he ably weaves their stories with "prose that is deeply informed by critical theory on race, gender, and sexuality but that also always remains clear and readable." Stephanie Cole, in a 2010 Journal of American Ethnic History review, called Sweet Tea a "helpful contribution to the growing literature on gay and lesbian life outside of East and West Coast cities", and noted the book "offers a treasure trove of primary sources for those interested in the intersection of race, region, and gay experience in the twentieth century." She cautioned that because of who was interviewed and when the research could be skewed. Johnson's subjects were gathered starting in university circles and tended to be well-educated. The times of the research, 2004 and 2005, likely also had an impact "as the debate over gay marriage raged and antigay rhetoric escalated." Karen J. Taylor, in a 2010 review in The Journal of Southern History, states, "though racial violence and patriarchal dominance have repeatedly dragged the South to the brink, Sweet Tea reminds us that those characteristics have been catalysts for the individual agency that has transformed and preserved what was joyous and good about the South." Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales Johnson wants the subjects and audience to understand his research. He adapted many of the stories from Sweet Tea into a one-man performance based on the narratives, Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales. His initial research did not indicate that it was ideal for performance until he had conducted a year's worth of interviews. He stated, "the page could not capture the vocal cadence, verbal ticks, nonverbal cues, and intimacy" that his storytellers had shared. He has performed Pouring Tea at over eighty colleges and universities around the United States, and in front of hundreds of audiences. In it he starts by pouring a glass of sweet tea, in Black Southern slang pouring tea means to gossip, then reenacts their stories "from their body language to their precise accents". Sweet is also a euphemism for gay. Sweet Tea—The Play In 2009 Johnson adapted the stories into a full play, rather than a staged reading, called Sweet Tea—The Play, co-produced by About Face Theater and the Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College, Chicago. Hesitant at first, he included