I Know You're Out There

Private longings, public humiliations and other true stories of looking for love

A bitterly funny meditation on love, by the former editor of the personals column of the Chicago Reader

SWF 38 sks SM35-50 for LTR. Be nsmk, fit, D/D-free, urb. dwell, no chld.

'In English, this translates as "Single white female, age thirty-eight, seeks single male, thirty-five to fifty years old, for long-term relationship. You must be a nonsmoker, fit, drug- and disease-free, urban dweller, and have no children."

See? It's easy. Once you've picked up the basics, it's really very simple. Of course, this is only a start; it's one thing to say what you want, but it's quite another to get what you want. And that's where I come in.'

'Today I got personals from a gay guy who's looking for a midget, two wannabe sugar-daddies, an Orthodox Jew whose entire ad reads, "Marry Me, marry me, marry me", and a 79-year-old woman from the suburbs who declares "she's not into the bar scene." It's only Monday'Welcome to the world of Michael Beaumier, a long-time personals editor who loves his job. Day in, day out, he deals with romance, passion and sex, even if it's someone else's. He's a guardian angel for the desperate singles, cheating spouses, sexual compulsives, prison inmates and people with some rather bizarre fetishes. But Beaumier is no saint ? he has his own relationship foibles. Witty and observant, this is about two of life's big challenges: finding love and learning to live with (or without) it.

'The irony of a guy in my particular romantic circumstances being the go-to man for fulfilling the heart's desire of an entire city is apparent on the face of it,' says Michael. 'But..... I believe in love. NOt having love just makes my need to believe in it that much stronger.'

About the Author:
Michael Beaumier was personals editor at the Chicago Reader for several years and is a frequent contributor to This American Life. He lives in Chicago.

Allen & Unwin
Author: Michael Beaumier
ISBN: 9781741751628
RRP: $22.95


Review: Love desired by all, achieved by few..... if you have found love, lost love or are just plain confused by it. 'I know you're out there' is a delightful, refreshing and entertaining look on the search for love. Enjoy!