the passing playbook by isaac fitzsimons

Now I go twice a week with my 71-year-old mother. “I’m not athletic,” the author alleges, “but last year I discovered water aerobics. Outside of writing, Fitzsimons likes to spend time in the water, swearing by aquatic exercise as self-care. As I get older, I realize how privileged I am in that regard.” This role model was who Fitzsimons said he’d like to give flowers: “I’d send a truckload of lilies to Father Beddingfield as a thank you.” “Even though I wasn’t out as anything back then, seeing a proud gay man preach from the pulpit meant that I’ve never felt like I must choose between my identity and my faith. While some of his fictional characters deal with religious trauma, the author is fortunate to not have experienced this first hand, “in large part due to the rector of the church I attended in high school,” he explained. Remembering those who helped him see his own identity, Fitzsimons pays it forward. For a child in a world that’s so big, having something made just for you feels really special.” I have memories of walking there with my mom and my brother and feeling like I was stepping into a storybook. It’s housed in a one-room building in the historical part of town and looks like a fairytale cottage.

When asked what library he first loved, Isaac recounted, “There’s a children’s library in the neighborhood where I grew up called Noyes Library. The writer knows how important it is to find yourself on a bookshelf. Isaac Fitzsimons (he/him) is the author of The Passing Playbook, a young-adult novel about a trans soccer star confronting whether to stay benched or fight for his right to play.

The passing playbook by isaac fitzsimons