December 24, 1999

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

9

From Joey to Joseph to Joe

A teammate's murder pushes a young wrestler toward adulthood

"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 Jun 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 to your father because you figure with all the distractions. he might not notice.

The plot thickens.

PINS, which was inspired by real incidents of gay bashing in New York in 1992, is a brilliant piece of fiction.

It is touted as "that gay wrestling book,** but it is far deeper than that.

Its author, Jim Provenzano, is a native of Ashland, Ohio. He attended Kent State and Ohio State universities. 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 Franciser's gay and rebran WULAly Duy Area Reporter.

lachimu w --l-1. Dau ↑

"I'm one of only half a dozen gay sportswriters in the world." he says proudly, noting that there is a gay story to every sport.

"Sports is the last place for homophobia to fester," said Provenzano, “What they are doing, especially in combat sports like wresthing, is trying to prove they are not fags.**

Although has been banned and black listed by some booksellers for its honest depictions of underage drinking, underage sex, and realistic use of language. Provenzano is not apologette.

This book is me, wins hung . It's a 'why done it and I had to be hav? 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 depiction of the wrestling team and the pecking order of that culture is only one of them.

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" ChrisULATE while serving as a guard, which plays out m the plot

The layer of baseph's family hate is tual and sensiti

Dino and Mane Nicct and their children are of Italian descent and inve in a suburb of Newark, New Jersey Joseph's ten-year-old brother Mike heats up another kid at school

PINS

JIM PROVENZANO

that calls Joseph a try. but pushes his brother away when he finds out it's true.

Dino is the real hero, as he fights hard to protect his firsthorn son from harm.

There are caricatures of

coaches, jucks, 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 "Joeymthe first part. "Joseph" in the second and “Jog“ in the third

This subtly symholizes growth of the young man over the five month period the book spanis

Provenzano is clever. In part three, for example the twentieth chapter, “20/20,” is actually a powerful critique of the media.

Prevenz.mples none 4th hook with Ines experimenting with and Ma krone who he is and is ready to deal with it

Provenzano describes the book as "emotionally autobiographical" and finds himselt mostly m 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 chiar room with the guy you were crazy about, you're there

It is also about peer pressure. The five main characters. Jøey, “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 victimn.

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 Nicer Readers will be proud of Dino Nicer and even of Dink. No sensitive gay man will make it for the end without giggling, anxiety, jox, and tears. You'll be grateful to Jim Provenzano for sharing his novel with us

Provenzano will be reading and signing Banks ut in Open Bouck in robembres von December 28 at 8 pm

1

: น