The Life and Death of Eli and Jay

Eli Hogan's story began before he was born, when lightning struck his home and divided the carpet with burn marks. As he grows up with his grandmother, this division defines his life, shaping how he faces the dichotomies and decisions of moving from childhood to adulthood. His neighbor and best friend on their isolated reserve in Saskatchewan is Jay Red Feather, whose emotional and sexual openness helps Eli define his own feelings about his place in the world. Both young men are faced with the choice of whether and how to leave their childhood and the reserve behind, and the emotional journey around these decisions provides the heart of the narrative. Gideon (Sext Based Adventures) does not shy away from the depth of Eli and Jay's relationship, while emphasizing that asexual Eli dictates the pace of his life. The specifics of life on the reserve are less important than the sense of isolation, and ultimately the normalcy that Eli and Jay find. (Mar.)