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