Press and Reviews

Dallas Voice 6/13/2008 [source]
WE GOT THE BEAT by Daniel A. Kusner - Life+Style Editor
Frank Anthony Polito's new novel, "Band Fags," (Kensington, $15) is getting heaps of praise. Set in Detroit, circa 1982, Jack and Brad are teenagers who sneak glances at Playgirl as they try to weave their way through lust, love, friendship, popularity being "normal" -- and the idea that real life isn't a John Hughes movie.

The Dayton City Paper 6/18/2008 [source]
Critic's Pick by Russell Florence, Jr.
Band Fags!, the terrific debut novel from Brooklyn playwright and 2007 Dayton Playhouse FutureFest finalist Frank Anthony Polito, is a charming, funny, poignant coming-of-age tale set in the 1980s that takes adolescent angst to endearing heights.

Loosely based on Polito's upbringing in the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park and delightfully doused in '80s pop culture, Band Fags! (Kensington) centers around the squeaky clean Jack Paterno, a die-hard Kristian Alfonso fan grappling with his sexual identity at a time when labels mean everything.

As Jack's quandary evolves with ample humor and sensitivity rather than overt heavy-handedness, the deep bond he shares with his best friend and fellow band member Brad Dayton adds an engaging layer to the story that makes for a truly engrossing read.

Polito's refreshingly personable characters, which have been expanded from his 2001 play John. R, leap from the page with a flavorful magnetism that will leave you craving for a sequel, or better yet, a TV or film adaptation.

The Advocate 6/17/2008 [source]
Our Annual Short List of the Best Books by Charlotte Abbott
Fun Fiction for 80's Fans: The book jacket alone is enough to make anyone who loves a man in a white uniform with red trim quiver with glee. Set in a Detroit suburb in the '80s, this antic debut novel tells the story of two boys from opposite sides of the tracks who meet in varsity band. One of them dreams of an endless love like the one Lionel Richie and Diana Ross sing about, while hoping to be popular and normal. Too bad adolescence doesn't work that way. But as this heartfelt valentine to coming of age in the '80s shows, the right jeans, a decent production of Grease, and discovering a true friend do offer some consolation.

ChicagoPride.com Interview With Frank Polito 6/8/2008 [source]
An interview with BAND FAGS! author, Frank Anthony Polito by PJ Gray
Whether you were the only male flutist in your high school marching band or the boy who held a secret crush on the school's quarterback, you will appreciate Frank Anthony Polito's new book Band Fags!
To read the rest of the interview, click here .

BETWEEN THE LINES (Detroit, MI) 6/5/2008
'Band Fags!' explores growing up gay in '80s Hazel Park By Donald V. Calamia [source]
Growing up as a gay teenager in the 1980s wasn't easy - especially when you lived in a working-class suburb commonly referred to as Hazeltucky. Yet not only did Frank Anthony Polito survive those angst-filled years; the actor, playwright and now novelist has chronicled those experiences in the semi-autobiographical "Band Fags!" that hits bookstores nationwide this month.
To read the rest of the review, click here.

Teen tale touches fellow 'Band Fag' By Donald V. Calamia [source]
Readers who survived the era will find much to love about Band Fags! - especially the many cultural references Polito uses to frame his story. But I suspect metro Detroiters will find an even deeper appreciation for the book because of its local color. (Remember Harmony House? The Faygo factory? And Heaven - a once-popular gay bar on Woodward Avenue?)
To read the rest of the story, click here

BAY AREA REPORTER 6/5/2008 [source]
by Robert Julian
For an adult trip down memory lane or an adolescent foray into the remarkably eternal plight of teenagers who don't quite fit in, Band Fags offers significant rewards.
To read the rest of the review by Detroit-area native Robert Julian, click here.

OUTSMART Magazine (Houston, TX) June 2008 [source]
Strike Up the Band! by Jim Boone
Band Fags! by Frank Anthony Polito -- a literary romp from puberty through high school, with footnotes in the future -- is filled with familiar situations. It's about blowing on a trumpet in band practice and practicing on a skin flute with buddies; about first kisses and first loves. Give Band Fags! a read -- whether you are in high school or long gone, this tale will march out a band of memories. Yes, Polito, this happy-days band member finds your 1980s account of teenage friendship, coming out, and other pre-adult musings a fun and quick read, especially for a big book of 448 pages. From Kensington Books.

IN LOS ANGELES Magazine June 2008 [source]
Ten Books to Read this Summer
There are a ton of new books to enjoy this summer, whether it's on a cross-country vacation flight or curled up at home in the A/C. Here are 10 to consider:
2. Band Fags! (Kensington Books)
by Frank Anthony Polito
The coming-of-age story of a gay boy in the 1980s. If the words Dallas, Dynasty and the Go-Go's resonate with you, get this book.

NEXT Magazine 5/19/2008 [source]
Book Smarts by Brian Moylan
What this book says about you: You've said, "One time, at band camp..." without irony
Who this book will attract: People who wish that John Hughes made a gay teen flick.
Jack Paterno and Brad Dayton met in the seventh grade and have been best friends ever since. Both play in the school band and are labeled as "Band Fags." As they make their way through junior high and then high school, they begin to rely on their friendship to make sense of who they are. Together they will face the frightening, capricious and compelling years that bridge adolescence and adulthood.

Armchair Interviews [source]
by Andrea Sisco
Polito delivers the most realistic and detailed view of high school, friends, family, enemies, lost love and emerging sexuality of any Young Adult author I've read in the past several years. He takes a sensitive subject and handles it with sensitivity. Polito makes you think, breaks your heart with the pain of having to 'hide' who you are and tosses in a whole lot of fun while showing 'u' how it is for gay teens. [read full review at source]

Publishers Weekly 5/5/2008 [source]
It's the '80s and Jack Paterno of Hazel Park, Michigan (a.k.a. Hazeltucky) plays trumpet and hangs with the oddball "band fags," including his Best Friend, Brad Dayton, who's always embraced his homosexuality. Jack wonders if he's "like that," and also if a Total Band Fag could ever be a Popular Guy. Polito shows great fondness for and recall of all things '80s (Jordache jeans, mid-period Bee Gees, Jon-Erik Hexum, Nintendo etc.) as Jack's journey through Webb Junior High and Hazel Park ("Hillbilly") High becomes an angst-ridden rollercoaster ride. Polito also has the era's teen talk down: Jack's headlong narration is sweet and funny. And the book's light and breezy "know thyself" ethos paves the way for possible YA crossover. (June)

Praise for the Book

"Band Fags! is like the gay teen flick John Hughes never got around to making. Let's face it, there's a Band Fag in all of us and Frank Anthony Polito has his on speed dial. This book is a sweet, funny, deeply felt valentine to the wonder/horror of coming of age in the 1980's. You might just pee your parachute pants."

-- Dennis Hensley, author of Misadventures in the (213) and Screening Party

"For those of us who came of age in the 80s, reading Frank Anthony Polito's novel is like being teleported back to high school. Filled with pop culture references that will have you saying, 'I remember that!,' this is a love letter to a time when happiness was a pair of Calvin Klein jeans, and every heartbreak could be fixed by listening to your Bonnie Tyler or REO Speedwagon albums. Most important, though, it is a portrait of a friendship between two boys struggling to find themselves without losing each other."

-- Michael Thomas Ford, author of Last Summer

"With the Motor City running on empty in Reagan's America, Frank Anthony Polito's characters dance their mystery dance of teenage longing as if Motown never left for California . Sexy, funny, and wiser than it wants to be, Band Fags! pulses with a ragged beauty and bounces to its beat. I give it a 98.6."

-- Thorn Kief Hillsbery, author of War Boy and What We Do is Secret

"More than just a novel, BAND FAGS! is a virtual time machine that transports you smack dab into the cheesy heart of the 80's. It's like a queer 'Wonder Years' as it follows Brad and Jack's memorable journey through high school hell. Screamingly funny, surprisingly charming and, ultimately, truly moving, it's a fresh take on the importance of friendship during the worst/best years of your life."

-- Brian Sloan, author of A Really Nice Prom Mess and Tale of two Summers

"A consistently hilarious story of the best-friendship we all seem to have had, set in a time we can never seem to forget -- the totally awesome '80s -- Band Fags! never misses a beat in its affectionate, moment-by-moment chronicling of the complicated journey we take from cradle to closet to what lies beyond."

-- Matthew Rettenmund, author of Boy Culture

"These Band Fags march to their own quirky beat in a timeless tale delightfully syncopated against an '80s soundtrack. This surprisingly tender story of best friends locked in a tug-of-war of self-discovering is booby-trapped with Polito's pitch-perfect wisecracks and hilarious observations."

-- Steven Sorrentino, author of Luncheonette

"This former 1980's band fag declares Band Fags! totally wicked awesome. With pitch perfect dialog, and high stepping charm, Polito hilariously shows how not all hearts beat to the rhythm of the same drum major."

-- Josh Kilmer-Purcell, author of I Am Not Myself These Days

"Frank Anthony Polito's Band Fags! plays like an '80s after school special; it feels like dropping right back into the oh-so-important questions of who sits where in the lunchroom, who 'likes' who, and which friends might be 'fags.' Polito absolutely captures the voice of a not-ready-to-be-gay-teenager in the '80s, and spins characters who face real problems, ridiculous concerns, and the meaning of friendship over the years."

-- Alex MacLennan, author of The Zookeeper