The Gay Place

"The best novel about American politics in our time." —Willie Morris

Set deep in the heart of Texas, The Gay Place consists of three interlocking novels—The Flea Circus, Room Enough to Caper, and Country Pleasures—each with a different protagonist. Unifying the stories is Texas governor Arthur Fenstemaker, a canny master politician modeled on Lyndon Johnson, for whom the author served as a press aide. The governor uses any means necessary to do what needs to be done, while the other characters struggle with their conflicts of marriage and family, love and lust.


Originally published in 1961, The Gay Place withstands the test of time—the themes of power, money, and family are eternally resonant. At once a political novel and a character study, Billy Lee Brammer's classic stands among the best novels about the Lone Star state.