The Book of Delights

Gay is checking out of a hotel and saying goodbye to the bellhop he has befriended. The young man is going to grad school for acting, and Gay asks him about his auditions, causing the man to launch into Lady Macbeth’s monologue from Macbeth. When Gay asks the bellhop why he chose this monologue, the young man talks about the character’s ambition and vision, saying those are the things he looks for in a partner as well. The bellhop describes his ideal partner as one who can go into “beast mode” (72). Gay says that dashing a baby’s head against a wall would be too much beastliness. The bellhop agrees, and the two hug.

Gay and his partner, Stephanie, are in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, caring for Gay’s mother who had minor surgery. Before boarding the plane to return home, Gay performs rituals that he believes keep the plane from crashing. He imagines covering the plane in a blanket of light and guiding it safely through the air in his hands. Aboard the plane, he pays careful attention to the flight attendants and follows their instructions perfectly, even flipping through the safety manual. He turns directly to the page with the baby receiving an oxygen mask and life jacket.