Gay love short stories

How did it feel to be a gay man in Paris during the 1870s? While researching my novel, The Beasts of Paris, I found scant depictions of homosexual affection in 19th-century literature; even later works surprisingly lack queer, period-set love stories (appreciations to Sarah Waters and Mary Renault), prompting me to explore the boundaries of 'love story' and 'historical' here. My research unearthed occasional minor characters, like those in Zola's Nana, but mostly only police raid reports and pornography (thanks, Jack Saul). I examined novels, paintings, photographs, and historical records. And covering a period stretching from Ancient Greece to the early 1950s, one must make do with the available evidence.

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Maurice by E.M. Forster

This groundbreaking gay romance launched a genre. Though penned in 1913, Forster's book was not published until after his death, in 1971. His inspiration stemmed from interactions with writer and activist Edward Carpenter and his partner, George Merrill. It poignantly portrays a man experiencing intense passion, initially with his closeted confidant, Clive, and subsequently, after Clive's marriage, with the self-accepting gamekeeper, Alex. Forster feared ridicule (and potentially prosecution) not for depicting homosexual lovers, but for avoiding their demise, thereby implicitly endorsing such relationships. One wonders if the decriminalization of same-sex love might have occurred sooner had this exquisite work been published earlier.

Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut

The first of three novels on this list that derive from the lives of actual people (all authors, curiously…). This work is a tender and expansive portrayal of E.M. Forster, which details the gradual emergence of his sexual life, focusing on the men he deeply loved. The first of these was Syed Ross Masood, whom he encountered as a Latin tutor, and subsequently visited repeatedly in India. Sadly, Masood, though ardently devoted to Forster, was himself heterosexual. During World War I, Egyptian tram conductor Mohammed El Adl responded to Forster's affection more reciprocally, though he ultimately married and had a family. Galgut beautifully articulates the quiet, endearing man who yearned for connection yet was often relegated to solitude throughout much of his life.

The Charioteer by Mary Renault 

This pioneering 1953 novel achieved unexpected success during a period marked by intense persecution of queer individuals (not a propitious time in 20th-century history, generally). Set in 1940 within a hospital for wounded servicemen, Renault's early work, preceding her focus on Ancient Greece, tells the story of Laurie, a wounded airman, who finds love first with Andrew, a naïve orderly seemingly oblivious to his own homosexuality, and then with the older, wiser veteran Ralph. Who will he choose? Though Renault's prose can at times seem understated ("Did they, exactly…?" one might wonder), the book offers a compelling emotional portrait of the gay male scene and a passionate plea for tolerance and compassion. It also provides a vivid image of the gay male social scene of that time.

The New Life by Tom Crewe

This beautifully written novel, inspired by but not based on the attempts of Havelock Ellis and John Addington Symonds to publish their pioneering work on homosexuality, Sexual Inversion, in 1897, following the conviction of Oscar Wilde. Both men grapple with their own sexuality, vividly portrayed with heartfelt tenderness and passion. The married John (Addington Symonds) finds love and ultimately acknowledges it to his long-suffering wife and their daughters, with unpredictable results. Henry (Ellis)'s path suggests a possible coexistence with his lesbian wife, Edith, and her partner: a new life, indeed.

The Broken Tower: The Life of Hart Crane by Paul Mariani 

This biography traces the whirlwind life of modernist poet Hart Crane, who tragically perished in 1932 at the young age of 33, throwing himself from a ship. While not a love story, it is nonetheless captivating, and inspired my character, Ellis Butterfield, in The Beasts of Paris. Crane had a single significant love interest: the Danish sailor Emil Opffer. Crane's open homosexuality shines through his sometimes exquisite, frequently enigmatic poetry. Explore the beautiful 'Voyages' or his masterwork, 'The Bridge'. In Mariani's account, Crane lives vividly: endearing and infuriating, likely bipolar, undoubtedly an alcoholic, and ultimately destined for tragedy.

Tóibín's elegant prose delicately examines what James might have felt and thought about his sister Alice, likely gay, and the women and men he cared about, yet couldn't fully embrace.

The Master by Colm Tóibín  

One of my beloved novels, this imagined account of novelist Henry James, delves into pivotal moments of his life and career, beginning after his unsuccessful foray into playwriting in 1895. Tóibín's precise prose gently probes James' potential thoughts and feelings about his likely gay sister, Alice, and the women and men he cherished yet couldn't fully embrace—though he came very close on a few occasions, as with the valet Hammond. This novel echoes the yearning tone of Noël Coward's Brief Encounter (a queer-coded love story, if ever there was one). Exquisite, haunting, and almost unbearably repressed.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

A profoundly moving read, ideal for a cathartic cry on vacation (as I did). A sense of ethereal beauty and fantasy permeates the perhaps overly noble love between Patroclus and Achilles (unsurprising, perhaps, given Achilles' divine mother). But its exquisite writing draws you in until the final, heartbreaking page.

Strangers: Homosexual Love in the 19th Century by Graham Robb

This meticulously researched yet accessible history investigates newspaper accounts and personal lives to expose the realities of gay life in Europe and America. It reveals glimpses of enduring, fulfilling relationships, yet also depicts societal moral judgment, like police orders to clear the Champs-Élysées of "cruisers" (despite France's Napoleonic Code not policing private actions). Though varying by country, particularly stringent in Britain and America, conditions significantly worsened after the 1880s, marked by increasing medicalization and categorization, highlighting the recent invention of the homosexual-heterosexual binary.

American Studies by Mark Merlis

Again, the 'love story' here is more of a hypothetical scenario; a what-if. Reeve, an older man, reflects on his relationship with his professor, Tom, from the early 1940s. Tom, a patrician figure, is repeatedly drawn to his young students, unable to act on his affections. The narrator is one (and possibly only one) he shares a bed with, though even their connection remains unconsummated. Tom cannot accept Reeve's openness with sexuality via cruising, yet they remain friends. In the early 50s, Tom confides in Reeve about potentially finding ‘the one.' Reeve speculates on his relationship with the alluring blond Jimmy. But it ends with Jimmy exposing Tom—not as gay, but as a Communist—with equally devastating consequences. Merlis's sharp, elegant prose conveys Tom's tragic story, brightened by dry wit and brilliant comic moments.

Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s-1950s by Nini-Treadwell Collection

This photographic collection primarily relies on images with minimal text. The authors meticulously collected these images over decades, with original context frequently lost. Sometimes back-of-the-photo notes provide clues, like "Smith and Wade still in love?" In other cases, the poses themselves narrate stories—open-air gay weddings or two men beneath an umbrella, a symbol of romantic union. Each picture suggests a love story. Some of the most touching depict couples kissing or embracing within accepting social groups. However, my favorite captures two older men seated on a veranda. Their postures mirror one another: right leg crossed over left, hands clasped, leaning in, heads resting on each other's shoulders, fitting like puzzle pieces. Tranquil and complete.

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Stef Penney, an Edinburgh native, holds degrees in Philosophy and Theology and Film and Television. Selected for the Carlton Television New Writers Scheme, she has penned and directed two short films. Her prior novels include The Tenderness of Wolves, The Invisible Ones, and Under a Pole Star. She has contributed extensively to radio, including adaptations of Moby-Dick, The Worst Journey in the World, and a third installment of Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise series. The Beasts of Paris is published by Quercus in hardback, ebook, and audio formats.
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Author photo by Chris Close