Prelude To An Empire - A Questioning Twenty-Something Agonizes Over His Life (With Characters of Color)

Prelude To An Empire by Terry J. Benton

“At 23, how the hell did I get to this point?” Russell Wright asks himself as he sits in his car with a handful of pills, ready to commit suicide. Russell’s life has been a roller coaster ride for as long as he can remember and today he wants to get off – forever.

While growing up in rural Georgia, Russell shares an unusual friendship with his mother, Charlene Wright. Charlene and Russell bond over their private struggle with Russell’s abusive father – a situation that climaxes the night that Russell’s father tries to murder their entire family.

As if things weren’t bad enough with his family issues, Russell has to endure relentless bullying surrounding suspicions about his sexuality – something he has yet to determine for himself. As a result of bullying and conflict with his spirituality, Russell’s personal growth is hindered and he struggles to find himself and his place in the world.

The one bright spot in Russell’s life is his best friend, Mercedes. She is beautiful, a diva, and sometimes a bit too ghetto – but most importantly, she provides comedic relief, strength, and support for Russell… and she’s also a lesbian. Russell and Mercedes’ relationship strengthens over her struggle for acceptance of her lifestyle and they vow to be best friends forever – until they leave for college and their friendship takes a dramatic turn for the worst.

As Russell’s story progresses, he fights to understand himself and the motives of the people in his life, as he experiences the lows and highs of friendships and relationships. In the end, this powerful and dramatic journey comes full circle to resolve the issue of whether he will indeed end his life.

This book is published by the author.  Add your review of "Prelude To An Empire" in comments!

And remember, if you or someone you know is feeling desperate or you just need someone to talk to, there's always someone you can talk to at the Trevor Project's lifeline at 1-866-488-7386.

Stand For The Silent - A Powerful Anti-Bullying School Presentation

Featured in the upcoming movie BULLY, Ty Smalley was 11 when, after years of being picked on and bullied, he finally had enough and physically reacted to his bully's taunts.  Ty was caught for 'fighting'.  Suspended from school.  And he killed himself.

Ty Smalley

Ty's parents Kirk and Laura have made it their mission to stop this epidemic of bullying, and they're taking action through STAND FOR THE SILENT.

I was fortunate to attend Kirk's assembly program at a Los Angeles Middle School this week.  It was powerful, and wrenching.

Kirk had the kids on his side, supporting him as he told the story of his son, and of other children like Ty who took their own lives because of bullying.

He asked for a show of hands, who there had ever been bullied.  Every single person raised their hand.

He asked for another show of hands, who there had even been a bully.  Four hands went up.

He told us that every seven seconds, someone is bullied in our world.

There's work to do.

And then, he got the entire auditorium of 800 plus students to take this pledge out loud:

"From this day forward I promise to respect those around me as well as respect myself.  I am somebody, and I can make a difference.  I can make another feel loved.  I can be the helping hand that leads another back to a path of hope and aspiration.  I will not stand silent as others try to spread hatred through my community.  Instead, I pledge to lift up these victims, and show them that their life matters.  I will be the change, because I am somebody."

It was such a powerful moment.

Kirk spoke with passion and deep emotion, and I cheer him on.  We need all our voices raised to empower children and teens to stop bullying and make their world - our world - better.

Here's a CNN story on Kirk - and in it you can see how raw and honest he's able to be about his loss, and the promise he made to his son on the Father's Day after Ty's death, that he'd stop this from happening to another child.







So let's do it. Let's stand with Kirk. And let's Stand For The Silent.

Let's each of us do everything we can to end bullying.


Namaste,
Lee

My Own "It Gets Better" Video

I love this project that Dan Savage started in response to the rash of gay teen suicides back in September. I've been watching lots of these "It Gets Better" videos and I've been moved, and touched, and inspired...

So here's my message to GLBTQ Teens - heck, it's my message to ALL Teens. And it's my message to you.



Namaste,
Lee

Where Gay Teen Suicides Start - My 'Viewpoint' is Published in The Palisadian Post!

So reading my local paper last week, there was a short piece by a parent who described an incident at a local AYSO children's soccer game. In one moment before the game, the coaches were busy, so one father jumped in to get the kids moving - he challenged them to race to the goal and back, telling them:

"Last one is a sissy!"

The parent said: "Sure enough, the last kid was called a sissy by several players."

I couldn't get this out of my mind.

So the next day, instead of working on my novel, I found myself writing this piece to my local paper. It was printed in yesterday's edition.



Here's the text:

WHERE GAY TEEN SUICIDES START

Five Gay teenagers killed themselves in September.

Billy Lucas, 15, in Greensburg, Indiana, bullied for being Gay, killed himself on September 9th.

Seth Walsh, 13, in Tehachapi, California, bullied for being Gay, killed himself on Sept 19th.

Tyler Clementi, 18, at Rutgers University in New Jersey, killed himself on Sept 22nd, after being publicly outed as Gay.

Asher Brown, 13, in Houston, Texas, bullied for being Gay, killed himself on Sept 23rd.

And on September 29, openly Gay Raymond Chase, 19, at Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island, killed himself.


Five suicides in three weeks.

And suddenly the media’s on the case, the country’s paying attention, and headlines (like in People magazine) shout: “Why did this happen, and how can it be stopped?”

And then I read in last week’s two cents column about the father at a local soccer game, who challenged the players on his boy's team to race to the goal and back, telling them, “The last one is a sissy.” The Two Cents caller said, “Sure enough, the last kid was called a sissy by several players.”

This is where hate starts. In small moments like this. A thoughtless comment, meant to motivate, but what did it actually teach? Being last is bad. Being a “sissy” is the same as being a loser. You don’t want to be a loser. You don’t want to be a sissy.

Similar to “You run like a girl,” this is the kind of lesson that teaches our kids to hate and look down on those different from themselves – girls, gays, the weak, the slow – and teaches our kids who are different that maybe they should hate themselves, too.

Why do these Gay teen suicides happen? They’ve been taught to hate themselves. They couldn’t hear the messages of hope over the noise of hate. They didn’t know about the books out there for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning teens. They didn’t hear the voices of out, proud and happy GLBTQ Adults, telling them “It Gets Better,” an important project Dan Savage started on youtube. They didn’t call the Trevor Project’s Lifeline (1-866-488-7386) to talk to someone who could help.

How can these Gay teen suicides be stopped? We can start at the AYSO games right here in Pacific Palisades – when our kids are 5 and 6 years old. We can start by thinking before we “motivate” children by teaching them to feel better about themselves by putting others down or beating them in a meaningless foot race. We can start on the path to a better world, today, just by changing what we say.

We need to.



(Lee Wind, a resident of Pacific Palisades, writes “I’m Here. I’m Queer. What the Hell do I Read?,” a blog about books, culture and politics for GLBTQ teens and their allies. He leads Smashing Stereotypes Workshops in middle and high schools, and can be reached at www.leewind.org)

I'm so pleased to get the word out about this. And I want to thank the Palisadian Post for running my piece in this week's print edition - on the top of page 2!

Namaste,
Lee

Dan Savage and his husband Terry tell GLBTQ Kids and Teens: It Gets Better

Watch this.

Please.

It could save lives.



In the aftermath of yet another Gay teen suicide, Justin, in Minnesota, in the news, I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what I could tell you all that you could do to help.

And another Gay teen suicide, Cody, in Wisconsin, announced today on Dan's Slog.

And then Dan and Terry DID this.

And watching this video could really help.

Watch it. Share it. Hear it.

Like Dan says: "The Bigots Don't Win"

and

Like Terry says: "Living Well Is The Best Revenge."

Terry: "We have really great lives together."

Dan: "And you can have a great life, too."

It Gets Better.

Believe Dan and Terry. And Believe Me.

It Gets Better!


If you're in crisis, or need to talk to someone, contact The Trevor Project, 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386)

My thanks to Dan and Terry for sharing this, and check out the it gets better project youtube channel for more it gets better videos!

Namaste,
Lee

Impulse

By Ellen Hopkins

Three teens.

Tony popped too many pills.

Vanessa cut herself.

Connor put a gun to his chest and pulled the trigger.

And yet, they all failed at suicide.

Now they're in a Betty-Ford-style upscale treatment center, and though they're from completely different worlds, they come together and form the most unlikely of friendships.

Sex, abuse, addiction, sexuality, and love are all huge drivers that landed them inside. But can they figure out a way to survive not just life inside, but the life outside that drove them to try to kill themselves in the first place?

Told in a rush of poems, this New York Times Bestselling novel grabs you and doesn't let go!


Add your review of "Impulse" in comments!

Crash Into Me

By Albert Borris

Four Teens.

Owen.

Frank.

Audrey.

And Jin-Ae, a lesbian.

They meet on-line after each of them has tried - and failed - to kill themselves.

They make a pact. They'll go on a road trip together. They'll visit the sites of celebrities who committed suicide.

Hemingway.

Kurt Cobain.

And then, at the end of their trip, they'll kill themselves.

But on their journey, they start to bond. Hook up. Live life.

Will they follow through with their plan? Or will they take a different road?


"Crash Into Me" officially releases today. Learn more about the debut author in yesterday's post, and at his great website, here.

Add your review of "Crash Into Me" in comments!

The Suicide Year

By Lena Prodan

She's in the wrong body. The wrong family. The wrong life.

She has a crush on another girl in school - and then that girl hooks up with a boy.

Her father's violent. Her mother's crazy. And she's scared they'll find out about her.

Her lifelong dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail is destroyed. She doesn't know what's going to happen after high school.

She has to escape. So she plans the perfect fail-proof suicide. But as she goes through the ritual, she finds a savior - at last. Herself.


Add your review of "The Suicide Year" in comments!

The Trevor Project, 1-866-4-U-TREVOR (1-866-488-7386) operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. If you or a friend are feeling lost or alone, call The Trevor Helpline. There is hope, there is help.