Horse Crazy

A male writer meets, and falls self-destructively in love with, a handsome waiter in this superbly wrought novel by art critic Indiana ( Scar Tissue ). The waiter, Gregory, is a talented photographer who's recovering from some of his many addictions--heroin among them. At the same time, the writer is trying to get a grip on his life and work in an era of ``gay cancer.'' While the theme is familiar, the offhand detail and the frequently brilliant turns of phrase that inform this portrait of an exotic relationship contribute to a compelling narrative. Ordinary life in lower Manhattan is depicted with spare but razor-sharp clarity. Equally spare, however, is the nod toward the terror of AIDS; but the verisimilitude of that knowing nod yields compassion where a trenchant or self-pitying approach would have elicited distance (at the very least) in the non-gay reader. But most important is Indiana's portrayal of a human relationship--a portrait whose sincerity and depth makes it a well-polished gem. (May)