"Are you there God? It's me, Feast of Fools."

This made me recall all of those Judy Blume novels that kids have read for decades...introducing them to girls having their period and guys having wet dreams.

Does anyone remember the name of the book that was about the wet dream guy? All I remember is that it had some blurry photo of a boy doing a cartwheel on the cover.

Said by: John in Ely at April 11, 2007 03:38 AM

I am one of those older guys who reads these books. Right now, I read a chapter of Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez every night in bed to my partner, Glen.

Said by: Cliff Dix(from Atlanta) at April 11, 2007 09:22 AM

John I think that was "Then Again, Maybe I Wont."

From JudyBlume.com:

"Ever since his dad got rich from an invention and his family moved to a wealthy neighborhood on Long Island, Tony Miglione's life has been tumed upside down. For starters, there's his new friend Joel, who shoplifts. Then there's Joel's sixteen-year-old sister, Lisa, who gets undressed every night without pulling down her shades. And there's Grandma, who won't come down from her bedroom. On top of all his other worries, Tony has questions about growing up....

Why couldn't things have stayed the same?"

Thank god for women like Blume who wrote such insightful stories that really spoke to young people. I was really happy to learn about Brent's writing and I hope that it continues to catch on with teenagers across the country.

Said by: Fausto at April 11, 2007 09:44 AM

Great show today! THANK U for introducing us to Brent Hartinger! Fausto mentioned that the Superman character in Smallville is gay! WHAT?? is this true? is Tom Welling gay or Superman/one of the characters in Smallville gay? please clarify!
luv ur show
g-

Said by: ger at April 11, 2007 02:25 PM

The charcter of "Clark Kent" in the Smallville TV show makes a lot of analogies to the gay experience: being closeted, having a secret that your friends don't know about, discovering your "powers", discovering your sexuality, platnoic non-sexual attraction to all women, trying to prove your self worth because youfeel at odds with your community, etc...

Said by: Fausto at April 11, 2007 03:04 PM

two things:

1. I got into a big forum argument over pejorative uses of the word "gay". It basically boils down to this: If you hear it in real life, you say "wow, that was offensive", and the person who said it blushes and apologizes (I have done this and have seen it happen). On the internet, you have some level of detachment and anonymity, so it's fun to throw around shock language like that... and if someone tries to go "wow, that was offensive" they are just gonna pick on you since they know you don't know who they really are. You can still do it for posterity... but don't expect anyone to care... in fact expect people to see it as some opportunity to cause drama and get attention.

2. "People are using 'gay' to mean bad or icky or _lame_". Lame means crippled or handicapped. So to use it as a pejorative when you are arguing against using gay as an associative pejorative is pretty much instant hypocrisy. People will jump down your throat about it.

Said by: epilonious at April 11, 2007 04:21 PM

I didn't think I was going to enjoy a book show but it turned out damn fine. Your guest was quick, animated and interesting. Good show

Said by: mike hipp at April 11, 2007 04:26 PM

I particularly liked this show. As a gay teen of the new millenium myself (spending my highschool years from 2000-2004) a lot of what you guys were saying was right on. I started coming out to be people when I was 12 and in 7th grade and by 8th grade everyone knew. It was an interesting time to grow up with gay lifestyle becoming rapidly accepting while the gay internet community continued to boom. So many stories to tell, so if you guys are ever hurting for subject material I could certainly give you an hour's worth on what it was like straight from the horse's mouth.

Said by: Dial M for Mac at April 11, 2007 04:30 PM

I read "Order of the Poison Oak" on a recommendation from a book club mailer. It was an interesting read. Not overly cerebral with good pacing to keep the attentions of the younger readers. I've also read Hartinger's partner, Micheal Jensen's book "Frontier". I enjoyed it as well. I would recommend both to anyone. I would also recommend "The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon" by Tom Spanbauer. It falls more along the genre of "Frontier".

Said by: Jim at April 11, 2007 04:43 PM

Fausto, Marc...GREAT show today, at writing I have paused today's show to write my comment. I absolutely LOVED the point that you guys dicsussed with Brent about the meaning of the word GAY.

Many of us still fail to realise that a label only has as much power as we ascribe to it. Especially the more "masculine" of our homosexual brothers. Why does gay neccessitate equation with the feminine?

We need to address this within the community, for only when we understand ourselves can we truly expect the rest of society to understand and as a consequence begin to respect us.

More shows like this please...

Before I go shout out to Ronnie...!! I know you busy with work and school, I feel you honey, I have exams as well but I miss you!

The Feast of Fools ROCKS

Said by: Marlon Collins at April 11, 2007 05:09 PM

Ok guys, I had to post again. Sorry for being a comment whore, but I am listening to the show and studying at the same time...lol

Brent made a most pressing point, in that there are so many ways to be gay. Wider society is only exposed (via the media) to a small and skewed experience of what being Gay is about. Not much thought is given to the reality that Humanity in itself is diverse, and by extension Human Sexuality is as equally diverse, so that there is a veritable "rainbow" no pun intended that consitutes all that "gay" is made of. Homosexuality should NOT be defined by the polarized viewpoint or experience of one or just a few of the colors of said rainbow.

Guys, we NEED more shows like this!

Said by: Marlon Collins (Trinidad, West Indies) at April 11, 2007 05:25 PM

Hi, guys. I enjoyed today's show. It was real interesting to hear Brent Hartinger talk about his novels. I agree with his assessment of "gay" and LGBTQ culture--i had never thought of it, but I like his idea of internalized homophobia as one of the things going on when (young) people trash the categories and state a desire to "not be labeled" and thus avoid stigma. (Personally, I love the "alphabet soup" and prefer it to the new trend of saying "sexualities" as a code for LGBTQ.) I think the reaction against "gay" also just has to do with not being very informed--not knowing about the history of what has happened in the past.

As to homophobia in Jamaica--guys, if you don't mind, could you please try to present a more balanced perspective? Queer Jamaican and Caribbean activists and writers like Colin Robinson, Thomas Glave and Rosamund King have been trying to get people to become more aware of the impact of making blanket statements like "Jamaica is the most homophobic place on earth" (that is what Time magazine labelled it). There are people working very hard to change conditions in Jamaica and in other places in the Caribbean. Your statements really dismiss their work.

I highly recommend the following readings:

Glave, Thomas. "Toward a Nobility of the Imagination: Jamaica’s Shame (An Open Letter to the People of Jamaica)." In Words to Our Now: Imagination and Dissent, 18-22. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005.

Robinson, Colin. "Holding On to Another Jamaica." Clamor 37 (Summer 2006): 81-83.

Every time you trash Jamaica (and other places like Iran) without offering a more nuanced perspective, you are furthering developed-world people's mentalities that "we are so much better" without addressing what is really going on--that Jamaica and Iran are used as scapegoats so that homophobes can continue doing the same stuff here; so that an invasion of Iran can be justified as part of global gay liberation (remember, that is exactly what happened in Afghanistan--Laura Bush hailed the invasion as a feminist victory for the Afghani women); so that American tourists who go to all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica (which are owned by transnational corporations that take all of their profits out of Jamaica) can continue to go to Jamaica but stay in the "safety" of their compounds and have no contact at all with the "real" world and with Jamaican citizens (which you have demonized on your show).

Sorry for the little speech! But it's been on my mind for several days now. xoxo, LARRY

Said by: Larry La Fountain at April 11, 2007 10:13 PM

Sorry Larry, I know we don't always get it right but what of the gay activists in Jamiaca that are routinely killed? The mobs that chase gays through a university campus? The lesbians couple murdered in their home? The rappers that want to kill the "batty man?"

Are saying gays have it good there and that a gay tourist shouldn't be afraid?

Said by: Marc at April 12, 2007 12:21 AM

that was a nice listen. i enjoy reading gay fiction..but most of it is fantasy or fanfiction..

tho i have read 2 of Alex Sanchez's books and i liked them.

but i'll check out Brents books... they look good...and are cheap hurhurhur...

and about the whole using "gay" to describe things that are stupid etc... being relatively fresh out of high school i can say using that word has become extremely mainstream. i would hear kids say it every day many times... you eventually just get used to it cos getting at them for saying it doesn't do any good...cos they are just gonna keep saying it. but not all teens who say it are homophobic... its just a term people use..and people have gotten so used to saying it they don't see the difference between saying "that's gay" or that's stupid" i've also heard people say, "that's homo" or they call stupid people fags/faggots but aren't really calling them a fag..does that make sense? or sometimes people say "what is this faggotry?!" which makes no sense but i never see people make a fuss about it.

the bottom line is.. i don't think using those terms produces homophobia.. its juts a stupid way of using...words...

and its interesting that you said some schools ban gay fiction in libraries but in my highschool library in Texas i found the first gay novel by Sanchez... i do live in Austin which is probably the most liberal city so maybe thats why but yeah. not all read states are that bad with that thing. :B

Said by: Chickengirl at April 12, 2007 01:38 AM

Hey guys, I liked the show today, thanks for another great one!

I was in grade school and high school in the 80's and kids used the words fag and queer alot as pejoratives, gay was used, but to a lesser extent.

Like in every other portion of society, the new generation always rejects what came before. Larry Kramer's generation seemed to prefer the word 'queer'. When I came out in the 90's, the word 'queer' offended my masculine sensibilities and to this day I prefer to call myself 'gay'. But many of the central issues my generation face are different than those of the generation before, and the generation after. It's only normal that the new generation coming out would prefer a different word, and more power to them. Maybe it correlates to the word 'gay' being a more popular pejorative amoung their peers. Young people play an important role in our culture in challenging the status quo and getting us to reexamine our positions. I'm happy to see our culture grow and change as it seems to integrate with our larger society.

Said by: rick in San Diego at April 12, 2007 02:13 AM

OMG! I will search for those books, specially Geography Club, so then, when the movie comes out, I will be the only cool gay guy that knows the amazing work of Brent Hartinger!

Love the pieces I've read at his site, he posted the first chapters of all the books.

Amazing show! I hope he get's this movie deal!!!

Said by: Juan Jaime at April 12, 2007 02:43 AM

I really liked the show with Brian Hartinger. What was interesting
about the show is his view of life, his writing, while addressing a
specific section of society , it wasn't exclusive. Exclusive to just
the Gay socitey but was more global. Ie a straight (laced :)) woman
like me :) was interested. He is a writer above all else and an
observer of life in general.

A lot like the interview with the politician ( forget his name) way
back in Feb. Interesting, really liked it. I love your show...hooked !

Kept my mind on the show rather than the time on my cross
trainer...hehe. Time flew by, not that sure about the calories though.

I am slowly but surely trying to spread the word about FofF here in my
city :) 3 gay guys dont know about it....hmmm and I told them. :

Said by: Tina at April 12, 2007 11:03 AM

Very niceeeee... this guy is brilliant! And you guys gave us a great show... keep it like that!

Bye,
FELIX
Barcelona

Said by: Felix at April 12, 2007 03:52 PM

This interview was great.

Said by: Cat Lee at April 12, 2007 04:02 PM

Hi, Marc, no, I am not saying gay people have it good in Jamaica. What I am saying is that you could come up with a similar list of horrors committed in the US (the brutal murders of Matthew Shepard, Amanda Milan, Brandon Teena, Gwen Araujo, James Byrd, to mention a few). People don't go around saying "The US is the most homophobic and dangerous place in the world... don't go there, you'll be killed." (They probably should! Ask gay Canadians who come to Detroit like Salvagio Vonatti and get shot in the head while in the parking lot of a gay bar. And don't tell me to stop going to gay bars in Detroit, because I'm not planning to stop going--the same way numerous gay bashings in Chicago don't make you stay at home.)

There are lots of gay people who live in and travel to Jamaica and are not killed--not that the mainstream press is covering their lives or telling us about it. And for that matter, neither is the Feast of Fools. The difference is that you guys are a lot smarter than the mainstream press, and have a chance to listen to well informed people like me telling you about it--or more accurately, telling you to listen to Jamaican and black Caribbean activists and artists who are trying to do something about it.

Said by: Larry La Fountain at April 12, 2007 06:13 PM

For most of my life I've wanted stuff like this, gay music, gay books, gay movies etc. but I've always had to buy straight versions and just put myself in the place of the woman which is so not me. I love it that your bringing content like this to my attention and found the discussion very intelligent as well. As always keep up the good work. Love and Hugs
Phoenix

Said by: Phoenix at April 12, 2007 09:00 PM

This was a great show. Authors can be so influential and I think it is great that there are authors like Brent now who are out there writing about gay teens. I hadn't heard of him before, but I'm definitely going to go out and pick up his books after this podcast. Keep up the good work!

Said by: Andrew J at April 13, 2007 07:06 AM

WOW! I just listened to the show in Jamaica and it turned out great! It's great to see that so many people liked the show. I have always been a big fan of Brent's books and hopefully now you all will be too!

(I did a good job)

Nick (15)

Said by: Nick at April 13, 2007 11:18 AM