Arts & Entertainment
Paths through pages
Kindle or ink and paper, this spring’s books will take you places
‘Frog Music’ (Image courtesy Little, Brown and Company)
Whether you’re looking for a fabulous read for a spring fling/getaway or you’re hoarding books for that long-anticipated summer vacation, there are lots of books to look for this spring and events you’ll want to attend.
Let’s start this trip with books.
It’s practically an Emma Donoghue signature: take one obscure historical event and wrap a “what if?” story around it — which is exactly what you get in “Frog Music,” due next month.
It’s 1876 and Blanche Beunon is nearly run over by a strange man on a penny farthing. When the man stops to make sure Blanche is OK, she learns that the man is actually a woman in men’s clothing. Jenny Bonnet knows who Blanche is; she’s seen Blanche dance and she knows that Blanche sleeps with men for money. Still, the two become friends — that is, until the night Jenny is murdered.
This imagined tale based on a real murder takes us on a trance-like journey from France to San Francisco.
‘Out in the Army’ (Image courtesy Biteback Publishing)
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” isn’t just something our military personnel know and have lived with. It happens in Great Britain, too, and in “Out in the Army: My Life as a Gay Soldier” by James Wharton (June), you’ll read about a boy who wanted adventure. To find it, he joined the Army and there, he became a man who struggled with disclosure: how to tell his loved ones and colleagues that he’s gay. This is one of those action-packed memoirs with pockets of truth and strength.
Moving on in this trip filled with books, you’ll want to read “Lost and Found in Johannesburg” by Mark Gevisser (April). It’s the story of apartheid, maps and how one led to an understanding of the other. You may find it fascinating that the author is a gay Jewish white born-and-raised South African married to a man of another race.
Then, landing back home, how about a trip to New York with “Nothing Like a Dame” by Eddie Shapiro, (February) a book of conversations with some of Broadway’s leading ladies. Peek in on Carol Channing, Chita Rivera, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Bebe Neuwirth and others. It’s almost like being there.
Almost.
Also just out is “Christ-Centered Consciousness” in which author John Ryan writes a meditation on how he found peace with being a gay believer.
Out novelist (and Washingtonian) Louis Bayard’s new book “Roosevelt’s Beast” tells of an action adventure involving Theodore Roosevelt and his son, Kermit, through Brazil’s Rio da Duvida circa 1914. It’s out March 18. Look for an interview with Bayard in next week’s Blade.
And then there are trips you can physically take this spring.
If you’re a book lover, make plans to attend BOOKS ALIVE! 2014 on March 29 at the Bethesda Marriott on Pook’s Hill. This event offers a chance to meet big-name authors and journalists, but aspiring authors will also have a chance to meet with literary agents at pitch sessions. Doors are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., early registration is $220 or $240 at the door, which includes morning coffee and a box lunch. For more information, call Deborah Gelin at 202-223-6161.
And before the spring’s over, be sure to attend the Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 17. Meet authors, find your next best read and get it signed.
Oh, and just in case you missed it in January, fans of legendary gay author Armistead Maupin will definitely want to check out his latest — “The Days of Anna Madrigal,” the end of the 40-year, nine-volume “Tales of the City” series that’s let us all get a surprisingly resonating taste of San Francisco’s LGBT community over the decades.
The Washington Blade held the seventh annual Pride on the Pier at The Wharf DC on Saturday, June 13.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
The 2026 Lost River Pride Festival was held on the scenic grounds of the Lost River Farmers Market in Lost City, W.Va. on Saturday, June 13. Headliner Tom Goss performed at the festival and gave a second performance at the nearby Guesthouse Lost River.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Books
David Archuleta on Mormon faith, ‘Idol,’ more in new book
Unique memoir details religious upbringing, coming out
‘Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself’
By David Archuleta
c.2026, Gallery Books
$29/290 pages
So just make up your mind already.
The decision is very much in your control – or, at least that’s how it’s supposed to be. It’ll be your future, your path, and seizing it may not just be necessary, but mandatory. It’s your life, and no one can live it for you. As in the new memoir “Devout” by David Archuleta, that goes for career and for love, too.
Born to parents who both had musical careers before they wed, David Archuleta remembers an early childhood growing up in a Hispanic Mormon community in Florida, where kin was always nearby. He was six when his parents moved the immediate family to Utah; the first thing he remembers about that is the snow, and how it was so cold, it burned.
Because music was in his blood, Archuleta grew up singing and dancing, often with his mother whom he calls “my rock.” It was his father, however, who encouraged him to perform; first, with a gentle push, then a shove toward a career Archuleta didn’t really want.
But he did want to make his father happy, so he went along with the contests, embarrassing meet-and-greets with stars, and uncomfortable introductions. Slowly, though, performing became more fun, and Archuleta made friends.
Meanwhile, back home, everything was breaking apart. A “family friend” whom Archuleta refuses to name accused his father of abuse. He was exonerated, but it affected the family’s closeness and they stopped being affectionate.
That was a painful backdrop to Archuleta’s soaring career, his appearances on Star Search, friendships with other rising stars, his runner-up spot on “American Idol,” tours, and recording contracts. His father kept pushing him.
But there was one thing missing.
Since he was a boy, Archuleta had known that he was attracted to men, but his Mormon faith taught him that that was unacceptable. Kissing, his abuelita said, was wrong. He tried hard to date girls, in the most chaste way. Anything past that was against God – and anything at all with a man was unthinkable.
Though it absolutely favors his personal life and dwells on it a bit too much, “Devout” strikes an otherwise nice balance between that, author David Archuleta’s career, his sexuality, and his faith. The latter two are loaded with controversy.
You don’t need to be Mormon to fully understand the faith part; Archuleta offers non-Mormons a brief education, so readers can see the importance of the Church’s teachings in his life and why he felt the need to abandon it as his understanding of his bisexuality grew. It’s emotionally raw and honest, but also so respectful that it almost bears re-reading. Such candor and the heart-on-his-sleeve tone you’ll sense are features in the entire book, alongside Archuleta’s family’s struggles and his learning to strike out alone.
It’s harmonious in more ways than one, and fans will be happy.
So, too, will anyone who wants a unique memoir with a dose of faith, or someone who’s an “American Idol”watcher. Find “Devout” and be sure to share. You won’t mind.
The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.
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