December 24, 1999
GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
From Joey to Joseph to Joe
A teammate's murder pushes a young wrestler toward adulthood
by Eric Resnick
"But he couldn't change what would really send him to hell. He could be forgiven for letting a guy die. But kiss him?”
This is the burden of Joseph Nicci, age 15, in Jim Provenzano's new book, PINS.
Imagine it is New Years Day 1994. The previous night, you were stone drunk, underage, and had been at the murder scene of a friend and fellow teammate. You have just had your first real sexual experience with the love of your life, and you have just been interrogated by the police. On the way to the crime scene, you decide to come out your
father because you figure with all the distrac
tions, he might not notice.
The
PI
dents
a brillia
It is to
but it is far
Its author
thickens.
Ashland, Ohi
Ohio State univ
was inspired by real inci ork in 1992-1
stling book,"
año, is a native of
ended Kent State and
where his interests
lie mainly in theatre, not wrestling. It was as
a dancer trying to diversify at Ohio State that
he began to wrestle a little.
"The wrestling shoes were better than the dancing shoes," he said.
Provenzano is interested in the human drama of sports. His popular column "Sports Complex" appears regularly in San Francisco's say and lachian weabl, D. 4UDCiuii WUCny Day area Reporter.
!
"I'm one of only half a doz writers in the world," he says
that there is a gay stor
"Sports is the
tplac
fester," said Provenzano doing, especially in combat spo
ay sports
bia to
are
wres-
tling, is trying to prove they are not fags." Although PINS has been banned and blacklisted by some booksellers for its honest depictions of underage drinking, underage sex, and realistic use of language, Provenzano is not apologetic.
"This book is not a 'who done it,' it's a 'why done it' and it had to be heavy. It couldn't become a farce," he added.
And it doesn't.
In fact, this plot is very complex with many layers, each well-developed and pas-
sionately expressed. The de wrestling team and the peckin culture is only one of them.
of the er of that
There is a Catholic layer with loads of guilt and a questioning of the church's teachings through the eyes of a 15-year-old. It turns out that Joseph's patron saint is Sebastian, who was a "closeted" Christian while serving as a guard, which plays out in the plot.
The layer of Joseph's family life is real and sensitive.
Dino and Marie Nicci and their children are of Italian descent and live in a suburb of Newark, New Jersey. Joseph's ten-year-old brother Mike beats up another kid at school
PINS
JIN PROVENZANO
that calls Joseph a fag, but pushes his brother away when he finds out it's true.
Dino is the real hero, as he fights hard to protect his firstborn son from harm.
There are caricatures of coaches, jocks, reporters, and nosy neighbors-all realistic to a fault.
Even the title PINS goes beyond its wrestling context. It is the acronym for Person in Need of Supervision, the label given to the young Nicci by state of New Jersey after the murder.
The writing style is fresh and adds to the reader's experience. It is set up in three parts, and the protagonist's name changes in each part. He's "Joey" in the first part, "Joseph" in the second and "Joe" in the third.
This subtly symbolizes growth of the young man over the five-month period the book spans.
Provenzano is clever.", example, the twentieth chapte actually a powerful critique of the media.
Provenzano wastes none of the book with Joey experimenting with girls. He knows who he is and is ready to deal with it.
Provenzano describes the book as "emotionally autobiographical" and finds himself mostly in the characters of Dino and Tom, the school yearbook photographer. The book is so realistic that it is hard to believe it is fiction. Whether your experience with the wink-and-a-nod culture was in the locker room as a jock or slow-dancing across the choir room with the guy you were crazy about, you're there.
It is also about peer pressure. The five main characters, Joey, "Dink," Bennie, Hunter, and Anthony are like real people. You'll know them. Anthony, the omega male on the team, Joey's longtime friend with whom he had a pact concealing Joey's attraction to guys, is openly gay. There is no doubt, once he is introduced, that he will become the murder victim.
Because of the Columbine High School tragedy and school violence in such high profile, critics have tried to make that connection to this book when describing its importance.
I think it goes beyond that. PINS will be relevant and real long after Columbine fades. This is truly a great work of gay fiction.
Readers will be proud of Joe Nicci. Readers will be proud of Dino Nicci and even of Dink. No sensitive gay man will make it to the end without giggling, anxiety, joy, and tears. You'll be grateful to Jim Provenzano for sharing his novel with us.
Provenzano will be reading and signing books at An Open Book in Columbus on December 28 at 8 pm.