Manumission
Sacred Texts - The Real Thing
Originally published in 1968 by Putnam’s, the book was reviewed by The Atlantic who said “Correspondence school sadism is a promisingly funny notion. Unfortunately Mr. Carney has approached it in all sobriety and produced portentous flapdoodle”
The Real Thing was republished in 1995 by Masquerade Books, with the ISBN 9781563332807. Copies can sometimes be found on secondhand book sites such as Abe Books.
You can access a digital copy via the Internet Archive.
In addition to The Real thing, Carney also published two other works of gay erotica, “A year in the closet” and “The Rose Exterminator.” He died in 1987, aged 64.
A collection of Carney's papers is held at the Bancroft Library of UC Berkeley.
About the author
Kevin is a southern California-based leatherman, living and working full time in the community at the Gear San Diego leather shop. A writer, film enthusiast, and certified commercial drone pilot, he is passionate about media and how it interplays with culture. He recently served as Mr. San Diego Leather 2025, and is currently researching a project on leather contests and titles.
