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WORDS JAMES HODGE

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Jeremy Atherton Lin is an essayist who captures the queer status quo in his thought-provoking writings. His first book, Gay Bar, was a cultural history that explored why clubbing is so central to the queer experience. Now, he returns with part memoir, part history, Deep House. Described as the gayest love story ever told, this book sees Lin retell the story of his long-term relationship — from burgeoning romance to (many years later) a marriage. He sets his own personal account against the many LGBTQ+ love stories that led to the legalisation of same-sex marriage and put it in context.

Here, Attitude speaks to Lin about being a romantic, the joys of pop culture and the power of living on the fringes.

We also share our picks of the best recent reads, as well as our current favourite audiobook available on Audible.

Your latest book is a cross between your great love story and the many love stories that led to the legalisation of gay marriage in the US and UK. Where did the idea come from?

My partner is my muse, and I always want to write to him and about him. We have been together for a long time, and a mentor once told me that 30 years is a good passing of time to reflect on a series of events. I wanted to write about our story also from my perspective as a writer at the intersection of queerness and immigration. I knew that I wanted our romance to be connected to the love stories of other queer people who have had to cross borders, face invasions, [or endure] threats that they would not be able to stay together or live their lives as they wanted to. [While] heterosexuals could get married, we could not. So, our journey is set against the journey to the legalisation of same-sex marriage.