Join Jennifer Boulanger, in conversation with Elisabeth Nonas, for a book-talk that highlights the historical and cultural touchstones that weave through this personal narrative.

About the Book: It’s the summer of 1969. And ink on the headlines about the Stonewall Uprising is barely dry when the entire country is mesmerized by a musical revolution rocking Woodstock. Smack dab in the middle of it all is teenage Olaf, about to leave home for his first year at college in upstate New York.

Gay, gorgeous and musically gifted, Olaf is the only son of a close-knit Italian-American family. Ready or not, he will soon find himself surfing major waves of change empowered by the Gay Rights Movement of the 70s. Unbeknownst to him and his younger sister, whom he lovingly called Holine, he’s about to confront the deadly perils of entrenched homophobia and an emerging HIV-AIDS epidemic.

In this expansive memoir steeped in historicity, author Jennifer Boulanger gifts readers with a moving story about truth and lies, societal upheaval and families in crises, as seen through the lens of a loving sister and insightful chronicler.

About the Author: Jennifer Boulanger is an activist, educator, and freelance journalist, Professor and Dean Emeritus from a NYS community college. An originator of the Safe Space initiative for local LGBTQ community college students, she holds a Master of Science degree in literacy from SUNY Cortland and a doctorate in Adult Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. She is an advocate for local refugee resettlement and serves as Vice President of Whitney’s Legacy, a foundation dedicated to supporting and empowering women.