The Other Side of What

Is life determined by fate or coincidence?

Memphis, a small town southern boy's haven for escape, is the perfect place to find out. Choosing to hide his past, Matthew moves to Memphis and forms bonds with an overly dramatic boy named Jacob and a passionate art dealer named Zoe.

However, it is Vance, an elusive drug dealer and dancer by night, a projection booth operator in a movie theater by day, that captures Matthew's attention. A secret affair develops between the two, forcing Matthew to face his past rather than hide it.

As Matthew falls for a handsome and kind photography student named Seth, memories of his mute brother come flooding back. Ethan, Matthew's brother, has been tucked away in a boarding school in St. Louis after tragic events that took place while they were in high school. When Ethan comes to visit his brother, Matthew discovers his brother has become more of the person Matthew himself has longed to be.

Dancing, self-discovery, drugs, and dreams...THE OTHER SIDE OF WHAT is a "coming out" story that echoes the themes many other gay Southern writers have touched upon through the years. It's sexually charged characters and hypnotic story lines set on the streets of Memphis and New Orleans will keep your attention long after the last page. There is a character here we have all encountered in our own stories, or within ourselves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shannon Yarbrough began this book as a short story in college while living in Memphis from 1995 to 2001. He moved to St. Louis in late 2001, finishing the story as this book, where he still resides today. Though many have asked in reference to the characters in the book, "Is that me?" Shannon has assured them the book is completely fictional. It is, however, a piece of his heart which still belongs to Memphis.