In March, Macaulay House Museum launched its first writer-in-residence program with Wellington poet Jane Macdonald. That has led to a summer residency.

On Wednesday afternoons in June and July, visitors to Macaulay House will find Picton writer Larry Tayler ensconced in the elegant dining room.

Mr. Tayler grew up on a farm outside Wellington before attending school in Picton. He is a lifelong teacher of English and Dramatic arts, and spent 24 years at Havergal College in Toronto before retiring back to the County. 

He says his residency at Macaulay represents a couple of firsts. He is turning his hand to his first novel, which he describes as a gay romance set in the County. And that, he laughs, will be “the first gay romance set in the County!

“Romance has a bad reputation as a genre,” explains Mr. Tayler. “Cue the eye rolling in the claque over there: that’s not ‘real’ literature, they will say. I’ve actively made fun of it myself.”

But, at a particularly difficult time in his life, while caring for his dying first husband, Mr. Tayler felt the need of some solace. “There was a little coffee shop that I used to escape to, just every two or three days. iPads were still very new and exciting then and I discovered the Kindle app. And that’s when I discovered gay romance novels.

“You just fall into them. That’s the only metaphor to describe it. You give over to them, especially knowing that, whatever happens, it will all work out in the end.”

The comforts of the genre transcend its predictable elements. “I’m trying to honour the stereotypes and the cliches and all the tropes.

“Most of the authors of these novels are women, and most of the readers are women—straight women. Gradually, there are more gay men writing gay men’s romance novels. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re any good, but at least they might get the plumbing right.”

The novel is tentatively entitled “Homer & Mabel: a gay romance novel about a minister, an engineer, and their basset hounds,” and it may be the first in a series entitled “Queer Men of the County.” Readers will recognize County landmarks, slightly changed in name. And they will recognize universal themes of love and divinity, heroism and … pet ownership.

Plot twists are underway. Mr. Tayler is taking the “writer-in-residence” title at face value, and intends to be working on the novel during his tenure at Macaulay.

What can visitors expect? As Museums Curator Jessica Chase puts it, “Larry is warm, witty and generally wonderful. He has been a volunteer with the Museums since 2023, photographing items for our collection database. We so appreciate his attention to detail and his genuine excitement about interacting with items in the collection.”

So, he is prepared to welcome visitors and offer information about Macaulay House, and to talk about his own project with anyone interested. But he is also keen to talk with other writers. “Come join me at the table!” he says enthusiastically. “Come and talk about structural questions, or ‘how do I get unblocked’ issues,” questions he has often heard over his 35-year teaching career. “Or, if you want, just find a little nook in the house, because Lord knows there’s lots of wonderful nooks you might encounter.”

As Ms. Chase puts it, “Macaulay House provides a charming, peaceful backdrop for writing, and we welcome those who may be able to find inspiration within its walls. We are so thrilled to welcome Larry Tayler as writer-in-residence, because frankly, the more time we’re able to spend with him, the better!”