At the Corner of Christopher Street
At the Corner of Christopher Street
Madeleine Turgelsky
Eighteen-year-old Catherine Davis is the latest in a long line of starry-eyed people looking to New York City for a fresh start. Disappointingly, she discovers that a new place doesn’t fix old problems, until she meets Frankie, a denim-clad lesbian with a sharp smile and too much confidence for her own good. Frankie grabs Catherine’s hand and drags her downtown, into a queer world of quick quips and crowded dance floors, populated by couch surfers and the apartments that welcome them. And, apparently, Catherine. She’s finally found somewhere to belong.
But the year is 1984, and nothing is easy. The early AIDS crisis is devastating gay communities, and as tragedy closes in on her newly found family, Catherine is forced to decide what and who she’ll fight for.
Praise for At the Corner of Christopher Street:
“Turgelsky’s debut, At the Corner of Christopher Street, transports the reader directly into 1980’s New York City—with all its gritty explorations, friendships, and young love—to a time when the AIDS epidemic exploded through the queer community via the eyes of a young bi-sexual student.The book radiates the expansiveness of the time, and the feeling of dread, all while still carving out the unique feeling of coming-of-age. As for Maddy Turgelsky, I’m blown away by this new talent in the literary world. I expect this to be the start of a long and fabulous career!”
~Julie True Kingsley,
Author of The Space Between You and Me
FICTION | Paperback | 2024 | ISBN: 979-8-9909764-0-5
Photo by Winky Lewis
About the Author
Madeleine Turgelsky is a Scholastic Award-winning author from the Coast of Maine. Through The Telling Room’s Young Emerging Authors program, she wrote her debut novel, At the Corner of Christopher Street as a sophomore at Cape Elizabeth High School. When she’s not writing, you can find her in a light booth at Cape Elizabeth High School, on Pinterest, or passionately debating the most irrelevant thing she can think of. Madeleine loves to learn about the world around her and, despite what most people will tell you, is stubbornly an optimist.
Book Discussion Guide
Discussion Questions:
How do you see different characters in the story dealing with grief? Do you think that Frankie’s actions are justified by her grief?
Does possessing a certain kind of identity make one responsible for creating change?
What are the different types of relationships you see in the story? What does the uniqueness of each contribute to the plot? How did your perspective of the characters change as you read the book? Did their endings surprise you?
Writing Prompts:
Write about a place where you met someone important to you. Describe it in detail.
How would your opinions change if you read about Frankie and Catherine’s relationship from an outside perspective? Write about the couple from Harry or Ray’s perspective.
Activity:
Create quilt patches representing an important person in your life. This could be a friend, a family member, or someone you admire. Checkout the Aids Memorial Quilt for inspiration and more information about the history of Aids victims, remembrance and activism.