"My Handful of Stars" chronicles the life of a ninety-year-old gay man who had never come to terms with his gift of homosexuality. Born in 1930 during the great depression, he grew up first in a small Western Kansas town and was indoctrinated into a somewhat, fundamental Christian church. After his first male-to-male sexual experience, the influence of the church teachings to which he had been exposed forced him to internalize his homosexuality, and most of his life was spent as a straight-acting, closeted homosexual. He eventually "outed" himself to his daughter and then the world.
"My Handful of Stars" chronicles the life of a ninety-year-old gay man who had never come to terms with his gift of homosexuality. Born in 1930 during the great depression, he grew up first in a small Western Kansas town and was indoctrinated into a somewhat, fundamental Christian church. After his first male-to-male sexual experience, the influence of the church teachings to which he had been exposed forced him to internalize his homosexuality, and most of his life was spent as a straight-acting, closeted homosexual. He eventually "outed" himself to his daughter and then the world.
After coming out, author Kenneth Felts has appeared on many national and international T.V. shows telling the story of his life, including his four years as a Navy Personnelman on a minesweeper during the Korean War. He also talks about the difficulty of straight-acting in a non-accepting and dangerous world. The period of change resulting from the Stonewall Riots as well as the Vietnam protester movement created an atmosphere that eventually made it safe to come out of the closet.
Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
Original Binding: Trade Paperback
Pages: 166 pages
ISBN-10: 0545700280
Item Weight: 0.8 lbs
Dimensions: 6.0 x 0.4 x 9.0 inches
Customer Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars 1,001 to 10,000 ratings
Praise for A Handful of Stars:
* "Salma's artistic creativity and gumption awaken Lily to the power of imagination, the importance of embracing change and knowing when to let go of the past, and the rewards of venturing beyond one's comfort zone." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "The treatment of Salma's migrant life is matter-of-fact but direct, and Lily plausibly deals with possibilities of local racism and swells with indignation on behalf of her new friend... It's the straightforward and unaffected prose (highly suitable for a readaloud as well as reading alone) that really allows Lily's story to shine... it's hard to resist joining her on her journey toward greater maturity." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
"[A] warm-hearted, thoughtfully written tale of a memorable friendship." -- The Horn Book Guide
"This sensitive coming-of-age tale compassionately explores prejudice and multiculturalism." -- Kirkus Reviews
"A thoughtful work that examines cultural bias and will spark discussion." -- School Library Journal
Praise for Half A Chance:
* "[Lord] has combined vivid, cinematic description with deft characterization and handles several important issues with sensitivity, nuance, and great skill... A deeply enjoyable read." -- School Library Journal, starred review
* "With winning results, Lord brings the same sensitivity to the subject of dementia that she brought to autism in her Newbery Honor book, Rules." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Praise for Rules:
Newbery Honor Book
Schneider Family Book Award
ALA Notable Book
Born May 20, 1930, in Dodge City, Kansas, his family moved several times following his father's employment by the Santa Fe Railroad but eventually, the family returned to the town of his birth. He had his first male-to-male sexual experience at age twelve in Belen, New Mexico, and knew immediately what his sexual orientation was and was aware that his religion taught that it was sinful behavior. Thus, he spent most of his life denying his gift of homosexuality. After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, he moved to California in 1957 determined to lead a straight life. Love interfered with those plans when he met a handsome young man who worked in the office where he found employment and eventually, they lived together for about eighteen months. The tragic events of their breakup forced a reconsideration of his sexual proclivity and ended in a firm determination to go straight. When writing his memoirs, Felts was finally faced with publicly expressing his sexuality, which occurred when he was ninety years old.
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