The Queerling

Preston Nesbitt is a 16-year-old "memory prodigy," with a rare form of Asperger's Syndrome, confined to a Portland, Oregon mental hospital for refusing to admit his participation in a viral YouTube video--showing him being struck by a car that appears to pass through him. Written in the form of a journal assigned by his therapist, which he entitles, "Quips & Quotes From The Queerling," Preston sees himself as both a misunderstood 21st-century Holden Caulfield and the imprisoned protagonist of Gunter Grass's classic ("The Tin Drum"), Oskar Matzerath, who refused to grow up in an insane world. A savant, whose life has been a series of psychologically damaging misunderstandings--by his parents, teachers and peers--Preston informs his therapist, "Doc, just so you know... I don't trust anyone who doesn't drop the occasional F-bomb." His rants--mini arias sparing no one--include indictments of society and its various constructs; over-medication of America's youth, specifically "The Drug War on Children; and what he believes to be an elementary, limited understanding of Reality, comparable to "learned men" once believing the world to be flat and to the medical profession's primitive use of blood-letting. With sardonic, cultural reference-heavy humor, "off-the-charts" genius, and emotion-laden memories, Preston questions demand answers. In his world, memories and dreams occupy the same temporal plane as any other reality. Out-Of-Body Experiences, shape-shifting and past-life recollections are important facets of his "unique" personality. In Preston's world, queerness isn't merely confined to sexual identity. Far from it! Will he be released in time to attend NYU? Is he delusional or a visionary? What's the phenomenon behind the viral YouTube video? "The Queerling" packs a reality-bending conclusion that answers all those questions. ForeWord's Clarion Reviews says of "The Queerling." 'The story is brilliant, esoteric fiction.' 'Gary is at the height of his literary powers, producing a character and story that feels viscerally authentic...' Readers looking for a wholly original voice--smart, humorous, acerbic and disturbing--will find it in Preston Nesbitt. As he proclaims, "I am the Zeitgeist of the 21st-century! The aforementioned review concludes: 'The epilogue will blow reader's minds and beg a second reading...'