Synopsis

“On Todd Salazar’s first day of college, while his belongings were still in neatly labeled boxes on the dorm room floor, he had sex with his new roommate Darin.”

From the first line of the first page of Semesters, a loopy, original novel about gay life at a large New England state university during the early ‘90s, it's clear that the people populating this novel certainly are more interesting that those saintly, asexual members of the class of 10 percent portrayed in heterosexual college novels. Set against an era when gay marriage is a pipe dream and being “out” is still a precarious choice, the students of Semesters feel safe enough in their campus microcosm to be Here and Queer—so get used to it! They have sex, do drugs, have sex again, make all the wrong decisions, wage war against their conservative enemies, bum cigarettes, have more sex, all the while struggling with questions universal to young Americans. The writing is breezy and the drama generous. You'll encounter scandalous revelations, parties out of bounds, back stabbing, and an unforgettable, topsy-turvy final confrontation. Has it been mentioned that there is sex? Lots of it!

The protagonists are three gay men: BEN BRISTOL, the transfer student looking for sex or love, whichever comes first, TODD SALAZAR, the freshman who already has quite the track record but is looking for new conquests, and DARIN BURKETT, Todd’s whiny and underhanded first semester roommate, the self-appointed perpetual victim.

Ben Bristol is the heart of the novel. After two years of living closeted at home and attending a local community college to save money, Ben has high expectations for his junior year. But despite having a hot, straight British roommate who has a habit of walking around in his underwear, Ben’s only affections are from a fedora-wearing Trekker named EDGAR whom he met during orientation. Undeterred, Ben joins the University Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Alliance (UGLBA), writes a column for a newsletter, and falls hard for a guy who barely knows he exists—and that’s only in the first month of school. We follow the uninitiated Ben as he discovers the thrill of off-campus parties, drinks bad sangria and goes to the UGLBA-sponsored dances. Finally an active member of a gay community is Ben happy? And what if his quest for love ends with Ben in the arms of somebody he’d never expected?

Among Ben’s new college friends are: JULIA, a fellow member of the UGLBA whose claims of bisexuality are suspect; JEREMY and ARTURO, who are at a crisis point in their relationship, which Arturo relieves by hitting on other men in front of Jeremy, oblivious to Jeremy’s growing attraction to a sexy TA; TOBE, the self-appointed DJ who plays music nobody requests and refuses to wear weight-appropriate clothing; and TERRI, the beleaguered leader of the UGLBA who discovers her ex-girlfriend is in an abusive relationship and finds herself thrust into a brutal life or death situation.

Countering Ben’s cautious and naive romantic tendencies, Todd Salazar is all magnetic sexual appeal. Todd can’t help but oblige the men who line up the moment he steps on campus in September. In addition to sleeping with his roommate, Darin, Todd seduces super-senior RICHARD, who already has a boyfriend. No matter. After Richard, there’s KIRK, a golden boy from California, who has his own apartment. But Todd is carrying a dark secret about a taboo relationship he had over the summer. There’s a problem with secrets, though ... they have a funny way of being exposed at just the wrong times.

And then there’s Darin Burkett, a weaselly freshman from the suburbs of Boston not thrilled to be stuck in a provincial western Massachusetts state school. The relationship between roommates Darin and Todd, at first full of passion, quickly dissolves as Darin’s inconsiderate habits drive anal retentive Todd crazy; Darin doesn’t make his bed, breaks Todd’s lamp [gasp!], smokes in the dorm room, and has people in at all hours, notably MARIA, the cynical fellow UGLBA member who lives down the hall. Together, Darin and Maria bring their own half-baked brand of stoner politics to a campus that Darin feels is too complacent. Eventually Darin takes up with the mysterious revolutionary and begins a prank campaign against the Young Conservatives Club. Darin also manages to acquire a boyfriend, the sexy LARS, a former swim team member with a great tan line who doesn’t seem to know why he's dating Darin. Tensions between Darin and Todd explode into a nasty fist fight which ends the first semester with a bang and sets the tone for an even larger confrontation just before Spring Break, the ramifications of which send shock waves through the campus.

So take a study break, wring out your wet Speedo and grab a cup of coffee and peanut butter chocolate chip cookie at the Blue Book Café. Semesters demonstrates how much fun college can be when you’re not attending class.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Chapter One: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

School’s in.  They’re out.



Section of a letter published in the Daily Centaur (_________ State University), March 1992:

These are the members of the University Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Alliance: perpetual victims who set out to battle homophobia wherever they think they find it.  They see themselves as noble, but these same people didn’t hesitate to take advantage of society’s homophobia to punish me.  And it worked.

I have no money.  I have no home.  And this is all because of the people whom I once thought were my friends.  I’d like to think they feel shame or guilt, but I have hung out with these people for the better part of a school year and the truth is that they feel nothing.

Needless to say, all hell broke loose.







FALL 1991
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
On Todd Salazar’s first day of college, while his belongings were still in neatly labeled boxes on the dorm room floor, he had sex with his new roommate Darin.
The freshmen had been alone together for less than an hour before they decided to skip any dancing around the subject of their sexuality. Todd had Darin pegged the moment they shook hands; it didn’t take much longer for Darin to get the hint.  Then came the awkward fumbling and unzipping on the thin-on-one-end-lumpy-on-the-other mattress.  Todd came on Darin’s narrow chest, Darin on the mattress. Todd decided then to claim the other bed as his.
Darin sat up first and put his glasses. Time to go exploring.  He’d never laid eyes on the campus until that day, having faked an excuse to get out of freshman orientation. 
“Well,” Darin said. “Welcome to college.” 
Todd, who was starting to nod off, smiled. “You know, I wondered if you were gay when we talked on the phone last month …” he said.
Darin shrugged. “You were right,” he said. “You get a gold star.”
“I guess I should start unpacking,” Todd said.
Todd had drawn the shade soon after Darin grabbed his crotch; the sunlight coming through barely illuminated the room.  He watched Darin lean over to look for his underwear where and noted that his roommate’s back was studded with moles.  Darin wasn’t the type Todd was usually attracted to – too skinny and pale - but Darin had been willing and horny. And there. 
 “So, have you done that before?” Darin asked. 
Todd propped himself up on one elbow and, feeling self conscious in his nakedness, crossed his left leg over his thigh. 
“There was a guy in my neighborhood I jacked off with a few times,” Todd said.  “He always wanted to do more but I wouldn’t let him.  What about you?”
“I’ve had boyfriends.  I dated a guy this past summer:  William,” Darin said.  “We met in Boston, at the youth group. Did you ever go to that?” 
Todd shook his head. “I never went into Boston on a regular basis.  I wish I had.  Are you guys still together?”
“Nope.”  Darin didn’t look up from the floor. “Your folks are coming back later?”
“Yeah, after they check into their motel,” Todd answered. “They said you’re welcome to come to dinner. We’re going to try and find a place in town to eat.”
 “No, it’s all right,” Darin said. “I’m going to stay and check things out.”  He stood and zipped up his cheap jeans.  “Tell your folks it was nice to meet them and give them my regrets.”
Todd nodded. “Sure.”
“Are you coming back to the room tonight or staying with them?” Darin asked.
“Coming back.  But they’ll be back in the morning before they leave,” Todd patted Darin’s butt. “Have fun.”
“I will,” Darin said, glad to get out of the dark, cluttered room. 
 

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