Cataloguing queer love

In gay American author David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary, L doesn’t just stand for love — it also stands for libidinous, lacklustre and leery.

The book charts the course of a relationship through alphabetical entries and their definitions. Take ‘libidinous’: “I never understood why anyone would have sex on the floor. Until I was with you and I realised: you don’t ever realise you’re on the floor.”

Released just in time for Valentine’s Day, the book was actually born out of a long-held Valentine’s tradition for Levithan, writer of such queer favourites as Boy Meets Boy (2003) and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010).

“I started writing Valentine’s Day stories for my friends when I was 16. Once I did it, my friends would not let me stop,” he said.

“A few of my novels grew from this one deadline I give myself every year, and The Lover’s Dictionary happened that same way.”

Is Levithan something of a hopeless romantic?

“You could look at it like that. For me, it’s been about turning Valentine’s Day into a day to celebrate friends, as opposed to needing to have a boyfriend or girlfriend to enjoy it. So yes, the content of the story is about love, but the intention has always been to give something to my friends.”

And thankfully, The Lover’s Dictionary isn’t some sugary mush-fest. More often than not, the entries shine a light on the complexities and mundanities of cohabiting with a partner — petty jealousies and arguments about housework are mulled over alongside great sex and perfect dates.

“The couple in the book have been together for two and a half years, so it’s in that complicated in-between period where it’s no longer new, but it’s not quite long haul yet either. It’s almost like a strange inkblot test, seeing which entries people identify with their own relationship,” he laughed.

The beauty of the book is its universal nature — the couple could be two men, two women, a man and a woman. It’s never made clear and yet, the writing never feels vague or sketchy.

Levithan said he wanted to create a book that anyone, regardless of gender or sexual preference, could identify with.

“One of the best formats for describing love is the pop song, and the best of those have a wonderful mix of specificity and universality,” he said.

“The details make it feel real, but the universality means anyone can apply it to themselves.”

So with 23 years of annual ruminations on the nature of love under his belt, is Levithan now super-equipped to be in a relationship?

“Fucketh I know! Certainly writing my books makes me learn things I didn’t know I knew, but writing about things can only get you so far. It’s like my narrator realises — a dictionary is not a reflection of life; you can only take those lessons so far.”

info: The Lover’s Dictionary is out now through Text Publishing. Visit www.davidlevithan.com

Photo: Adrian Cook