Autorentext

The best word to describe Paul Douglas Lovell is "unconventional" so it makes sense that his bio would be far from typical.   Coming from a motherless family of five, this runt of the litter had to scratch and scramble for attention. In Playing Out: Swings and Roundabouts, the reader finds a young Lovell in the 70s living on the margins of society. Homelife is unsteady with the threat of eviction and the struggle to pay for amenities. A cold and hungry existence. Petty criminality and abuse further distort his outlook on life. He becomes a problem child. His time at school was spent on everything, but learning. Empty Corridors:  Learning to Fail finds Lovell attending school in the 80s, where he is still labeled a problem. His academic knowledge is that of an 11yo, he leaves school without a single qualification, struggling to read and lacking ambition.  In Paulyanna: International Rent Boy, the reader finds Lovell living in London during the 90s and working the streets, a profession he fell into. Regardless of ethics, he feels valued for the first time in his life. Being paid for being himself is veiwed as an achievement. A friend encouraged him to take a writing course and one in media studies. Whilst some students could converse confidently, Paul felt unsure and even intimidated but when he shared his childhood stories and American street tales, he captured the attention of his peers. This ability to spin a yarn helped him obtain a job in a production and distribution company. Music television was the perfect employer of a wayward soul, partial to the odd cannabis joint. Writing synopses of the concerts to go with the photographs and publicity materials for TV listings Paul could practice his art.  After moving to Switzerland in 2000, a new Paul emerged. This version was supported by a partner who bolstered his confidence and encouraged his ambition. A job was difficult to find, funnily enough, he began working two days per week in an international school.  He smiles at the memory, the irony of scrawling "Mr. Lovell" across the blackboard. Wishing his teachers could see him. Paul now spends time writing memoirs, haiku and creating images. 

Klappentext

Paulyanna: International Rent-boy is an honest and frank portrayal of a working-class male prostitute's life. Many factors contribute in delivering the main character onto the streets. Some very typical, such as early abandonment, poverty, lack of education and sexual abuse. But Paul does not dwell too much on the past and refuses to allow these events to mar his ambition. At eighteen a lost train ticket leaves him stranded in the city after a job interview. He uses his questionable wits to make a quick decision that steers him down a rather dodgy path. Without added glamour or grit, Paul shares the raw accounts of his life as a rent-boy in the 90s, from London to Los Angeles. It may not have been pretty, and there was risk and danger as well as fun and thrills, but Paul had the audacity to succeed in his quest to obtain happiness, security and wealth. This is not an erotic tale. It is an ordinary account of day-to-day life as viewed from a unique perspective. A peek into what really goes on behind the glassy-eyed smile of a male street worker. Read about his life in this optimistic and fascinating roadbook adventure.