Scott Alexander Hess is an American writer and actor. According to the Riverfront Times of St. Louis, Missouri, Hess is known for his "evocative" works centered on gay relationships.[1]
Scott Alexander Hess | |
|---|---|
 Scott Alexander Hess reading at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center | |
| Occupation | Writer |
Early life edit
Hess is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, and he graduated from Affton High School.[2]
Career edit
Hess acted in Mark Dendy's play "Dream Analysis" in 1998[3] and in a solo show B.J.: The Trail of a Transgendered Country Singing Star, which won the Jury Prize for Outstanding Solo Performance at the 1999 New York International Fringe Festival.[4]
His debut novel, Diary of a Sex Addict, was translated to German in 2012.[5] Another novel, The Butchers Sons, was selected in Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2015.[6] It follows three Irish brothers in 1930s who become embroiled in the New York criminal underworld.[7] His novel Skyscraper (2016) was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ erotica.[8]
His novella The River Runs Red (2019) explores class, race, sexuality and greed in late 19th century St. Louis, Missouri.[9] Kirkus Reviews found it to be a "lyrical, gritty" work with a "compelling" protagonist.[10] Another pair of novellas, The Root of Everything and Lightning, were selected as best books of 2021 on St. Louis Public Radio chosen by St. Louis Librarians.[11] They focus on three generations of family as they arrive in and move across America.[12] Writing in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dale Singer felt the first story (The Root of Everything), a "generational saga", moved too quickly, while the second story (Lightning) was more "self-contained" and better suited to the novella format.[2] His 2023 novella A Season in Delhi follows a couple experiencing issues in their relationship while working abroad in Delhi, India, inspired by his own experiences visiting the country with his husband as an out gay couple.[1] Kirkus Reviews thought the work was engaging despite flaws such as a "contrived" plot.[13]
Hess was also a cowriter of the film Tom in America, an official selection of the Montreal World Film Festival 2014 and the Palm Springs International Film Festival 2014.[14]
References edit
- ^ a b Andoe, Chris (December 12, 2023). "Scott Alexander Hess' New Novel Was Inspired by His Time in India". Riverfront Times. St. Louis, Missouri. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ a b Singer, Dale (10 July 2021). "Two novellas explore heartache, troubles of families' generations". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ Dunning, Jennifer (Jan 12, 1998). "DANCE REVIEW; Juggling Themes of Identity and Dance". The New York Times.
- ^ Ehren, Christine (March 29, 2000). "Yee Haw! Transgendered Country Singer B.J. Moves Into NYC's Grove Street March 29". Playbill. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "Tagebuch eines Sexsüchtigen". BrunoBooks. June 15, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "Butchers Sons". Kirkus Reviews. Aug 6, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ Copenhaver, John (November 29, 2016). "Blacklight: 'The Butcher's Sons' Investigates the Violent Bonds of Brotherhood". Lambda Literary. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "29th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced". Lambda Literary. March 14, 2017.
- ^ "River Runs Red". Publishers Weekly. August 28, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "River Runs Red". Kirkus Reviews. September 3, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ Woodbury, Emily (December 8, 2021). "Best books of 2021, chosen by St. Louis librarians". STLPR-NPR. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ Mazzacane, Dan (May 18, 2023). "Book Review: The Root of Everything and Lightning by Scott Alexander Hess". The Masters Review. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "A Season in Delhi". Kirkus Reviews. June 14, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ "Tom in America". Tom in America. May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.