Outhouse are now the exclusive sellers in Ireland of the new paperback book ‘To Kill A Time’ by Stanlee Keefe.
It tells the story of Ireland and its transformation from a deeply conservative and homophobic society to one of the most open and accepting places anywhere in the world for gay people. It is also the story of how one man lived through it all and despite being deeply affected by his troubled youth finds peace and love in the new Ireland.
On a rainy night in Fairview Park Dublin 1982 a young man was brutally beaten by a group of gay bashers and left to bleed to death while the killers continued their night long rampage. At the subsequent trial, all six members of the gang received suspended sentences on manslaughter charges and left the court triumphantly taunting the family and friends of the victim. The outrage felt in the fledgling gay community of the time led to Ireland’s first LGBT street protest which then gave birth to an organisation that would transform attitudes in Ireland over the next forty years. Their work would cumulate in 2016 with Ireland becoming the first country in the world to overwhelmingly pass a constitutional referendum on same sex marriage.
To kill a time tells the story of this extraordinary transformative journey told through the experiences and recollections of a man who lived through it all. Fran is a middle aged acclaimed writer with a past. The events of Fairview Park are buried deep in his memory until his new young friend Fergus, prompts a cascade of recollections and soul searching. The reliving of the past is at first cathartic but slowly he finds his delicately balanced isolation starts to fall apart as his bond with Fergus grows. Can they reconcile their huge differences? They are very different people. They are of different times and yet together they go on a journey of nostalgia, soul searching and personal growth that would eventually change their lives forever. Can Fran finally let go of the past and become a man of his time or will his troubled past prevent him from being able to love again?
GCN have a great review of the new book on the website. Read it here >>>
You will find the book for sale in the Outhouse Café for €15.
