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Tales of the Lavender Twilight
Alfred P. Doblin
“This story collection is an absolute wonder. At turns, ingeniously comical and devastatingly heartbreaking”
—Michael Hartnett, author of The Blue Rat
$18.95
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Description
Poignant, Hilarious, and Beautifully Human
Step into the glow of lavender twilight with Alfred P. Doblin’s unforgettable collection, Tales of the Lavender Twilight. In this debut, Doblin opens doors to the rich, poignant, and often hilarious lives of late-middle-aged gay men—and one very sophisticated Cocker Spaniel—as they seek love, redefine family, and gracefully navigate the complexities of life’s next chapters.
From a bittersweet gathering at a West Village gay dive bar to the quirks of a Catskill town brimming with out-of-work actors, Doblin’s eleven tales journey coast to coast, capturing moments of humor, heartbreak, and unexpected resilience. Follow a hopeful dog in search of a new home, a sharp-tongued theater critic who stirs up old wounds, LGBTQ youths rediscovering a legacy, and an unforgettable Thanksgiving celebration where gratitude and community collide.
With warmth, wit, and compassion, Tales of the Lavender Twilight celebrates lives lived boldly, refusing to be defined by a world too focused on youth. These stories are a vibrant tribute to the endurance of spirit, love, and identity.
Praise for Tales of the Lavender Twilight
About the Author
Alfred P. Doblin has spent most of his professional career working as a journalist, most notably as the Editorial Page Editor of The (Bergen) Record in New Jersey. Writing a twice-weekly column and editorials, he has been recognized by numerous state and national journalism associations, including the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) award for excellence in editorial writing, the Society of the Silurians, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and was nominated four times for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Newspaper Columnist. He was a finalist in both the 2024 and 2025 Saints and Sinners Fiction Contest, part of the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival. His debut book, Tales of the Lavender Twilight, a collection of 11 short stories, was published in 2025. He is also the grandson of the German novelist Alfred Döblin. Currently working in communications, Doblin lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Praise
Praise for Tales of the Lavender Twilight
“Doblin is funny and a joy to read, and yet he does not shy away from the great themes of literature -love, sickness, aging, and death—making this collection shine with the breadth of his effort. These interlinking stories tell the story of gay men who have likely lived through more drama than any generation of gay men before or after – from the closet and the plague to gay marriage and now how to navigate the twilight years in a world that never existed before.”
“This story collection is an absolute wonder. At turns, ingeniously comical and devastatingly heartbreaking, Tales of the Lavender Twilight pulsates with Chekhovian charm and Joycean epiphanies. Bounding between two coasts and integrating motifs and characters that recur in disarming ways, the collection presents Doblin’s rich vision of lives on complex journeys toward redemption.”
Alfred P. Doblin’s insightful, perceptive viewpoint is culled from a life well observed. His journalistic acumen translates skillfully to fiction, similar to Balzac’s La Comèdie humaine in capturing our ever-shifting modern social mores. The eleven Tales of the Lavender Twilight enchant and resonate with authenticity, compassion, and wit.”