Growing Up Me
A Memoir In Poems
by
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THE WAY THE MOON LOOKED It took me a while To rig the extension cord from the hall To clip the reading light to the window sill To climb on the creaking army cot, The zipper on the sleeping bag Snagged at my waist Moths batted the screens I dropped my book Turned off the light Scrunched down Saw the moon in patches. AFTER "SNOW WHITE" Let me be the wicked witch Not the evil queen Let me be What I appear to be. If I am wicked Let it show In crook of arm In sprout of chin Not disguised In fashing eyes In alabaster skin. HALF A DAY Daddy used to say "I only worked half a day -- Half a day, Twelve hours." I knew he was tired. Daddy used to say "Never lose your sense of humor." At the time I thought He meant me.
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About the Book
These poems were culled from my writings of the past thirty years. Sorting through them, I noticed that many were about my childhood; I decided this would be the theme for a book. “Getting Above Myself” was my first title: it meant three things to me: a childhood notion of “the greatest crime one could commit,” an ironic take on that idea and finally, the perspective needed for me to see clearly the events I was writing about. This seemed too complicated to convey in just a title. Next I thought of “Growing Up” – plain, straightforward, but also imprecise. I am neither social worker nor psychologist. What I have to share is my personal experience. So, “Growing Up Me.” The thirty-eight poems in this book cover a period from my birth through high school. They are arranged chronologically by subject and cover such topics as education, family dynamics, the church, and my growing awareness that I was gay.
About the Author
Raised in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, FRANK KELLY was educated there at St. Rose School, at the University of Scranton (B.A., 1967) and the University of Kansas (M.A., English, 1969; Ph.D., Theater and Drama, 1978). The Department of English and Humanities at Farmingdale State College, on Long Island, was his professional home for thirty-three years. Frank’s first book was Growing Up Me: A Memoir in Poems, published by Xlibris in 2012. Still Growing, a sequel of sorts, was published by Xlibris in May 2016. Frank has collaborated on three stage musicals: The Texas Chainsaw Musical, Xmas! The Expose! and Pageant. The most recent New York City production of the latter ran off-Broadway in 2014 and was recorded by Jay Records. Pageant has played all over the world including London’s West End, Australia, Japan, and throughout the United States. The script is available from Samuel French, Inc.