Not Not NormalPeter E. FentonJames Lorimer & Company Ltd. Publishers, Toronto
There's an interview with the author below.
This book was written for me: AMAB, cis, bibliophile, gay, Shakespeare-lover, actor. I am three decades (plus!) past eleventh grade, but I remember the self-doubt, the hormones, and the drama.
The main conflict in Fenton’s RealLove romance is an internal one: can Jordan, who displays symptoms of OCPD and is prone to anxiety attacks, come to love himself, quirks and all?
The setting is Here-and-Now, post-pandemic, and unapologetically Canadian. Our hero goes to school in Toronto (his Dad goes to get dinner on The Danforth). Jordan’s love interest, chaotic and fashionable Nathan, hails from Montreal. Their Phy Ed teacher wears Guelph-branded – form fitting – sportswear.
Refreshingly, the characters model queer activism and non-violent communication skills. “When the rights of few are trampled into the dust,” Nathan announces precociously (when “football team yoga” displaces the cleverly named High School book club X-Libris), “the rights of the many are sure to follow!” Later, he texts Jordan after an argument. “Please forgive me. I need to explain… I’m so sorry. [Sad emoji.]”
Their larger world is not problem-free. Both Jordan and Nathan are being raised by single parents – death and divorce, respectively. Jordan blames himself for his mother’s death. Nathan blames himself for his parents’ divorce. The obligatory bully Brodie poses a real threat, but is efficiently called in.
Poetry, books, letters, texts, paper, pens, pencils – these are the agents of change, the tools that allow us to carve out safe spaces and be our best, and most true selves.
In the end, book club, theatre (and a dead Mom) save the day. Poetry, books, letters, texts, paper, pens, pencils – these are the agents of change, the tools that allow us to carve out safe spaces and be our best, and most true selves.
Playwright, romance and mystery writer Peter E. Fenton has added Teen Fiction to his repertoire, which is good news for young queer readers. The language is simple and clear; the message, uplifting. Short chapters and large font size make for accessible reading. I was engaged and moved by Fenton’s sweet, life-affirming and easy-to-read prose celebrating difference and resilience.
Our eleventh grader learns he can live with queerness and neurodivergence/disability and find acceptance from peers and the adults around him – a message kids like me will always need to hear.
Interview with author Peter Fenton
What led you from writing Romance and Mystery for adult audiences to Teen Romance for young readers?
I was actually approached by the acquisitions editor from James Lorimer and Company, Publishers to see if I was interested in writing a gay teen romance for their Real Love series. The series is meant to normalize all sorts of teen romantic relationships covering the full gamut of the LGBTQIA+ communities. How could I say no?
In the book, the janitor Mr. Jenkins literally paints himself into the picture. How do you paint yourself into the picture – or write yourself into the narrative?
To be absolutely honest, much of the narrative was created from my experiences when I was younger. The characteristics of the main character Jordan are mine. While I didn’t experience the death of a parent until later in life, the fears, the reactions, the loneliness of a gay teen were mine when I was growing up and still are in some ways. I still suffer from the panic attacks described in the book.
Among his peers, Jordan is an outlier. His vocabulary and language skills are exceptional. In your experience, how has literacy been affected by social media? The pandemic? An increasingly visual world?
Language is definitely evolving, and it is changing rapidly as a result of new ways to communicate instantly. Social media has introduced emojis which express emotional ideas in a single image. (I joked with my partner that I should try to answer this question using only emojis). Texting has tightened the way we communicate—the fewer words the better for some. And as a result of the pandemic, we learned to communicate in written form through texts and emails, rather than visiting in person. Jordan’s world is one of immersing himself in books. I think that today, people of all ages are becoming more accustomed to visual images which communicate ideas more rapidly. Perhaps this is why Tik Tok has become so popular. Acronyms such as LOL are replacing fuller ideas. It seems that as a society we want to get to the core ideas in the fastest way possible, and a lot of the communication is quickly consumed and then discarded. There is less emphasis on reading books, and more emphasis on watching movies...or now, listening to audio books.
What are the obstacles young people face coming out in 2024? What has changed since you were in High School?
It is difficult for me to comment on this being so long out of High School. James Lorimer Publishing offered editorial insight into schools today, along with my own research including talking with students and teachers. In my teen years, being “out” meant risking being bullied, beaten, or worse. I was truly afraid to let others know I was gay. I was fortunate that my family was supportive when I came out.
I see some signs that things are better now.
It was heartening to see High School boys (and girls) step off the buses holding hands. I would be lying if I said that it didn’t bring a tear of joy to my eye.
When I was working at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto (pre-COVID) I got to see the school buses pulling up in front of the building. Hundreds of young students each day came to experience our collections. It was heartening to see High School boys (and girls) step off the buses holding hands. I would be lying if I said that it didn’t bring a tear of joy to my eye. I never could have imagined that this would ever have been acceptable when I was their age. And there are shows on TV that show a progression toward a more open-minded approach to being gay in High School.
But I also recognize that these images are often in bigger cities (such as Toronto) and are more reflective of larger urban centres. Even then, things may not be as easy as we see in after-school specials.
A few years back, my long-time partner and I were returning from a rehearsal of our latest musical. (I wrote for theatre for 30 years before turning to novels.) The show was being done in Calgary, and as was our habit, we walked hand-in-hand once we’d gotten off the city bus. In less than the time it took us to walk a half a block, I heard the sound of someone running up behind us. I honestly prepared to be confronted by someone who didn’t appreciate our public display of affection. A figure darted by us, turned, and faced us head on. It was a teenager, probably no older than fifteen. He asked if we were a couple. I said “yes.” He then broke down and said that he didn’t know any gay people and that he had no one he felt safe talking to. When he saw us holding hands, he decided to risk approaching us. He continued to reveal that he was attracted to another boy at school and didn’t have any idea what to do. We gently suggested that perhaps the first step would be to make friends with the individual, and as they got to know one another, better find out what the other boy’s feelings were. And we encouraged him to look up LGBTQ+ resources in the city that might help coach him through this process to keep him safe.
I have never witnessed such courage in my life. Can you imagine what it took to approach us? How unfortunate that there was no one at school who he felt he could approach – no teacher, no guidance counselor, no one, in a city of a million people!
The two experiences in two large metropolitan areas tell me that whether or not things have improved depends on so many factors. Fear and ignorance exist everywhere. But so does love. For some people, coming out may be supported by their schools, their teachers and their friends. For others, it may be far more difficult. Ultimately by writing a story like Not Not Normal, I hope that those that read the book can find their way to surrounding themselves with people who they trust, who accept them for who they are, and who help them to become the person they’ve always wanted to be.
