Reviews

In PLASTIC PHOENIX, Kyle McGraw chronicles a thirty-two-year-old gay man’s odyssey through territory confronted on a daily basis in straight 21st century America, terrain fraught with the landmines of societal hypocrisy, romantic betrayals, and dysfunctional, hostile workplaces. Combining elements of campy exaggeration, perceptive insights, and compassionate, yet arch reflections on humanity’s foibles, this novel is informed by a commanding authorial voice firmly in control of the narrative and the unfolding drama of all its characters, primary and secondary alike. Never before have I encountered a work so focused on an exploration of sexual exploits and the hollowness of what passes for mainstream morality and yet so poignant in its depiction of individuals routinely marginalized by our society. Readers, gay and straight alike, will be moved alternately by the raunchy, over-the-top antics of the main character, Kyle, and his outrageous, but endearing sidekicks, especially Melanie, the drop-dead gorgeous, fiercely loyal and kickass Goddess dominatrix, and the underlying motif –– a haunting and impassioned plea for, yet consistently uncompromising insistence upon, unconditional acceptance. PLASTIC PHOENIX is far more than a gay male’s version of “Sex and the City.” In addition to making this “straight” female crack a rib or two from laughing so hard at the riotously funny escapades, McGraw’s novel holds up a mirror to one indisputable truth –– regardless of our sexual orientation, we all long for inclusion and to be loved despite our brokenness and imperfections. –– Calder Lowe, widely-published author and the former Editor of the award-winning Dragonfly Press. 

Interview Excerpt with Kyle McGraw

Most important question – who should read your book? 

Anyone looking to get some relief from the hell we’ve been living through lately. I am very upfront about what I wrote. This is not Schopenhauer. This is a great beach read, or when you are stuck on a subway and want to escape the smell of the armpit next to you. The mom who is stressed and wants a quick respite while her kids are napping so she doesn’t strangle them. I actually think that my delays in getting this to market have paid off – if there was ever a time for this book to provide a laugh it’s 2020.  This was originally intended to be a little gay novel of sorts because the main male character is gay. But when I saw how women responded I realized it was much more commercial. They loved the main female character who is a dominatrix. I had concerns that they might have issues with her considering she is essentially a prostitute of sorts, but in fact, they loved her sense of empowerment, strength, and free spirit. She is her own woman. She takes charge...literally. I started getting feedback like, “I wish I was more like her.” Didn’t see that coming. I believe also that there’s a desire to live vicariously through her. 

What’s the book about?

While the book is a funny romp through two friends’ love lives in LA, at the core of it is something much deeper and I think that’s what really resonates with people the most. Sure, Melanie’s antics as a dominatrix are raunchy and fun but the heart that is at the center of the story is really what people relate to. I have noticed as life goes on that finding true intimacy often comes in the form of friends versus romantic interests. I’m not alone in this and it strikes a chord. But it’s also a book about survival and not giving up. 

There are some eyebrow raising passages in this. Have your parents read this? 

Ha! No. But if they did, they would probably be appalled and laugh at the same time. 

Where did you get the idea for Plastic Phoenix? 

Believe it or not, the book started about 20 years ago. I had written a group of fictional short stories loosely based upon my dating experiences with a studio executive. I had a small audience then of a group of friends to whom I would email them. They loved them and encouraged me to put them into a collection and try to get them published. I took one of them and sat down to see if I could flush out an entire chapter of a novel. From that seed the book was born 17 years ago. 

It took 17 years from start to first sale? 

Yes. Life kept getting into the way. Moves. Jobs. Two degrees. The beginning, middle and end of a relationship. I would pick it up and work on it and then have to put it back down. I officially finished it in 2008…or better said it was August of 2008 when I first wrote “The End.” There was an awful lot of rewriting since then. My mentor on the book then pushed me to do something with it, she suggested I enter it into some book contests, and it did quite well. I got some kind of prize or mention with each entry. I finally decided now was a good time to get it out to an audience. 

What’s behind the title? 

Not telling, it gets explained as the book goes along. 

Who is Glenn in real life? 

I get asked that a lot. Glenn is actually inspired by three different guys I dated years ago. Two of them were indeed studio executives. Melanie was inspired by a dear friend who died in 2002. By inspired, I mean the spirit of the character not the profession. Tyler and Mickey were also inspired by some people I knew but the rest of the characters were made up in my head. I have been accused of having a very vivid imagination. I purposely named the main character Kyle so that the reader gets the sense this is an autobiography when in fact it’s fiction. 

Do you miss Los Angeles? 

No. I live in the Midwest now and love it. LA was home for many years and there I had many adventures and failures. I’m often asked why I left but that will be the subject of my autobiography which was significantly more chaotic than Kyle’s life. 

What do you dream of for Plastic Phoenix? 

That it reaches an audience. A book doesn’t do much good if it goes unread. An author forgets a lot of what they write. Each time I picked this back up I’d laugh out loud or be moved. The story has held true over 17 years even if I had to make changes regarding things that changed like the president and technology. At the heart of my book is something that resonates with many people. I hope it does for anyone who reads it and I hope especially it provides a good laugh. 

D. Tamblyn