Gl Franklyn

Searching for St. Germaine (eBook, ePUB)

The True Story of a Gay Catholic Orphan

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

The word "Swerve" is defined as: "A sharp departure from a straight path". On a number of levels, that describes this memoir of an effeminate and quirky orphaned boy as he makes his way in a rather harsh world. From his earliest memories to his high school graduation from Fr Flanagan's Boys Town, "Swerve" tells the story of a boy, raised by the Catholic Church and the foster care system in 1950s and 60s Michigan. He is adopted, at 2 years old, into a colorful family embroiled in a well meaning but ultimately failed attempt to save a crumbling marriage and is placed in the care of Catholic Social Services at 6. From there he is disconnected from everyone he knows as family and an endless parade of changing faces, and sometimes harrowing, environments ensues, where we get to know an array of interesting characters who help shape the lad as he struggles his way through school without the love and support of a family. He is repeatedly plucked from one placement and plopped into another mainly because of his effeminate behavior. Along the way he is treated with love and kindness, at times, and subjected to crushing horrors at others. All the while, he grapples with his sexual orientation against the backdrop of the teachings of the Catholic Church. Through his eyes we see devotion, confusion, forgiveness, terror and gratitude as he struggled in vain to find a way back to a home and family that no longer existed. He travels through a dizzying array of Foster Homes, Children's homes, and Catholic Military Academies, culminating with his admission to Boys Town at 14. There, with unsteady steps, he begins to see that he has value as a human being and learns about the real meaning of family. "Swerve: The Story of an Orphan Boy" is a cringe-worthy indictment of the turbulent instability of what life is really like for LGBTQ+ youth raised by institutions like the foster care system or The Catholic Church. It is an inspiring story of the resilience of the human spirit against what might sometimes seem like insurmountable odds and demonstrates the LGBTQ+ Slogan "It Gets Better!" REVIEWS: "A beautiful memoir in a conversational style, with humor and humanity throughout. It was like having coffee with the author, hearing an incredible story of pain and abuse, but couched in humor, wisdom, and references to movies, songs and the media." Mary-Ann "This is a terrific memoir of a difficult life. Franklyn's distinctive voice is humorous and believable because of his openness to the vulnerability of memory. He is a master of the quick brushstroke characterization, describing his family, friends, teachers, and others, often with references to well-known cultural figures from the movies." - Jeff WARNING: One chapter of the story contains a graphic depiction of Homosexual Sexual Assault and a few others briefly mentions sex acts between boys and adult/child sexual molestation.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: G L Franklyn
• Seitenzahl: 210
• Erscheinungstermin: 8. Juni 2023
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9798987629703
• Artikelnr.: 69685027

Autorenporträt

A native of Detroit, MI, G L Franklyn has lived in Portland, OR since 1987. He is a longtime LGBTQ+ activist and advocate. Along the way, he has enjoyed a number of careers, including 3-time juried award winning Community Television Producer/Director, A small time Singer/Songwriter in the 80s and, most recently, a Social Worker helping homeless men find and maintain stable housing, and, most recently, an author. He's gay and a hold-over from the Hippy Movement of the 70's. Since 2007 he has been writing in an apparently secret internet blog, spouting off about national and international politics. Today he enjoys a quiet life in a trailer park with his cat, Miss Thing, where he is still trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life.