About the Book
In I never wanted to be gay... (but does anyone?), Al Walz shares thoughts, poems, and free-form essays in his autobiographical journey of his coming out process and accepting his sexuality. Hoping to connect with others who also were or are conflicted, thinking he'd be always considered a minority, Walz found his own way to deal with this new information, knowing each of us will also meander at our own pace, during this period.
Walz taps into his aggression, anger, sadness, hopelessness, and strength with humor, wit, sarcasm, and creative expression (poetry, diatribes, stories) of his own life experiences, which helped him stay sane, positive, hopeful, and optimistic. His views may be outdated (from 1992-98), and shouldn't be taken out of context. He knows how troublesome it can be for one to come to terms with something that feels like it may detour your life, send you in a downward spiral, and have you thinking you may never be happy, content, or joyful with day to day existing.
In 2023, Walz thinks our world has come closer to being onboard with the idea that being gay is not a choice and doesn't define who you are. It's one aspect of our being, and honestly, sometimes, now, he feels like it's been a blessing (not a curse).
"It's opened myself up to accepting and embracing other marginalized groups, sharing in the "big picture" that we're all just humans, trying to cohabitate freely and openly, while we're on this planet, for just our own brief time."
About the Author
Al Walz resides in southern California, where he continues to work on exploring and expanding his artistic endeavors-visual, abstract, mixed-media pieces, singing, and writing.