''A Push and a Shove: A Novel'' is a

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

novel in the

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

genre by Christopher Kelly. Kelly, an openly gay man, is a film critic and journalist for '' Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' and '' Texas Monthly''. Kelly developed the story over four years and it is "slightly autobiographical ..with elements of me in both the main characters." '' Publishers Weekly'' recommended it as a "combination of

revenge Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." Pr ...

and coming-of-age story". The novel won the

Lambda Literary Award for Gay Debut Fiction The Lambda Literary Award for Debut Fiction is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation to a debut work of fiction on LGBT themes. Formerly presented in two separate categories for gay male and lesbian debut fiction, ...

in 2007. Kelly is working simultaneously on two other novels; one is "another dark thriller" the other is a satire.Fort Worth journo wins Lammy: Star-Telegram movie critic honored for Best Gay Debut Fiction
Daniel A. Kusner, ''Dallas Voice'' Jun 5, 2008.

Plot summary

Benjamin Reilly, a high school English-teacher in Staten Island, N.Y., witnesses a fight between two students.
Publishers Weekly, October 22, 2007. This brings him back to childhood years of

bullying Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...

by Terrence O'Connell, a popular jock he had a crush on at the time. Reilly decides to quit his job, track down his bully and wreak revenge on him.Book Mark: Biting the Apple
Richard Labonte, ''Pride Source'', originally printed 11/08/2007 (Issue 1545 - Between The Lines News) He visits his parents in Indiana, where he also engages in unsafe sex with a Hispanic man. In Manhattan, he meets with Terrence and they become friends. While on holiday in Vail, Colorado, he takes an HIV test - by the end of the novel, he learns he doesn't have AIDS. Terrence breaks up with his girlfriend and slowly admits to being gay, though he won't let Benjamin kiss him. Out of anger, Benjamin pushes Terrence down a mountaintop, sending him off to hospital for several weeks. Terrence proves to be understanding, and they both decide they are now even. Benjamin learns about the circumstances surrounding his sister's death and his brother's runaway streak as a teenager. Finally, Benjamin is invited to Terrence's same-sex marriage with an investment banker in Massachusetts.

Characters

*Benjamin Reilly, the protagonist. He works as a school-teacher at Tottenville High School. He grew up on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

. *Danny, his brother. *Mary, his sister. *Tony, his father. *Terrence O'Connell, the bully. He went to Yale University and now writes for the '' Village Voice'', '' The New York Times'', '' Rolling Stone'' and '' GQ''. He lives in New York City. *Anthony, his first boyfriend, closeted and going out with Alicia, a Connecticut College undergraduate. His next boyfriends were Scott and Brandon. *Meredith McBern, a co-worker of Benjamin's at Tottenville High School. *Mario and Elliot, two boys who get into a fight at Tottenville High School. *Marcus, the principal at Tottenville High School. *Thomas and Marta O'Connell, Terrence's affluent parents. They live in Indiana. *David Zimmerman, Joe DeNino, Seth Kern, Evan Sutton, James Lester, fellow-students at Benjamin's high school. *Alex, a Hispanic man with whom Benjamin has unsafe sex in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. *Lisa, Terrence's girlfriend in Manhattan. *George Pulaski, a fellow-student of Danny's while he is in high school. *Sam, the doctor who performs an HIV test on Benjamin in Vail, Colorado. *Barrett Hogan, Terrence's husband.

Allusions to other works

*As a child, Benjamin liked to read

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

books. He would also watch '' Three's Company'', '' What's Happening!!'', '' Hawaii Five-O'', '' Quincy, M.E.'', '' Barney Miller'' and ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...

''. *In high school, Benjamin studies ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' by William Shakespeare. He will also study a novel by

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

. *During a conversation with Terrence, Benjamin sums up the plot of

's ''

Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...

''. In his house, he listens to

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

and R.E.M. *Benjamin compares Terrence's life in Manhattan to the television series '' Sex and the City'' for its overpriced cocktails and ubiquitous investment bankers. *Terrence mentions '' The Vanishing''. *In high school, Danny reads '' Bleak House'' by Charles Dickens. *In an interview with the '' Dallas Voice'', Christopher Kelly compared this novel to '' The Talented Mr. Ripley'' by Patricia Highsmith.Arnold Wayne Jones, 'Queermancer', Dallas Voice, 18 October 2007

References

External links

''A Push and a Shove'' on MySpace

{{DEFAULTSORT:Push And A Shove, A 2007 American novels Lambda Literary Award-winning works American LGBT novels Novels with gay themes Alyson Books books