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| Band Fags! | 
 enlarge | Author: Frank Anthony Polito
Publisher: Kensington
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $7.67
You Save: $7.33 (49%)
New (39) Used (13) Collectible (1) from $6.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 47452
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.3
ISBN: 0758222653
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780758222657
ASIN: 0758222653
Publication Date: June 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
"Ever since I first heard that Lionel Richie and Diana Ross song, `Endless Love,' all I've wanted is to find The One. Someone to love. Who will love me back." September, 1982. John Cougar's "Jack and Diane" is on endless radio rotation, and Dallas and Dynasty rule the ratings. Jack Paterno is a straight-A student living in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park, with his own Atari 5200, a Beta VCR, and everything a seventh-grader could ask for. The only thing he has in common with foul-mouthed Brad Dayton, who lives on the gritty south side near 8 Mile, is that both are in Varsity Band. Or maybe that's not the only thing. Because Jack is discovering that while hanging around with girls in elementary school was perfectly acceptable, having lots of girl friends (as opposed to girlfriends) now is getting him and Brad labeled as Band Fags. And Jack is no fag. Is he? As Jack and Brad make their way through junior high and then through Hazel Park High School, their friendship grows deeper and more complicated. From stealing furtive glances at Playgirl to discussing which celebrities might be like that, from navigating school cliques to dealing with crushes on girls and guys alike, Jack is trying to figure out who and what he is. He wants to find real, endless love, but he also wants to be popular and "normal." But, as Brad points out, this is real life--not a John Hughes movie. And sooner or later, Jack will have to choose. Filled with biting wit and pitch-perfect observations, Band Fags is an exhilarating novel about lust and love, about the friendships that define and sometimes confine us, and about coming of age and coming to terms with the end of innocence and the beginning of something terrifying, thrilling, and completely unpredictable.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Those Glorious 80's July 4, 2008
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
For those of us Gen Xer's, the 80's, a much maligned area, played a significant role in our development ... Reagan, AIDS, Madonna, Dallas, and the premiere of MTV. It's a wonder any of us survived this decade, much less thrived in it. But somehow we did, such as the characters did in Frank Polito's new book, the appropriately titled "Band Fags".
Polito takes us on a journey in what appears to be a semi-autobiographical journey through his adolescence in the Detroit suburbs. He writes about Jack, a top-notch student, lead trumpet player, and questioning homosexual, and a bevy of friends that accompany Jack through his school years. His first and foremost friend is Brad, whom he meets almost casually, but then develops a quickly close relationship that somehow only teens seem to be able to pull off. Brad, discovering his sexuality and accepting it quickly , poses an unspoken threat to Jack, who seems to exhibit signs of "gayness" but is ultimately unsure of his path. The duo form an interesting pair, and it's their story that really drives you through the book.
True to high school, Polito throws in a bevy of friends, characters that sometimes get confused, despite his attempt to clarify them through Jack reminding you of who was who. Soon, however, the important ones bubble to the surface, as Jack goes through different events that shape his social standing with the groups. As Jack reunites with a former best friend Joey, and develops a crush on him, the "am I" or "am I not?" question rears its ugly head in an all too familiar and painful way. Ditto with another guy he develops a crush on, Tom. How many of us developing homosexuals fell in love with our best friends who were straight? The pain was intense, and captured well by Polito.
The 80s feature prominently in the book, but I felt sometimes it was too much. Especially at the beginning, Polito had 80s cultural references on nearly every page. At first, it was a fun walk down memory lane, but then it became a little too much. Fortunately, Polito eases up a bit with them as he allows his story to progress. Also, not being familiar with suburban Detroit, Polito's insistence on including driving routes around the area, and specific place names, made the reading drag a bit; although I imagine that people from that area love that aspect!
Overall, Band Fags was a easy, and very enjoyable read. You find yourself rooting for Jack, even in his less positive moments, because overall, anyone who was gay has been in his situation before. And as you turn the last page of the book, you find yourself wondering what happened to Jack in college ... and what happened to Brad ... and you realize this book is absolutely begging for a sequel.
 Band Fags of the world unite! May 30, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Hilarious and angst-ridden, "Band Fags" is a wonderful trip down memory lane for those of us who came of age in the eighties, sort of a gay version of that fantastic television show Freaks and Geeks - The Complete Series. Especially if you came out and enjoyed / endured high school band - and the stigma that goes along with it, you'll love this. Am I, or am I not? All the intense soul-searching - Frank captures it in a funny way, with wit and charm. He's also a superb writer and I whipped through the pages in mere hours, wanting "Jack" to hurry up and make the right choice! Whether you were a teen in the eighties, the sixties or the two thousands, you'll relate to these emotions, as they're universal. Read and be entertained.
Rich Merritt, author of Code of Conduct and Secrets Of A Gay Marine Porn Star
Camp Up the Band May 27, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Polito, Frank Anthony. "Band Fags", Kensington Books, 2008.
Camp Up the Band
Amos Lassen
Frank Anthony Polito has written the novel "Band Fags" based on his 2001 stage play, "John R." and it is the story of Jack Paterno, a straight-"A" student and Brad Dayne, his best friend since the second grade. It is a very funny novel that deals with lust and love and how we are defined and confined by our friendships as well as exploring coming-of-age issues and dealing with the end of innocence and the beginning of a new way of life. In fact, the book is more than a novel--it is a look back to the 80's and an age of innocence. Reading the novel will cause you to reflect back on the best friend you had when you were young and a time that is hard to erase from memory. We have all made the journey and for some of us it was an easy road while for others, like Jack and Brad, it was quite complicated with lots of twists and turns on the highway of life. They found themselves in a quandary of self-discovery in a world that was filled with snags and detours.
The novel is set in Hazel Park, a suburb of Detroit during the mid-1980's. Brad and Jack seemed to have nothing in common other than playing in the Varsity band but as they go through junior high and high school together, they discover that there is something else aside from band that keeps them together
What a great book for summer this is. It is a look at friendship between two boys who want to find themselves without losing each other. "Band Fags" is sexy and funny and filled with charm and sensitivity. The dialog is perfect, the characters are loveable and the story cannot be beat for a light read that will make you forget the heat of summer and remind you of the warmth of first love.
Great read, great fun June 3, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
For anyone who remembers the horrors and humor of high school band--especially in the mid to late '80s--this book will seem like a turbo-charged trip down memory lane. With his main character, Jack, Frank's created a perfectly believeable, perfectly loveable hero that has the reader rooting for him from the first page. Best of all this book is filled with a host of other great characters--including Brad and Joey--both of whom you wish you knew.
While Jack's indecision about whether or not he's "that way" can be frustrating for those of us who are old enough to know now, it definitely makes the book a real page turner.
Must read! June 23, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Frank Anthony Polito is an actor, playwright and author. His debut novel. Band Fags! is based on his play, John R.
Band Fags! follows Jack Paterno and Brad Dayton from 7th grade in suburban Detroit through high school in the mid-to-late `80s. You are invited to take the roller coaster journey of growing up with the boys. It's not an easy ride; growing up never is.
Jack and Brad are best friends. It wasn't always that way. The two faltered a bit before discovering they were `meant' to be best friends. They are different, but they are band fags (they play in the Varsity band) and that is a start, and sometimes the glue that holds them together.
Jack is devastated when his girlfriend dumps him, but he really never got any `thrill' from kissing her or even looking at girlie magazines. Brad feels the same way. But both guys dance around the feelings that are awakening inside of them. Each knows at some level that they were not like the other guys. And Jack continues to deny who he is in the face of a physical attraction to a pretty `hot' guy.
Yes, Jack and Brad are gay guys growing up in the `80s. But lest you think you'll pass on the book, I'd suggest you ponder that decision.
Polito delivers the most realistic and detailed view of high school, friends, family, enemies, lost love and emerging sexuality of any Young Adult author I've read in the past several years. He takes a sensitive subject and handles it with sensitivity. Polito makes you think, breaks your heart with the pain of having to `hide' who you are and tosses in a whole lot of fun while showing `us' how it is for gay teens.
When Polito introduces the reader to "Days of our Lives" star Kristian Alfonso, it's delightful. But Polito goes further and litters the landscape (in a good way) of his novel with her. Jack is a member of her fan club and when he meets her--well you've just got to read it. I laughed out loud.
I wish I had Band Fags! when my kids were growing up. It might have eased the way to understanding and acceptance.
Note: There is some sexuality depicted, but it is not gratuitous.
Armchair Interviews says: Band Fags! is a realistic look at growing up gay.
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