Toasted Cheese Reviews Feeding!

Oh, wow! Toasted Cheese has given my novel Feeding an excellent review! I know, I’m being shameless, but I have to quote this bit:

Likewise all of Stanford’s characters are robust and real and sometimes raw. Stanford doesn’t hold back. Some of the scenes are edgy and some are more than a little provocative. Tajo isn’t a perfect character and the things he does—although done for love—make him more appealing because sometimes good people do bad things and bad people do good things. Tajo does both. Stanford gets this and that is why Tajo, along with his fabulous supporting cast, is such a terrific teen character, so believable with his old-soul, wise-cracking, kid-cussing ways. Clearly, Stanford gets teenagers and is fluid in their speak.

Thanks so much for the terrific review! You can get Feeding for yourself and read the first three chapters here!

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"The Yellow Bike"

My story “The Yellow Bike” is now up at the Toasted Cheese Literary Journal website. The narrator is a high school boy who falls in love with another boy named Stefan, although Stefan doesn’t share the first boy’s feelings. When Stefan’s home life falls apart and he runs away, the boys’ friendship seems doomed. But an overnight trip to find Stefan teaches the narrator that their friendship matters more to the boy he loves than he thinks.

“The Yellow Bike” at Toasted Cheese Literary Journal

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"The Yellow Bike" is coming!

I learned today that my story "The Yellow Bike" will be appearing in the March 2011 issue of the Toasted Cheese Literary Journal. Shakespeare warns it is mad to trust a boy’s love, but when you’re the boy and the boy you love has run away, you risk that love to prove Shakespeare wrong. "The Yellow Bike" is the story of that risk, and what the boy finds at that journey's end. It is a tale that resonates deeply with me. Keep an eye out; I'll post another note when the story goes up next month. Meanwhile, you can check out another story I wrote at Toasted Cheese called "Wolf Dreams." Enjoy!

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"Wolf Dreams" is up!

In Dreams I Walk With You, a mixed media painting by artist Jen Storey, inspired by Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.

My short story "Wolf Dreams" just went up at the Toasted Cheese Literary Journal website. The painting above inspired the tale -- it reminded me of how much I loved wolves when I was a teen at the same time I was beginning to realize that I'm gay. In the story, the character of René is very much based on me. Just about everything in there about how I felt about wolves is also true.

I really did fall hugely in love with another boy in high school. Unfortunately, he was straight, but we were still good friends for a while. "Wolf Dreams" is how things might have gone for us had he loved me in return.

"Wolf Dreams" (Toasted Cheese Literary Journal)

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Acceptance for "Wolf Dreams"

I just received word that my story "Wolf Dreams" will appear in the June issue of the Toasted Cheese Literary Journal. I'm very excited. "Wolf Dreams" is about a boy who loves wolves and falls in love with another boy. The kickoff point was reimagining my big high school love; only this time, he likes me back. The rest is all fantasy, but it's a lovely one. Look for "Wolf Dreams" to go up at the Toasted Cheese website in June.

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