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In 2005, Derfner came out with the delightfully acerbic "Gay Haiku" ("The salmon's divine,/But I'm afraid we can't stay —/ I fucked our waiter" being one of many observations on gay adult life expressed through the Japanese poetic form), but this is his first foray into a longer work.

While "Swish" might sound like a playful romp through one queen's attempt to embody every stereotype possible — gay cheerleader, musical theater composer, whore of Babylon — beneath the showers of gay glitter lie the author's insightful discoveries about himself, suggesting that all experiences, when lived with authenticity, lead to a possibility for greater self-actualization.

"Those connections are there for everybody who does anything, and it's just a matter of whether somebody chooses to explore the connections," Derfner tells the Blade. ,,, BENEATH THE BOOK'S wit —which is plentiful and often laugh-out-loud funny — are deep emotional struggles (one passage deftly takes the comic wind out of any blustery jokes about mental illness). takes on almost epic?—?the bugaboo of many a gay man?—?Self-loathing proportions in Derfner's life, leading the reader, at times, to wonder how he makes it through the day. Full review of: A deep 'Swish' @ Washington Blade

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