Ginoli, Jon. Deflowered. 2009 (March). 300p. Cleis Press, $16.95. (978-1-57344-343-2). Gr. 12.

Ginoli helps fill the yawning void on the history of gay rock and roll with his unfailing honest and entertaining memoir as a founding member of the Pansy Division, the first out punk band to make it on the national scene. From his childhood in Illinois to a travelogue of tour dates, Ginoli shares his experience of coming out, the homophobic music industry, and the fans that helped the Pansy Division find a voice. Musicians have a propensity for intensity and Deflowered references sex, drugs, and plenty of political activism. Whether a musician or an air guitar enthusiast, Deflowered is timely…Anyone else follow “American Idol” this season? –Laurie Spurling