Blackbird

by Larry Duplechan

Paperback, 1987

Status

Available

Call number

PS3554 .U55 B56 1986

Publication

St Martins Pr (1987), 182 pages

Description

First published by St. Martin's Press in 1986, Blackbird is a funny, moving, coming-of-age novel about growing up black and gay in southern California. The lead character, Johnnie Ray Rousseau, is a high school student upset over losing the lead role in the school staging of Romeo and Juliet. As if that weren't enough, his best friend has been beaten badly by his father, and his girlfriend is pressuring him to have sex for the first time. All the while, he's intrigued by Marshall MacNeill, whom he meets at an audition and is surely the sexiest man to walk God's green eartha "at least according to Johnnie Ray. This novel of adolescent awakening is as fresh and heartfelt as it was when first published. With an introduction by Michael Nava, who is best-known for his gay mystery novels featuring Henry Rios, five of which have won Lambda Literary Awards, including Goldenboy and Howtown. He lives in San Francisco.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member ocgreg34

Johnnie Ray Rousseau auditions for the role of Romeo in his high school's play, knowing full well that they would never going to allow a black boy to play the part. Still, the news hits him hard and begins a month of changes that will affect his family, his friends and who he is. It's the month

that his high school girlfriend decides it's time to go "all the way." It's the month when his best friend Efram Zimbalist Johnson is beaten to a bloody pulp by his father when he finds him messing around with another boy. It's the month Johnnie meets Marshall McNeill, by far the sexiest man on the planet, who opens him up to who he really is. And, it's the month of his excorcism.

Blackbird is an intelligent, funny "coming out" and coming of age story, depicting all the ups and downs of being a teenager: the anxiety of sexual discovery, the pressure of parents to fit in, and how high school can seem so unfair.

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LibraryThing member Sheila1957

Johnnie Ray Rousseau is a gay black teenager in the 70's. He is finishing high school looking to head off to college to spread his wings. He is closeted. His best friend is Efrem. Cherie is trying to get him to be her boyfriend, so he has to tell her why he says no. He lusts after Todd who loves

Leslie and Skipper who loves Kathleen. He knows he cannot be in the school play because of his race but that does not stop him from dreaming of being the lead. He then gets involved in theater with college kids where he meets Marshall who becomes his first lover. High school gets messy for his friends then him when he's outed. What will he do? Will he spread his wings or return to the closet?

I enjoyed this story. It is so realistic of high school. I knew every one of these people. I felt bad for many of them. Todd and Leslie have the saddest story. Johnnie Ray is not believed by the cops about Todd, and he feels guilt but also realizes he did what he could. I felt bad for Efrem when he has troubles at home but was glad about his ending. I hated the youth pastor who outed Johnnie Ray but laughed when they went for the exorcism. Johnnie Ray felt the same as I did. I loved how he ended it. These really were a cast of characters with Johnnie Ray providing insight to it all.

I look forward to reading Mr. Duplechen's other books. I was pulled into Johnnie Ray's world and loved it.

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