Timing is everything! Last week I was in Boise for some feed and egg deliveries, so Steph and I could stay in town to see a local author do a reading at Rediscovered Books. The author is Natalie Perry, and her book is a memoir about growing up in Idaho, with all its conservative values, and having two dads, as well as how she has lived in and out of the closet throughout her life. The reading went very well, with some Q&A afterwords, and I was glad to support a local author, especially when she speaks on topics near and dear to my heart. (Also, Pho Nouveau, is handily right across the street.)
I will post again tomorrow to announce the pre-release for my latest novel in the Chickenshit series. (I think it has the best cover so far.) It is live now, if you search me in Amazon, but I will post links and reveal the cover tomorrow.
Stay cool, y’all!
Natalie Perry’s account of her childhood as a daughter with gay dads (and a mom) sheds a light into the often overlooked life of queerspawn. Children of gay parents are seldom brought up in regards to LGBTQ issues except to throw accusations at their parents. What about the children? These concerned citizens bemoan.
According to Dad #1, Dad #2, A Queerspawn View from the Closet, the children are just fine. Even though her family has struggles common to most families, one distinct issue always rises to the surface – the closet.
Natalie walks us through her experiences, from middle school to college, from her home town to foreign cities, and shows us why successful and well-adjusted people may still have to hide being LGBTQ or having family members who are in order to make it through the day without being fired (or not hired), disowned, or lectured by people who favor their own beliefs above treating others fairly. Finally, she shows some of the consequences faced when she misjudged who to trust and with what information, as well as how the closet permeates almost every aspect of life.
This memoir is entertaining. The story moves along at a steady pace without an overage of self-reflection, and there are poems included after each chapter that do not interfere with the story’s progress. Most importantly, the book offers insights for anyone wanting to understand the ways society forces individuals and families into hiding and why this needs to change.
