Sangay Glass's Blog - Posts Tagged "inspiration"

People who know about my wild and crazy life have asked, "Is this a true story?" No, but the character Blue Jeans was inspired by very real people who were significant in the book's narrative.

Two men gave life to the character Blue Jeans. These two men are also near and dear to my heart. I dedicated the book to them as a tribute to their resilience and the impact they had on me. Their stories, though sad, carry a weight that is hard to ignore.

I met the first Blue Jeans when I was thirteen. I was a runaway living in an abandoned shack in the wetlands of Atlantic City, NJ. There, I became friends with a twenty-something bisexual hustler.

He tried to convince me to return home, but I was stubborn. His courage and humaneness, even in the face of his own struggles, are truly inspiring. The word magnanimous is used in the book to describe him. Although what he did for me seemed harsh at the time, it initiated a turning point in my life.

As a naive teenager, I was upset because he turned me in to the police. But he did it out of concern, not malice. He didn't want me to end up like him. There is no doubt that this amazing man saved my life. I don't need to go into detail about how I would've ended up as a young homeless girl on the streets.

I met the second Blue Jeans while working as an registered nurse in a psychiatric hospital. He was a patient who also happened to be a young hustler. It was during the AIDs epidemic. At the time, the state was dumping a lot of street people with HIV and AIDS there.

This man was in the end stages of life, looking for redemption. He wrote me beautiful, long letters describing a fantasy about what our lives could have been like if his life had been different. He was not just a patient, but a kind, smart, and funny individual. Our relationship, though always professional, was filled with my deep compassion for him, and his intelligence and humor made our interactions meaningful.

In his final moments, he specifically called for me. I was terrified because, in all my years, I was lucky enough to have never lost anyone I cared about. I held his hand. It was ice cold. He told me he loved me, and I could not deny him the comfort of knowing his feelings were returned. It still brings tears to my eyes.

Although these kind-hearted but broken men have passed, the character of Blue Jeans lives on in the novel KBJSS. His transformation and the happy ending he finally receives are a testament to the hope that can be found even in the darkest times. It's a reminder that no matter how bleak the situation may seem, there is always a possibility for a brighter future.

Kate, Blue Jeans, and a Single Shot