Piece Comment

Review of Leaving the Gay Ghettoes


In this style of first-person story radio, which only seems to get more and more popular (if that's possible), we get taken on an anecdotal voyage through what is often characterized as one of the most traumatic life changes of all: moving. It's the little details that make it the most engaging, such as the host and first subject bringing his real estate agent to the mic, his ability to vividly recall exactly how he felt uprooting himself, and the place descriptions that make you see where you are. I thought some of the material could have been tightened up, however. And unlike the first two, the third and final piece, about the man in Alaska, who was very interesting, was a bit too choppy as it jumped between the narrator and the interview, and didn't have the strong sense of place that it could easily have had.

This program, a series which I have never listened to before, is so honest, true to its name. There must be many, many listeners out there who connect with it in a significant way. For myself, I really enjoyed meeting the people in the program. It really felt like meeting new friends.