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Best of the books

LGBT themes liberally peppered through slated fall releases

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Books, much cheaper than movies or TV shows to produce, provide the most copious bounty of LGBT options. Among the highlights:

If you want something thatā€™s going to last you most of the winter, try ā€œBlack Like Us: A Century of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual African American Fiction,ā€ compiled by Don Weise (Cleis Press, October). This brick of a book gathers the works several of your favorite authors, some of whom you might not know are gay. This is the kind of book you can get lost in and at 555 pages, youā€™ll be lost a while.

ā€œThe Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokovā€ by Paul Russell (Cleis Press, November) is based on the real life of the gay brother of Vladimir Nabokov and tells the fictional story of Sergeyā€™s life, his contemporaries, his loves and his heartbreaking end in Berlin. Youā€™ll also want to check out ā€œHistoryā€™s Passions: Stories of Sex Before Stonewall,ā€ edited by Richard Labonte (Bold Strokes Books, November). This anthology, written by four award-winning authors, imagines the lives of loving men in various historical settings.

For young adult readers, check out ā€œSwimming in Chicagoā€ by David-Matthew Barnes (Bold Strokes Books, October). In this novel, a young man is dealing with his motherā€™s suicide with the help of his best girl friend and an intriguing new love.

Another book for teens is ā€œSpeaking Out: LGBTQ Youth Stand Upā€ by Steve Berman (Bold Strokes, September). In this book, young adults will read stories of adversity overcome, problems solved, issues brought forth, and what they can look forward to.

In ā€œThe Strangerā€™s Childā€ by Alan Hollinghurst (Knopf, October), itā€™s 1913 and a young man has brought a love interest home with him from boarding school, only to have his sister fall for the boy, too. But with a few innocent words in an autograph book, secrets are buried shallowly and the young man and his entire family are changed for several generations. This is one of those sweeping novels that youā€™ll want to save for a rainy weekend day.

ā€œTom of Finland ā€“ Life and Work of a Gay Heroā€ by F. Valentine Hooven III (Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh, November), a compilation, looks at Tomā€™s drawings from the earliest to more current times, and includes a biography. And if photography is the art you love most, check out ā€œJim French Diaries: The Creator of Colt Studioā€ by Jim French (also from Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh, October).

Youā€™ll also love paging through ā€œGay in America,ā€ portraits by Scott Pasfield (September, Welcome Books). In this gorgeously illustrated book, youā€™ll find intimate and personal photography of gay men from around the country, taken over three years.

ā€œChristmas Rememberedā€ by Tom Mendicino, Frank Anthony Polito, and Michael Salvatore (Kensington, September) is a three-story collection that brings back memories of holidays shared, holidays cherished and holidays best forgotten.

ā€œSecond You Sinā€ by Scott Sherman (Kensington, September) is a thriller-whodunit, in which part-time sleuth/call boy Kevin Connor must solve the murders of several New York City male prostitutes.

Another mystery youā€™ll love this fall is ā€œHellā€™s Highwayā€ by Gerri Hill (Bella Books, December). Someone thinks Californiaā€™s Mojave Desert is the perfect place to dispose of womenā€™s bodies. On the case are FBI Agents Cameron Ross and Andrea Sullivan, two women who are more than just partners at work. Can their commitment to each other withstand the sand, the heat, and the mind of a diabolical killer?

One comic book that stands out is ā€œHeroes with Hardonsā€ by Patrick Fillion and others (Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh, November). This book is packed with super-hunky superheroes ready to save your day any way they can. Yes, these are comics, but theyā€™re nothing like the ones you spent Saturday afternoon reading when you were a kid.

ā€œModel Men: Gay Erotic Storiesā€ by Neil Plakcy (Cleis Press, November) imagines the lives and loves of models from Mr. May in the hunk calendar to the billboard hottie who almost makes you wreck the car.

ā€œRiding the Rails: Locomotive Lust and Carnal Caboosesā€ by Jerry L. Wheeler (Bold Strokes, December) explores the carnality trains tend to inspire.

ā€œThe Gay Gospels: Good News for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Peopleā€ by Keith Sharpe (O Books, John Hunt, September) guides readers with a spiritual, faith-based (yet readable) look at the Bible, the arguments used against gays and why some feel these scriptures have been distorted.

ā€œThe Gay Menā€™s Guide to Timeless Manners and Proper Etiquetteā€ by Corey Rosenberg (Chelsea Station Editions, September) explains what eating utensils to use, the difference between black tie and formal, what kind of hostess gift is mandatory and more.

ā€œBest Gay Erotica 2012,ā€ edited by Richard Labonte with a foreword by Larry Duplechan (Cleis Press, December) is an anthology that brings together the best of this yearsā€™ writers. Also look for ā€œBest Lesbian Erotica 2012, edited by Kathleen Warnock, foreword by Sinclair Sexsmith, also from Cleis and out in December.

ā€œ69 Positions of Joyful Gay Sexā€ by Mischa Gawronski (Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh, November) shows that, yes, indeed, there are lots of ways to do the deed.

Keep in mind that release dates are approximate and could change.

 

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Photos

PHOTOS: Birthdays at JR.’s

Drag queens celebrate at local establishment

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Citrine performs at JR.'s on Saturday. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Citrine, Andromeda and Silver WareĀ Sidora celebrated their birthdays at JR.’s Bar with a drag show on Saturday, Nov. 2.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

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Theater

Signatureā€™s fresh take on classic ā€˜Forumā€™

Actor Mike Millan says ā€˜itā€™s like a new work in many waysā€™

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ā€˜A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forumā€™
Through Jan. 12
Signature Theatre
4200 Campbell Ave.
Arlington, Va.
$40-$126
sigtheatre.org

For out actor Mike Millan, Signature Theatreā€™s production of ā€œA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,ā€ couldnā€™t feel fresher. 

Set in ancient Rome, the 62-year-old Tony-winning hit (music with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart) borrows from Roman comedy, farce, and a dash of bawdy vaudeville to the tales of slaves, soldiers, courtesans, and a lovesick young man. 

Millan plays Hysterium, a nervous slave in the House of Senex, whose tagline reads ā€œI live to grovel.ā€

ā€œIā€™ve never done ā€˜Forum,ā€™ so to me itā€™s like a new work in many ways,ā€ he says. ā€œAnd because itā€™s older and has a classic musical point of view and weā€™re doing it now, itā€™s as if weā€™ve been given a lovely opportunity to make it our own.ā€ 

And indeed, they are doing just that. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Gardiner, the Signature production is introducing new bits and playing with gender: the central character Pseudolus, a sly slave role created by Zero Mostel, is played by Erin Weaver; Erronius is played by Sherri Edelen in drag; and two male actors and one nonbinary actor play courtesans.

Though Millan, 35, is based with his partner in Los Angeles, he regularly travels to New York and is pleased to make Signature in Shirlington an additional destination on his bicoastal work journey. Recently, the affable actor took time to talk about Signature and ā€œForum.ā€ 

WASHINGTON BLADE: A little about the brilliantly named Hysterium, please. 

MIKE MILLAN: As a gay actor, I can say that Hysterium is one of the gayer characters Iā€™ve ever played. Heā€™s a sort of fop and heā€™s in drag most of the second act. How can you not see him as a queer character?ā€ 

When the part was written it was sort of gay coded and now itā€™s just abundantly clear, you donā€™t think twice about it. 

BLADE: ā€œForumā€ is unapologetically fun. Is now the right time for a romp? 

MILLAN: The show comes with a level of escapism that is really infectious. During these tense times, it feels great to be doing a silly musical. Weā€™re doing fart jokes in tunics, and the material and jokes really hold up. Youā€™ll feel better leaving than when you came in.

BLADE: All that and a Sondheim score too? 

MILLAN: Heā€™s the reason Iā€™m here. In high school, I discovered his ā€œInto the Woodsā€ and remember locking myself in my room until I knew every word to ā€œGiants in the Sky.ā€ 

ā€œPassion,ā€ ā€œFollies,ā€ I love it all. Heā€™s so singular because he writes from a perspective of acting and storytelling; Sondheim touches me in a way that feels quasi-religious. 

When I think about the number of times I sang ā€œLast Midnightā€ alone in my car, it fills me with a joy that Iā€™ve never gotten from any other composer or jukebox musical.

BLADE:  In 2022, you played Idina Menzel super fan Jeff in ā€œWhich Way to the Stageā€ at Signature. Are you glad to be back? 

MILLAN: Yes, Iā€™m happy to be employed. Itā€™s a tough business. Not only are we asked to be great singers, dancers, actors, and performers but weā€™re asked to have a social media presence and to be the most popular kid in school. 

Signature provides a safe environment to try something new and different, to experiment with a community that respects doing that. Also at Signature, it never feels like any audience members are being dragged by their partners to see a show. Itā€™s a supportive community. 

BLADE: Speaking of partners, do you miss being away from home?

MILLAN: Sometime itā€™s nice to have that time away from each other; it builds a little mystery.

BLADE: Will your performance change between now and January?

MILLAN: In recent years, Iā€™ve changed my acting approach from cracking the code on how to play a character to inviting the audience on a journey and making them part of the process. 

I was raised in musical theater, but by doing comedy, standup, and improv, Iā€™ve come to find the joy of failure freeing. And I like being part of a changing show. I like the idea of somebody being able to say ā€œI was there the night Patti LuPone yelled at the guy who took a picture.ā€

BLADE: An unexpected moment. 

MILLAN: Of course, I go in with certain things I have planned out, but I like the element of excitement that anything might happen. And I think the audience should feel that way too.

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Travel

2024 transatlantic cruise on Celebrity ASCENT: blog #1

Welcome to Barcelona

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The flight over to Barcelona was uneventful and landed on-time in this beautiful city. I was met at the airport by a very nice taxi driver I had pre-arranged through booking.com. He drove me to my hotel, the Barcelona Continental, on the Ramblas. It was a little disappointing. They neglected to tell those booking the road in front of the hotel was dug up and therefore you needed to be let out of the taxi across the Ramblas and had a long walk with your luggage. It is really old and not redone, except for the bathrooms, those are nice. But I would not recommend it.

I was early and they couldnā€™t get me checked in for a few hours, so had coffee and then met my friend Simone, also staying at the hotel. She had checked in a couple of days earlier and had the same reaction to the hotel I did. But that didnā€™t stop either one of us from enjoying Barcelona in all its beauty. I donā€™t sleep on planes, so the first day was spent relaxing and wandering aimlessly past cathedrals, long shopping streets, and wonderful little side streets off the Ramblas. Simone took off to do her shopping with more specific plans. It was an early night for me and we met again in the morning for coffee and spent a wonderful day together, shopping, walking, and seeing some great street performers. Then it was dinner with friends who we would be boarding the ship with the next morning. They kept predicting rain. It did come late at night and continued through us heading to the port to board the ASCENT. Because of the broken-up roadway we got a little wet heading to the taxi stand, which didnā€™t make us feel any better about the hotel.

It was a short ride to the port, and soon the beautiful ASCENT came into view. Boarding was easy and then suddenly the cruise was beginning. A walk around the ship unveiled some beautiful artwork, and small changes from the rest of the EDGE series ships I have been on. But it still felt like a welcome home. I headed to deck 15 and the Retreat lounge to meet some of the 70 people I would be traveling with. Scott and Dustin of My Lux Cruise had planned a sail-away party for all of us in their beautiful Iconic suite. They will be hosting a number of events during the cruise, which makes them such great travel agents, and friends. Another friend, the extraordinarily talented Andrew Derbyshire, who would be performing that evening, was there. He was on the ship for only one night, getting off in Alicante to head home to the UK the next day.  

I joined friends, Scott, Mike, and the irrepressible Jason, for dinner in Luminae, the dining room for the retreat.  It was to be a night where dinner came first and then the show. At 9 p.m. we were seated in the third row of the beautiful theater, to hear Andrew. He didnā€™t disappoint. He is better than ever. He has an incredible voice and such great stage presence. I, and everyone else, were just so sorry he wouldnā€™t be staying on the cruise with us. He reminded us he has been working with Celebrity for more than eight years and is one of their biggest stars. He also hosts their Pride month events doing so with great panache. As a young man Andrew performed in the West End in London, and has been a star performer for much of his life. Then it was off to The Club for a little disco music, and then off to bed with a satisfied smile on my face to complete day one on the ASCENT. 

Day two began with a knock on the door of my cabin with delivery of coffee, juice, and a bagel. I sat down to write, which I do every morning, and then headed to the gym for my first workout on the ship. It was empty, which was great, and the sun had come out and the view from the lifecycle made it fun. After the gym I headed to the retreat lounge and met some friends and had a cappuccino. The sky started to get gray and clearly it was going to rain in Alicante, our first stop. But that didnā€™t stop anyone from walking around the town. I was getting the best feeling this was going to be a great cruise. 

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