The First Time, Vol. 1

Lorraine Douglas is the youth services co-ordinator at the Winnipeg
Public Library.

In these two volumes of personal narratives, first published in Quebec
under the title La Premiиre Fois, Lyle Weis, George Swede, Budge
Wilson, and 13 other authors write about their first sexual experiences.
Brian Doyle’s “Recorder Lesson” tells of his seduction at the 1947
Ottawa exhibition. Like several of the stories, it is poignant and
touching, but would a teen today relate to this time and place? Leanne
Franson’s comic-strip story will appeal to young readers. Entitled
“Impeccable Taste,” it depicts a young lesbian’s feelings about
coming out and her first sexual experience. This lesbian-positive story
contains frank images of sex between Liliane and her partner.
Christopher Paw’s “The Gunshot” tells about the friendship between
two young teens and the times they spend masturbating together. One of
the boys kills himself over his homosexual feelings for the other.
Written in letter format, Martyn Godfrey’s “You Owe Me a Big Mac”
is a humorous look at a young couple’s first relationship. Mary
Blakeslee’s “Bump and Grind” is about the encounter between a
paraplegic and another patient in a rehab centre. Her story dispels the
myths about sexuality and the disabled, and also reveals that first sex
is not always a thrill.

Each story is prefaced with a photo of the author as a teenager and a
brief statement about his or her work. Readers are invited to send in
their own stories for further volumes in the series. Recommended.