Today, author Steve Milliken is guesting. He’s talking about his latest release Late Bloomer Baby Boomer: A Collection of Humorous Essays About Being Gay Back in the Day and Finally Finding My Way, an LGBTQ+ memoir.
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Late Bloomer, Big Laughs
What happens when the class clown grows up, finally owns his truth, and takes on the chaos of teaching?
Think School of Rock—but gayer, and with fewer guitar solos….
LATE BLOOMER BABY BOOMER—A Collection of Humorous Essays About Being Gay Back in the Day and Finally Finding My Way is a rollercoaster of true stories about coming out (eventually), screwing up (often), and finding humor and meaning in the mayhem (always). It’s part memoir, part comedy set, and part “Wait, did that actually happen?” (Yes. All of it. And the rest is legally protected exaggeration.)
This book is for anyone who’s gay, knows someone who’s gay, or even a “straight” guy who’s had a gay experience—like wearing a belt that matches his shoes.
I came out in my twenties, but I didn’t fully come into myself until much later. This book is about that long, twisty road—and the potholes I filled with punchlines. It took decades to stop treating every detour like a stop sign—and to finally start embracing the ride.
While intelligent and insightful, I counter this by being incredibly gullible and naïve. I’m strong yet timid, sarcastic yet caring, and rare but well done. While seemingly an oxymoron, I’m always balanced—like a flamingo on roller skates.
You’ll meet:
- My younger self, who believed being gay was impossible (spoiler: it wasn’t)
- The confused college kid who majored in denial and minored in repression
- The sober version of me, discovering that life is both stranger and funnier without alcohol
- The class clown turned teacher, navigating inner-city education with stand-up comedy for classroom management.
Essays like “My Rocky Horror Virginity Show,” “Sober Porn,” and “Bitch Ass Snitch” will leave you laughing out loud, along with reflections on growing up gay in the ’60s and ’70s, blending in while standing out, and navigating a “don’t ask, don’t tell” teaching career in the inner city. It’s mostly laughs with the occasional burst of wisdom—like a clown who also moonlights as your psychotherapist.
So why should you read it?
Because it’s not polite-chuckle funny, but full-body-snort, beverage-at-risk funny.
Because beneath the comedy, there’s heart: identity, aging, recovery, resilience, and figuring out how to bloom—even if it’s a few decades behind schedule.
Because laughter is contagious—and I’m trying to start an epidemic…
Because let’s face it: therapy’s expensive. This book? Cheaper. And no copay required. And you don’t have to pretend to make any progress.
And yes, there are a few R-rated essays too. (It’s true—sex sells. Don’t blame me.)
So if you’re up for stories that are sharply observed, sometimes ridiculous, and often unexpectedly moving, come along for the ride. You’ll laugh, you might tear up, and yes—depending on your bladder—you might want to read it near a restroom.
You’ve been warned.
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Title: Late Bloomer Baby Boomer
Author and Publisher: Steve Milliken
Genres: Memoir/Biography
Tropes: Self-discovery through humor, finding identity, acceptance, and resilience by laughing through life’s absurdities.
Themes: Finding humor as a gay Baby Boomer – Because the coming-out process never really ends, and it’s best to laugh along the way.
Heat Rating: 2 flames
Length: 66 000 words/228 pages
Release Date: December 2022
Laugh-out-loud stories about coming out, coming of age, and coming to terms with myself—finally!
Blurb: What happens when the class clown embraces his truth, becomes a teacher, and takes on the absurdities of life? Hilarity ensues.
In LATE BLOOMER BABY BOOMER: A Collection of Humorous Essays About Being Gay Back in the Day and Finally Finding My Way, Steve Milliken delivers a laugh-out-loud memoir packed with sharp wit, self-deprecating humor, and occasional bursts of wisdom. With the observational humor of David Sedaris and the candid charm of Augusten Burroughs, these essays explore self-discovery, urban teaching misadventures, and the hilarity of navigating adulthood as a gay baby boomer.
Spoiler: It’s a parade of pitfalls, pratfalls, and punchlines.
Note: It is a standalone non-fiction book.
Review Quote:
“Delivers great sendups of the gay dating scene… impressive comedic timing. Each essay is short and snappy… A wide-ranging collection driven by humor and insight.” — Kirkus Reviews
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
From “Epistolary Possibilities for a New Year”
“After not working out for a month, I arrived at the gym only to realize my gym bag had turned into a mildew science project thanks to a rogue water bottle. Unfortunately, I discovered this catastrophe only after I’d stripped down in the locker room. I panicked, naturally, but I was too far gone to turn back. I had no choice but to wear my stinky clothes.”
“Now, I’m not religious, but in moments like these, I consider a higher power. I clutched my hands together and said a novena to the patron saint of putrid smells: ‘Our Lady of Sacred Stench, please help me now.’”
“Once on the gym floor, I tried to keep a safe distance from everyone. But when someone got too close, I’d suddenly dash to another part of the gym for no apparent reason. I’d seen my cat do this, so it seemed worth a try…”
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Steve Milliken, a native Californian who never left—thanks to a rent-controlled Santa Monica apartment—is a writer, humorist, and recovering class clown who has spent a lifetime finding the comedy in life’s quirks and curveballs. A gay baby boomer with a knack for self-deprecating wit, he’s been an inner-city teacher, a reluctant adult, and an expert in the fine art of laughing at himself.
In LATE BLOOMER BABY BOOMER: A Collection of Humorous Essays About Being Gay Back in the Day and Finally Finding My Way, Steve shares sharp, heartfelt, and laugh-out-loud stories about coming out, inner-city teaching, and navigating life one misadventure at a time. His writing has been compared to the observational humor of David Sedaris and the candid storytelling of Augusten Burroughs.
When he’s not finding the humor in everyday life, Steve creates and shares short comedy videos online based on excerpts from his book, proving that some stories are best told with a punchline… and good lighting.
Follow Steve: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Maggie Blackbird 