Stan Grozniak, the once-rising star of 1990s gay cinema, almost self-sabotages a prestigious directing gig after casting his rediscovered teenage summer stock crush from a production of the musical 'Gypsy.'
Stan Grozniak, the once-rising star of 1990s gay cinema, almost self-sabotages a prestigious directing gig with writer-producer (and soon to be ex-boyfriend) Barry, after casting his rediscovered teenage summer stock crush. Still haunted by the death of Rick Dacker, the sexy star of his cult favorite action trilogy, Stan attempts a romance with actor Lance Holtzer, his 'Tulsa' from a small town Ohio production of the musical Gypsy.
When Jason Daw a gay adult video star, invites him to direct an epic porn feature, he risks it all while finding the means to confront a long-lost and once overly affectionate uncle. Discovering more about himself than he wants to admit, he traces his recent success with past obsessions. Framed through a visit to Stan's boyhood home where he made short films with his brother, the tale of his rise to cinematic success, and the sacrifices he made, captures the passion and heartache of making love, making movies, and the occasional riot.
Excerpt
"Finding Tulsa reminds you what a good friend a novel can be. It's about friendship, about "losing men and then finding them," about brotherly love and conflict, and the possibility of resolution. It's sexy, funny, astute, panoramic - it knows about suburban Ohio basement rec rooms and glam parties in the Hollywood hills. I felt like I had met a charming guy at a cocktail party who seemed to get me, understood my past, confided his own, and then disappeared to another better party before I was ready for him to leave. And it's wrapped around a fearless, wrenching narrative about facing your childhood demons, raising the question of whether or not one of the demons might have been you. There's so much to savor, to argue with, reflect upon, learn from, enjoy."- John Weir, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The Irreversible Decline of Eddie Socket
Professional Reviews
Advance Praise
"Finding Tulsa is sexy, romantic, witty, engaging, both cleverly current yet sweetly retrospective. It's Jim Provenzano's most complex and accomplished novel. He gets so much right and so evocatively about show business, from those school plays we all remember to Hollywood made-for-television movies, with delicious stops at boyhood Super-8 movies and out of town gay porn shoots."
- Felice Picano, author of Justify My Sins: A Hollywood Novel in Three Acts, and the New York Times best-seller Like People in History
Edge Media Network
"Finding Tulsa is more than just the pseudo-memoir of a Hollywood hotshot and his sexual escapades (however exciting they are to read about — and in lurid, delicious detail), but also an unexpected, endearing love story. ... Whether it's a small town production of Gypsy or a porno movie set in the desert, Stan's limitless passion for creativity and the artistic process remains intact, and guides him throughout." – Edge Media Network
Joyfully Jay
"Finding Tulsa is a smashing exploration of what it would be like to be a gay film director of some renown living his best life. .. an excellent read for anyone who is interested in complex, first-person narratives." – Joyfully Jay
In the waning days of World War II, a man lies injured in a London hospital, shrouded in mystery and confusion. He is an American serviceman, stripped of his identity and memories, save for the name John, and plagued by vivid visions of battles that
