In Tall Cotton
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| In Tall Cotton | |
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| Author | Charles Hulse |
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| Country | United States of America |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Kensington Books |
| Publication date | 1987 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback and Paperback |
| Pages | 300 pp (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-7582-0121-4 (paperback edition) |
In Tall Cotton is the 1987 debut novel by Charles G. Hulse
In Tall Cotton is a story of a boy growing up in the Great Depression. The narrator is Carlton Woods, nicknamed Totsy, and covers his life from age 6 to 14. He has a strong relationship with Junior, his elder brother by two years, and there is genuine love between them. Totsy's sexual adventures form the core of the book.
Totsy has his first 'games' in 1933 with Bonnie Lou when they are both aged 7. She loves playing with his 'toy' During his first few weeks at school he plays more games with Mary Ann. These encounters involve genuine play even though the 'jigsaw puzzles' give him sexual pleasure and when he is ten, Totsy has a very tender relationship with his cousin Ronnie and the boy says he loves him.
Totsy gets a new pair of Levi's for his 11th birthday and his Uncle Roy makes him take his underpants off before putting the jeans on. Roy then abuses the boy and Totsy, despite having enjoyed the sensation, feels shame and humiliation. Over the next couple of years, Totsy has intimate experiences with Miguel then with Victor, both other boys his age who are keen to experiment. Then, shortly after his voice breaks, he is introduced into heterosexual sex by 13-year-old Naomi.
He manages to avoid the attentions of Mr Watson, a teacher who take boys on a Scout camping trip thanks to the intervention of Junior who spots the look in Mr Watson's eyes, but things take a serious turn for the worse when the Woods move on again and return to living with their cousins, including Uncle Roy.
Roy starts to abuse Totsy again and Totsy, who is now aged 14, says something to his cousin 'Sister' about Roy being queer even though he doesn't really know what it means. He just knows it is very wrong for a man to be playing kids' games with a boy. Sister tells Roy and Roy drives Totsy out of town and becomes violent. He repeatedly slaps Totsy on the face and forces the boy to give him oral sex. He ejaculates in Totsy's mouth and the boy vomits all over him.
