What do you think?
Rate this book
LATE BLOOMER BABY BOOMER: A Collection of Humorous Essays About Being Gay Back in the Day and Finally Finding My Way
What happens when the class clown becomes the teacher?
Whether teaching in the urban ghetto or navigating the gay ghetto, Steve Milliken bridges the gay generation gap as he finds the funny about the lifelong coming out process.
This book is for anyone who is gay, knows someone who is gay, or even a “straight” guy who’s had a gay experience, like wearing a belt that matches his shoes.
"Steve Milliken's writing style is reminiscent of David Sedaris's quirky humor, but with his own unique spin. He has the true humorist's ability to find the hilariousness in all of life's awkward and sometimes painful moments. Treat yourself to this book if you love writing that will make you laugh out loud!"—ANDI MATHENY, actress, acting coach, and author of
Act The Essential Guide to Igniting and Sustaining Your Working Actor Career
Author Steve Milliken reveals, “While teaching in the inner-city with an implicit ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, I led a double life, somewhere between Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Hannah Montana. While intelligent and insightful, I counter this by being incredibly gullible and naïve. Strong, yet timid, caring but sarcastic, I’m all about the balance, as any self-respecting oxymoron should be….”
A Southern California native, Steve Milliken’s wide-ranging essay topics include concealing your inner sissy in the 60s, a guide for piloting the proper parameters of profanity in the workplace, tapping into your potential for prank calls, and looking behind the scenes at catering to the temperamental stars of the 70s at the famed Brown Derby Restaurant.
Steve Milliken’s experiential essay titles include “My Rocky Horror Virginity Show,” "Getting the Balls to Become a Better Reader," and “My Colonoscopy Eve,” and fair warning, a few “R” rated essays as well!
Whether teaching in the urban ghetto or navigating the gay ghetto, Steve Milliken bridges the gay generation gap as he finds the funny about the lifelong coming out process.
This book is for anyone who is gay, knows someone who is gay, or even a “straight” guy who’s had a gay experience, like wearing a belt that matches his shoes.
"Steve Milliken's writing style is reminiscent of David Sedaris's quirky humor, but with his own unique spin. He has the true humorist's ability to find the hilariousness in all of life's awkward and sometimes painful moments. Treat yourself to this book if you love writing that will make you laugh out loud!"—ANDI MATHENY, actress, acting coach, and author of
Act The Essential Guide to Igniting and Sustaining Your Working Actor Career
Author Steve Milliken reveals, “While teaching in the inner-city with an implicit ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, I led a double life, somewhere between Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Hannah Montana. While intelligent and insightful, I counter this by being incredibly gullible and naïve. Strong, yet timid, caring but sarcastic, I’m all about the balance, as any self-respecting oxymoron should be….”
A Southern California native, Steve Milliken’s wide-ranging essay topics include concealing your inner sissy in the 60s, a guide for piloting the proper parameters of profanity in the workplace, tapping into your potential for prank calls, and looking behind the scenes at catering to the temperamental stars of the 70s at the famed Brown Derby Restaurant.
Steve Milliken’s experiential essay titles include “My Rocky Horror Virginity Show,” "Getting the Balls to Become a Better Reader," and “My Colonoscopy Eve,” and fair warning, a few “R” rated essays as well!
- GenresQueer
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2024
About the author
Steve Milliken
2 books2 followersI’m Steve Milliken, author of LATE BLOOMER BABY BOOMER: A Collection of Humorous Essays About Being Gay Back in the Day and Finally Finding My Way. A Southern California native and lifelong class clown, I grew up in an era when being gay wasn’t widely accepted. Humor became my shield—and my superpower—for navigating life’s twists and turns.
In my book, I share the adventures (and plenty of misadventures) of life as a gay baby boomer. From juvenile pranks and first-date fiascos to teaching disasters and unexpected victories, these essays prove that even the most cringeworthy moments can lead to belly laughs—and maybe even a little wisdom.
Through these stories, I hope readers find laughter, connection, and a reminder that life’s messiest moments often make the best memories.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 15, 2025
This book is a wild, hilarious, deeply personal ride through the life of Steve Milliken—a gay man navigating everything from awkward high school moments to dating disasters in the digital age. Told through a series of essays, it captures a lifetime of mishaps, misunderstandings, and moments of clarity. It's part coming-of-age memoir, part comedic stand-up routine, with a little social commentary sprinkled in for good measure. Milliken reflects on growing up queer, teaching in tough school environments, dealing with Grindr misadventures, and just trying to survive the everyday weirdness of life.
Steve Milliken is funny. Like, really funny. Not in that overly polished, trying-too-hard kind of way. He’s more like that friend who always tells the best stories at brunch and makes you spit out your mimosa. For example, in the chapter “Plenty of Fish, but Still a Fish Out of Water,” he dives into the absurd world of online dating and it's painfully relatable. His description of being a middle-aged man on apps meant for twenty-somethings had me actually laughing out loud. He doesn’t hold back, but it never feels mean or bitter—it’s just honest in that “oh God, I’ve been there” kind of way.
But it’s not all laughs. Milliken slips in some emotional moments too, like in “A Father’s Love” or “Changing Closets,” where he explores the heavy stuff—family, acceptance, the fear of being vulnerable, the late-bloomer shame. It’s raw and beautiful and made me tear up more than once. I think what I loved most is how he swings between funny and heartfelt without warning, like you’ll be chuckling at a joke about Ambien-induced chaos one second, and the next you're hit with a truth about aging, loneliness, or identity that just... lands. Hard.
Honestly, I think Late Bloomer Baby Boomer is perfect for anyone who’s ever felt like they missed the boat on figuring life out “on time.” Queer folks, obviously, will see themselves in a lot of these pages, but really, anyone who’s navigated awkwardness, insecurity, or change will find something here. If you like David Sedaris or Augusten Burroughs but wish they talked more about disco, bad hookups, and classroom chaos, this one’s for you. I finished it feeling like I’d spent a few hours with an old friend who wasn’t afraid to get messy and vulnerable—and I loved every minute of it.
Steve Milliken is funny. Like, really funny. Not in that overly polished, trying-too-hard kind of way. He’s more like that friend who always tells the best stories at brunch and makes you spit out your mimosa. For example, in the chapter “Plenty of Fish, but Still a Fish Out of Water,” he dives into the absurd world of online dating and it's painfully relatable. His description of being a middle-aged man on apps meant for twenty-somethings had me actually laughing out loud. He doesn’t hold back, but it never feels mean or bitter—it’s just honest in that “oh God, I’ve been there” kind of way.
But it’s not all laughs. Milliken slips in some emotional moments too, like in “A Father’s Love” or “Changing Closets,” where he explores the heavy stuff—family, acceptance, the fear of being vulnerable, the late-bloomer shame. It’s raw and beautiful and made me tear up more than once. I think what I loved most is how he swings between funny and heartfelt without warning, like you’ll be chuckling at a joke about Ambien-induced chaos one second, and the next you're hit with a truth about aging, loneliness, or identity that just... lands. Hard.
Honestly, I think Late Bloomer Baby Boomer is perfect for anyone who’s ever felt like they missed the boat on figuring life out “on time.” Queer folks, obviously, will see themselves in a lot of these pages, but really, anyone who’s navigated awkwardness, insecurity, or change will find something here. If you like David Sedaris or Augusten Burroughs but wish they talked more about disco, bad hookups, and classroom chaos, this one’s for you. I finished it feeling like I’d spent a few hours with an old friend who wasn’t afraid to get messy and vulnerable—and I loved every minute of it.
June 20, 2024
Funny, sweet, charming book about growing up gay in Southern California. Steve Milliken endears you to him from the first page. I don't think a lot of the younger gays realize how much Steve's generation paved the way for all the freedoms they now enjoy, something he explains in humorous stories that recount his escapades and his revelations along the way. Recommended to anyone interested in gay culture and identity, in the Los Angeles scene a few decades ago, and in the pitfalls and triumphs of constructing an authentic and self-loving gay identity in more repressive times.
February 6, 2026
From Hetero Wannabe to Master Bader
The essays of Late Bloomer Baby Boomer take you from desperate denial to almost accepting homoerotic Grindr top or bottom finder! The trip through a life of a Hollywood closeted Gay Teacher. Very well written! I resemble most of those remarks! I think you will enjoy the humor and realism in his 60 um I mean 50 ish life. Thanks for the entertainment Mr. Steve Milliken
The essays of Late Bloomer Baby Boomer take you from desperate denial to almost accepting homoerotic Grindr top or bottom finder! The trip through a life of a Hollywood closeted Gay Teacher. Very well written! I resemble most of those remarks! I think you will enjoy the humor and realism in his 60 um I mean 50 ish life. Thanks for the entertainment Mr. Steve Milliken
April 18, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. The author reminisces about growing up as a young gay man and tells his story with humor and wit. Things were very different back then (although things still aren’t great at all) and I wonder if young gay people today appreciate how his generation paved the way for them.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me at my request; my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me at my request; my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
February 13, 2025
This was good! A few essays were redundant or not necessary, but the other's so amazing so it evened out!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews