Higamus, Hogamus

About the Book

Jerome Dubinsky, a white man, has had a deep love affair and a torrid sex affair with Lavonne Campbell, a black woman with whom he lived for 18 months. He has also loved and accepted Lavonne's young boy, Bobo, as if his own. (There is, of course, no sexual angle in that relationship).

But Bobo has died in a traffic accident and this has eventually resulted in the break-up of his mother's relationship with Jerome, Finally, Lavonne moved to Boston (from Brooklyn) to accept a new job. Since then, Jerome has lost confidence and has become virtually impotent.

But tonight Jerome has forced himself to go out and terminate his temporary celibacy. In a pick-up bar he has met Beatrice who has accepted his invitation to his apartment.

Jerome is intent on seduction, but his efforts are awkward and ineffectual. (The alcohol he has ingested at the club doesn't help.) Out of frustration, and in his attempt to achieve an erection, he brings back to mind and relives some of his more notable sexual adventures from before his cohabitation with Lavonne. Eventually, he achieves erection and is able to make love.

After, he falls into a deep sleep and has a strange dream in which helps him understand his relationship with Lavonne and why it couldn't survive Bobo's death. When he wakes up, Beatrice has left to go to work and he finds a note on the bed. He feels a return of confidence – sexual and psychological – and his now ready to enter into real relationships with women. (Since it is written in a stream-of-consciousness style, the book doesn't strictly follow the chronology of the above description.)

BUT WHO ARE HIGAMUS AND HOGAMUS?

About the Author

Pierre was born in Ottawa but spent most of his adult life in Brooklyn, working as a teacher and jazz musician. He has had 10 articles on economics published in magazines. He presently lives in Montreal.