Sally Field Can Play the Transsexual
Subtitle
Or I Was Cursed by Polly Holiday
A 2015 Reader's Favorite Finalist, this tale of sex, loss, redemption and pharmaceuticals in the modern AIDS era that will make you laugh, break your heart and inspire you. Leslie L. Smith's "Sally Field Can Play the Transexual" is a coming-of-age story — a teenage gay runaway turned hustler, David Matthews, is on a journey to find himself and his community. Along the way he is visited by a ghost, meets a transsexual nurse and experiences a budding romance. Together these events change David's understanding of the grief he carries.
This witty novel is also a touching look at what it is to be gay in today's world. It's also a saga about the last 25 years of gay sex and AIDS culture. Smith's characters look at difficult questions: safer sex, barebacking, personal responsibility and current HIV prevention methods — it asks why gay men bareback even though HIV remains a threat among gay men.
Discover why the Bay Area Reporter says "Sally Field Can Play the Transexual" is "an irresistible page-turner, that is inspirational without becoming treacly."
Bio
Leslie L. Smith received his MA in educational theater and a BA in creative writing, both at New York University. His 1997 film "David Searching" is now in the Outfest Legacy Project/UCLA film archive. Smith is the editor of "Leaving The Rest: Gay Men On Alcoholism, Addiction, And Sobriety." He is pursuing a PhD at Arizona State University's School of Art, Media and Engineering.
Praise for this book
The fact that Smith can mold all these issues into a lucid, heart-rending portrait is a testament to his narrative skills.
Brian Bromberger Bay Area reporter (published review)
An ambitious novel that delivers redemption with humor and heart. A sincere journey of transformation that successfully balances politics and storytelling with heartwarming results.
Kirkus Reviews (published review)
