Book Review: On Picking Fruit by Arthur Wooten

Poor Curtis Jenkins wakes up in a hospital room, still out of sorts and wondering why his mother and his best friend Quinn are there? They believe that an overdose of Beano, in an apparent suicide attempt. (His low self-esteem at not being able to find Mr. Right might just possibly be the cause.) The doctor says he'll be just fine, but that he needs to see a therapist as part of his release. Reluctantly, he takes the recommendation of his friend Quinn and sets an appointment with Dr. Magda Tunick.

As a result of their first meeting, he's ordered to come return in two weeks to dig a little deeper into his emotional problems and in the meantime, he must have at least have a date or two to discuss at their meeting. So Curtis' adventures in dating begin, with a hunky foreigner named Desifinado. Unfortunately, Desi goes from hero to zero so quickly that Curtis can't get away fast enough. And his prospects go downhill from there, with one date after another, each stranger than the last.

Will Curtis ever find his Mr. Right hiding somewhere in the depths of the dating pool?

Once I picked up On Picking Fruit, I could not stop laughing. I know it's wrong
to laugh at another's troubles -- even fictional ones -- but everything from the variety of guys that Curtis dates to how his mother and his best friend act are simply ripe for comedy. And author Arthur Wooten makes it seem effortless with this book.

The best thing, though, is Curtis. Empathizing with him is very easy as he struggled through what can feel terrifying -- being gay and single -- and watching everyone around him find soul mates while he can't even get out of the starting gate. I think quite a few gay men will read this and understand exactly what Curtis is going through, the pressure that not only family and friends put on a person, but what someone puts on his/herself to find a partner. Yet, while his dating life appears to be on a downward spiral, Curtis begins to take control and to figure out what he wants from his life, and I found myself smiling at the end.

On Picking Fruit
by Arthur Wooten
Alyson Books
ISBN: 155583952-5
trade paperback, 210 pgs.

purchased book

Image from Authors' Den.