"Magic Season: A Son's Story"

Our guest is Wade Rouse, a bestselling author who publishes works of fiction under his grandmother's name, Viola Shipman. Now Rouse has written a memoir, "Magic Season," which he discusses with us on ST. As was noted by Daniel Black (the author of "Don't Cry for Me") about this memoir: "The beauty of 'Magic Season' is Wade Rouse's ability to illustrate the tensions between a conservative father and his gay son while simultaneously presenting their irrefutable love affair. The story moves readers deftly through the vicissitudes of traditional patriarchy and misogyny and demonstrates how these cultural norms strangle boys who refuse the assumed allure of toxic masculinity."