A review by val_halla
The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America by James Schwartz

2.0

I was pretty disappointed with this book. To be fair, poetry is very subjective, so other readers might really enjoy the poems. I found them amateurish and filled with clichés. It makes sense that the author would rely on overused gay slang from the 90s, since he wasn't exposed to any of that when it was fresh and original. The tired stereotypes were all new to him after leaving the Amish community, so using them in poetry actually underscores the author's inexperience. It didn't impress me, though.