Owen Keehnen cares about words and language and the power they hold. He wrote his first book at the age of 7a bio of James K. Polk, inspired by a series of presidential books given out at as a promotional item at the A&P.
He loves history, as both his first book and one of his latest two attest. The LGBT Book of Days is a reference, a fun trivia compilation, and a tool for further investigation into gay history. His new novel is Young Digby Swank, about a young gay boy growing up in a very Catholic world.
Keehnen's working style caroms his brain from a meticulous, fact-based endeavor ( such as The Book of Days ) to a creative work such as Digby. It's all about balance, the author/historian pointed out: "I'm happiest when I have two things going at the same time like that. When I get tired of one, there's always the other."
In Digby, which is rich in humor, we follow the adventures of an unusual young gay boy from birth to age 15, much of his life facing challenges from the Catholic Church and school system. His journey through a troubled childhood, a quest for popularity, and dreams of becoming Pope and/or a beauty queen are all lovingly laid down. We meet Digby's overbearing relatives, a few bullying nuns, some eccentric neighbors, and the parish gossips of Running Falls, the small blue-collar town in which Digby lives. At the end, Digby has an encounter that makes him realize his own worth. There is whisper of a sequel. One hopes it will be forthcoming.
Digby and Keehnen have some traits in common. They were both raised Catholic and went to Catholic schools. They both were aware of their difference from other young boys. As a gay kid growing up in the '60s, Keehnen stated, "[T]here was huge pressure to be someone you aren't really." He knew he wasn't quite what a normal boy was. He felt he was role-playing. He is quick to note, however, that his youth spent trying to understand and abide by the strictures of the Church is much parodied in the book. Keehnen's upbringing, was "… not quite as Gothic as Digby's."
Writing Digby was cathartic for the author in that it allowed him to see that some of the demons you wrestled with as a kid you still carry around as an adult, like free-floating guilt. "It's really easy to still have that if you're raised in a Church that is very much shaking a finger at you." He added, "On a positive note, I will say it [Catholicism] sparked my imagination."
Here's an example from the book:
"As Digby understood it, God was basically Liberace and His pad was nothing short of a Vegas show palace. He didn't see God dressed in white robes carrying a staff, as He was so often depicted in paintings and religion books. After seeing several of His lavish homes, Digby instead pictured God in silk lounging pajamas with a monogrammed G."
"At its core [religion]," Keehnen said, "there is something very positive about feeling spiritually consoled and confident and able to be yourself, which is what Digby finds out in the end."
His other new book, The LGBT Book of Days, goes back to B.C. with the birth date of Alexander the Great and runs on up to current times. It is organized by day, not by year. Jan. 1, for instance, has eight entries from 1632 up to 1994. The reference book brings a different kind of satisfaction than Digby. Victor Salvo is creator and executive director of the Legacy Project, which installs bronze plaques along the North Halsted Street corridor to honor LGBT historical figures. In his introduction to the compendium, Salvo said, "Mr. Keehnen has done an impressive job of culling through vast reams of obscure data." Salvo wrote that the entries remind the reader that each day of the year commemorates something or someone that "… altered the trajectory of LGBT advancement."
Keehnen, who was on the founding committee of the Legacy Project, now works the media pages and writes many of the bios that appear on the Project site ( legacyprojectchicago.org ). As Lori Cannon, another co-founder, recalls, "Owen has always been in the foreground of LGBT history, education, and honoring those who came beforepaying close attention to their contributions despite the schoolbooks expunging their sexuality."
"Sometimes history can be kind of intimidating to get people interested in," Keehnen said. "But if you can look at it and say, 'Oh, that's kind of neat. Look what happened on this day,' it might inspire you to research it."
Keehnen explained it only took four months to pull the book together. He already had a lot of the information from his Legacy Project work. Plus, he confessed, "I'm obsessive-compulsive. It was like therapy spending a day looking for dates. It's so geeky but I found that so entertaining and gratifying."
The conversation also turned to physical recovery. Keehnen, who is recovering from a recent mild heart attack, urged people who think they might be having a heart attack to get over their denial and get to the ER. Reflecting on how the incident has affected him, Keehnen observed, "It makes you more appreciative and grateful for the simple things. … There's nothing wrong with just taking it easy. That's kind of where life is."
Keehnen has co-authored two bios with Tracy Baim and has a third in final stages about Vernita Gray. Baim has said, "What I really like is his range, because he can write fiction and non-fiction, and works hard to make it all relatable for readers."
Keehnen lives in Chicago with his partner, Carl, and his two ridiculously spoiled dogs,Flannery and Fitzgerald. He was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 2012.
The LGBT Book of Days by Owen Keehnen, Wilde City Press and Amazon Kindle, ebook, 334 pages, $5.99�
Young Digby Swank by Owen Keehnen, Wilde City Press and Amazon Kindle, ebook, 351 pages, $8.99�