Borrowing Time: A Latino Sexual Odyssey

By Carlos T. Mock

Book Overview

"Whatever your orientation, no matter your ethnicity, you'll never be the same after a journey through this odyssey. A vivid and visceral portrayal of a sexual and political coming-of-age in today's America-and beyond." Laura S. Washington, Ida B. Wells-Barnett University Professor, DePaul University; Columnist, Chicago Sun-Times "Gay literature is rich in so many areas, yet we still have a need for strong stories from the world of Latino culture-about family, about youth, about coming out, about creating adult relationships, about AIDS. Now, Carlos Mock give us a strong Puerto Rican story that deals with all these isues." -Patricia Nell Warren, author of The Front Runner and The Wild Man. In Borrowing Time: a Latino Sexual Odyssey we get a glimpse of the different manifestations of AIDS: the fear, the shame, the regrets and the final victory. The "AIDS" crisis has been an opportunity for the homosexual community for growth, for strengthening ties, for reclaiming rights from the government, and, above all, for reflection. The AIDS epidemic can be seen by many as a curse, and for others, as the opportunity to bring out the best in you. My work as a sex therapist over 23 years with couples and individuals-many of whom are gays, lesbians, and bisexuals-has put me in touch with an issue that inevitably comes up: feelings of self-hatred and shame that many homosexuals internalize. The lack of tolerance for sexual diversity and the myopic vision of many fundamentalist religious groups have contributed to the prejudices. Books like Borrowing Time: a Latino Sexual Odyssey can be antidotes for this lack of understanding and acceptance. It can also be a useful tool for any homosexual or lesbian to understand and accept him or herself, without judgments. It takes the reader, gay or straight, into the mind, heart and dreams of Juan Subir Rexach with great candor, honesty and humor. Dra. Gloria Mock

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0915745771
• ISBN13: 9780915745777
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Floricanto Press
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Books to Watch out For

Borrowing Time: A Latino Sexual Odyssey, by Carlos T. Mock (Floricanto Press, $35) Mock's novel isn't truly self-published: Floricanto Press (www.floricantopress.com) does several books a year, and of several sorts - but doesn't do much more than print them, I imagine; the clunky design and odd paragraph layout work against what is otherwise a rather vivid read - and though an editor from the University of California is credited for work on the book, there are some odd stylistic and grammatical choices. That said, there's not a lot of gay storytelling from the Puerto Rican community, and that's partially the appeal of this heartfelt work, with its roots in Catholic doctrine, macho attitudes, and cultural differences. That's also the filter through which Monk addresses coming out, yearning for love, settling into a relationship, and - most viscerally - living with AIDS. It's probably no accident that Monk's title, Borrowing Time, echoes that of Paul Monette's monumental AIDS memoir, Borrowed Time: both focus on the excitement of living and the struggle to die with dignity. An author interview: www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=7538 Richard Labonte From: Books to Watch Out For (...)

Chronicles of an Emerging Gay Consciousness

As the father of a gay son, I read Borrowing Time with great excitement because I was--and am--interested in gaining insight into how gay boys and young men come to terms with their sexual orientation and how they eventually develop a gay identity and consciousness. This book covers the gamut from coming-out issues to family relationships to emotional entanglements to loving partnerships to changes that come with maturity and age. By getting to know the book's protagonist I learned a lot about what my son has experienced.

Excellent honest portrayal......compelling.

Carlos Mock has written a wonderful compelling book of a Catholic, a Hispanic, born and raised in Puerto Rico who very slowly realizes he's gay. He loves his family and tries to stay as true to his heritage and religion as he can but soon the conflicts are too much and he must escape. But they are never far away even when he moves to the mainland in this wonderful all-to-human story. Carlos Mock went on to medical school - both in real life and in this fictionalized autobiography - so the prose is smart and deep. I loved it and highly recommend it to others.

Borrow Time

I could not put this book down. Honestly this is the one of the best books I have ever read. I really LOVE how it began with the history of Puerto Rico. I know many Puerto Ricans who don't know this history or true politics of the isla. Born and raised here Chicago I didn't even learn about our history until I was in my late 20's. I Thank the author for his honesty, for sharing his fears and for sharing his life. I saw some (ok a lot) of myself in his words. Growing up in a Chicago, in a Puerto Rican family and culture, things are just as they were for you growing up in Puerto Rico. This wasn't just a book about the GLBT community this is about what many of us go through in life. Our many fears and struggles of life. I LOVED the book and HIGHLY recommend it.

A Gay Puerto Rican, but ultimatly universal story

This is an uncommon coming of age and coming out book, not just because it is written from a Puerto Rican in "El Norte" perspective, but because of the wonderful magical realism that finds its way into certain events. It is a fictional memoir of a man with HIV, but the descriptions of the seminal events of life could have happened to any of us. I found the descriptions of certain men, events and emotions all to familiar to me, and I am superficially rather different. The moments of childhood discover, adolecent change and adult knowledge are wonderfully described. The wonderful physical descriptions of men and women hint at the soul within. The language reflects both the speach of the protagonist and the mental state, both analytical physician and heavely drugged paitent.I recomend this to eveyone.