Vanilla Heart Publishing
Photo Credit Brenda Jamrus
Kate Evans is the author of a poetry collection (Like All We Love, Spirit/Q Press) and a book about lesbian and gay teachers (Negotiating the Self, Routledge). Her stories, poems and essays have appeared in more than 40 publications, including the North American Review, Bellevue Literary Review, Santa Monica Review,and ZYZZYVA. Her work has been nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Lambda Literary Award and two Pushcart Prizes. A
Readers can learn more about Kate Evans and her writing at www.beingandwriting.blogspot.com.
It’s 1981 and 17-year-old Norma Rogers' parents
drop her off at the college dorms. Soon, Norma finds herself drunk and
nearly naked with three strangers. The strip poker event is the first of many
experiences that prompt Norma to question who she is—and who she wants to
be.
Norma's relationships with an array of
characters induce her to grapple with society's messages about women, sex, and
freedom. These characters include Jack, her aloof on-again, off-again
boyfriend; Goat, her antsy dorm neighbor; Liz Chan, a pot-smoking sorority
girl; Benny Moss, a nerdy guy who has a thing for Liz; and Paul Fellows, Benny's
roommate, whom Norma calls “Chuck” because he reminds her of Charlie
Brown. Chuck, a witty aficionado of old films, plays a pivotal role in
Norma's discoveries about life's possibilities, as does Norma's roommate
Stacy—a beautiful, kind, and somewhat mysterious blonde.
Many tumultuous events take Norma through an array of troubles, pleasures, and thrills: from drug
use and ominous encounters with strangers, to rowdy parties and road trips, to
queer coming-out surprises.
In the midst of these incidents—which are
peppered with 1970's and 1980's pop cultural references—Norma reflects on her
desire for freedom (sexual and otherwise). Reinforcing these themes are
the intermittent appearances of her middle-class parents and her sister, as
well as her best friend from high school whose life in a small town—as she
prepares for her upcoming wedding—is poles apart from Norma’s. Ultimately
Norma comes to see that there are many ways to live and love.
For the May Queen
“In
the tumultuous way of Go Ask Alice, so Kate Evans captures the
nightmarish chaos of a young woman’s attempt to find her way amid too much
freedom, too much sex and too many drugs. Laced with the kind of astute detail
that drops readers into that fateful freshman year of college, this story
examines the hard choices that can make or break a spirit.” — Martha Engber, Growing
Great Characters From the Ground Up: A Thorough Primer for Writers of Fiction
and Nonfiction
"Can a novel about college freshman be a page turner? In Kate Evans’ capable hands, you bet! Evans’ very readable coming-of-age novel transports us to that era of bad hair and worse décor between the swinging Seventies and safe sex. Readers will empathize with the engaging narrator as she negotiates her first year of college, trying to balance conflicting desires and learning to live with the consequences of her choices. Evans hooks the reader from the first paragraph with this story of love and friendship among compelling characters who grapple with the essential question we all have to face: Who are you?" — Patricia Valdata, Author of Crosswind and The Other Sister
"Evans' debut novel, For the May Queen, is a compelling coming of age story. Through a first person narrative that is as intimate and engaging as the finest memoir, Evans takes the reader on the humorous and chaotic journey of spirited Norma Rogers as she navigates her first year of college. Evans skillfully reminds us all of what it means to be young, questioning, and prone to get a lot wrong on our way toward an adulthood where we know ourselves--and those around us--- just a little better." — Jayne Pupek, author of Tomato Girl and Forms of Intercession
For the May Queen
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