reviewed by Kip Dollar
Archetypes go by many names. Old movie titles are one way to identify them, especially when the purpose is as specific as finding Mr. Right.
Orland Outlands' approach to finding Mr. Right is as easy as one, two, three. Find him, Get Him, Keep him. The Principles is a fast and witty read that is full of common sense. Modeled on The Rules, (written for straight women), Principles tells it like it is. Finding Mr. Right is a matter of luck. But everything you can do to find him, you should do. It's like playing the lottery: if you don't play (by the rules) you can't win. But once you meet him, that's when you need a little help in saying and doing the right thing.
Outland states the principles by using popular movie titles and themes to sum up his advice, e.g. the Auntie Mame Principle says that while shared interest are crucial to developing a relationship, if you happen to meet somebody and you find he has a fanatical interest in, say, boxing, don't pretend that you do, too, when you don't. You are a gay man. You have seen "Auntie Mame." You remember what happened to Roz Russell when she pretended she was an accomplished horsewoman. Principles goes beyond just finding Mr. Right and gives good advice on how to make a relationship last. By far I think Mr. Outlands best advice is to determine precisely what your Mr. Right is like and strive to be like Mr. Right.
The author, Orland Outland, lives in San Francisco. For three and a half years he was a popular entertainment columnist for San Francisco's gay papers, Bay Area Reporter and Frontiers. He has also written for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, San Francisco Review of Books and Movieline. He is the author of Death Wore a Smart Little Outfit, a San Francisco-based mystery featuring a cross-dressing detective.
Delightful! A little silly, a little fun, and quite wise. A useful primer, especially for the young.
Kip Dollar is general manager of The House at PeregrineÕs Perspective.