The Cruising Diaries

By Brontez Purnell and Janelle Hessig. Published by Silver Sprocket.

Softcover, 60 pages, Prose w/Colour Illustrations, 2020. 

The Cruising Diaries is Whiting Award-winning author Brontez Purnell’s hilariously unhinged and decidedly unsexy erotic memoir. After leaving small town Alabama where romantic options were scant for a Black queer punk, Purnell was delighted to discover a wealth of romantic opportunity in his adopted home of Oakland and devoted his time to sampling each and every flavor. Recounted with reckless humor and Purnell’s singular knack for combining sordid details with cultural commentary, these outrageous diary entries will leave you chuckling with every re-read.

Each story is accompanied by a full-color illustration by Bay Area cartoonist Janelle Hessig. From shrooming at the bathhouse to a handjob on public transportation, Hessig’s loose and lively drawings are the perfect narrative complement, adding an extra layer of comedy, just when you thought you were tapped out.