Arts & Entertainment
Year in review: Books by the bounty
Several releases this year wrote eloquently of gay and trans themes
(Image courtesy of Oxford University Press)
Drivel, dreck and what the heck?
That kind of sums up the books that were released this year. There were some good things, some downright awful things, and some things that, well, they weren’t bad but they weren’t the best books you’ve ever read, either.
And then there were the gems.
I read about 270 books this year, and (fortunate me!) it was hard to pick favorites, but nonetheless, here they are.
Adult fiction
For me, the world totally ceased to exist while I was reading “The Absolutist” by John Boyne. Set in the years after World War I, it’s the story of a former soldier who decides to return some letters to the sister of the friend who wrote them. Years ago, he knew the woman’s brother — had a crush on him, in fact — but the man is now dead, and when the sister asks what happened, the narrator tells her. What happens left me absolutely breathless.
If you plan on reading just one book this winter, this should be it. Really.
I have to admit: I’m not a major Eric Jerome Dickey reader. Some of his books leave me cold but “An Accidental Affair” chilled me with the action and double-crossing that happens to the book’s narrator, who catches his beloved wife sleeping with another man. What he has to do to get her out of trouble — and get himself out of danger — will make you turn the pages so fast, you’ll practically rip them.
What’s that word again for fiction based on fact? In the case of “October Mourning” by Lesleà Newman, the word is “powerful.”
Based on the Matthew Shepard murder, this book consists of a series of free-form poems from the POV of the things and creatures that witnessed his death: the fence, a doe that wandered by, the road, the truck. There are real quotes entwined amid the verses, which only serves to heighten the punch in the gut you’ll feel with this book.
I listened to it in audio. I bawled til I could barely breathe.
And if you’re thinking about starting a family, “The Paternity Test” by Michael Lowenthal may be one of the better books you’ll read about it.
Yes, this is fiction. It’s about a couple who have had a shaky relationship for years and then finally decide to settle down and have a baby through surrogacy. But it’s not that easy and I can’t tell you anything else. Just read it — seriously.
Adult non-fiction
Hands-down, the LGBT memoir I loved most this year was “Gypsy Boy” by Mikey Walsh. Walsh was born a Romany Gypsy and lived as a child in Europe in a series of camps and compounds. His father was determined to make Walsh the latest of a lineage of fierce fighters and, to that end, he beat his son every day, sometimes multiple times. But what the elder Walsh didn’t know was that his son was gay.
Walsh gives this book a laissez faire tone, but don’t let that fool you — this book packs a wallop and can’t be missed.
I’m a sucker for a good scandal and “Dropped Names” by Frank Langella had its share. Langella seemed to always be in the proverbial right place at the right time. That kind of luck put him in proximity of a lot of Hollywood stars and it started his career. This is a light-reading book with dozens of tiny chapters and big names. For any fan of movies, Broadway, or television, particularly from decades past, this is a great book.
As I started reading “From the Closet to the Altar” by Michael J. Klarman, I was afraid I was in for something dry. Not so much, as it turns out: this book isn’t just about gay marriage, it’s also about the history of gay rights and coming proudly out. Turns out that this book is a little like a good martini: a little dry, a little bitter and an interesting taste that leaves you wanting more.
And finally, I don’t think I’ll ever forget “A Queer and Pleasant Danger” by Kate Bornstein. It’s the story of a man who becomes a woman, a religion that almost derails that process and the aftermath of getting out of something very scary.
Bornstein is funny and self-depreciating, snarky and kind. You’ll find a lot of bravado in this book but read it — and read between the lines.
And there you have it: eight books on which you can use your gift certificate. Eight books to help you get through the winter. Books you just can’t miss.
Photos
PHOTOS: Capital Stonewall Democrats 50th anniversary
D.C. LGBTQ political group celebrates milestone at Pepco Edison Place Gallery
The Capital Stonewall Democrats held a 50th anniversary celebration at Pepco Edison Place Gallery on Friday. Rayceen Pendarvis served as the emcee.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Theater
‘Inherit the Wind’ isn’t about science vs. religion, but the right to think
Holly Twyford on new role and importance of listening to different opinions
‘Inherit the Wind’
Through April 5
Arena Stage
1101 Sixth St., S.W.
Tickets start at $73
Arenastage.org
When “Inherit the Wind” premiered on Broadway in 1955 with a cast of 50, its fictional setting of Hillsboro, an obscure country town described as the buckle on the Bible Belt, was filled with townspeople. And now at Arena Stage, director Ryan Guzzo Purcell has somehow crowded Arena’s large Fichandler space with just 10 actors, five principals and a delightful ensemble of five playing multiple roles.
Inspired by the real-life Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s fictionalized work pits intellectual freedom against McCarthyism via the imagined trial of Bertram Cates (Noah Plomgren), a Tennessee educator charged with teaching evolution. Drawn into the fracas are big shot lawyers, defense attorney Henry Drummond (Billy Eugene Jones), and conservative prosecutor, Matthew Harrison Brady (Dakin Matthew). On hand to cover the closely watched story is wisecracking city slicker and Baltimore reporter E.K. Horneck (played by nonbinary actor Alyssa Keegan).
Out actor Holly Twyford, a four-time Helen Hayes Award winner who has appeared in more than 80 Washington area plays, is part of the ensemble. In jeans and boots, she memorably plays Meeker, the bailiff at the Hillsboro courthouse and the jailer responsible for holding Cates in the days leading to his trial.
Twyford also plays Sillers, a slack jawed earnest employee at the local feed store who’s called to serve on the jury. And more importantly she plays Brady’s quietly strong wife Sarah whom he affectionately calls “Mother.”
When Twyford makes her memorable first entrance as Meeker, she’s wiping shaving cream from her face with a hand towel. With shades of Mayberry R.F.D., the jail is run casually. Meeker says Cates isn’t the criminal type, and he’s not.
“There’s a joke among actors,” says Twyford. “When an actor gets his shoes, they know who their character is. And it’s sort of true. When you put on boots, heels, or flip flops, there’s a different feeling, and you walk differently.”
Similarly, shares Twyford, it goes for clothes too: “When Mother slips a pink coat dress over her cowboy boots, dons a little hat and ties her scarf, or Meeker puts on his work shirt, I know where I am. And all of that is thanks to a remarkable wardrobe crew.
“Additionally, some of the ensemble characters are played broadly which is helpful to the actors and super identifying for the audience too.”
During intermission, an audience member loudly described the production as “a proper play” filled with beautifully written passages. And it’s true. Twyford agrees, adding “That’s all true, and it’s also been was fun for us to be a part of the Arena legacy as well. Arena took ‘Inherit the Wind’ to the Soviet Union in the early ‘70s when the respective governments did a cultural exchange. At the time, the iron curtain was very much in place, and they traveled with a play about a man with his own thoughts.”
When the ensemble was cast, actors didn’t know which tracts exactly they were going to play. “What came together was a cast, diverse in different ways. Some directors, including myself when I direct, are interested in assembling a cast that’s a good group. No time for egos. It’s more about who will make the best group to help me tell this story.”
At one point during rehearsal, ensemble members began to help one another with minor onstage costume changes, like jackets and hats: “We just started doing it and Ryan [Guzzo Purcell] picked up on it, saying things really began to come alive when we helped each other, so we went with that.”
“For me, it was reminiscent of ‘The Laramie Project’ [Ford’s Theatre in 2013] when we played five different parts and we’d help each other with a vest or jacket in a similar way. It worked so well then too,” says Twyford.
“Inherit the Wind” isn’t about science versus religion. It’s about the right to think, playwright Jerome Lawrrence has been quoted as saying. And it’s a quote that makes the play that much more relevant today.
Twford remembers a chat in a hair salon: “I was getting my hair cut and the woman next to me shared that she was tired of message plays. Understandably there are theater makers who believe that message plays are the point, while others think it’s all about entertainment. I feel like ‘Inherit the Wind’ sits in a nice place in the middle.”
She adds “the work is a creative way of showing different opinions and that, I think, is what we should be paying attention to right now. Clearly, it’s not right or wrong to express what you think.”
Out & About
‘How We Survived’ panel set for March 25
‘Living History’ discussion to be held at Spark Social
Friends of Dorothy Cafe will host “Part One, Living History: How We Survived,” will take place on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Spark Social House.
This event will be moderated by Abby Stuckrath, host of the “Queering the District” podcast. Panelists include: Earline Budd, activist, trans rights advocate; TJ Flavell of Go Gay DC; DC LGBTQ+ Center Board Member David Bissette; and Alexa Rodriguez, founder and executive director, Trans-Latinx DMV.
This event is part of a four-part storytelling series called “Living History,” which centers LGBTQ elders, activists, artists, and icons sharing their lived experiences and reflections with younger generations. The conversations explore themes like resilience, community organizing, chosen family, and the lessons earlier generations hope today’s LGBTQ+ and ally communities will carry forward.
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