His observations came across in few words, but he had a big laugh on the occasions when it appeared. Shears was a one-man sexual revolution, dreaming big and tripping on the rush of conjuring his muse and realizing those dreams. He seized opportunity by the balls and made things happen, dancing on bartops to make some extra cash and struggling to fucking do something—to leave his mark on the world while grappling with an almost crippling self-loathing. This may result in small marks to the dustjacket and title page, please also bear in mind that each signature will be a little different from the one we show here.

Some of the most emotionally gripping parts of this book include his longest-lasting relationship--the friendship with his BFF Mary, a morbidly obese woman he met on a party-line when we was a teenager.

Eventually, Shears moved to New York and studied fiction writing at the New School, picking up gigs as a go-go dancer at clubs and writing for the fashionably hip Paper magazine.

Its amazing how what you see presented in the media is far from the reality of the Mental and Physical challenges being faced by Jake and those around him. For some reason, I find musicians more interesting than actors, and have read a fair number of memoirs by artists I know peripherally: Jewel, Keith Richards, Posh Spice. Even if you don't know his music or aren't tantalized by his physical appeal, Boys Keep Swinging is a worthwhile read. She lived in a state of loving preoccupation about my sexuality, trying to figure out in secret if there was anything that could be done—and if there wasn’t, how to make things easier on me.

One day we will all look back at this and realize how truly blessed we all are to get to experience such beautiful moments.