DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS: Dann Hazel

Our favorite MM authors a.k.a. castaways are asked, what books, songs and luxury item would they take to a desert island?

This is a monthly series inspired by LezReviewBooks.com’s ‘Desert Island Books’, which in turn is based on BBC’s ‘Desert Island Discs’.

The rules are fairly simple:

List up to ten books, a playlist and one luxury item that you couldn’t do without on a desert island.

Any type of book can be selected, but I ask that at least half are LGBT+ books. Choices should be justified in a paragraph or two. Any number of songs and any type of music is allowed. The luxury item must be inanimate and of no use in escaping the island or allowing communication from outside.

Let’s welcome our February castaway, Dann Hazel!

DESERT ISLAND BOOKS:

Books I must have on the island:

Essays in Existentialism by Jean-Paul Sartre

The philosophy of existentialism has defined my approach to life even when I had no idea what existentialism was. What draws me to it is the idea that “life has no meaning, except for the meaning which each human being gives it.” I think this philosophy is probably true of many, many authors who find themselves “marching to the beat of a different drummer.” The book would provide hours and hours of contemplation while I’m on the deserted island.

An Atheist Manifesto by Joseph Lewis

This book is in the public domain and is a fast read. It’s provocative and dovetails nicely with existentialist writings. I like the idea that as long as there is hatred and antagonism among mankind, the existence of God is an impossibility. Having grown up in a religious household, I find that Lewis’ points are refreshingly logical. I’ve heard from very religious individuals that they’ve enjoyed this book, too.

Doubt: A History by Jennifer Michael Hecht

Hecht’s book takes a historical look at the history of doubt and questioning throughout human history, which she does by examining the tradition of doubt through the insights of several great teachers and philosophers. I’d never thought of Jesus as a man of doubt, yet there he is, right in these pages. Other figures she examines are Freud, Darwin and Marx.

Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. By Joyce Carol Oates.

Now for the fun books! Very little that Joyce Carol Oates has written will get a thumbs down from me. I loved the mysterious tone of Bellefleur, which I read a long time ago. I read Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars a few years ago, and reveled in the more contemporary story, but still, the Oates sense of mystery was still there. She tackles how different people react to the death of a loved one—reactions that often reveal the truths of their feelings about the deceased. Gore Vidal might have said that “the three saddest words in the English language are Joyce Carol Oates,” but in my opinion, he was spouting bullshit.

Truth or Darren by D. J. Jamison

I was drawn in to this gay romance right away with the unfolding of a man’s realization of his homosexuality but also his attraction and ultimately love for another man—all of which started with a dare to kiss a guy. Jamison’s writing style is brisk, relaxed and arousing—in all the best ways!

Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews

Keira Andrews should be ashamed of herself! I’d never had much interest in romances involving pirates before—despite the fact that my own husband is into the erotic side of pirate history—until I read this book. She paid such exquisite attention to the internal conflicts the two main characters suffered, both trying to resist the powerful attraction and ultimately love they felt for each other. All the while, she had total control of the action and the scheming that took place. And yes, the relationship between the pirate captain and his younger captive was HOT.

Disorderly Men by Edward Cahill

Though this book is fiction, it reads like a compelling gay history. Cahill follows the lives of several gay men as they try to navigate through a hostile society while staying true to themselves. Amazingly, one of the most compelling tensions in the novel was the abject fear these men had of their identities appearing in the newspaper after a gay bar has been raided, or a tryst is discovered by police patrolling a public park.

Between These Sheets by Devon McCormack

Though embarrassed to admit it, I only recently discovered Devon McCormack’s work. I adored the realism of a veteran suffering from PTSD trying to assimilate into a society that doesn’t understand what he’s endured, the horrors he’s seen, the deaths he’s witnessed. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get my head around a gay military romance, as I reached draft age when men who’d decided to go to college could get a deferment until after graduation. By the time I graduated, the draft had ended and the US had withdrawn from the Viet Nam conflict. But empathy with the characters was easy, thanks to McCormack’s excellent writing and his sensitive take on his characters’ conflicts. The love story here drew me in big time, but the writer kept teasing me as to whether love would win in the end.

Sapphire Sunset by Christopher Rice

Lots of drama in this romance set at Sapphire Cove, a resort hotel where Logan, a former Marine, lands a job to earn money to pay for his sick father’s medical treatment. Soon, however, a balance must be reached: his determination to make the bucks necessary to help his father and his involvement, getting stronger by the day, with a man whose personality is, well, not the most palatable. The plot is so intense that the delayed gratification the reader finally receives feels like RELIEF following a bondage session.

A Place for Us: A Memoir by Brandon Wolf

Brandon Wolf’s memoir about life as a young gay man living in Orlando (FL) drew me in immediately, as my home is about an hour’s drive from Orlando. Were I in his shoes—a survivor of the Pulse massacre—I’m not so sure I’d be brave enough to put myself out there as an activist who makes frequent public appearances telling his story and being a witness to the homophobic extremism that still exists in our country. Sometimes, reading a “memoir” takes patience and perseverance, but Wolf had me engaged with every word.

DESERT ISLAND PLAYLIST:

Live at Last (Bette Midler)—Great vocals, great dirty jokes and great rapport with her Cleveland audience. I wish she would at least occasionally stoop to the happy raunchiness she did early in her career.
Moulin Rouge, the Broadway Soundtrack. A musical that begins with two hot guys making out downstage right? Who wouldn’t love it?
Rent, both Broadway and movie soundtracks. Yep, I’m a Rent-head. Don’t judge.
Born This Way (Lady Gaga). The album AND the song, the gay national anthem.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Still can’t believe Tina’s gone. But at least I have this soundtrack with many of her great songs. I saw her once in concert. She’d just celebrated her 60th birthday, and looked and sounded as great as ever. Simply the best!
All of Cher’s Songs. Love her voice, her music, her role as ally for the queer community.

LUXURY ITEM

I’d like a solar-powered, oversized refrigerator-freezer, half-filled with Fever Tree tonic water and Bombay Sapphire gin. (I assume I can get the limes for my G&Ts on the island.) The other half should be filled with all varieties of Ghirardelli chocolates.

ABOUT DANN HAZEL

As a Florida-based author of both fiction and nonfiction, I’ve worked as an educator on both the secondary and post-secondary levels. But since high school, when I worked on the school newspaper, I’ve always had a passion for both reading and writing. I live in Lake Wales, FL, with my husband, Josh (also a writer) and our adorable Eskie (American Eskimo), Flurry. She’s definitely part of the family, with boundless energy and appetite! (She has learned to turn down the bed for us at bedtime. She’s so smart!) I’m passionate about scenic walks and jogs around a local lake, enjoying Walt Disney World, staying healthy, reading, streaming movies and provocative TV series (especially those based on novels!) and current events. My pronouns are he/him/his.

A big thank you to Dann Hazel for joining us on this month’s Desert Island Castaways!

Check out our other Castaways:
Natalina Reis
V.L. Locey
J.P. Jackson
A.E. Wasp
Elle Keaton.
Elouise East
J.K. Jones
Colette Davison
B.A. Tortuga
Casey Cox
Amanda Meuwissen
A.M. Johnson
Becca Seymour
Alexa Piper
Rick R. Reed
C.P. Harris
K.L. Hiers
A.E. Lister
S. Rodman
Kaje Harper
M.A. Church
Karenna Colcroft
Aiden Ainslie
J. Hali Steele
Kristian Parker
H.L. Day
D.K. Girl
Jackie Keswick
Crea Reitan
Beth Bolden
Chloe Archer
Paulina Ian-Kane
Sam Burns
David Lawrence
Lance Lansdale
Marshall Thornton
Joy Lynn Fielding
Ellie Thomas
Megaera C. Lorenz
Kit Barrie

Hope you enjoyed this post. Don’t forget to check out next month’s Castaway.

What books would you take with you to a desert island?
What’s on your desert island playlist?
Who would you like to be the next Castaway?

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