Out of the Ordinary - by Ellen Samuels & Noelle Howey (Paperback)

About the Book

"Out of the Ordinary" is a groundbreaking collection of essays by teen and adult children of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender parents. The essays range from humorous to poignant and provide insight into numerous topics on dealing with a parent's sexuality while figuring out one's own. 100 photos.

Book Synopsis

Out of the Ordinary is a truly unique anthology, a groundbreaking collection of essays by the grown children of lesbian, gay, and transgender parents. Ranging from humorous to poignant, the essays touch on some of the most important and complicated issues facing them: dealing with a parent's sexuality while developing an identity of one's own; overcoming homophobia at school and at family or social gatherings; and defining the modern family. In a time when traditional family structure has undergone radical change, Out of the Ordinary is an important look at the meaning of love, family, and relationships, and will speak to anyone who has lived or is interested in non-traditional families.

With a foreword by Margarethe Cammermeyer, Ph.D., author of Serving in Silence, and a preface by columnist and author Dan Savage, Out of the Ordinary also includes a resource guide of organizations that offer support for the hundreds of thousands of gay, lesbian, and transgender parents and their children. As the demographic increases, this book becomes an invaluable tool for learning, understanding, and acceptance.

Review Quotes

"Groundbreaking, long overdue, thoughtful and moving--an impressive collection not only of remarkable stories, but of remarkable writing." --Lisa Miya Jervis, editor, Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture

"One of the best collections I've read in 20 years . . . [these] remarkable essays will educate and entertain." --Ritch Savin-Williams, author, And Then I Became Gay

"These are voices we have not heard. There is gold in these pages." --Riki Wilchins, author of Read My Lips: Sexual Subversion and the End of Gender

"Out of the Ordinary succeeds in putting words to the strange, often difficult realities of a peculiar type of growing-up. In doing so, it becomes a rare gem, a book that is as compelling as it is important." --Chelsea Cain, Ms.

About the Author

Noelle Howey is a freelance editor who has contributed to numerous magazines and web sites, including Ms., Self, Time Out, Mademoiselle, and Mother Jones. She is also the author Dress Codes.

Ellen Samuels is an award-winning poet and teacher who lives in Berkeley, California. She holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Cornell University and has published poetry and articles in numerous literary journals.