I first read Brent Hartinger's novel Geography Club after seeing it displayed in Bellingham, Washington's wonderful independent, Village Books. I requested a copy of the sequel, Secret Order of the Poison Oak for review as it was forthcoming and asked the publisher to include the first book as well, which they did. (Thank you very much!) I don't know what I expected, honestly I requested the books because I try to be as balanced as I can in my reviewing of young adult books - consider titles that would appeal not only to me but to all sorts of readers. It looked like Hartinger was writing about gay teens and I was interested in what he had to say. I also thought that I should review the books so any gay teens who read my reviews at Eclectica or Bookslut would find out about Brent's books.

Well.

When I was in high school, twenty long years ago (My God), there were gay kids in my class. There were guys we were all pretty sure were gay, there were girls we were all pretty sure were gay and while I was only close friends with one kid in particular I went through years of school with several of them and they were just there - they were like anyone else in my memory. I have no idea how they would recall their high school or junior high years - I know that I participated in nothing that would ever be considered harrassment and I knew of none and for my friend Bobby I hope that I was decent friend. I think I was. But I was also wrapped up in the many ways in which I did not think that I fit in or the many ways in which I wanted to fit in or in the many ways in which I thought other girls seemed to be fitting in better - you get the picture. I was a teenager and I was consumed with myself and that's just the way it was. It was hard enough for me, a tall, thin, tan, middle class all around typical girl to find my place in the schools I attended, in retrospect (and after reading Brent's books), I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for all those gay kids I knew.

I wish I had thought more about that back then, but I didn't. I didn't do a lot of things I wish I had done.

Reading Brent's books has given a whole new perspective on what it is like to be a gay teenager. (I would also recommend James Howe's wonderful Totally Joe). For the record, I don't think it is a choice, I think it is how you are born and I don't think it is a bad thing, I think it just is how you are - it is like being straight. It is just a tiny part of who someone is that for whatever reason has become a major issue in this country. My parents were divorced when I was 8 1/2; if a gay couple want to give marriage a shot, I say let them. Maybe they can hold out longer. Enough said on that.

Brent lives in Tacoma and as of this week, Geography Club is now banned in his home school district. You can read about it here, and Brent's response here. I'm sure there will be a lot more people who will be a lot more eloquent about this subject then me - for the record I wrote about Brent and book banning in general in August and my interview with Chris Crutcher and his experiences with banning is up in the current issue of Bookslut. There are a lot of places to read about this topic, a lot of things to consider. But all I can think about is that kid like my friend Bobby, like all of my friends. He's fifteen and he's in high school and he's struggling so hard to be like everyone else and he wishes to God he could be because that is what he thinks he needs to be hoping for. And he has no clue - no clue at all - that there is a world out there that will love him no matter what. He doesn't know anything in fact, except his own struggle. And I hope that because of this latest ban, because of the news surrounding it, he has walked into his nearest bookstore and picked up Geography Club. It will change his life, I know it.

After all - it changed mine.

Don't write a letter to the editor, don't rage at all your friends. Don't bitch about these conservative times. Just go buy the book - go buy a brand new copy. That will teach them, believe me. The more those sales figure go up, the more powerful we all become.

And make no mistake, that is what book banning is all about - power. And I am so very tired of seeing it wrapped up in platitudes that suggest it is something else. Read Hartinger and Howe and Crutcher over Thanksgiving, celebrate your freedom and independence, be thankful these guys (and others like them) are writing and show your appreciation by reading their words.

I'm going to listen to Springsteen today - wailing with the E Street Band. It seems like a good day for protest rock and roll.