The Luckiest Summer

[Jack Scribe]

Through a 'heads up' from Pecman at AD, I read this incredible story:

http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/luckiest-summer/

 

The writer tells a story in a manner of a Jean Shepherd or Bill Bryson.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Shepherd, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bryson

 

BTW, I've just started Bill Bryson's newest book, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir (2006).

 

"The Luckiest Summer" is a marvelous, tender story that explores the mind of a 13-year old going through challenges of his mom and dad splitting up. At first - for a few chapters - I was irritated at the main character. Then, I realized what the writer had done. He presented the thoughts, insecurites and attitudes of a young teen in transition. Wow! He succeeded.

 

Here is just one part of a paragraph as a sample of the author's way of communicating emotion of a 13-year-old guy who's come to some initial conclusions about his sexual orientation:

 

**POSSIBLE SPOILER**

 

"One second my mind was racing, and the question of whether or not I should kiss him was knocking around in my head at a dizzying rate, and the next second, our lips were pressed together and my hands were cupping the sides of his face; the transition was so flawless it was as if I'd been preparing for the moment all my life..."

 

This story really deserves your attention.

 

Jack