Author Wayne Hoffman reads from his steamy and comic debut novel, HARD, newly republished this month by Bear Bones Books. HARD follows a group of young AIDS activists trying to get laid and fight City Hall during NYC during the 1990s crackdown on gay businesses. Publishers Weekly called it “an intriguing exploration of politics and psyche,” while another reviewer quipped: “Think Woody Allen meets ACT UP.” Wayne will also give us a quick peek at AN OLDER MAN, the sequel to HARD, which is due out in June.

Wayne Hoffman is the author of three books—HARD, SWEET LIKE SUGAR (winner of the Stonewall Book Award), and the forthcoming AN OLDER MAN. His essays and short stories have appeared in such collections as BEST GAY STORIES 2010, FRESH MEN 2, and MAMA’S BOY. As a cultural reporter, he has written for the Washington Post, Village Voice, The Nation, Billboard, and Instinct magazine; he is currently executive editor of Tablet magazine. He lives in the West Village and the Catskills.