Jesse’s Journal – The ’49 Indian

Craig Moody

The ‘49 Indian: A Novel By Craig Moody; Vivid Imagery Publishing; 284 pages; $12.99. The book is available in paperback and Amazon Kindle editions at: www.amazon.com, www.the49indian.com and www.barnesandnoble.com

Craig Moody is that rare species, a native Floridian. Born in Pembroke Pines, “a suburban community that edges the beautiful Florida Everglades,” Moody enjoyed a career as a model and actor before he turned to what he calls “his life’s true calling: acting.” The ‘49 Indian is Moody’s first novel, published by his own company, Vivid Imagery Publishing.

The ‘49 Indian is a gay coming out, coming of age and gay love story, all told in the life of twenty-year-old Floridian Dustin Thomas. Growing up in Fort Lauderdale as the son of homophobic, religious parents, Dustin’s life takes a turn for the better when he meets Gauge Paulson, his new next-door neighbor. This handsome, tattooed never-do-well’s passion in life is restoring his 1949 Indian motorcycle, which he inherited from his father. In spite of Gauge’s fascination for female beach beauties, he and Dustin strike up a relationship. When Dustin’s life takes a turn for the worse, he and Gauge leave town in Gauge’s ‘49 Indian, starting a cross-country road trip that takes the two to Tennessee, New Mexico, Nevada and, finally, California.

The ‘49 Indian starts with a rape in a Fort Lauderdale bathhouse during the summer of 1983, a tragic event that was unusual even in 1983. (I frequented all three bathhouses in Fort Lauderdale in 1983, and never heard anything about a rape.) In fact, Moody seems to exaggerate the trials that gay men faced in the early eighties. Dustin and Gauge must deal with religious prejudices, homophobic violence and even attacks from other gay men. Not surprisingly, even AIDS raises its ugly head. Whatever sympathetic relatives, friends or passerby there might be are few and far between. Only the love that Dustin and Gauge feel for each other carry them through each crisis. It is the love between two men, and Moody’s ability to depict that love within the pages of his book, that lifts The ‘49 Indian above its faults and makes it well-worth reading. We look forward to reading more by Craig Moody, and hope that this is the first of many books.

expose: a collection of classical nude photographs by Anthony Timiraos; Anthony Timiraos Photography; 246 pages; $49.99

Born in Havana, Cuba, Anthony Timiraos was a Certified Public Accountant and a Chief Financial Officer; a restaurateur and a philanthropist. Now retired, Timiraos enjoys a new career as a photographer “capturing that moment in time that describes his life, views and heart.” expose is a collection of classic nudes: 246 full color photos that profile nearly 40 models, nearly all men but also including one woman. Timiraos’s models, not counting the woman, give us a diverse variety of beautiful male bodies, representing various races, ethnic groups, ages and body types. expose will be a beautiful addition to your coffee table, or wherever else you might want to put it.

Jesse’s Journal
by Jesse Monteagudo

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