David Levithan is a young American writer.
By day he works for Scholastic in New York publishing other peoples books. For recreation he writes his own. He has written mostly for the youth audience with LGBTI themes. His books are very readable and adults enjoy them too. He has said he enjoys editing and working with other’s writing more than he does writing for himself.
Two Boys Kissing will take you on a journey. Depending on where you are in your life’s journey this could be into your future or back to your past. The set up sounds odd but it does work.
The narration is provided by guys who died in the AIDS epidemic of the 1990s. They observe young men today in a small American town and wish they could offer sage and practical advice. There are two boys who were in a relationship but are now kissing to set a world record. They are doing this very publicly and that has consequences.
They are doing it primarily to fight for the freedom for them and their friends to be who they really are. There are two boys in a comfortable relationship, taking it all for granted. Two other boys have just met at a prom and are working out how to get to know each other better. One was born a girl and is wondering how to share his truth. Another boy thinks he wants to be with others, but struggles with being himself. They all affect each other as they live the lives of everyday young people.
This is a story of hope. It is a story of self identification. It is a story that celebrates love and the joy of finding fellow travellers.
Article | Andrew Rumbles
