Full Frontal
To Make a Long Story Short
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
“Modest, gem-like, and oddly a ecting, the sixteen quite short stories of Full
Frontal present intimate moments of one gay man’s not untypical life in the
late twentieth century. And, like a bracelet or necklace of quirky, individual
charms, they ultimately add up to the kind of surprising cumulative e ect one
usually only gets from knowing someone well for a long time.”
—Felice Picano
It is August of 1957, and Tim Halladay, a caddie at the Long Shore Country Club,
is looking forward to beginning eighth grade at Assumption School. Tim and his
best friend and fellow caddie, Jimmy, are oblivious to the fact that they are slowly
transforming into young men with secret desires.
As Tim embarks on a journey of emotional and sexual development, he approaches
the world around him with a “full frontal” attitude that allows him to somehow not
only survive but thrive, beginning with his rst gay experiences as a shy teenager in
suburban Connecticut and moving through his escapades at a Virginia army base,
the Hotel Manhattan, the Museum of Modern Art, the Polo Lounge at e
Beverly Hills Hotel, to his rst three-way with cute Greenwich Village neighbors,
or tending a ma a-owned gay bar, or becoming involved in unexpectedly hilarious
jury duty sequestration. As Tim moves from one encounter to the next, he gradually
transforms, moving toward a future as a rising star.
Full Frontal shares an intriguing glimpse into the life of a gay man, as told through
his eclectic relationships as he eventually discovers that true happiness is all about
give and take.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Baker's stories span the lifetime of Tim Halladay, from his coming-of-age to the relationships formed and dissolved as he matures. Collectively, the narrative follows Tim, a prideful and sexually active gay man, for decades: through his boyhood in the mid-1950s in New England through the mid-1970s and beyond. Tim's boyhood is spent as a caddie at a country club with his best friend Jimmy, palling around with friend Bobby, then pursuing an interest in dance and theater, and enlisting in the army. More raucous adventures throughout the 1970s in New York City solidify his intentions to find men not just for sexual pleasure but also for a more romantic connection. The book concludes with a short story set at a Gay Pride parade in 2014, as Tim befriends a young man, much like a former version of himself, struggling with issues of identity and self-worth. Early in the book, Tim ponders: "What was wrong with two friends having feelings?" This sentiment resonates throughout Baker's stories, and both gay and straight readers will relate to Tim's plight to find himself and someone to truly love. The fact that Tim never feels his desires and urges are anything but natural is the true beating heart of this patchwork that is poignant, tactfully sensual, and much too short. Readers will be left wanting more of Tim Halladay and his lifelong search for love.
