That Was Something by Dan Callahan

Bobby Quinn has been haunted by two enigmatic people for most of his adult life: Ben Morrissey, a sexy Don Juan who becomes a famous photographer in late 1990s Manhattan, and Monika Lilac, a beautiful cinephile femme fatale who is consumed by her love for silent-era films. This is a story about romantic obsession and cinematic obsessiveness, and a portrait of young people falling in love and trying to make their mark before the party is over.

"That Was Something—a profound, delicate, emotionally involving novel—gripped my attention by accurately evoking certain lost moments in queer urban life. I admire the book's taut structure and tenderly direct diction: The Great Gatsby on poppers. In high-contrast, horny chiaroscuro, without clutter, Callahan documents the chemical reaction that occurs when gayness and bi-curiosity greet each other in the dark room." —Wayne Koestenbaum, author of The Queen's Throat and Jackie Under My Skin

"Known for his...