Stories

It was a very restless time for the boys in New York City. Forced indoors by the pandemic, the school year was coming to a close in name only, as much felt left undone in the paradigm of remote learning. Then on Memorial Day, a black man in Minneapolis was lynched by a white police officer who strangled the man with his knee, touching off a firestorm of pent-up rage. Naturally the boys had to get involved in the protests. They had to, but then one of their own fell victim to police use of excessive force

Trevor, Kurt, David, Jeremy, their brothers and a friend take off for a week in the nation's capitol, and end up getting more of an education than they’d bargained for. (March - April, 2009)

This is the 19th story in the Naptown Tales series, which can also be found at Awesome Dude and Nifty. Please see the Introduction for important background on the series.

Asher and Seth are two young teens living in New York City who have recently become boyfriends. Thanks to their efforts, Kyle and Francis (Freck) have take their first steps together as a couple, but they face many obstacles because they are preteen prodigies and because of a troubled past. Both young boys come from backgrounds of affluence, yet neither has experienced the love of family. Many storms await all four boys in their explorations of love, including a record Christmas blizzard. Can love be their salvation?

For the residents of New York City, the Covid-19 pandemic took most by surprise. Schools closed and teens and preteens, used to seeing each other everyday, found themselves instead with parents and siblings. Online conferencing was a poor substitute for human touch and nothing could replace the kiss of a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Dave had enough to worry about with his mother being as a nurse, but when she was admitted to the ICU at Bellevue, his uncles from Seattle and his boyfriend became his lifeline. He couldn't help but wonder, though, what would become of him if she didn't make it.

Asher and Seth, two teens in New York City, just met on Halloween, but already they've discovered a shared passion for Star Trek and Classical Jazz. When they discover that neither has a place to go for Thanksgiving, they decide to create a traditional Thanksgiving feast together for themselves and some friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Lansley and his parents escape persecution on their home world and seek refuge on a binary planet. Just when he thinks he understands sexual dimorphism, he falls in love with a boy who likes other boys.

Seth Moore grew up on New York’s Lower East side, the son of a New York State assemblyman. He loved his dad and admired his dedication, but then his dad was arrested on federal charges of corruption. It couldn’t be! When the Feds moved against his boyfriend’s family and seized their restaurants, their only means of support, something had to be done. Would Seth’s dad cop a plea to insider trading and go prison for a crime he didn’t commit, all for the sake of his son and the boy he loved?

Asher White was everything Clarke hated. He was half-black and half-Asian, and out and proud. But when Asher actually managed to beat Clarke in wrestling, he just snapped and punched Asher out. Clarke knew this was it. He'd worked so hard to get into New York's elite Stuyvesant High School and now it would be for naught. Grasping at straws, he tells the vice-principle the one secret not even he knows he has. With the help of a new friend, he is forced to confront years of abuse he has suffered at home. After all, bullying starts in the home, and it must end in the home.

When his boss asks Harold to do a 6 month follow-up to his article on gay youth, he doesn't know what to expect. Along the way he finds triumph and tragedy . . . and some surprises, a rarity for this newspaper veteran. (July, 2008 - Anniversary Anthology) Please note that this entry is the 13th in a series of stories known collectively as Naptown Tales. The series can also be found at Awesome Dude and Nifty. Please see the Introduction for important background on the series.

Seth and Asher are two boys growing up on New York's Lower East Side. Nearly finished with their first year at Stuyvesant, one of New York's elite public specialty high schools, they’ve become inseparable as boyfriends. Asher dreams of opening a restaurant and looks forward to helping his father open a new Cajun place. As the son of a politician, Seth helps to find a prize location for the restaurant nearby that they can afford. When tragedy strikes and faced with the possibility of it closing before it even opens, the young teens take over and manage the restaurant by themselves.