BLOG TOUR & REVIEW: Haskell Himself by Gary Seigel

Haskell Himself
Gary Seigel
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: January 19th 2020
Genres: Historical, LGBTQ+, Young Adult

Meet Haskell Hodge. At sixteen he’s already garnered some fame as a former child actor and star of a popular cereal commercial. But that doesn’t do much for him when he’s dumped at his aunt’s house in the suburbs of Los Angeles to face an assortment of neighborhood bullies.
He thinks he might be gay. In fact, he could be the only gay person in the valley, maybe on the entire planet. Even if he does manage to find a boyfriend, their relationship would have to be secret and invisible.
After all it’s 1966. And though Time Magazine claims the sexual revolution is in full swing, the freedoms straight people are enjoying don’t seem to apply to everyone. And as much as Haskell attempts to hide his true self, carefully navigating the tricky and risky terrain of being queer, he’s still taunted and teased relentlessly.
Rather than give in to the irrationality of this hate, Haskell fights back, eventually finding an unlikely outlet to vent his frustration and angst—playing a bully in a screen test for a major motion picture. If he plays his cards right, it could catapult him into Hollywood stardom.
Of course, like most things in life, it comes with a heavy price Haskell’s not certain he’s willing to pay.

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REVIEW:

It is amazing to realize the strides there  have been since 1966 in regard to LGBT rights.  Set in 1966 this is the coming of age story of a young man who moves from NYC to LA.  His dream is to act but back then you could lose jobs and be blacklisted if you were discovered to be gay.  Haskell has to come to terms with himself and what he wants before he can make the decision of how he wants to live his life.  This book really makes you realize how far we have come in acceptance of LGBT lives, is there still a ways to go? yes but at least being closeted and scared isn't the norm that it once was.  This is a great book about learning who you are and acceptance of yourself. I hope that schools have this on their shelves and people everywhere read this to remember what it was like only a few decades ago.  We can't go back, we need to continue to move forward. 

Author Bio:
Gary Seigel was raised in Encino, California where his debut novel, Haskell Himself, takes place. After completing a PhD in English at Rutgers University, Gary taught at several colleges and universities, but his most memorable experience was a brief 12 week stint at the same high school he (and Haskell) graduated from, teaching side by side with some of the same teachers he once endured. Currently, Gary gives grammar and proofreading classes to business professionals eager to write error-free emails. He also has spent the past two decades helping employees control their inner jerk when texting or holding conversations with an impossible boss. His book The Mouth Trap: Strategies, Tips and Secrets for Keeping Your Feet out of Your Mouth, published in 2008, has been translated into over a dozen languages. He is the father of three sons and currently lives in South Pasadena.

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