography supplied by the publisher, Richard Perez has won numerous writing awards. This reviewer was unable to find any further information on the names and types of said awards. He was the former managing editor of Angel Sun Press, apparently now defunct. This new book showcases his ability at descriptive writing. He is an astute observer of places and people he encounters.

For those interested in or having experienced the club scene in New York City's Greenwich Village, The Losers' Club would be a worthwhile read. The novel is set there and in the protagonist's home in Queens. The author's forte' is portrayals of the sleazy bars and the unique street people that frequent them. The book is full of the lingo used in the area.

The main character is Martin Sierra, a twenty-something aspiring poet, holding down a nondescript job while seeking love through personal ads in the "Village Voice". Martin has a laissez faire approach to life. His world consists of slam poetry readings, raves, and ecstasy users. Life is "hip-hoppy" and full of "yo-boys." Women are fond of black lipstick. Everyone hangs out in bars, cafes, and coffeehouses.

Martin works at a shipping and receiving warehouse as an Export Assistant. In one section he offers a view of his typical day on the job: "Thus, with the tedium of the worst porno movie, another work day unspooled." His only male friend appears to be Chas, another employee. The best part of his job is that he is able to use the phone to check on responses to his ad.

His home in Queens is a studio, notable for a large pile of poetry rejections, his avant garde video collection, and the all important telephone. Martin and the women he meets are phone ad junkies, intensely curious about each others' results. Perez's physical images reveal his talent and ties in well with the theme, as physical features are prominent in personal ads.

Through one such ad, Martin meets Nikki, a bisexual embroiled in an on-again, off-again relationship with another woman. Martin is clearly infatuated with her, reminiscent of the film, "Chasing Amy." Of their first meeting, Perez writes, "She looked at the time like some young, sultry southern gal from an MTV 'alternative' music video, or a dreamy nymph from a 'wish-fullfillment' beer commercial (in which young, lithe beauties—the embodiment of male-longing—always seemed to be just standing around, waiting); and at that moment, giving her the once over, Martin felt a catch in his throat signifying — he had to admit — lust!."

Lola, an art student, responds to his ad and the two find they share childhoods marked by mentally unstable mothers. Here the author touches on an underlying theme of infanticide. This is developed further when Lola takes Martin to a club called "Babyland" where infantilism is openly practiced in "...four extra-large cribs that diapered patrons could climb into."

For this reader, the most interesting woman Martin meets through an ad is Amaris, a schoolteacher with a decidedly creepy fascination with vampires. She details how she made her top out of fishnet stockings, a neat trick. The two engage in mild D/s sex, highlighted by an an accompanying argument over favorite authors. A bound Martin shouts, "Frederick Exley rules!"

Perez's skill at using word pictures of the dives the protagonist haunts is undeniable. Here is his take on retro-punks, "Glam was glittery 'show-biz' crossed with jungle-print trash esthetic: a reveling in the underbelly of sleazy club culture, vaguely illicit, diseased, and junk inspired." At a performance art event with Nikki, Martin watches, "A blank-faced blonde in pearls and formal gown was doing an ultra—slow-motion dance to the warbling music, while another woman, manipulating a claw-like mirror, refracted shards of colored light in some vague commentary." A transvestite is depicted as a "mutant Marilyn Monroe." When he and Lola find themselves in a bar with a mosh pit, Martin finally seems to have a good time. This reviewer could have cheered! The author hits his stride with these kinds of vivid descriptions.

The main character comes across as a sweet, sensitive soul, thankfully not too caught up in his poetic angst. His raison d'etre is to find true love. The audience for this book would be arty, young adults.

Richard Perez is a competent writer. However, his book lacks substance in terms of plot development. The climax and its results are somewhat expected. Lola and Amaris tie up loose ends while Nikki and Martin, well, you'll have to read the book to find out.

It is important to note that this small press, while struggling, offers flexibility to aspiring writers, who might otherwise never see their work published in the mainstream press. Perez's breezy and casual style might not be attractive to more established publishers. They may think the book too hip and trendy to have staying power. But Richard Perez's book demonstrates the possibility that with a more complex plot, he could shine.