Winner of a 2019 Lambda Literary Award
“Out of Step is not just Moll’s memoir; it is a loving and empathetic portrayal of those around him, paying explicit attention to the vulnerable, the outcast and the misunderstood.” —Times Literary Supplement
“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 is thoughtful and fair, both critical of the military while recognizing how it built him.” —Shelf Awareness
“Moll’s evocation of his army life is deadly serious yet always insightful as he questions himself and, finally, tells the truth he discovers.” —Booklist
“Filled with raw emotion, wry humor, and unselfconscious reflection, the story conveys Moll’s unwavering sense of self in a refreshing, inspiring way. The peace he’s made with himself, in spite of and even because of his unconventional choice to enlist, is a compelling invitation to all, no matter their sexual identity. Out of Step is a personal story whose impact is far reaching and life affirming.” —Foreword Reviews
“Out of Step is a wonderfully compelling, generous, artfully told memoir.” —Michael Kardos
“Out of Step is a page turner—a roller coaster that readers will never forget. Moll has a gift for crafting brilliant sentences and has created the type of contemporary memoir that reminds me of why I can’t live without writing. I highly recommend.” — D. Watkins, New York Times best-selling author of The Beast Side and The Cook Up
What makes a pink-haired queer raise his hand to enlist in the military just as the nation is charging into war? In his memoir, Out of Step, Anthony Moll tells the story of a working-class bisexual boy running off to join the army in the midst of two wars and the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era. Set against the backdrop of hypermasculinity and sexual 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 while 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 complicated 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.
Anthony Moll is a Baltimore-based writer and educator. His creative work has appeared in Gertrude Journal, Assaracus, jubilat, and more. Anthony holds an MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts and has taught writing at both public and private universities.
Contents
Acknowledgments
A Note on the Text
Marks
Photo: Children Ardent for Some Desperate Glory
What September Left
Headlines from the Reno-Gazette Journal the Morning of September 11, 2001
Wrong as Two Boys, Pt. I
Muscle Memory
Great Basin
Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, Camp Carroll, Korea
Photo: Mk 19
Plucky and Dumb
Wrong as Two Boys, Pt. II
Sisters in the Presence of Strangers, Pt. I
Photo: Cedant Arma Togae
On Ritual
Photo: Club Spot
My Side of the Fence
Pageant
Casualties
Photo: Slick Sleeves
Dogs of War
Photo: Dressed Up
Last Year
Going Out
Photo: Pride, 2011
Sisters in the Presence of Strangers, Pt. II
Photo: Westward
