This is a very odd prose-style narrative, which describes a very young man's long-term intimate relationship with a famous musician. The author has since revealed that "Outline of My Lover" is about his years dating Michael Stipe, the lead singer of R.E.M. How much of the autobiographical narrative is true has never fully been revealed. Much of the story is vaguely told and Michael is described as an emotionally distant but generous/caretaking lover to the narrator, who is around 19 when he begins his relationship with Michael. As the story continues, Michael becomes gradually less available and starts to pull away, leading to the narrator's described feelings of desperation. As a behind-the-scenes account from an unreliable narrator, it made for a fast and interesting read. However, the book is out of print and hard to come by, making it a collector's piece for fans of R.E.M. or the author, who has also published a book of poetry with Stipe and a few others. ( )

http://jwvpk.wordpress.com/2007/10/09/outline-of-my-lover/ ( )