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Gotham Books
November 2012
On Sale: November 8, 2012
288 pages
ISBN: 1592407285
EAN: 9781592407286
Kindle: B007T8YXBS
Hardcover / e-Book
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Fiction Family Life
A heartfelt memoir by the father of a gay teen, and an eye-opening story for families who hope to bring up well-adjusted gay adults. Three years ago, John Schwartz, a national correspondent at The New York Times, got the call that every parent hopes never to receive: his thirteen-year-old son, Joe, was in the hospital following a failed suicide attempt. After mustering the courage to come out to his classmates, Joeβs disclosure β delivered in a tirade about homophobic attitudesβwas greeted with dismay and confusion by his fellow students. Hours later, he took an overdose of pills. Additionally, John and his wife, Jeanne, found that their sonβs school was unable to address Joeβs special needs. Angry and frustrated, they initiated their own search for services and groups that could help Joe understand that he wasnβt alone. Oddly Normal is Schwartzβs very personal attempt to address his familyβs own struggles within a culture that is changing fast, but not fast enough to help gay kids like Joe. Schwartz follows Joseph through childhood to the present day, interweaving his narrative with common questions, including: Are effeminate boys and tomboy girls necessarily gay? Is there a relationship between being gay and suicide or mental illness? Should a child be pushed into coming out? Parents, teachers, and counselors alike will welcome Oddly Normal and its crucial lessons about helping gay kids βand any kid who is different -- learn how to cope in a potentially hostile world.
 Media BuzzDiane Rehm Show - NPR - January 29, 2013
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