| December 28th, 2007 |
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In the back of one of my books, The Order of the Poison Oak, I encourage people to write to me and let me know how they might qualify for membership in The Order of the Poison Oak (which is a secret club for people who are teased or bullied--it's all explained in the book, if you haven't yet read it).
Anyway, I've gotten a lot of really thoughtful, interesting responses, some of which I posted previously on my blog. I got one a couple of weeks ago that I thought was particularly cool:
I think I qualify for membership because I have been picked on for something as stupid as how I dressed. Of course that was back when I was in fifth grade, but it still makes me who I am today. Basically what happened after fifth grade is that I became a "bully" myself after I joined the "popular" kids. I regret that, but it also has made me who I am today. So I think I qualify because I've been on both sides of the fence. I know how it feels to be picked on and I know how it feels to pick on somebody else. I know that it hurts when somebody picks on me for no apparent reason, but I also know what's going through the heads of the bullies themselves. Fast-forward to today, I'm the leader of the newly forming GSA club at my school. It hasn't officially started, but I'm pretty much in charge of things. I think this is what really makes me a member of the Order of The Poison Oak. Most of my friends are actually homophobes and it's my mission to change the way they see thing s. It's also my mission to give all the gay and bi kids at my school a place where they can talk to one and be themselves without being scared of negative reactions.
As those of you who have read Geography Club know, this is a lot like the plot of that book: Russel sees "both sides" of the popularity equation. And just like Russel by the end of the book, this guy is trying to make amends for the bad things he did by working to make his school, and the world, a better place.
The difference is, Russel is fictional; this guy isn't.
Pretty great, huh?
It's all cool,
Brent Hartinger
My Books:
* Dreamquest
* Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies
* Grand & Humble
* The Order of the Poison Oak
* The Last Chance Texaco
* Geography Club Explore "Brent's Brain"
See my gay entertaiment video blog, "Two Gay Guys |
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