“The Night Elvis Kissed James Dean” is a story of two beautiful boys meeting and falling in love during high school has a gorgeous, poignant, unabashedly L.A., retro feel to it.  Set as it is in the last year of the 50s, the story revolves around Billy and Jason. Billy a mirror image of James Dean and Jason equally so of Elvis, the story is told by Billy as he recollects the very beginnings of what would be a lifetime relationship, way back, when being gay in America was still illegal. 

Waide Riddle writes with such an evocative style.  As we read the boys story we can almost smell the sweat of the hallway lockers, the pungent scent of the brill cream, the sweet ocean night air as the boys swim together, discovering their deep need for each other as they fumble their way into love.

The story is passionate, funny, thrilling, and real.  Los Angeles in the last year of the 50s, with race and sex and art and power all gloriously heightened, colliding and changing at breakneck speed. These two boys, so devoted to each other, so totally of their time pull us into their journey, we care about them, we fall as completely as they do for each other.  So young, so tender, so on the edge of everything.  It’s a great read and these characters jump off the page, begging to be set in immortal celluloid, images 50 feet high, just as their idols were so many years ago.  I love this kind of work.  Clear, unencumbered by affectation, and totally free of self-obsession or triteness.  As fresh and sweet and flavourful as the cherry on an ice cream float.

I’d love to read more adventures of these two… Bravo!