New Brad Chapter! Loneliness, hero worship, and new friends
“Luke wasn’t like me, he wanted to live.”
“I held his face in my hands, ran my lips over his cheeks, my hands over his body, sucked his tongue into my mouth and let my tears soak into his shoulder.”
“Know what Luke told me once? ‘Having AIDS is a full time job.’”
Brad’s story continues with pathos, pain, love, and intimacy.
Read the chapter —
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Author’s notes —
Writing myself into Brad’s story as seen through his eyes is challenging. I hope I can figure out how to pull it off.
Dominic, by the way, was one of the founders and organizers of Girth and Mirth NYC, which according to some was a pioneer in the body positivity movement and led to a broader “chubby culture” — though they used language then that would unacceptable today. So, please forgive any anachronistic dialogue.
I really did drop a burger and splatter ketchup on Brad as we ate at the Waverly. I really did have a mad case of hero worship going for Michelangelo Signorile. But what was I doing making out with a stranger in the Meat Packing District late at night? And what about my boyfriend? More to come on that!
I’m building a tag list to include people who’ve told me they want updates on this series or who have read the first chapters. If you don’t want a tag, please just let me know in a comment or email me at jamesfinnwrites@gmail.com. I’ll cheerfully remove you from the list.
— Jim
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