Arts & Entertainment
Twin dilemma
New gay-themed novel ‘World’ full of twists and turns
(Image courtesy Simon & Schuster)
‘No One in the World’
by E. Lynn Harris and RM Johnson
Simon & Schuster
$25
305 pages
Everybody gets the same allotment — 24 hours in a day. And yet still it seems hard to get everything done. Cloning sometimes sounds tempting. Double you, and you might actually get ahead.
Cobi Winslow just found his doppelganger in the last place he’d ever think to look. And in the new book “No One in the World” by E. Lynn Harris and RM Johnson, it might be the last thing he ever does.
Cobi Aiden Winslow always had whatever he wanted — except for one thing.
From the moment he was adopted, he had maid service in a mansion in the best Chicago neighborhood. He had nice clothes, a law-school education, cars and antiques, but he didn’t have his father’s acceptance.
Cobi was gay, and his father hated it.
But that acceptance was never going to come. Cobi’s parents were killed in a plane crash, but not before telling him that he had a long-lost twin brother. Absent a father’s love, a new-found brother was all Cobi could think about.
Sissy Winslow learned about the family business at her father’s elbow. She thought it would be hers someday, so when her parents’ will was read and her brother got half the shares, she was stunned. Cobi didn’t know a thing about Winslow Products. He was a lawyer, not a CEO.
Worse yet, the will stipulated that Cobi had to be married to a woman by his 34th birthday or his share of the stocks would be sold.
A takeover was imminent.
Cobi turned 34 in 25 days and there was no woman on the horizon.
Quickly thinking, Sissy Winslow devised a plan to save the business. As she searched for a stylish, smart, society, Winslow-worthy woman who could be bought, Cobi searched for his twin brother.
But as Cobi was finally reconnecting with a part of him he never knew about, he was also inviting trouble. Though he’d been successful in hiding it thus far, there were suddenly too many people who knew he was gay.
And that knowledge was going to cost him.
Author E. Lynn Harris has been gone two years now, and in his preface, co-author RM Johnson says that he and Harris collaborated on this novel before Harris’ death. So is this book reminiscent of Harris’ other books?
“No One in the World” is spicier than you might be used to. There’s an underlying feeling of threat that’s irresistible and though you might think you know what’s going to happen, you’d be wrong. There were times, granted, when I thought the story briefly got a little silly but it unfolds with plenty of surprises which makes for an engrossing read.
If you’re looking for something quick to take on vacation with you this summer, you can’t go wrong with a book like this. “No One in the World” will grab you in a second. You’ll want to read it all day.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony
The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.
The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.
The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.
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