Author Description

Product Description Like many gay sixteen year olds, Erick Taylor dreams of being a star. The only problem is that he's unpopular, stuck in Catholic school, and has parents who, in their own desperate search for sainthood, fail to see that their son is on a path toward self-destruction. Unable to face his tormentors at school, unsure of whether he wants to live or not, Erick meets Chloe, "...a twenty-six-year-old self-proclaimed 'grandiloquist' drag queen..." With a glam rock make-over and a pair of platform shoes, Erick finally finds the courage to out himself, erasing his former identity and leaping blindly into Minneapolis' gay nightlife. What begins as an innocent journey into self-discovery soon turns tragic when Erick's life is halted by the unthinkable, and he finds himself alone, lost in the insanity of a world exploding. With exhilarating style and dark wit, Joe Babcock paints a provocative, devastating portrait of what it's like to grow up queer in America. From the Publisher LAMBDA BOOK AWARD WINNER 2002 WRITER'S DIGEST SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK AWARDS GRAND-PRIZE WINNER About the Author Joe Babcock was born in Minneapolis, MN. In fifth grade he began writing fiction that was both popular among his peers and acclaimed by his teachers. He came out when he was fifteen years old and now writes GLBT literature. He currently lives in Minneapolis. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter 1 I was sitting in class, my junior year of high school, when I finally came out of the closet. Sister Mary Jean was up at the board lecturing about something related to geometry. I suppose it was geometry itself; but I wouldn't know. I was busy doodling a woman's face with pointy features and makeup everywhere. Suddenly I heard, "Hey Erick," hissed rudely from behind. It was Justin Hankshaw, my archenemy since seventh grade. "Are you gay?" he ask