Fixer Chao

Building from an amusing satirical premise, Ong's quintessentially of-the-moment debut expands into a scathing commentary on life in contemporary New York. Gay Filipino hustler William Paulinha stops turning tricks in the Port Authority Men's Room after he meets Shem C, a failed writer who wants revenge on the Manhattan upper crust who have spurned him. Under Shem's plan, William pretends to be Feng Shui expert Master Chao and preys on Shem's unsuspecting victims by demanding royal payment for the marvelously nonsensical advice he gives to perpetually disenchanted wealthy homeowners. Inevitably, he is found out. Written with acidic wit, Ong's novel is sharp and savvy, smashing sacred cows casually but forcefully. When William is verbally assaulted by a client who has discovered the scheme, he responds in kind, asking a moneyed but miserable homeowner, ""Did you think that Feng Shui could repair your ugly soul?"" The narrative paints painfully contrasting pictures of privileged society and New York's underbelly, of which Ong offers an invigoratingly clearheaded view, as William encounters numerous loners in his forays into their seedy milieu. Ong also brings the Asian perspective into his work with considerable subtlety. Although William frequently feels watched and suspected, he does not allow racial prejudice to hinder him as he moves through the Caucasian world; Ong seems most concerned that his readers awaken to the world's hypocrisy. 3-city author tour. (Apr.) Forecast: MacArthur Fellowship winner Ong's stage plays, Dark Bakersfield and Middle Finger, have already earned him an audience among young people on the scene. This hip, unsparing tale has word-of-mouth potential.