Full Frontal
To Make a Long Story Short
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
Modest, gem-like, and oddly affecting, the sixteen quite short stories of Full Frontal present intimate moments of one gay mans 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 effect 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 first 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 the Beverly Hills Hotel, and lavish suites at various upscale hotels and resorts. 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.
