Reviews: What They're Saying About 'This Place of Men'
An amazing piece of work. The story is interesting and well told… kept my interest… kept me guessing. The writing is clear and crisp, the words are well chosen, and the prose is often beautiful and evocative.
Doug Cooper-Spencer has a natural gift as a storyteller.
~ Keith Boykin, host of BET J’s ‘My Two Cents’; Editor, The Daily Voice; author “One More River to Cross”, “Respecting the Soul”, “Beyond the Downlow”
This Place of Men is the great work of fiction that I wished I had read during my most heightened struggles with sexuality. Cooper-Spencer brilliantly details the two men on a journey to self-love, but in a culture where especially black men are encouraged to wear masks of caricature, denial, and self-hate. The writing in this novel captures the precise and deliberate care of an author who goes beyond troupes of deferred dreams and prodigal sons to paint a vivid picture of men who must get beyond their fear of not being loved in order to embrace love. "This Place of Men" is my Brokeback Mountain. It is the poetic portrait of the healing that can happen when men find the courage to love themselves just the way God created them."
~Tim'm T. West, author "Red Dirt Revival", "BARE", and "Flirting"
This Place of Men offers an interesting example of conflict resolution… There's a side story… which will probably surprise most readers. This Place of Men is a bittersweet love story and Doug Cooper-Spencer has a mature, seasoned voice. It will probably be enjoyable to readers who tire of the usual "we're gay and fabulous" storylines.
~Rod McCullom, ‘Rod 2.0’ website; journalist CNN, The Advocate
Extremely good reading… interesting twists… Thanks for your eye opener!
A great story and a core truth: The life you’ve been prepared for isn’t the one meant for you; sometimes it’s not even the life you’ve been given… The book doesn’t beat you over the head with that truth, but the writer puts it together artfully… you find yourself understanding it even though it’s never plainly stated…. the mark of a good story and a good writer.
Awesome book! This Place of Men is an awesome story. Doug Cooper-Spencer proves that he is as great a writer as his contemporaries… the characters in this book are most captivating and the story pulses to an unexpected climax. My only disappointment is that I have to wait for another Cooper-Spencer book.
Saw this book a few weeks ago… picked it up as the back cover caught my interest and I am so glad I did… I fell in love with this book as it is many wondrous things: love story, the Black family, and a story that (makes) one think… The characters are well written, some surprises, and again a wonderful read… I’ve never heard of the author and I feel that I know my Black Gay authors, but this one snuck under my radar.
This Place of Men has very good views on problems that exist in the gay community… This Place of Men is asking us to identify the place that we have in our community by confronting the reality of our sexual identity and make a stand for these principles.
~Amazon Reviews
I loved your book!!! I'll be reading it a second time… Again, savoring every minute. The book and it's people really lived for me. I didn't want to leave that world behind… I applaud your graceful use of language, the deft pacing and the honest ease of it. It felt authentic... Thank You for This Place of Men
~Allen, Chicago IL
Doug Cooper-Spencer has a natural gift as a storyteller.
~ Keith Boykin, host of BET J’s ‘My Two Cents’; Editor, The Daily Voice; author “One More River to Cross”, “Respecting the Soul”, “Beyond the Downlow”
This Place of Men is the great work of fiction that I wished I had read during my most heightened struggles with sexuality. Cooper-Spencer brilliantly details the two men on a journey to self-love, but in a culture where especially black men are encouraged to wear masks of caricature, denial, and self-hate. The writing in this novel captures the precise and deliberate care of an author who goes beyond troupes of deferred dreams and prodigal sons to paint a vivid picture of men who must get beyond their fear of not being loved in order to embrace love. "This Place of Men" is my Brokeback Mountain. It is the poetic portrait of the healing that can happen when men find the courage to love themselves just the way God created them."
~Tim'm T. West, author "Red Dirt Revival", "BARE", and "Flirting"
This Place of Men offers an interesting example of conflict resolution… There's a side story… which will probably surprise most readers. This Place of Men is a bittersweet love story and Doug Cooper-Spencer has a mature, seasoned voice. It will probably be enjoyable to readers who tire of the usual "we're gay and fabulous" storylines.
~Rod McCullom, ‘Rod 2.0’ website; journalist CNN, The Advocate
Extremely good reading… interesting twists… Thanks for your eye opener!
A great story and a core truth: The life you’ve been prepared for isn’t the one meant for you; sometimes it’s not even the life you’ve been given… The book doesn’t beat you over the head with that truth, but the writer puts it together artfully… you find yourself understanding it even though it’s never plainly stated…. the mark of a good story and a good writer.
Awesome book! This Place of Men is an awesome story. Doug Cooper-Spencer proves that he is as great a writer as his contemporaries… the characters in this book are most captivating and the story pulses to an unexpected climax. My only disappointment is that I have to wait for another Cooper-Spencer book.
Saw this book a few weeks ago… picked it up as the back cover caught my interest and I am so glad I did… I fell in love with this book as it is many wondrous things: love story, the Black family, and a story that (makes) one think… The characters are well written, some surprises, and again a wonderful read… I’ve never heard of the author and I feel that I know my Black Gay authors, but this one snuck under my radar.
This Place of Men has very good views on problems that exist in the gay community… This Place of Men is asking us to identify the place that we have in our community by confronting the reality of our sexual identity and make a stand for these principles.
~Amazon Reviews
I loved your book!!! I'll be reading it a second time… Again, savoring every minute. The book and it's people really lived for me. I didn't want to leave that world behind… I applaud your graceful use of language, the deft pacing and the honest ease of it. It felt authentic... Thank You for This Place of Men
~Allen, Chicago IL
