JUNE 15. 2007
|USt|OUts65
books
The Nature of the Pedophile
Portland author asks some profound, disturbing and important questions about the effects of sexual abuse
by Glenn Scofield Williams
aked in the Ram disturbed the hell out of
me. And I certainly recommend it. But
probably not for the reasons you think.
I’m not recommending the book
because the writing style is extraordi
nary. The writing is not bad, but it does have a lot
of reported scenes (this happened, then this
happened, etc.). And sometimes very important
moments in the characters’ lives can transpire at
lightning speed, feeling underwritten and lacking
the significance required for such moments. On top
of it all, this is only the first in a two-part install
ment; the action ends ahniptly (though satisfying-
ly enough) after a major turning point.
Nor am I recommending the book on the basis of
realistic believability. The majority of the novel takes
place at a wealthy, high-class house of prostitution,
the likes of which probably does not exist (let alone
the network of such houses that the story suggests).
And there are times when the 11 -year-old protago
nist thinks some extraordinarily mature thoughts and
seems to be a natural savant at anything he sets his
hand to (from classical piano to dick).
However, I am certainly recom
mending this book. Why? Eowyn
Wood’s Naked in the Rain (Crooked
Hills Publishing, 2007; $13.95 soft-
cover) asks some profound, disturbing
and important questions. Questions
that our nation, as a whole, tends to
ignore, often to the detriment of
adults and children who become
throwaways or worse. And it asks
those questions in an extremely inno
cent and thereby insightful manner—
questions that seep through the lines on the page
without any didacticism or pat answers.
The novel tells the story of Brian, who meets
14-year-old “tough guy" River in a juvie recovery
center after a recently foiled suicide attempt. The
boys rapidly discover a tight bond through similar
ly bad family experiences and eventually devise a
plan to run away together to Los Angeles. Arriving
in the city, broke and homeless, they wind up in the
hands of Grant, the wealthy owner of a pedophili-
ac house of prostitution that caters to moneyed
clients. The two boys learn about their sexuality
(through Grant) and, in the process, discover a
deep love relationship between each other.
I told you it was disturbing. And to make it
even more complex, the novel is full of sex scenes
written in a quite erotic fashion and, at other times,
with frightening violence. Some are pedophile
scenes, some depict sex between boys, and there are
even scenes of heterosexual pedophilia.
“The scenes needed to be there,” the author
says. “1 don't think any of the scenes are gratuitous.
It’s all from Brian’s point of view, and it’s erotic for
him. And this becomes so important in his life, and
so basic to his personality, that 1 thought it was
important to show some of it.”
Wixxl is a Portland writer who moved here
from Southern California a decade ago. She iden
tifies as bisexual—“probably had something to do
with why I felt the need to write a story about it,
the bisexual nature of it”—and works as an admin
Bisexual author Eowyn Wood moved to Portland from Southern California a decade ago.
istrator for an AIDS service organization.
The book addresses some fundamental tenets of they are harming (which is a realistic, if extremely
And even here, Wixxl treads dangerous territory.
sexuality, morality and legality. In no way does the
tragic, part of pedophilia). “I think it’s a form of How are we as readers to respond to erotic stories
bixik endorse or condone pedophilia. But it does
love Grant feels,” Wixxl says hesitantly. “Grant
about children making love? Can children really be
ask important questions about the nature of the
feels Brian is special. He feels a connection with
in a love relationship, or are they too young to
pedophile, about the causes of him. It’s not a healthy relationship, obviously. The
understand what that means? Who’s to decide?
that specific kind of abuse and
situation with Grant is still abusive, even though
“Well,” Wixxls says, “I’ve had people say similar
about the humanity of both vic
there’s no physical harm. It’s still not a healthy rela
things.. .they’re all into the story, and then suddenly
tim and perpetrator.
tionship with Grant. It would be bad enough if it
they were kind of oddly thrilled. And then 1 had
“The book is really about the
was just the two of them, but the fact that Grant
someone say that the story made him feel dirty. Not
effects of sexual abuse,” Wixxl says.
coerces him into prostitution is very bad. So even
necessarily gixxl or bad, but it shows that the story’s
“1 would not say Grant is a gixxl
when it’s physically pleasant [to Brian), it’s still
effective.”
guy. Compared to some in the
twisting Brian into something else.”
The story raises serious questions about the
Fxxik, he’s the gixxl guy, but com
And the sex is, in fact, erotic and pleasant to the
responsibilities of witnesses. There are plenty of
pared to a normal adult, he’s a bad
boy—an important, it dangerous, point. Psychologists
characters not directly involved in the pedophilia
guy. Gixxl and bad is a gray area.”
and sociologists vouch for the fact that violent and
or the prostitution who see what’s happening and
Our society lixiks at the repug destructive sexual acts can be, in ways, pleasurable to
do nothing, and there are many different reasons
nant practice of pedophilia and
the victim. Does the pleasure of the Fxxly make the
for this inaction. There are questions about parent
labels the people who practice it “monsters” and
crime any less criminal? No. But we must recognize
ing and the responsibilities of parents to keep
“inhuman.” But pedophiles are, in fact, human
that victims of abuse often feel that they are going
children healthy and on track. There are questions
beings, as are their victims. If we are to save both and
crazy because the hxly responds with its own endor-
about the culture of money and the misery that
stop the violence done to children, we must face it
phic will, even as it experiences a harmful act. The
wealth can buy.
head-on and recognize the need to salvage whatever
hxik illustrates this truth unflinchingly.
This hxik rattled me, and 1 hope you give it the
humanity remains. What do we do with these lost
“It’s left open for the reader to make their own
chance to rattle you, too. “I do hope, in some
souls? Is there a chance that they can be brixight back
judgments. Initially, it’s Brian’s point of view, and he
respects,” Wixids says, “that it helps open some
into “normal” human society? This hxiks asks these
doesn’t see any problem with it. But by the end, he
minds. If nothing else, I’m forcing people to relate
questions through the story of an 11- year-old strug starts to see it differently,’realizing that even when it’s
to an underage gay prostitute, and how many
gling with his own identity and place in the world.
pleasant physically, it’s damaging in other ways. The
people relate to that? Maybe they’ll find that love
between two [boys isj not so bad.” ©
older person has so much power tn the relationship,”
“Maybe another point of the Fxxik,” Wcxxl says,
“is probably no one is 100 percent evil.”
she adds. “At the same time, pedophiles are people,
Grant and some of Brian’s adult johns seem in
too. I hate to say it that way, but it’s true."
E owyn W ood reads 7:30 p.m. June 21 at St. Johns
rhe book to genuinely have feelings for the boy
The book is also a love story between two boys.
Booksellers, 8622 N. Lombard St.