Yes, it’s true: NRODT really did assign me

to review Michael Bailey’s book about effeminate men. I urge you to do one, or better yet both, of the

following: (a) get a subscription to NRODT so you can read my review, or

(b) buy Michael’s book. As well as the obvious reasons to buy it (it’s a

good book, full of fascinating observations and, so far as I could discern,

agenda-free), there is also the fact that Michael, the nicest guy you could

ever wish to meet, and a very conscientious researcher, is being vilified by

militant trans-gender extremists. Here is an anecdote about the book. It

happens that Michael and I share the same publisher. We had adjoining

tables at Book Expo America in Los Angeles the other day. The drill is, you

get half an hour at a table in a huge hall, where people line up in front of

the tables to get a free book (this is a trade show) signed by the author.

It’s all timed very precisely by the organizers, as they have a LOT of

authors to get through. Well, I was waiting in the green room with my

publisher’s publicity lady, to do my signing at 12:30. Michael was

scheduled to sign at the same time, but he was late. It got to be 12:15,

12:20, and the publicity lady was getting worried. Derb: “I sure hope he

gets here on time. A long line of angry transsexuals doesn’t bear thinking

about…” Fortunately Michael showed up with a minute to spare.