Out of Step

116 pages. Cover wornWinner of 2018 Lambda Book Award (Bisexual Nonfiction) What makes a pink-hai red queer raise his hand to enlist in the military just as the nation is chargin g into war? In his memoir, Out of Step, Anthony Moll tells the story of a workin g-class bisexual boy running off to join the army in the midst of two wars and t he Don't Ask, Don't Tell era. Set against the backdrop of hypermasculinity and s exual secrecy, Moll weaves a queer coming-of-age story. Out of Step traces Moll' s development through his military service, recounting how the army both breaks and builds relationships, and what it was like to explore his queer identity whi le also coming to terms with his role in the nation's ugly foreign policy. From a punk, nerdy, left-leaning, poor boy in Nevada leaving home for the first time to an adult returning to civilian life and forced to address a world more compli cated than he was raised to believe, Moll's journey isn't a classic flag-waving memoir or war story-it's a tale of finding one's identity in the face of war and changing ideals. Editorial Reviews Out of Step is not just Moll's memoir; it is a loving and empathetic portrayal of those around him, paying explicit attent ion to the vulnerable, the outcast and the misunderstood. -Times Literary Supple ment Filled with raw emotion, wry humor, and unselfconscious reflection, [Out o f Step] conveys Moll's unwavering sense of self in a refreshing, inspiring way. -Foreword Reviews Moll's evocation of his army life is deadly serious yet alway s insightful as he questions himself and, finally, tells the truth he discovers. -Booklist Out of Step is the story of a young man trying to find his place in the disparate worlds of American military and civilian life. . . . Moll's take i.