The Kid

Though the sex advice columnist reads his award-winning 1999 book too quickly, he sounds sincere and only slightly self-absorbed and dramatic. His rhythms sound repetitive, but his good vocal clarity and confident engagement make this a winning, believable performance. The focus is on how Savage and his partner navigated the predominant heterosexual culture and their own conflicts while trying to adopt a child. His complaints about the adoption process and the frustrations of domestic partnerships are expressed in ribald and entertaining language. He also could not stop himself from offering a full serving of X-rated snippets about gay culture and his own sexual experiences. But what lingers is his moving account of the joy and angst all couples feel when bringing someone else's baby into their lives. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine