Drifting toward love: black, brown, gay, and coming of age on the streets of New York.

Mitzel, John

by Kai Wright

Beacon Press. 240 pages, $24.95

Journalist-editor Kai Wright sets for himself an ambitious project in this new book of nonfiction. Wright records the stories of Manny, Julius, Carlos, and their friends, gay male teenagers of color who are desperately seeking the basics of life--a home that's more than just shelter and security from so many things other than disease and violence. These young men have few resources and lead sometimes tragic lives, though there are the moments of heroic achievement. Manny is a working-class city kid with typical teenage struggles. He and his best friend Jason have a casual love relationship, held together in part by drugs and sex for money. Manny comes to realize that Jason has many demons to deal with; he decides to become an activist. Julius has left his rural home and come to the big city, but he lacks the navigation skills needed to survive in New York and winds up homeless, hustling, and addicted to drugs. Wright explores these difficult and troubling stories with intelligence and compassion, offering poignant insight into an often overlooked population.