The Auld Bollocks, or, James Kelman's Masculine Utopics

This article examines the treatment of male sexuality in James Kelman’s fiction, paying particular attention to his frequent representations of and reflections on masturbation and sexual loneliness. As part of an extended appreciation and critique of the recent criticism of Carole Jones, this article argues that, whilst Kelman’s representations of male sexuality involve an assault on traditional masculine gender norms, they also contain utopian elements, ones neglected in Kelman scholarship to date.