Matthew Rettenmund"s 1994 fiction debut, Boy Culture, was a surprise smash hit: a funny, playful, endearing slice of life from the late-20-something Chelsea crowd in Manhattan"s fast lane. Rettenmund is also a cataloguing connoisseur of media and culture who has produced such fare as Totally Awesome 80s. His second novel, Blind Items, combines his twin passions of pop culture and boy romance. David Greer is an unwilling editor of a chain of gay male porn magazines who would rather be a famous novelist. His best friend is the noted gossip-meister Warren Junior, whose "Off the List" column consistently roasts the talks of the town. One evening, at a party by Warren"s invitation, David meets the love of his life: the kind, intelligent, and hunky TV star Alan Dillinger. One problem: David is determinedly out and political, while Alan is deeply closeted. Readers will delight in Rettenmund"s ease with the chatty, relaxed aspects of relationships, relating how one handles safe sex and jealousy control in a world where talking about Tab Hunter and Raymond Burr constitutes real communication. Rettenmund may not take himself seriously, but beneath the faux-glamour and the high wit, he manages to tell a story about real men with real emotions that has real lasting power. --Michael Bronski