Band Fags! (2008) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

• Jack Paterno: Protagonist. Real name, John Robert. Lives on the north side of town (Hazel Park), near 10 Mile. Brown hair, blue eyes. Too pretty to be a boy. Wants to be popular. Play trumpet in Band.
• Bradley James Dayton: Jack Paterno's best friend since seventh grade. Lives on the south side of town (Ferndale), near 8 Mile. Reddish-brown hair, an Opie from Andy Griffith look-a-like. Wants to be a famous actor when he grows up. Plays trombone in Band.
• Max Wilson: Friend of Jack and Brad. Meets Jack in 7th grade at Webb Junior High. Has known Brad since 4th grade at Webster. Lives in Ferndale. Drives a LeMans in high school. Older sister is Maggie. Mother resembles Annette Funicello. Father lives in Roseville. Parents divorced.
• Joey Palladino: Jack's first best friend. They met in 3rd grade at Longfellow. His family moved to Clarkston in 6th grade. Returns to Hazel Park in 10th grade. Italian. Chocolate eyes and cherry lips. Drives a Fiero. Father works for Kmart world headquarters. Parents divorced.
• Alyssa Resnick: Jack's first girlfriend at Hazel Park High. 2 years older. Graduates in 1986. A Molly Ringwald-type. Younger sister named Miranda. Likes Peewee Herman, and Amy Grant music. Goes to Calvary Baptist Church.
• Audrey Wojczek: Jack's gal pal. They met in kindergarten at Longfellow. She moved to Minnesota, then returned to Hazel Park and went to St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School. Reunites with Jack at Webb Junior High School in 9th grade. A member of Flag Corps, and also a Drama Queer. Long fiery red hair down to her waist. Older brother Mike is a bartender at The Gas Station.
• Luanne Kowalski: Friend of Jack and Brad. One year older, class of '87. Goes to Webb Junior High then HPHS. Plays trombone in Band, later Drum Major. Lives in Ferndale, drives a Dodge Escort. Mother is psychic. A Judd Nelson-type. Best friends with Alyssa Resnick.
• Tom Fulton: Friend of Jack's during senior year at HPHS. His enemy at Webb Junior High. A jock with flippy hair. Goes to see Judy Tenuta in Ann Arbor with Jack.
• Betsy Sheffield: Real name, Elizabeth. Jack's best girl friend in high school. A Preppie, lives in The Courts. Older sister Cheri is best friend of Alyssa Resnick. Not a Band Fag, but in Chorale. Also plays basketball. Drives a Chevy Vega.
• Kristian Alfonso: Actress on Days of our Lives. Plays Hope Williams Brady. The love of Jack's life. He travels to Toledo, OH to meet her in 10th grade, presents her with a portrait he has drawn of her.
• Bobby Russell: Friend of Brad Dayton's. Plays trombone in Band at Webb Junior High. A Billy Idol-wannabe, bad boy.
• Diane Thompson: Girlfriend of Jack's during Junior year. A Vikette. Resembles actress who plays Lily on soap opera Santa Barbara. Class of 1989.
• Mr. Grant: Jack's 9th grade Civics teacher at Webb Junior High. 30 years old. Spiky hair with a Tom Selleck 'stache.
• Carrie Johnson: Friend of Jack's from Band. Plays clarinet. Went to Roosevelt elementary school. Best friends with Ava Reese. A fellow Days of our Lives fan. Loves Peter Reckell who plays Bo Brady.
• Mr. Borjes: Teaches Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry at Hazel Park High School. From Brasil.
• Ava Reese: Friend of Jack's from Band. Plays clarinet. Went to Webster elementary school with Brad and Max. Best friend of Carrie Johnson. Also a Drama Queer.
• Cheri Sheffield: Besty's older sister, class of 1986. Slightly chubby, with a pretty face. Sings in Chorale. Best friend of Alyssa Resnick.
• Lynn Kelly: Jack's first girlfriend in 7th grade at Webb Junior High. Lives in Ferndale. Plays saxophone in Band. Later a Vikette.
• Mr. Klan: Band teacher at Hazel Park High. 35, never been married. Nickname, Kloset Kase Klan. Looks like John Ritter from Three's Company. Went to Michigan State University.
• Jamie Good: Classmate of Jack and Brad. Full name: Jamieleeann MarySue. Most Popular Girl at Hazel Park High. Brad's partner in Chorale. Plays Rizzo in Grease. Writes for the school paper, The Hazel Parker.
• Janelle Dayton: Brad's older sister. Class of 1986. Nickname: Big Boobs.
• Ginny: Brad's date for the 9th grade Carnation Dance at Webb Junior High. They met at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Goes to school in Clarkston.
• Ms. Lemieux: First name Cinnamon, nickname: Cin. Jack and Brad's 7th grade Enriched English and Social Studies teacher. A bit untraditional. Considered by other teachers to be an incompetent buffoon. A former model.
• Roy Freeman: Jack's uncle. A local Detroit comedian.
• Mary: Jack's aunt
• Laura Victor-Dayton-Victor: Brad's mother. A knock out. Originally from Alabama. Works at Detroit Osteopathic Hospital. Divorced.
• Sonia: Jack's aunt. Habitually tardy. Resembles Laverne, aka Penny Marshall.
• Rachael: Jack's cousin, same age. Goes to HPHS, class of 1988. Mother is Mary. Father is Jim. Sister is Rhonda.
• Mrs. Carey: French teacher at Hazel Park High. African-American. Majored in Latin. Looks like the guy from the 7Up commercials, who played Punjab in movie version of Annie.
• Gwendy: From Texas. Meets Jack while on Spring Break in Daytona Beach. Likes to drink Irish cream.
• Rhonda: Jack's cousin, two years older. Goes to HPHS with Alyssa Resnick and Cheri Sheffield, class of 1986.
• Judy Tenuta: Comedienne. Petite Flower, Giver Goddess, Fashion Plate, Saint...
• Craig Gershrowski: Jack's nemesis at Webb Junior High, one year younger. Originally from Center Line. Lives in Ferndale near Green Acres Park.
• Mrs. Putnam: Band teacher at Webb Junior High. Full name Jessica Clark Putnam. Originally from Rochester, NY. Went to University of Michigan. A flautist. Motto is "Friends Hold You Back."
• Tonya Tyler: Classmate of Jack and Brad. Best friends with Jamie Good. A cheerleader. Also in Chorale.
• Dianne Paterno: Jack's mother. Married at 14, gave birth to Jack at 15. Maiden name Freeman. Went to Webb Junior High, but dropped out during 9th grade. A housewife.
• John W. Paterno: Jack's father. Married at 17. Went to HPHS class of 1970. A produce manager at Farmer Jack's supermarket.
• Jodi Paterno: Jack's sister, 4 years younger.
• Billy Paterno: Jack's brother, 8 years younger.

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Hazel Park: Jack Paterno's home town. Borders Detroit at 8 Mile and runs to 10 Mile. Aka "Hazeltucky."
• Jack Paterno's House: Located on Shevlin in Hazel Park
• Ferndale: Brad Dayton's home town. Borders Hazel Park. Half of the city's residents go to Hazel Park Schools.
• Webb Junior High School: Junior high school in the city of Hazel Park, located in Ferndale, MI
• Hazel Park High School: Aka "Hillbilly High."
• Daytona Beach: Spring Break destination for kids from Hazel Park.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• scan-ju-lous: Brad's unique way of saying "scandalous." Also "scan-jul" for "scandal."

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Frank Anthony Polito (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• selected as The Best Book of 2008 by the members of Insight Out Book Club (2008: Fiction)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813.6

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Gay & Lesbian › Literature & Fiction › Fiction › Gay
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• Band Fags!: Official website of BAND FAGS! a novel by Frank Anthony Polito

More Books Like This edit see section history

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history

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