PodCast : EAST SIDE STORY

Jacobo's Early Life & Emerging Identity (1950s-60s): This section traces Jacobo's childhood in Costa Rica, exploring his struggles with his sexuality within a conservative Jewish community, early experiences with prejudice, and societal pressures to conform to heteronormative expectations.

Exile, Self-Discovery & Forbidden Love (1970s): This part follows Jacobo's journey to the United States, his experiences with therapy and the gay rights movement, and his passionate but dangerous relationship with a closeted senator in a homophobic Washington D.C.

Finding Freedom, Facing Loss (1970s-80s): Jacobo finds liberation in the vibrant gay scene of New York City but confronts the devastating impact of the AIDS epidemic on his community and the loss of loved ones.

Family Secrets & Seeking Meaning: The final chapters uncover hidden family traumas and secrets, leading Jacobo to explore Jewish mysticism and seek solace in the face of loss, ultimately finding meaning in unexpected connections to the past.

Themes of Identity, Love, and Politics: Throughout the table of contents, recurring themes emerge: the complexities of sexual identity, the search for love and acceptance, the hypocrisy of power structures, and the enduring impacts of societal prejudice and family history.