The Pretend Years
The Survival of a Lesbian Catholic in a Close-Minded Midwestern City During the 50's and 60's
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Before my birth, mom, on a whim had gone to a ‘gypsy fortune–teller’ at a local fair. She asked if she would have a boy or a girl. Back then, it was still a surprise what you would have. The gypsy peering into her crystal ball said, "You will have a boy." That was fine with mom. She wanted two children – a boy and a girl – no special order – so a boy first was fine with her. Little did she know then she would only have one child – but she would still get her boy and her girl – SURPRISE! Don’t believe the gypsy story? Well, how about this – you know the test where you take a pencil, stick a needle with thread into the eraser, and dangle the pencil over the wrist of the expectant mother? Well, when Jackie, mom’s sister-in-law and my future aunt, did this to mom at her shower, it swung side to side – sure sign of a girl. But then, it started going in circles – sure sign of a boy. It continued to switch from circles to side to side – not being able to make up its mind, or maybe trying to say – BOTH – and it wasn’t talking twins (although I’m sure that’s what everyone thought at the time). Coincidence? I think not. There is more to the old wives tales, folk remedies, and diverse tests than practitioners of modern medicine want to believe. At that time everyone just thought it was funny and had a short laugh over it. They eventually, over the years, stopped laughing. Do you see where I’m coming from here? Not even ‘out of the chute’ and already a stirred-up sh---pot! If I had known then, lying in my little embryo state, what I know now, maybe I would have been more reluctant to make that final slide to freedom.
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About the Book
Oh, I don’t know, it’s just a book about growing up QUEER! I really hate that word
It is about young queer love and young queers. I believe, though, it will appeal to straight people as well. They will hopefully see that love is love no matter what form it takes. That people are just people and emotions are all the same. That pain and rejection hurt just as much, and love and relationships mean just as much to those that are homosexual and lesbian as they do to heterosexuals. Hopefully, they will come to understand that God made two types of people – gay and straight – and he loves us equally. Also, this book is written to reach out to straight men that feel intimidated by lesbians and feel less than love for us. I believe it is not just a question of them feeling threatened that we might take some of their women away – I believe it’s also because they know our dicks are bigger than theirs.
About the Author
J.P. Cassidy has been a professional lesbian since birth. She is also a professional smart-ass that enjoys saying exactly what she thinks, and what she has always thought, about such things as Catholicism, bigotry, sexual awareness of her lesbianism at a young age, and finding her way in the dark through a world that really sucked a big one as far as gays were concerned. JP has never written a book before this one, has never done standup comedy, and wonders why Lea DeLaria never phoned or sent her an e-mail. God – celebrities! However, she would like to hear from Jennifer Saunders about a possible collaboration on anything – sweetie darling!