Pins: A Novel

PINS tells the story of bigotry in athletics, and one very short boy who stands up to it.
Set in Little Falls, New Jersey in 1993, PINS weaves the classic story
of a Catholic saint into a compelling modern life -and near-death-
account of Joey Nicci, a fifteen-year-old Italian-American wrestler.
After befriending Donald "Dink" Kohrs, Joey and his new posse get
involved in pranks and partying that eventually get out of control,
resulting in the death of a maligned fellow teammate. The
ensuing legal battle and media frenzy alter Joey's life and his self-
perception as a gay teenager while shattering his fragile love for
fellow teammate Dink. Like his patron saint, his battle against his own
teammates forces him to suffer for his beliefs. His survival becomes a
literary miracle. A compelling story of a loving yet confused
family, coaches and teachers struggling with multiple issues of violence
and homophobia amid the clan-like world of teenage athletes, PINS
brings together elements now frighteningly common in the media; bullying
jocks, assaults on weaker students, faculty and families unwittingly
allowing such behavior