Super Short Summary

In his debut novel, Songs for the New Depression, theater director and AIDS-education advocate Kergan Edwards-Stout draws on personal experience caring for a partner with AIDS to paint a portrait of a middle-aged gay man dying from the disease and reflecting on his life. The novel is divided into three parts, exploring his adulthood in 1995, his wild days in the 1980s, and his formative teenage years. The protagonist's journey includes themes of love, regret, and personal growth through wit and self-deprecation. The book contains depictions of traumatic events such as gay-bashing and discusses terminal illness.