Arts & Entertainment
Skip this Christmas book
Angst-ridden read will have you drowning sorrows in eggnog
āRemembering Christmasā
By Tom Medicino
$15/250 pages
It happens every year.
First, you start seeing Christmas decorations. Then you notice yourself mouthing the words to songs while youāre shopping and you start to get nostalgic, missing family and remembering this gift and that dinner and holidays through rose-colored glasses.
Itās ho-ho-horrible, almost as if youāre homesick for something you never had. Seriously, who ever had a āperfect holiday,ā anyhow?Ā In the new book āRemembering Christmas,ā featuring three novellas by three premier authors, the only things perfect are the ghosts of Christmases past.
Itās funny how we remember special things we got for Christmas at the same time we remember things we didnāt get. In āAway, in a Mangerā by Tom Medicino, middle-aged James is empty-handed and empty-hearted.
Life as a gay man in New York was good once. There was always another party, another summer in Fire Island, and another trip with Ernst, Jamesā lover and mentor.
But times change: Ernst is now an old man with fusty habits, the summer house is a tired tradition that needs to be retired, and James wants⦠something. Then, on his way to spend Christmas with his family, car trouble strands James in a tiny town where his future is hiding, covered in snow.
Remember wishing for that one special thing to show up beneath the tree? No matter how old you are, itās hard not to have a specific gift in mind when you see piles of gifts, and in āA Christmas to Rememberā by Frank Anthony Polito, all Jack Paterno wants is a boyfriend.
Specifically, Jack wants Kirk, his old pal from high school. Thereās so much history between them, so many mutual friends and boyhood memories in common. But even though Jack is pretty sure Kirkās gay, Kirk isnāt so sure himself.
And sometimes, especially if Christmas loses its magic, lost love feels keener. When Neil broke up with Theo just before the holidays, Theo decided that he might as well do what he said heād never do, and go home for Christmas. But in āMissed Connectionsā by Michael Salvatore, a chance encounter with an old love becomes an odd gift.
Though my mother always told me not to judge a book by its cover, I have to admit that I did. The cover of this book looked like it was going to be fun.
I should have listened to Mom.
āRemembering Christmasā is awfully dark. It pouts and mutters, feels sorry for itself, gets morosely introspective and wallows in pity for pages and pages and pages. There are occasional bursts of good tidings and great joy, but the melancholy and angst overpowers it. I think I could have handled that in one story, but the similar theme of all three tales made me want to drown my sorrows in spiked eggnog.
I think that if youāre single, hating it and want some paper commiseration, then this book will be good company this season. But if youāre looking for a holiday book that makes you feel all Christmassy, this one is a perfect disaster.
Out & About
Mayorās office to host Pride tie-dye party
Guests to make colorful shirts for ‘PEACE. LOVE. REVOLUTION’ theme

The Mayorās Office for LGBTQ Affairs will host āLove Out Loud: Tie Dye Party for Prideā on Wednesday, June 7 at 5 p.m. at the Frank D. Reeves Center of Municipal Affairs.
The event, hosted along with the DC Center for the LGBT Community and Capital Pride Alliance, will be an afternoon for community and artistry.Ā Guests are encouraged to bring their creativity to make some colorful tie-dye shirts in line with this year’s Pride theme, āPEACE. LOVE. REVOLUTION.ā
This event is free to attend and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā

DC Pride Poem-a-Day will present its second installation of short videos featuring LGBTQ poetry from the Washington, D.C. area to celebrate Pride month.
A new video will be released each day in June and will feature different poets reading an original poem on the theme of āheritage.ā
The videos highlight LGBTQ poetsĀ from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, races, and countries of origin, and also poets from minority religions, multi-lingual, and disabled.Ā
To access the poetry, visitĀ DC Pride Poemsā website.

Friday, June 2
Center Aging: Friday Tea Time will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This event is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests can bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact [email protected].
Go Gay DC will host āLGBTQ+ Pride Kickoff Socialā at 7 p.m. at The Commentary. This event is ideal to make new friends in the LGBTQ community and enjoy the bottomless happy hour specials at Puro Gusto. Admission is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, June 3
Virtual Yoga Class with Jesse Z. will be at 12 p.m. online. This is a weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. Guests are encouraged to RSVP on the DC Centerās website, providing your name, email address, and zip code, along with any questions you may have. A link to the event will be sent at 6 pm the day before.
LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. LGBTQ People of Color can come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgment free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more details, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Project DC Events will host āDC Pride Crawlā at 2 p.m. at Dupont Circleās best bars. Guests are encouraged to put on their brightest and most colorful outfit, grab friends, and enjoy a day of drinks and celebration. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
Sunday, June 4
AfroCode DC will be at 4 p.m. at Decades DC. This event will be an experience of non-stop music, dancing, and good vibes and a crossover of genres and a fusion of cultures. Tickets cost $40 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
āLargest LGBTQIA+ Singles Flamingleā will be at 7 p.m. at THRoW Social DC. Guests can enjoy signature cocktail and wine specials, food, games, and live music while mingling with single people in the local LGBTQ community. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 5
Center Aging Monday Coffee and Conversation will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. LGBT Older Adults ā and friends ā are invited to enjoy friendly conversations and to discuss any issues you might be dealing with. For more information, visit the Center Agingās Facebook or Twitter.
Capital Pride Interfaith Service Planning Meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. The Capital Pride Interfaith Service is an āintegrated serviceā respectfully demonstrating the breadth, depth, and sincerity of our faith, exposing the lie that anti-gay fundamentalists have a monopoly on faith and religion. For more details, [email protected].Ā
Tuesday, June 6
Go Gay DC will host āLGBTQ+ Pride Receptionā at 5 p.m. at Turkish Coffee Lady. This event is to foster cross-cultural connectedness and make friends in the LGBTQ+ and allied community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Pride on the Patio Events will host āLGBTQ+ Social Mixerā at 5:30 p.m. at Showroom. Dress is casual, fancy, or comfortable and guests are encouraged to bring the most authentic you to chat, laugh, and get a little crazy. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā
Wednesday, June 7
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking ā allowing participants to move away from being merely āapplicantsā toward being ācandidates.ā For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Center Aging Womenās Social & Discussion Group will be at 6:00p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older LGBTQ+ women can meet and socialize with one another. To register, visit the DC Centerās website.Ā
Thursday, June 8
KINETIC Presents will host āKINETIC Pride 2023 DC Weekend Passā at 10 p.m. at four D.C. venues. This partnership with Capital Pride Alliance will feature a performance by global pop star Betty Who at Echostage, stunning visuals, and top talent. Tickets start at $149 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
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