"AM I BLUE?"
​
Novel Rationale: “Am I Blue?” by Bruce Coville (Published in “Am I Blue?”: Coming Out From the Silence. Ed. Marion Dane Bauer, HarperCollins, 1994)
Summary: Vince, who is gaybashed by homophobic schoolmate Butch Carrigan, is helped by Melvin who introduces himself as Vince’s fairy godfather. Melvin is the embodiment of many stereotypes about gay men but makes no excuse for himself, telling Vince that he was killed for refusing the hide his personality in the closet and so now he feels he has the right to act the way he wants. Over coffee, Melvin explains to Vince, who is struggling to decide what his own sexuality is, about what it means to be gay. Vince uses his second wish to fulfill “gay fantasy #3,” which is to turn everyone with homosexual leanings blue for a day in order to show people how many gay people they actually know so they can’t ignore the facts any longer. By the end of the story, Vince is more comfortable with the idea of homosexuality and is still undecided about his own identity.
Themes:
Coming out
Gay
Gay bashing/ Homophobia
Stereotypes
Acceptance
Self-Identity
​
​
Connection to the Curriculum: As a short story, “Am I Blue?” will add to discussions about story form and structure, showing how character development and plot differ from that in a novel. This story also deals briefly with many of major issues that face GLBTQ young adults, among which are homophobia, violence, stereotypes, and the refusal to accept that gay people are more widely spread than some would care to believe. Also of interest is the question of genre and theme, mixing elements of the fairy tale with activism and character portrayal.
​
A Note on the Text: (The best way to evaluate and understand a novel is to personally read the book in its entirety)
"Am I Blue?" is just one of 16 short stories in this collection. It would also be possible to have a unit on short stories, or choose to teach the whole book.
This short story highlights many of the typical stereotypes that people associate with gay men. While the story may at first seem to perpetuate those stereotypes, it is also trying to subvert them (which is an excellent topic for class discussion). Also contains brief scenes of violence in order to portray the unfortunate reality that some teens may face.
