IN I HIS INTRODUCTION to Queeries (Arsenal Pulp, 205 pages, $16.95 paper), Dennis Denisoff never once uses the word "fiction" todescribe the 27 texts included in this first Canadian anthology of prose by gaymate writers. Indeed, if there is a single, unifying element in thiscollection, other than the gender and Sexual preference of the contributors, itis the rejection of traditional prose forms such as story and essay. Stan Persky`scontribution, for instance, is a Barthesian rumination on sexual fantasy andadvertising. Written in the first person, the narrative is fragmented andwithout dramatic tension, and the focus is autobiographical. If Persky`s contributionsucceeds as a piece of literary prose, it is because it allows forthe possibility of pleasure in reading it. The same cannot be said for a largenumber of the contributions. Daniel Cunningham`s "The Gaunt Man" andJeff Kirby`s "Grazy" tend to explain their already explicit politics,while Gordon D. Bradley`s "Brennan`s Eyes" and Mark Kershaw`s"We Two Boys Together" are crushed beneath the weight of theirmetaphors. The best pieces in thiscollection such as David Watmough`s "Wedding Dress for a GreekGroom," Raymond JohnWoolfrey`s "Pages from My Window: Red Geraniums," and Wayne Yung`s"Brad: December 19, 1992" -- Lire more traditional worksof short fiction. All three explore a different aspect of gay life, and aresubtly crafted stories that engage and challenge the reader`s imagination andintellect.