More Will and Jay stories from Alan Barker

Several more two sentence stories from Alan Barker. Enjoy!!

Flashback - Tour de Force

"Will says you've just come back from a tour in Germany Tim, like the stage outfit, wild nights in Berlin, fans screaming front of stage and then you're off again," remarked Jay, " and where next, Japan or somewhere here in America?"

"My last tour was in Germany," added Tim quietly, "and I'm so glad Rae invited me to your barbecue to chill out for an hour or two, but before I go I need one of your very special man hugs mate because to be quite honest, this really brave soldier-boy is feeling very nervous as my next tour is in...Afghanistan."


Missing

"I come home from the studio early and what do I see," said a very surprised Will to his partner Jay, "you on the sofa, with your arms wrapped around an Army guy!"

"Ssshhh, can you remember how anxious Tim was at Rae's barbecue just before he went to Afghanistan," whispered Jay between sobs, "well Ben here, his partner has just heard from the lads over there that Tim volunteered to go on a special patrol this week and has been reported 'Missing'."


Search

"Well, I need a small group of volunteers to go on a dangerous search and recover mission to find Tim's patrol vehicle," requested his commanding officer, " and I'm hoping you find some of the guys alive, but we have lost radio contact, so all we can do is hope."

"There are five of us who will go sir," volunteered Zac, "he's a great guy and would do anything for us, but can we contact his partner Ben, because if Alex my...well you know sir what Alex means to me, if he was missing I'd want to know."

Found

"You're two guys who will understand the situation," said Ben as he hugged Will and his partner Jay, "you're so cool about us and so are my Army mates who have accepted us as a couple."

"Well, they thought so much of Tim that they volunteered to go to find him, even facing snipers ans i.e.d.s," said Ben, showing Will and Jay all the messeges of support, "and they found him, the guys found him...he has been wounded and...faces amputations."


Loss

"I just don't feel like talking now Ben," cried Tim as he turned his face away towards the wall to hide his tears of frustration, "and I think we should part, because...man this is difficult...because...because...I can't..."

"Tim, those guys in our platoon risked their lives to save you and they were so worried about you and the effect of all this on us," Ben said firmly, "and although there are others in this ward who have lost their sight and limbs, we still have each other and a career and nothing is going to change that!"


Reunion

"I'm so sorry I said the things I did," whispered Tim to his partner Ben, "because I didn't feel like the whole guy you met three years ago, especially after the first time I tried to walk and fell back on the bed."

"All the guys in the platoon know how brave you have been and your commanding officer has missed your enegy, leadership and honesty, especially when you explained to them about Zac and Alex," replied Ben, "but please, just for me, remember there's still a life for us to share and those men still fighting out there respect you so much it hurts."


Home

"Thanks for coming to see me so soon," said Tim hugging Will and Jay, "as I lay there wounded in the ditch I thought I would never see my Ben or any of the lads again, but then suddenly in that painful half-light Zac and Alex came scrambling down towards me and being professionals hid their emotions so well."

"It's now really a matter of Ben helping me to put my best foot forward," laughed Tim to a very relieved Will and Jay, "as I had to have my left foot amputated, do I use my real one first or the prosthetic one?"

23rd Annual Lambda Literary Award Winners

Lesbian Fiction

Inferno (A Poet's Novel), by Eileen Myles, OR Books

Gay Fiction

Union Atlantic, by Adam Haslett, Doubleday

Lesbian Debut Fiction

Sub Rosa, by Amber Dawn, Arsenal Pulp Press

Gay Debut Fiction

Bob the Book, by David Pratt, Chelsea Station Editions

Lesbian Memoir/Biography (TIE)

Hammer! Making Movies Out of Sex and Life, by Barbara Hammer, The Feminist Press

Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures, by Julie Marie Wade, Colgate University Press

GayMemoir/Biography

Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist and Sexual Renegade, by Justin Spring, Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Lesbian Mystery

Fever of the Bone, by Val McDermid, HarperCollins

Gay Mystery

Echoes, by David Lennon, Blue Spike Publishing

LGBT Anthology

Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, edited by Kate Bornstein & S. Bear Bergman, Seal Press

LGBT Children's/Young Adult

Wildthorn, by Jane Eagland, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

LGBT Drama

Oedipus at Palm Springs, by The Five Lesbian Brothers: Maureen Angelos, Dominique Dibbell, Peg Healey, and Lisa Kron, Samuel French, Inc.

LGBT Nonfiction

King Kong Theory, by Virginia Despentes, The Feminist Press

LGBT SF/Fantasy/Horror

Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories, by Sandra McDonald, Lethe Press

LGBT Studies (TIE)

Another Country: Queer Anti-Urbanism, by Scott Herring, New York University Press

Assuming a Body: Transgender and Rhetorics of Materiality, by Gayle Salaman, Columbia University Press

Bisexual Fiction

The Lunatic, the Lover and the Poet, by Myrlin Hermes, Harper Perennial

Bisexual Nonfiction

Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools, by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, Rowman & Littlefield

Transgender Fiction

Holding Still For as Long as Possible,by Zoe Whittall, House of Anansi Press

Transgender Nonfiction

Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, edited by Noach Dzmura, North Atlantic Books

Lesbian Erotica

Sometimes She Lets Me: Best Butch/Femme Erotica, edited by Tristan Taormino, Cleis Press

Gay Erotica

Teleny and Camille, by Jon Macy, Northwest Press

Lesbian Poetry

The Nights Also, by Anna Swanson, Tightrope Books

Gay Poetry

Pleasure, by Brian Teare, Ahsahta Press

Lesbian Romance

River Walker, by Cate Culpepper, Bold Strokes Books

Gay Romance

Normal Miguel, by Erik Orrantia, Cheyenne Press

New Pictures of Herman and me

Herman and I were out with Friends in Palm Springs this week and they snapped some pictures. Thought I would share.

Short Story Review: The Emerald Mountain by Victor J. Banis

Reviewer: Alan Chin
Publisher: MLR Press
Pages: 34

A burned-out reporter for a gay rag in San Francisco is given an unusual assignment, to follow up on rumors that there is a gay messiah miraculously healing people in the Castro. His investigation leads him to Peter Lucas Simon, who was recently released from a mental clinic in Ohio called Earth Light, and who has no memory. Simon is a man caught in the present, with no history and no vision into the future. Simon seems too supernatural to be true.

The two men strike up a relationship, and the reporter travels to Earth Light in search of answers to Simon’s mysterious past. But the reporter’s visit only brings more questions. They become involved, but then a disappearance presents an intriguing question. Is Simon real or is he a hallucination fabricated in the reporter’s unhinged head?

One of the hallmarks of Victor J. Banis stories is the unique characters that lure the reader into an enjoyable journey, and this tale is no exception. These characters shine through this intriguing storyline, and charm the reader while the author plays a shell game with the plot that leaves the reader wondering what was real and what was imagined.

In the end, the reader realized that, real or invented, this is a story about letting fear of the unknown grab hold of us rather than accepting what is. This is a beautifully told story that blends religion and mysticism and homophobia. It is a mystery that keeps the reader engrossed and guessing to the last page. I can highly recommend this story.

Lean more about this author at www.vjbanis.com

May 19th Book Reading/Signing in Phoenix, AZ

Last Thursday I was treated to one of the loveliest experiences of my literary career. Bob Lind, a nationally known book reviewer for Echo Magazine in Phoenix, AZ, invited to me do a book reading/signing for a meeting of the Prime Timers group (a group of retired gay men who love literature), in the heart of the gay district of Phoenix.

I got there about an hour before the event started, and spent a delightful time talking shop with Bob Lind. Soon men began showing up in twos and threes until the room was packed with seventy elderly gay men. It was literally standing room only.

I had never read to a group of more than thirty people before that night, and I felt quite intimidated. Those wonderful men, however, made me feel right at home. I calmed down in record time and began to enjoy myself. They were attentive, considerate, and asked several interesting questions. We had a few laughs, many at my expense, and the evening turned into a fun event for everyone. Well, nearly everyone. I did notice that one gentleman nodded off during my reading. But only one in seventy is a pretty good ratio.

Both before and after my reading, these charming men lined up to buy my books. Several people bought all four. I took three boxes of books to the signing, and they nearly cleaned me out. The next day, I check the numbers on Amazon, and saw that they bought another fifteen or twenty ebooks.

I’ve always been fearful of public speaking. But I must say that if every audience was as charming as these men, I could make a career of it.

Thank you, Bob and all the men of the Phoenix Prime Timers for making me feel so welcome.

Book Review: Shining In The Sun by Alex Beecroft

Reviewer: Alan Chin
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Pages: 170

Alec Goodchilde has everything a middle-aged man could want—wads of money, important job, beautiful fiancé, controlling mother—except the freedom to be himself. He’s a prisoner within his own life. But every summer he drives to an exclusive yacht club on the Cornish coast and sails away for a month-long break from his overly structured life. This year, however, when his car breaks down and leaves him stranded on a beach, something inside him is awakened by the sight of a surfer dancing on the waves. The surfer is summer made flesh, freedom wrapped in a lithe package. He is everything Alex secretly longs for.

Darren Stokes’ only joy is riding the waves. He desperately needs a break from his life of grinding work, appalling relatives and hiding from his abusive ex-boyfriend. He sees that break in the form of a rich meal ticket that shows an interest in him. Darren coaxes Alec into an idyllic night together that turns into a life changing experience for both men, but no relationship is an island. The blinding light reality from each of their lives exposes the impossibility of their budding attraction.

At first blush this seems like a rather simple yet well-told story of opposites attract. Beecroft hooks the reader with vividly drawn characters and then draws the reader into a beautifully crafted world where both rich and poor can find a middle ground to protect each other and even flourish for a time. These characters come alive because of their genuine emotions and concerns.

But as both characters’ lives begin to catch up with them, the plot becomes more complex, with twists and turns that give the reader a nice range of emotional experiences. This is no simple tale of rich man meets poor boy. It is a multifaceted web of situations and emotions. The lovers are pulled apart again and again, but they keep fighting their way back to each other. By the end, the reader realizes that it is a story about finding courage. As Alex’s and Darren’s bond becomes stronger, they awaken in each other the pluck to fight back against all the negative influences in their lives that imprison them.

And do they win their battles? Do they live happily ever after? Well, this is a romance and at times a rather predictable one. I will say that I found the ending to be completely satisfying. Once again, Alex Beecroft has proven she is a topnotch storyteller. This is a read I can highly recommend.

You can read more about this book/author at: http://alexbeecroft.com/

Book Review: Retirement Plan by Martha Miller

Reviewer: Victor J. Banis

Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (May 2011)

boldstrokesbooks.com
ISBN-10: 1602822247

An intriguing and engrossing read. Lois Burnett and Sophie Long, two senior lesbians, decide to supplement their meager retirement income with some contract killings. With this premise, I was actually expecting a screwball comedy, but it turns out this is more of a crime/police procedural. There is humor, to be sure, much of it supplied by Myrtle, a friend of Lois and Sophie’s, who is looking for love and trying on new partners like changing clothes in a fitting room.

The killings, however, are handled in a serious manner. The story essentially follows two different threads, that of the hit women and of detective Morgan Holiday as she tries to solve the killings, the two paths leading inevitably to an eventual intersection.

Lois and Sophie struggle not only with their shootings, but also with an offensive neighbor mistreating his dog, the loss of their grandson, Matt, in Afghanistan, and the return of their adopted Vietnamese daughter, Ruby, who has been in prison on drug and prostitution charges. When Ruby is released from prison, Sophie convinces Lois they must give her another chance, despite some reluctance on Lois’s part.
Homicide detective Morgan Holiday, meanwhile struggles with problems of her own—her fluctuating weight, her own sexuality – despite a lesbian relationship in the past, she has yet to accept herself as lesbian—and a mother with Alzheimer’s who rarely recognizes her and has a penchant for escaping from her nursing home. The humor in these segments is grim.

I had problems with a couple of points, foremost among them it seemed that the two leads choose their retirement career somewhat blithely. I had to suspend disbelief on that score, but no more so than I would have done with, say, a fantasy novel, where I just have to accept the author’s premise that dragons are real. And while the author tries to adhere to the format of the hit TV show, Dexter, where Dexter is a serial killer who more or less redeems himself for viewers via the fact that the people he kills are all certifiable monsters, I thought Lois and Sophie were a little quick on the trigger, so to speak. True, a couple of their hits were undeniable scumbags and there’s little reason for anyone to regret their demise, but some others were not quite so clearly delineated. Deciding to kill someone who is annoying, for instance, even seriously annoying, or corrupting, as in abetting someone to fall off the wagon, falls more into the category of vigilantism than of righteous justice. But certainly plenty of people were ready to cheer Charles Bronson in Death Wish and its sequels, so mine may not be the popular opinion. And it helps here that the Lois and Sophie are well drawn and sympathetic, so that the reader can easily care about them and root for them, even if not always agreeing with their judgments. After all, how often in life do we agree with everything our friends decide?

Despite my quibbles, I found this a well written novel, with believable and likable characters and some not so likable, and plenty of suspense, not of the whodunit style but rather of the will-they-get-away-with-it sort, the answer to which I’m not going to supply here. And while ostensibly a lesbian novel, its appeal is broader than that. The issues with which the characters grapple are, after all, universal ones—the plight of seniors in today’s society, the search for love and acceptance, the failings of the legal system in protecting the innocent from the predators. One hardly needs to be lesbian to recognize these issues, or share in the struggle with them.

All in all, highly recommended.

May 19th Book Reading/Signing in Phoenix, AZ

For those book lovers who plan to be in Phoenix, AZ this week, I’m doing a book read/signing for a meeting of the Prime Timers group (a rather large group of retired gay men who love literature), and the reading is open to the public. So please come on down.

This event will take place at 7p.m. on May 19th
1 Voice Community Center
725 W. Indian School Road,
Phoenix, AZ

If you’re in the area, I’d love for you to attend and hang out with me and the Prime Timers. For writers wanting to meet new readers, come join our discussion of gay literature and make yourself known to these readers. Who knows, you could be their next victim… Err, I mean, guest speaker. Lol

Howl, a good movie on freedom of speech

Hi gang,

I Netflixed an interesting moving last night: Howl, with James Franco playing gay poet Allen Ginsberg. The movie takes place in 1955 and is actually about the trial where the government tried to suppress Ginsberg's book, Howl, for obscenity. It's an interesting case on freedom of speech, and pretty entertaining. Franco was very convincing.

Based on the court records and interviews with Ginsburg, every word in the movie was actually spoken by the characters being portrayed.

Enjoy

Book Review: The Shakespeare Conspiracy by Ted Bacino

Reviewed by Alan Chin
Published by AuthorHouse
Pages: 288

The Shakespeare Conspiracy is a historical novel that unravels two mysteries, and then weaves the pieces back together to reveal what could be the most scandalous deception in the history of literature.

Mystery #1: How could Chrisopher Marlowe, England’s foremost playwright, be suspiciously murdered and quickly buried in an unmarked grave only days before he was to be tried for treason?

Mystery #2: How could William Shakespeare replace Marlowe as England’s greatest playwright virtually overnight, when Shakespeare had never written anything before and was merely a little-known actor?

Did Shakespeare really write all those fantastic plays, or did he have a ghostwriter by the name of Christopher Marlowe? Read the book and decide for yourself.

I must admit that the author wheels his facts like a sword to make a pretty convincing story of how Christopher Marlowe faked his own death to escape the hangman, and then with the help of his benefactor and lover, continued writing plays that William Shakespeare took credit for. But Bacino not only presents a convincing theory and backs it up with facts, he tells an interesting, exciting and funny love story that is full of plot twists. It is an amazingly fun read.

The premise and the characters are deliciously unique. I especially like the way the author paints Shakespeare as a buffoonish rogue who doesn’t know a comma from a camel. The love story that unfolds between Marlowe and his benefactor, Thomas Walsingham, is both touching and inspiring. There is much to love about this story.

Set in 16th Century Elizabethan England as the Black Plague ravages the country, these characters traverse grand country estates, the underbelly of London, the torture chamber of Bidwell prison, as well as a seven-year manhunt across Italy. It is a tale of murder, mayhem, loyalty, and love. The author presents what I believe to be an accurate glimpse of the political strife, religious supremacy, and gay society of the time.

Within the first few pages, it became clear to me that his novel was adapted from a screenplay. The whole book reads like a screenplay, which means there is little delving into the characters’ heads and hearing their thoughts. This is one of the few books I’ve read that could benefit from a little more telling rather than showing. Although I must say that as the story progressed, the writing continued to grow stronger. There were a few minor holes in the plot, but they were easily overlooked.

One thing that struck me was the historical accuracy. Bacino has done his homework well, and even includes fifty pages of supplemental notes and historical data to support his argument. There is also a number of comparisons between Marlowe’s and Shakespeare’s writings that are too numerous and too telling to ignore.

The Shakespeare Conspiracy is a fast, fun, engaging read. I highly recommend it to everyone who loves a good, eye-opening romp through history.

For more information about the author or his book, go to www.theshakespeareconspiracy.com
.

Dreamspinner Press 4th Anniversary Sale

Dreamspinner press is having a fantastic sale during the month of May in honor of their 4th Anniversary.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/

Happy Birthday Dreamspinner Press - May Specials
Now through midnight EST May 31, 2011.
20% off all ebooks in the Dreamspinner Press store.
A drawing each week for an ebook reader of the winner's choice: Kindle WiFi, NOOK WiFi, or Sony PRS 350SC
$49.99 on the 2011 Daily Dose set - First Time for Everything until May 25

Week Two Specials:
30% off all ebooks that are turning 3
Far From Home by Madeleine Urban
Alliance in Blood by Ariel Tachna
The Archer by Abigail Roux
Murder Most Gay by John Simpson
Love Ahead by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Condor One by John Simpson
Sparks Fly by Clare London
Selfless by Michael Powers
Children of Bacchus by Andrew Grey
Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Task Force by John Simpson
Covenant in Blood by Ariel Tachna
Irish Winter by John Simpson
True Blue by Connie Bailey

Week Three Specials:
Download the first book from seven of our most popular series FREE - a different book each day.
Sunday - May 15 - Condor One by John Simpson
Monday - May 16 - Litha's Constant Whim by Amy Lane
Tuesday - May 17 - Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Wednesday - May 18 - Promises by Marie Sexton
Thursday - May 19 - His Hearth by Mary Calmes
Friday - May 20 - Love Means... No Shame by Andrew Grey
Saturday - May 21 - Luke by Jan Irving

Week Four Specials:
All Dreamspinner Press Anthology ebooks 50% off!
A Brush of Wings
Curious
Games in the Dark
Know When to Hold 'em
Make Me a Match, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
Making Contact
Mr. Right Now
Myths and Magic: Legends of Love
Necking
Reflections of Love
Riding Double
Sandals and Sodomy
Sindustry Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
Uniform Appeal

Check the Dreamspinner Press Homepage May 29, 30, and 31st for three special surprises

May 18 Smack Dab:Keva I Lee

Smack Dab open mic
hosted by Larry-bob Roberts and Kirk Read
Keva I Lee joins us as featured performer.

Wednesday May 18, 8pm, open mic signup starts at 7:30
At Magnet, your neighborhood queer health center, 4122 18th Street between Castro and Collingwood.
http://www.magnetsf.org

Smack Dab is all ages, all genders, all the time.

If you'd like to perform at the open mic, please bring five minutes of whatever you want to share. Musicians, one song. Prose writers: that's about two and a half double spaced pages of prose. We’re the friendliest open mic you’ll find but we pay attention to time so that nobody accumulates further open mic-related PTSD.

Presented by Army of Lovers, a project of the Queer Cultural Center with support from the San Francisco Arts Commission, Zellerbach Family Foundation, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Horizons Foundation, TheatreBayArea and the California Arts Council

Featured performer bio:
Keva I Lee is a professional dominatrix, fetish model and performance artist. Previously, she worked as a counselor and advocate for sex workers in the criminal justice system, until she decided to become a sex worker herself and never looked back. Keva I Lee first performed in the Sex Workers Art Show 2008, dominating unsuspecting college students across the nation. Since then she has performed and shown her art pieces at the Sex Workers Fest 2009, Femina Potens and Desiree Alliance Conference 2010. She has contributed to the "We, Asian Sex Workers" blog (www.weasiansexworkers.wordpress.com), Aorta magazine and $pread magazine. Currently her clay piece “FOBject Fetish” is on display at the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas, NV. Her writing and art are centered around her exploits as an Asian woman working in the kink industry and the constant barrage of stereotypes that come with it.

New Review of Match Maker

Hi Gang,

Yesterday I came back from playing tennis to find a new review of Match Maker in my inbox. It turned out to be a glowing review by Carol Zampa over at Miz Love Loves Books. She marked it as a top pick.

I recently read at quote that said: A book review should be written as beautifully as the book being reviewed. I can honestly say that Carol Zampa certainly did just that with this review. It is one of the loveliest reviews I’ve ever read of any book, let alone one of mine.

Carol says in part: “Daniel Bottega’s story is a treatise on survival against the odds, love that just won’t quit, even when the object of the affection unconsciously tries to snuff it out. It’s a beautiful commentary on survival, heartbreaking-but-ultimately-heart-swelling-with joy hanging on to what you know is there, what you KNOW is worth hanging on for. It’s a symphony on self-esteem, and on the many factors that can wreak havoc on it. It’s a lesson on how to regain that self-esteem.

Most of all? To me? It’s a beautiful poem on love. After all, love is—even though we don’t really realize it—at the core of everything, one way or another. And Chin paints across this canvas with such beauty, such softness, and then lets you step back and take a deep breath, a satisfied breath. And you know you just fell in love with Daniel and his gang, but mostly Daniel.”

Hope you have a moment to check it out at: http://tinyurl.com/4yo4kne

Enjoy

Edward Albee & Val McDermid to be Honored at 23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards

Three-time Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright Edward Albee & Award-Winning Crime Writer Val McDermid to be Honored at 23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards

Comedienne Lea DeLaria to Host Stellar Line up of Presenters

Los Angeles, CA -- Three-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Edward Albee and Gold Dagger Award-winning crime fiction writer Val McDermid will be special honorees at the 23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards ceremony to be hosted by comedienne Lea DeLaria on Thursday, May 26 in New York City at the School of Visual Arts Theater. Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally will introduce Albee, and pioneering lesbian mystery writer Katherine V. Forrest will introduce McDermid.

Historically one of the most glamorous LGBT literary events in the country, this ceremony brings together over 400 attendees, sponsors, and celebrities to celebrate excellence in LGBT literature.

"At this year's ceremony, the Foundation has the incredible honor of bestowing its Pioneer Awards on the greatest living playwright of our time, Edward Albee, and on one of our great crime writers, Val McDermid, who will be coming to New York all the way from her home in the U.K.," says LLF Executive Director, Tony Valenzuela. "Lambda's Pioneer Awards are important because they pay tribute to those who, through their considerable achievements and passionate commitment, have contributed to our literary community in significant and tangible ways."

The Lambda Awards glamour quotient will reach a new high with this year's stellar roster of presenters who represent a diverse cross section from the worlds of film, television, theatre, politics, religion, sex, and of course literature. Gracing the stage will be film and television actress Stefanie Powers, former New Jersey Governor and Episcopal priest in training Jim McGreevey, comedienne Kate Clinton, transgender photographer Amos Mac, feminist porn actress and director Tristan Taormino, former speech writer for Billy Graham Mel White, Mr. Gay USA Eddie Rabon, and female beauty queen Claire Buffie, Miss New York. (See below for the complete list of presenters and award finalists.)

Immediately following the awards ceremony will be a VIP after-party at Chelsea's Cheim & Read, the legendary art gallery that has exhibited Robert Mapplethorpe, Don Barchardy, and Diane Arbus. Louise Burgeois: The Fabric Works will currently be on exhibit. The performance troop Unitard (Mike Alboof the Underminer, Nora Burns, of the Nellie Olesons, and David Ilku, of the Dueling Bankheads) will provide their twisted and sardonic brand of entertainment.

"Everyone's talking about Terrence McNally presenting a Pioneer Award to Edward Albee, but wait until they see Stefanie Powers present Best Gay Fiction wearing Alexander McQueen," says Chris Shirley, New York City Host Committee Co-Chair. "Our host, Lea DeLaria is a riot, and where else can you see Miss New York and Mr. Gay USA walk the red carpet then appear on the same stage? For the safety of our audience members, we may install seatbelts."

"RÖKK Vodka is thrilled to partner with the Lambda Literary Awards this year, working alongside such a prestigious organization that shares RÖKK Vodka's passion for creativity and inclusivity," says Adam Rosen, Brand Director, RÖKK Vodka. "We congratulate all the nominees and cannot wait to share a responsible celebratory toast with some of the world's leading LGBT literary minds."

Alex Sánchez, Mexican-American author of award-winning novels for teens and adults, and
Susan Stinson, winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award in Fiction, will receive the Outstanding Mid-Career Novelists' Prizes, and the University of Wisconsin Press will receive a special Publisher's Service Award.

Event and Ticket Information:
The 23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards ceremony will be held Thursday, May 26, 2011 at the School of Visual Arts Theater in New York City (333 W. 23rd St), followed by a private after-party at Cheim & Read art gallery. Tickets for the Lambda Literary Award ceremony and After-Party can be purchased via www.lambdaliterary.org/awards.

LGBT Anthologies: Presented by Justin Torres & Rhiannon Argo
Best Lesbian Romance, edited by Radclyffe, Cleis Press
Gay Shame, edited by David M. Halperin & Valerie Traub University of Chicago Press
Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, edited by Kate Bornstein & S. Bear Bergman, Seal Press
Kicked Out, edited by Sassafras Lowrey, Homofactus Press
War Diaries, edited by Tisa Bryant & Ernest Hardy, AIDS Project Los Angeles and the Global Forum on MSM & HIV

LGBT Children's/Young Adult: Presented byAndrew Tobias
Christian, the Hugging Lion, by Justin Richardson & Peter Parnell, illustrated by Amy June Bates, Simon & Schuster
God Loves Hair, by Vivek Shraya, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld, Vivek Shraya
Jumpstart the World, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Random House Children's Books
Love Drugged, by James Klise, Flux Books
Wildthorn, by Jane Eagland, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

LGBT Drama: Presented by Michael J. Burg
The Brother/Sister Plays, by Tarell Alvin McCraney, Theatre Communications Group
Lydia, by Octavio Solis, Samuel French, Inc
Oedipus at Palm Springs: A Five Lesbian Brothers Play, by Maureen Angelos, Dominique Dibbell, Peg Healey, & Lisa Kron Samuel French, Inc
Slipping, by Daniel Talbott, Dramatists Play Service
With Bated Breath, by Bryden MacDonald, Talonbooks

LGBT Nonfiction: Presented by Kevin Sessums
Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, by Noach Dzmura, North Atlantic Books
Ex-Gay No Way: Survival and Recovery from Religious Abuse, by Jallen Rix, Findhorn Press
Inseparable, by Emma Donoghue, Alfred A. Knopf
King Kong Theory, by Virginia Despentes, The Feminist Press
The Right To Be Out: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in America's Public Schools, by Stuart Biegel, University of Minnesota Press

LGBT SF/Fantasy/Horror: Presented by Samuel R. Delany
Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories, by Sandra MacDonald, Lethe Press
Disturbed By Her Song, by Tanith Lee, Lethe Press
Flowers of Edo: A Ghost Story, by Nene Adams, Black Car Publishing
Wilde Stories 2010: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction, edited by Steve Berman, Lethe Press
Wolfsbane Winter, by Jane Fletcher, Bold Strokes Books

LGBT Studies: Presented by Jack Halberstam
Another Country: Queer Anti-Urbanism, by Scott Herring, New York University Press
Assuming a Body: Transgender and Rhetorics of Materiality, by Gayle Salamon, Columbia University Press
Backward Glances: Contemporary Chinese Cultures and the Female Homoerotic Imaginary, by Fran Martin, Duke University Press
Citizen Invert Queer: Lesbianism and War in Early Twentieth-Century Britain, by Deborah Cohler, University of Minnesota Press
Queering the Public Sphere in Mexico and Brazil: Sexual Rights Movements in Emerging Democracies, by Rafael de la Dehesa, Duke University Press

Bisexual Fiction: Presented by Tristan Taormino
Fall Asleep Forgetting, by Georgeann Packard, The Permanent Press
If You Follow Me, by Malena Watrous, Harper Perennial
Krakow Melt, by Daniel Allen Cox, Arsenal Pulp Press
The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet, by Myrlin A. Hermes, Harper Perennial
Pride/Prejudice, by Ann Herendeen, Harper Paperback

Bisexual Nonfiction: Presented by Tristan Taormino
Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools, by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, Rowman & Littlefield
Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write about Leaving Men for Women,edited by Candace Walsh & Laura Andre, Seal Press
Just Kids, by Patti Smith, Ecco Press
Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead, by Paula Byrne, HarperCollins/It Books
Sal Mineo, by Michael Gregg Michaud, Crown Archetype

Transgender Fiction: Presented by Amos Mac
Holding Still For as Long as Possible,by Zoe Whittall, House of Anansi Press
Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super Tranny,by Justin Hall with Diego Gomez, Fred Noland & Jon Macy, Northwest Press
Jumpstart the World, byCatherine Ryan Hyde, Random House Children's Books

Transgender Nonfiction: Presented by Amos Mac
Assume Nothing, by Rebecca Swan, Soft Skull Press
Balancing on the Mechitza: Transgender in Jewish Community, by Noach Dzmura, North Atlantic Books
The Color of Sunlight, by Michelle Alexander, CreateSpace
Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, edited by Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman, Seal Press
Just One of the Guys? Transgender Men and the Persistence of Inequality, by Kristin Schilt, University of Chicago Press

Lesbian Debut Fiction: Presented by Terry DeCrescenzo
Alcestis, by Katharine Beutner, Soho Press
Fall Asleep Forgetting, by Georgeann Packard, The Permanent Press
One More Stop, by Lois Walden, Arcadia Books
The More I Owe You, by Michael Sledge, Counterpoint Press
Sub Rosa, by Amber Dawn, Arsenal Pulp Press

Gay Debut Fiction: Presented by Terry DeCrescenzo
Bob the Book, by David Pratt, Chelsea Station Editions
The Palisades, by Tom Schabarum, Cascadia Publishing
Passes Through, by Rob Stephenson, University of Alabama Press/FC2
Probation, by Tom Mendicino, Kensington Books
XOXO Hayden, by Chris Corkum, P.D. Publishing

Lesbian Erotica: Presented by Staceyann Chin
Best Lesbian Erotica 2011, edited by Kathleen Warnock & selected by Lea DeLaria, Cleis Press
Sometimes She Lets Me: Best Femme/Butch Erotica, edited by Tristan Taormino, Cleis Press
This is How We Do It: A Raw Mix of Lesbian Erotica, by D. Alexandria, RedThorn Art

Gay Erotica: Presented by Eddie Rabbon, Mr. Gay USA
Best of the Best Gay Erotica 3, edited by Richard Labonte, Cleis Press
Tented: Gay Erotic Tales from Under the Big Top, edited by Jerry Wheeler, Lethe Press
Teleny and Camille, by Jon Macy, Northwest Press
A Twist of Grimm: Erotic Fairy Tales for Gay Men, by William Holden, Lethe Press
Vancouver Nights, by Hank Edwards, Lethe Press

Lesbian Fiction: Presented by Emma Donoghue
Big Bang Symphony, by Lucy Jane Bledsoe, University of Wisconsin Press
Fifth Born II: The Hundredth Turtle, by Zelda Lockhart, LaVenson Press
Holding Still For as Long as Possible, by Zoe Whittall, House of Anansi Press
Homeschooling, by Carol Guess, PS Press
Inferno (A Poet's Novel), by Eileen Myles, OR Books

Gay Fiction: Presented by Stefanie Powers
By Nightfall, by Michael Cunningham, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Children of the Sun, by Max Schaefer, Soft Skull Press
Consolation, by Jonathan Strong, Pressed Wafer
The Silver Hearted, by David McConnell, Alyson Books
Union Atlantic, by Adam Haslett, Doubleday

Lesbian Memoir/Biography: Presented by Kate Clinton
Blood Strangers: A Memoir, by Katherine A. Bricetti, Heyday
Hammer! Making Movies Out of Sex and Life, by Barbara Hammer, The Feminist Press
Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer, by Chely Wright, Pantheon Books
She Looks Just Like You: A Memoir of (Nonbiological Lesbian) Motherhood, by Amie Klempnauer Miller, Beacon Press
Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures, by Julie Marie Wade, Colgate University Press

Gay Memoir/Biography: Presented by Jim McGreevey
Beyond Normal: The Birth of Gay Pride, by Gale Chester Whittington, BookLocker.com
Grant Wood: A Life, by R. Tripp Evans, Alfred A. Knopf
Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist and Sexual Renegade, by Justin Spring, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham, by Selina Hastings, Random House
She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother, by Bryan Batt, Harmony Books

Lesbian Mystery: Presented by Irene Monroe
The Cruel Ever After, by Ellen Hart, Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press
Fever of the Bone, by Val McDermid, HarperCollins
Missing Lynx, by Kim Baldwin & Xenia Alexiou, Bold Strokes Books
Parallel Lies, by Stella Duffy, Bywater Books
Watermark, by J.M. Redmann, Bold Strokes Books

Gay Mystery: Presented by David Mixner
Cockeyed, by Richard Stevenson, MLR Press
Echoes, by David Lennon, Blue Spike Publishing
Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers, by I.E. Woodward, iUniverse
Smoke, by Garry Ryan, NeWest Press
Vieux Carre Voodoo, by Greg Herren, Bold Strokes Books

Lesbian Poetry: Presented by Eileen Miles
The Inquisition Yours, by Jen Currin, Coach House Books
Money for Sunsets, by Elizabeth J. Colen, Steel Toe Books
The Nights Also, by Anna Swanson, Tightrope Books
The Sensual World Re-Emerges, by Eleanor Lerman, Sarabande Books
White Shirt, by Laurie MacFayden, Frontenac House

Gay Poetry: Presented by Tom Healy
darkacre, by Greg Hewett, Coffee House Press
Other Flowers: Uncollected Poems, by James Schuyler, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Pleasure, by Brian Teare, Ahsahta Press
The Salt Ecstasies: Poems, by James L. White, The Graywolf Poetry Re/View Series
then, we were still living, by Michael Klein, GenPop Books

Lesbian Romance: Presented by Claire Buffie, Miss New York
Above Temptation, by Karin Kallmaker, Bella Books
Awakening to Sunlight, by Lindsey Stone, Bold Strokes Books
Beacon of Love, by Ann Roberts, Bella Books
River Walker, by Cate Culpepper, Bold Strokes Books
Starting from Scratch, by Georgia Beers, Brisk Press

Gay Romance: Presented by Mel White
Normal Miguel, by Erik Orrantia, Cheyenne Press
Three Wrong Turns in the Desert, by Neil Plakcy, Loose ID
The Road Home, by Michael Thomas Ford, Kensington Books

About the Lambda Literary Foundation: The Foundation nurtures, celebrates, and preserves LGBT literature through programs that honor excellence, promote visibility and encourage development of emerging writers. LLF's programs include the Lambda Literary Awards, the Writers' Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, and our web magazine at www.lambdaliterary.org.

For information:
Tony Valenzuela
Lambda Literary Foundation
5482 Wilshire Blvd, #1595
Los Angeles, CA 90036
phone/fax 213-568-3570 . cell 323-376-6801
info@lambdaliterary.org
www.lambdaliterary.org
Richard Labonté
Lambda Literary Awards Administrator
richardlabonte@lambdaliterary.org