James Randall Chumbley

Before the Last Dance James Randall Chumbley

"Before the Last D a n c e" is a novel, but its subject is so true to life. Growing older in the gay community is a big concern for many. The culture is drowning itself in beauty and youth. If one is fortunate to be born with good looks, it is only a matter of time before it is taken from them. Such a cruel reality makes one wonder if it is better to be born average rather than be faced with watching the years take away that God-given gift of beauty. For those blessed, as time passes and their looks wilt, they, as with other older gay men, fade into the background only to be soon forgotten by the very culture they once played a vital role in nurturing. This book addresses that very concern for two gay men, Tom and Trey by allowing readers to peek into their lives. They where lovers for three years and remain friends over a span of seventeen. Tom, the older by twenty years, is obsessed with youth and beauty so much that it later spirals him out of control. Eventually, at fifty-nine, he attempts suicide after falling in love with Andrew, a young call boy, who Tom sees as his last hold on youth. Trey, the younger, can only stand by and watch the demise of his once lover and long time friend. He too is finding himself caught up in the obsession of hitting the gym five times a week to maintain the gay image of beauty. The reader will find out if Trey ends up walking the same path as Tom or if he takes a different one and accepts aging with grace and understanding.