Amnesic Nostalgia

A thought-provoking story set in equal parts of learning and life, Amnesic Nostalgia is a challenge to the gay novel genre. Without a shirtless white guy with abs on the front cover, without centering on closeted angst, without resorting to anthologies of erotic encounters, without pretty characters who complain about dating, and without death, drugs, or sexual abuse by father figures, the novel sets itself apart. It is daring enough, like its protagonist, to not follow the rules. Amnesic Nostalgia tells the story of Sean, the kind of kid that life happened to-alone, quiet, but determined-until one day he found the courage to change it all. To say it's just a novel would betray its intangible connection to the reader and the introspection it inspires. More than a linear narrative, Amnesic Nostalgia was written to leave the reader with a sense of the titular affliction. More than a story, Amnesic Nostalgia is a mood piece that casually explores the intersection of identity and memory. In so doing, the narrative encourages us to consider how if we are defined by our memories, and the past is subject to memories we never had yet remember all the same-or, amnesic nostalgia-then are our futures blindingly bound to an irrelevant past?