I really have nothing to share, I'm just trying to see
if using the buzz words I find all over Google News
really does get attention.
I guess I could also have said something lurid like,
KATE CAUGHT SNEAKING OUT ON WILLIAM!!!
or maybe even, KIM TELLS KANYE TO GET OUT!!
This seems to be what we have come to. Eeeek!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
Barney Frank, Brenda Knight and me!
Okay, this is really how my Halloween Day began:
Barney Frank called me at 9 am... for the fourth time.
He got the 20 questions, which my fabulous publisher,
Brenda Knight, conjured up and asked me to email him
for his interview for my anthology on LGBT activism
to be brought out by Cleis Press.
He's going to tape his replies, have the tape transcribed,
printed up, and then send it to me to include in the book.
At 10 am I call Brenda. She takes my call. I tell her that
Barney got her questions. We have a ball, laughing,
strategizing and planning all sorts of creative ventures.
Seriously, folks, this is true. This happened. This is my life.
The most amazing participants in the book. The most amazing
publisher, who actually communicates and guides and inspires
and makes things happen.
Ask me if I'm a slaphappy guy. Go on. Just ask me.
Barney Frank called me at 9 am... for the fourth time.
He got the 20 questions, which my fabulous publisher,
Brenda Knight, conjured up and asked me to email him
for his interview for my anthology on LGBT activism
to be brought out by Cleis Press.
He's going to tape his replies, have the tape transcribed,
printed up, and then send it to me to include in the book.
At 10 am I call Brenda. She takes my call. I tell her that
Barney got her questions. We have a ball, laughing,
strategizing and planning all sorts of creative ventures.
Seriously, folks, this is true. This happened. This is my life.
The most amazing participants in the book. The most amazing
publisher, who actually communicates and guides and inspires
and makes things happen.
Ask me if I'm a slaphappy guy. Go on. Just ask me.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
A public reading by Adrian Brooks
Having not read in public since 1996, I've decided to come out of work-oriented seclusion and will be appearing at the San Francisco Library (Main Branch) in the Gay and Lesbian Center. The event will be at 6pm on Thursday, November 14th. Please feel welcome.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The Sixties and Now
So many people see the 60s as the time of "peace, love and flowers." Well, it's true. Partly. There was peace; there was love; and there were flowers. I know. I was part of all that. And many aspects of it were beautiful (even if Woodstock was a very muddy, rainy occasion). But there was also a war and race riots and killings. And the US was fractured by that war in Vietnam.
In some ways, the issues which divided us as a nation back then were articulated by the split arising from the passage of Voting Rights Legislation, which finally extended the Vote to African-Americans. LBJ managed that, a Democrat. Ever since, the Republicans have been the party of white people and many whites- a visible slice of the electorate- have gotten more and more reactionary.
In 2013, what we have is a replay of the 60s, in a way. Only this time it's more serious. Partly, it's because the country isn't as rich as it was; it's in debt. Once again, we have confusing foreign wars and a serious divide in the country, which takes form in the fractious debate over social issues. In the 60s, it was ending the war, civil rights and, to a degree, women's rights. Now it's the economy, not so thinly veiled racist attacks on an African-American President, the issue of guns and gay rights.
I admit the fact that we have an African-American President is a step forward; and the fact that gay people have the right to marry in 14 (soon to be 15) states is another major accomplishment. But what I see is the similarity between the eras, as well as some disturbing parallels.
Despite the real gains that women have made, they still earn less than men; despite the solid gains, gay people like myself have made, we're still not accorded full equality. Yes, it is coming. But why, I wonder, is the country still stalked by ugly racism? Why are people still even arguing over guns and abortion? No one seems to care about marijuana any more but a woman's right to choose- indeed, even a woman's ability to vote is imperiled in Texas, which has set voter ID laws almost impossibly high, with the effect of disenfranchising 24% of the women voters. And that is another Republican effort to suppress the changing demographics of the country and ignore the facts of a nation which is no longer under the control of straight white men.
When people are afraid they behave irrationally. They become fearful. They get angrier. I think we can agree we see people feeling more raw. And for good reason. We're seeing ecological destruction on a scale never before witnessed. It seems as overwhelming or incomprehensible as the Plague must have seemed to people in the Middle Ages. The fact that there are clear reasons gets buried in the bewilderment of what has to be done to change; no one, including myself, seems able to keep up with the changes that need to be made.
I see one strange aspect in the tension between people. Dialogue is becoming shrill; polarized; underscored by "positions"- people wanting to hear their own opinions re-enforced rather than deal with facts or make rational decisions based on facts. On the Republican side, politically, the moderate middle has disappeared; the Dems aren't quite as divided but there is still a great sense of anger. I'm not sure where it comes from. Is it a sense of anger at the promise of a nation going unfulfilled? In the 60s, when the country was rich, my peers and I felt that the country had betrayed its principles (in Vietnam etc). Now it seems that understanding our collective history is made doubly- or triply- challenging by decades of blunders and over-reactions.
When Reagan was first elected, my father spoke of the country going through 40 year cycles. What he meant was that the country had, essentially, been governed by Democrats from 1930 to 1980. I believe that the swing is the other way now: that Obama's election and the disintegration of the GOP (which appears to be at the beginning of a search for identity through what looks to be/come a nasty bloodletting) will be a long process, possibly lasting several decades.
But do we have decades in a country where children are killed by guns every day and where we face catastrophic debts? Where the environment is showing us ecological ruin has consequences? I hate to be a pessimistic- I am an optimist by nature- but I'm afraid I'm doubtful that there can be progress when such shredding is underway. I know it makes me feel nervous, that I anticipate harder times. It makes me sad. I don't know what to do so I write. But that is hardly much to speak of.
In some ways, the issues which divided us as a nation back then were articulated by the split arising from the passage of Voting Rights Legislation, which finally extended the Vote to African-Americans. LBJ managed that, a Democrat. Ever since, the Republicans have been the party of white people and many whites- a visible slice of the electorate- have gotten more and more reactionary.
In 2013, what we have is a replay of the 60s, in a way. Only this time it's more serious. Partly, it's because the country isn't as rich as it was; it's in debt. Once again, we have confusing foreign wars and a serious divide in the country, which takes form in the fractious debate over social issues. In the 60s, it was ending the war, civil rights and, to a degree, women's rights. Now it's the economy, not so thinly veiled racist attacks on an African-American President, the issue of guns and gay rights.
I admit the fact that we have an African-American President is a step forward; and the fact that gay people have the right to marry in 14 (soon to be 15) states is another major accomplishment. But what I see is the similarity between the eras, as well as some disturbing parallels.
Despite the real gains that women have made, they still earn less than men; despite the solid gains, gay people like myself have made, we're still not accorded full equality. Yes, it is coming. But why, I wonder, is the country still stalked by ugly racism? Why are people still even arguing over guns and abortion? No one seems to care about marijuana any more but a woman's right to choose- indeed, even a woman's ability to vote is imperiled in Texas, which has set voter ID laws almost impossibly high, with the effect of disenfranchising 24% of the women voters. And that is another Republican effort to suppress the changing demographics of the country and ignore the facts of a nation which is no longer under the control of straight white men.
When people are afraid they behave irrationally. They become fearful. They get angrier. I think we can agree we see people feeling more raw. And for good reason. We're seeing ecological destruction on a scale never before witnessed. It seems as overwhelming or incomprehensible as the Plague must have seemed to people in the Middle Ages. The fact that there are clear reasons gets buried in the bewilderment of what has to be done to change; no one, including myself, seems able to keep up with the changes that need to be made.
I see one strange aspect in the tension between people. Dialogue is becoming shrill; polarized; underscored by "positions"- people wanting to hear their own opinions re-enforced rather than deal with facts or make rational decisions based on facts. On the Republican side, politically, the moderate middle has disappeared; the Dems aren't quite as divided but there is still a great sense of anger. I'm not sure where it comes from. Is it a sense of anger at the promise of a nation going unfulfilled? In the 60s, when the country was rich, my peers and I felt that the country had betrayed its principles (in Vietnam etc). Now it seems that understanding our collective history is made doubly- or triply- challenging by decades of blunders and over-reactions.
When Reagan was first elected, my father spoke of the country going through 40 year cycles. What he meant was that the country had, essentially, been governed by Democrats from 1930 to 1980. I believe that the swing is the other way now: that Obama's election and the disintegration of the GOP (which appears to be at the beginning of a search for identity through what looks to be/come a nasty bloodletting) will be a long process, possibly lasting several decades.
But do we have decades in a country where children are killed by guns every day and where we face catastrophic debts? Where the environment is showing us ecological ruin has consequences? I hate to be a pessimistic- I am an optimist by nature- but I'm afraid I'm doubtful that there can be progress when such shredding is underway. I know it makes me feel nervous, that I anticipate harder times. It makes me sad. I don't know what to do so I write. But that is hardly much to speak of.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Byyyyyeeee Republicans.
Call it schadenfreude, but I love hearing John Boehner trying to put the best face on just having been publicly castrated while he got nothing, n-o-t-h-i-n-g, in exchange for trying to blackmail the nation with a manufactured crisis. Let me see if I've got it right and please help me out if I missed anything: Obama whooped Romney's ass. The Supreme Court upheld Affordable Care and Marriage Equality. The GOP just sank 20 points in polls to an all-time low of 24% with midterms only a year away. The Dems stood firm; the GOP is in Meltdown; Syria agreed to get rid of WMD without US intervention; Iran is looking serious about nuclear talks without the US rushing to war; we're pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan; the economy is healing; Hilary looks unstoppable; right wing fanatics like Ted Cruz drive the GOP... and Boehner says he's pleased to have "fought the good fight"...? Meanwhile, 75% of voters under 30 support gay marriage- an issue certain to permanently horrify the hardcore Religious Right and Tea Party- while the GOP has funded the Government only until February, which means they may be willing to fist-fuck the world economy again. So? what's the good news here for them?
Monday, October 14, 2013
Another great patriot signs on: Evan Wolfson
I'm honored to be in contact with the contributors to my work-in-progress. Actually, "my" is the wrong pronoun; it's "our" anthology- the composite of a collaborative effort, one which pays tribute to- and builds on the shoulders of- millions of LGBT people.
Today, a great American stated his willingness to contribute. Evan Wolfson- "the father of the marriage equality movement"- is the founder and president of the organization Freedom to Marry. He's been in the forefront of this immensely important push for equal human rights, which found its affirmation in the recent Supreme Court ruling.
The quality of the folk who are coming into this project just astounds me. Writing is a lonely- making calling. It's the nature of the beast. But editing a collective work/anthology allows me to see who else is out there. I'm dazzled. Just knocked out. It's an amazing experience.
My thanks to one and all.
Today, a great American stated his willingness to contribute. Evan Wolfson- "the father of the marriage equality movement"- is the founder and president of the organization Freedom to Marry. He's been in the forefront of this immensely important push for equal human rights, which found its affirmation in the recent Supreme Court ruling.
The quality of the folk who are coming into this project just astounds me. Writing is a lonely- making calling. It's the nature of the beast. But editing a collective work/anthology allows me to see who else is out there. I'm dazzled. Just knocked out. It's an amazing experience.
My thanks to one and all.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Barney Frank! and Charlotte Bunch!
Okay, this post proves that we're never too old for amazing surprises.
Barney Frank called again yesterday. Not only is he assisting my book project, I have a date with him in Boston on Friday, November 22.
So fifty years to the day that JFK was killed, I get to meet another extraordinary statesman who changes American lives for the better.
Aside from my joy, I'm astonished that anyone as busy and engaged as Barney is thoughtful enough to make the time for someone like me.
But yesterday was even more amazing.
The great human rights activist, Charlotte Bunch, has appointed a wonderful person to contribute a chapter on her.
I'm so proud of the LGBT/Intersex tribe. So moved by the contributors to this work. I keep learning who we are and I love it.
More to follow.
Barney Frank called again yesterday. Not only is he assisting my book project, I have a date with him in Boston on Friday, November 22.
So fifty years to the day that JFK was killed, I get to meet another extraordinary statesman who changes American lives for the better.
Aside from my joy, I'm astonished that anyone as busy and engaged as Barney is thoughtful enough to make the time for someone like me.
But yesterday was even more amazing.
The great human rights activist, Charlotte Bunch, has appointed a wonderful person to contribute a chapter on her.
I'm so proud of the LGBT/Intersex tribe. So moved by the contributors to this work. I keep learning who we are and I love it.
More to follow.
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