January 22, 2008

The day before my European trip a package arrived from the boys over at World of Wonder. I’ve always adored WOW and when I heard James St. James had published Freakshow I wrote Fenton Bailey to get James to sign a copy. The next thing I know they sent me one in the mail. Sweet.

I read the book pretty much in one day. It’s a simple, fast read. But don’t let that statement take away from the book’s power. James’ storytelling is vivid, conversational, and, most importantly, funny. The character of Billy Bloom is a new hero of fiction, all green wigs and pirate shirts. The book made me feel young again and brought back many feelings I experienced as a young adult. And that right there is what makes the book so important.

Ten years ago (ok, ok, more like 15 years ago), when I was Billy Bloom’s age, books like this did not exist. Had they, I bet there would have been less pain in my life, and the entire world. Thank God for James St. James. He’s given a generation of freaks, fags, and misfits a tale to call their own. The tale of the outsider seeking acceptance is an old one. But the tale of a drag queen seeking it is something new entirely. And the fact that it is age appropriate, unlike much gay fiction, makes it even better. Get one for every teen on your shopping list, whether they’re freaks or just fond of those types of people.