...One afternoon shortly after Christmas break, however, Mr. Lefkowitz was waiting for us in the locker room. He told us not to change because we were going to the auditorium instead. Everyone was seated in the first rows of seats, and the place was semi-dark accept for the stage. One of the seniors who assisted Lefkowitz "manned" the spotlights. Another put a chair on the side of the stage. Lefkowitz told me to sit with all my books on that chair. He announced to the class: "Today we're going to teach Jackson how to walk and act like a man." I was ordered to walk across the stage, carrying my books. Whenever he or one of the class decided my walk or way of holding the books was too effeminate (every time for about ten times) one {of} the senior assistants leapt to the stage and knocked all the books out of my hands. I had to scoop them up, and start all over again.

Finally Lefkowitz directed me to pull the chair to stage center and sit on it. The assistant turned a pin spot on me. There were whispered instructions to the oldest of the senior assistants, muffled laughter, and then a momentary silence....

from Oxydol Poisoning, Chapter Seven, by Earl Jackson Jr.
link through the irascible bellona times . . .2003-04-09