Playing by the Book

by S. Chris Shirley

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Pub Date Jun 11 2014 | Archive Date Nov 11 2015

Riverdale Avenue Books | Magnus Books

Teens & YA

Description

When seventeen-year-old high school newspaper editor Jake Powell, fresh from Alabama, lands in New York City to attend Columbia University's prestigious summer journalism program, it's a dream come true. But his father, a fundamentalist Christian preacher, smells trouble. And his father is rarely wrong.

In Playing by the Book, Jake navigates new and unfamiliar ways "up North,” starting with his feelings for a handsome Jewish classmate named Sam. What Jake could keep hidden back home is now pushed to the surface in the Big Apple.

Standing by his side are a gorgeous brunette with a Park Avenue attitude and the designer bags to match, a high school friend who has watched Jake grow up and isn't sure she's ready to let him go, and an outrageously flamboyant aunt who's determined to help Jake find the courage to accept love and avoid the pain that she has experienced.

Provocative and moving, Playing by the Book is a feel-good novel about the joy and heartbreak we encounter in the search for our own truth.

About the Author

S. Chris Shirley is an award-winning writer/director and President of the Board of Lambda Literary Foundation. He graduated from Auburn University where he served as photo editor of The Auburn Plainsman and later received a graduate degree from Columbia University. He was born and raised in Alabama and now resides in Manhattan. Playing by the Book is his first novel.

Follow Chris on twitter @SChrisShirley.

When seventeen-year-old high school newspaper editor Jake Powell, fresh from Alabama, lands in New York City to attend Columbia University's prestigious summer journalism program, it's...

Advance Praise

"Shirley’s first (novel) is solid...his plotting moves smoothly, and his characters feel likable and real. An author worth watching."
—Kirkus Reviews

“There’s so much to admire in S. Chris Shirley’s debut novel, but the most remarkable thing may be its voice. Jake Powell is both earnest and skeptical, curious and guarded, and he tells his story with an endearing humility that–somehow– avoids the sarcasm that has become the norm. Playing by the Book reminds us of how rewarding it can be to climb into someone else’s head.”
—Patrick Ryan, author of Send Me and Saints of Augustine

“In Playing by the Book, S. Chris Shirley tells a story I loved curling up with, featuring one of the most endearing teen protagonists I’ve read in years.”
—Alex Sanchez, author of The God Box and Boyfriends with Girlfriends

“S. Chris Shirley’s Playing by the Book is winning, witty, touching, and full of life. Jake Powell’s journey from wide-eyed innocence to self-actualization is a pleasure to witness. What’s even more pleasurable is being in the hands of a writer who knows how to tell a story, who knows how to create complex characters, and who brings honesty and love to every page of his debut. Bravo!”
—Martin Wilson, author of What They Always Tell Us

“In the ideal world, S. Chris Shirley’s Playing by the Book would be made into a teenage romantic comedy to play at your local Cineplex. A classic coming of age story with a queer twist, Playing by the Book manages to be both poignant and lighthearted at the same time as young Jake navigates the currents of first love to a realistic but still happy ending. Shirley finds the truth in Jake’s story and gives it to us in clear and accessible prose. A thoroughly enjoyable read that should be on the shelves of every school library as well as the bed stands of anyone who wants to understand what it feels like to grow up gay.”
—Kevin Jennings, Founder, The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

“In this heartfelt and moving coming-of-age story, S. Chris Shirley has given us a Holden Caulfield for a new generation.”
—Geoffrey Nauffts, Tony-nominated playwright of Next Fall

“S. Chris Shirley’s Playing by the Book is beautifully written and vividly conveys a journey of self-discovery. This moving, funny, and sexy young adult novel also illuminates how combining Christian fundamentalism and a gay love story can produce another very Good Book.”
—Bob Smith, author of Openly Bob, Selfish and Perverse, and Remembrance of Things I Forgot

"Shirley’s first (novel) is solid...his plotting moves smoothly, and his characters feel likable and real. An author worth watching."
—Kirkus Reviews

“There’s so much to admire in S. Chris...