Husband Billy Merrell
Queer Places:
University of Florida, 19 Museum Rd, Hume Hall, Gainesville, FL 32612
Nico Medina (born June 5, 1982), a copyeditor of children's books, is the author of the 2007
novel The Straight Road to Kylie, "a well-written, thought-provoking,
and welcome twist on the coming-out story," observed School Library Journal
contributor Johanna Lewis. Medina, who came out during his freshman year at
the University of Florida, began work on his story in the winter of 2005 after
joining a novel-writing group. As he told Watermark interviewer John
Sullivan, "I wrote it for fun and I wrote it ‘real,’ never thinking of it as
becoming a resource for GLBT teens. But I guess that in doing that, I've made
it sort of a resource in itself."
Born June 5, 1982, in Orlando, FL, he is married to
Billy Merrell, a poet. Medina attended University of Florida, B.A., 2004.
Set in the author's hometown of Orlando, Florida, The Straight Road to
Kylie centers on Jonathan Parish, a gay high school senior who drunkenly
sleeps with one of his best girlfriends at a party. When rumors spread that
Jonathan is straight and available, he is approached by the wealthy and
glamorous Laura Schulberg. She offers Jonathan a trip to London to see his
favorite pop star,
Kylie Minogue, in concert, if he pretends to be her boyfriend. Jonathan's
decision to accept Laura's bribe causes friction with his best friends,
however, and the situation is further complicated when he develops feelings
for a new guy. The Straight Road to Kylie "packs slick,
Gossip-Girl-Goes-to-Orlando language stylings with realistic yet over-the-top
situations," noted a Kirkus Reviews contributor, and Olivia Duran
remarked in Kliatt that the novel "explores the many facets of
friendships and romantic relationships."
Medina's second novel, Fat Hoochie Prom Queen, concerns the rivalry
between Margarita "Madge" Diaz, a flamboyant, overweight teen, and Bridget
Benson, a perky cheerleader. Describing the work to Rhonda Stapleton on the
Fictionistas Web log, the author stated: "I won't give anything much away
except that these two girls have one UGLY history, and during a heated
argument at a house party, they decide there's only one way to end their
rivalry: be named prom queen, and the other backs off for good."
My published books:
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