Introduction

A heartbreaking, beautifully written debut novel from Jeffrey Dale Lofton, RED CLAY SUZIE captures life and love living on the fringes in America's Deep South.

Inspired by events in his own life, the author takes us inside the heart and mind of Philbet, a gay, physically misshapen boy struggling to find his way in a deeply conservative family and community. Fueled by tomato sandwiches and green milkshakes, and obsessed with cars, Philbet is happiest when helping Grandaddy dig potatoes from the vegetable garden that connects their houses. But Philbet's world is shattered and his resilience shaken by events that crush his innocence and fragile sense of security; expose his physical deformity skillfully hidden behind shirts Mama makes for him at home on her Singer; and convince him he is not fit to be loved by Knox, the boy he idolizes to distraction. Over time, Philbet finds refuge in unexpected places and unexpected ways leading to resolution from beyond the grave.

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Excerpt

Chapter Two
Grandaddy’s Tater Rule

Grandaddy’s vegetable garden was perfect for carving out paths and roads for my fleet of Matchbox cars. The neat rows defined by mounds of soil were long avenues that headed any place my preschool mind could conjure. Each row looked endless, its perspective making it disappear before it actually stopped against the fence that followed the back line of the property, which abutted a railroad track. My miniature green 1968 Mercury Cougar was almost identical to Beau’s real Cougar, which sat across the highway at Pick and Lolly’s filling station every day Beau worked there. I could see it from any place I stood, whether I was at Adam’s and my bedroom window, next door on Grandaddy and Jorma’s front porch, or in the garden rows. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. What is more concerning to Philbet—his same-sex attractions or his skeletal deformity? Which one most shapes his character, stokes his fears?

2. Which character plays the most pivotal role in helping Philbet find his way? His grandaddy? His best friend James? His neighbor Beau?

3. Do Philbet and Knox have a future together?

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