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Dolby's bi-coastal nightlife experiences combined to inspire his first novel, The Trouble Boy,a modern twist on the coming of age odyssey. Our protagonist, the somewhat autobiographical Toby Griffin, moves to the big city in search of fame, fortune and a hot boyfriend. His freelance writing gig takes Toby on the adventures that all intrepid young New Yorkers seek out: sexually unbridled nightclubs, celebrity shmoozing and passionate trysts. Young, cosmopolitan gay men aren't very well served in the fiction market, so The Trouble Boy fills an obvious void. Readers have found the book "a forthright, honest look at being young in New York." Given that the topic is youthful nightlife in Manhattan and Los Angeles, the novel will appeal to anyone starting a new life in a new city. "After years of working on projects that were transitory, this novel is an attempt to create something that is lasting," says Dolby. "It's my gift to my friends. I hope that by writing it, I have given them a voice." I had the pleasure of knowing Tom in his nascent nightclubbing days. It was inspirational to watch this new arrival embrace all the city had to offer. I spoke with him recently about his bi-coastal experiences, his new novel and, of course, his take on today's gay sexual mores. ErosZine: Okay, so how much of The Trouble Boy is autobiographical? Tom Dolby: I definitely took elements from my own past in New York and worked them into an fictional framework. At a certain point, though, when you're writing a novel, the fictional stuff becomes more real in your mind than any actual facts! EZ: Aside from your personal experiences, what were you inspirations for the novel? TD: I wanted to write a novel that expressed what it was like to be young and gay during this post-millenial time in New York. I had never read a novel that spoke to me in this way, so I decided I had to write my own. EZ: You've spent a lot in your years trolling NYC nightlife. What was the funniest? Most glamorous?
Overall, I think Chi Chi Valenti and Johnny Dynell's themed nights at Mother in the late 90s were the most vibrant, exciting thing to happen in nightlife, gay or straight, during the entire time that I have written about the scene. They melded together so many different influences and provided glamour and entertainment that you couldn't find anywhere else. EZ: What scenes bore you most? TD: I find the mainstream Chelsea gay scene to be pretty boring. The abundance of drugs is what I find most depressing; it speaks to people's need to feel connected to a scene, while being unable to do that without chemical assistance. EZ: The nightlife and PR worlds are pretty shallow. What unfortunate recurring character flaw have you encountered? TD: I've met many great people in nightlife and PR, and I've met many shallow ones. I would say that the biggest character flaw is that people become so intent on being "fabulous" that they lose sight of who they really are. The real surprise -- what is really fabulous to me -- is when someone is real and genuine and honest amidst all the glitz. Someone who will remember a name, strive to make a real connection and move beyond just being "party friends." EZ: Besides the obvious, what are the nuanced differences between NYC and LA? TD: People don't go out in LA as much, and when they do, it's not about being expressive and having a good time. It's about networking. EZ: If LA is an entertainment industry town, what is NYC? TD: NY is a mix of many industries, which is what gives it its vibrancy. I love that about it. EZ: So, is the PR fiasco a jab at Lizzie Grubman? TD: I worked with a lot of publicists while editing the CityTripping website, though I never worked directly with Lizzie. The publicist character was a composite of many of those personality types. EZ: Do you think our current national obsession with Page Six type scandals, the private lives of celebrities and our interest in seeing the mighty fall warp how we experience news, entertainment and celebrities? TD: I think we may be obsessed with Page Six type scandals because they mirror our own insecurities, dreams and desires, and we get to see them writ large on a national stage. EZ: What are your sociological observations on the reality TV craze? TD: I'm not crazy about reality TV. Why would I want to watch a bunch of people living lives that are, in many instances, much less interesting than my own? EZ: I always thought you were an alarmingly skilled networker. How do you think those talents have served you? Any negative aspects to networking?  TD: Ironically, I'm actually very shy. But when I go out, I turn "on," and enjoy interacting with people. I think it's an important skill to have, but it's much more important to make real connections with people, not just professionally.EZ: You were away from NYC for a while. How do you think it's changed in the intervening years? TD: If anything, I think it's become a friendlier place. EZ: Citytripping was a great guide to, if not the underground, at least the road less traveled, so to speak. Is there any underground left? Any roads less traveled? Or do trends come and go so fast they barely have time to take hold? TD: I think there's always going to be some club on Avenue C doing something that could be called "underground." But NY is the most documented city in the world, so anything of interest that's underground doesn't stay there very long. EZ: How does Gen X (and Gen Y) relate to AIDS? Blissful ignorance? Benign neglect? TD: The ignorance that has come about in the last 10 years regarding AIDS is absolutely terrifying to me. People -- especially in the gay community - need to know that AIDS is still very much with us. It's frightening how many guys are out there doing drugs, having unprotected sex, and thinking it can all be solved with a regimen of pills and doctor's visits. EZ: Are young gay boys as promiscuous today as they were, say, a decade ago? Or is everyone in search of true love these days? TD: I think you're always going to have a certain amount of guys who are promiscuous and a certain number who are more relationship-minded. And there's nothing wrong with getting a little promiscuity out of one's system, as long as you're safe about it. Some people just aren't ready for a relationship. I think that's how my main character, Toby, was, for the first half of the novel. He wouldn't have been able to handle a relationship if it landed on his doorstep. He needed that time to go out and be a little crazy. EZ: How has the internet affected dating for you, your friends and your contemporaries? TD: Internet dating is like the fast food version of a relationship. An internet date may turn into something real, but more often than not, I think these artificial connections are fleeting. People expect to find instant chemistry over a photo and a profile, and that's just not possible. EZ: Compare and contrast NY sex with LA sex. TD: There's definitely more sex in NY. In LA, people don't drink as much, and you have to drive everywhere, so one-night stands are much more difficult. In LA, people go on dates! In NY, some of my friends haven't been on a real date in years. Tom is currently working on his second novel, which takes place at a boarding school. For more information, go to www.tomdolby.com.
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