In the spring of 2009, John Schwartz got a distress call from his wife. His 13-year old son, Joe, was on his way to the hospital after a failed suicide attempt.
Joe, a socially awkward but smart boy, had finally mustered the courage to come out as gay to his classmates who responded with discomfort and dismay. Hours later, he took dozens of Benadryl capsules with the intention of killing himself.
Oddly Normal: One Family's Struggle to Help Their Teenage Son Come to Terms with His Sexuality by John Schwartz is, at the core, the story about Joseph Schwartz, Jeanne and John’s gay child.
John Schwartz is a national correspondent with the New York Times, where he has covered law, science, technology, business and a broad range of other topics.
