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Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

New York magazine's Jesse Green takes a look at Larry Kramer's 4,000 page historical journey, The American People, which he's been at work on since 1978, the triumphs, failures, and fights in between then and now, and what will likely be seen as its most controversial topics when it's published (hopefully in 2011):

Though The American People includes controversial sections set
in worlds and times Kramer has himself experienced, it is his
“queering” of beloved historical figures that will surely get the most
attention. “His idea of history is that everyone was gay: Joe Louis, De
Gaulle, anybody,” jokes Kramer’s friend and Yale classmate Calvin
Trillin. With Lincoln, at least, Kramer isn’t alone; recent academic
studies, and articles in the popular press, have debated the nature of
Lincoln’s feelings for his roommate Joshua Speed, with whom he shared a
bed for four years and a loving correspondence thereafter. But Kramer
says he has new evidence, including details of other male lovers, that
expands on accounts that first came to light when a diary and stash of
letters were supposedly found under the floorboards of a building in
which Lincoln and Speed lived together. Even so, what he writes about
other famous names in American history will, he advertises, prove “far
more stomach-turning” to the masses.

“I do not think it is too much to state that Washington was major gay,”
he says. “That the big love of his life was Hamilton, who returned that
love, and that Lafayette and Washington were involved with each other
romantically over many years. Others I go into include Lewis, who was
desperately in love with Clark, and who committed suicide when the
expedition was over and he would be with Clark no more.” He says he has
“much, much better stuff” about J. Edgar Hoover than anyone has
reported, as well as on FDR’s foreign-policy adviser Sumner Welles,
former CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton, and even
Kramer’s old nemesis Ed Koch, who has lived in the same building as
Kramer since he left Gracie Mansion, and who always denied joining the
fold.

Previously…
Larry Kramer Takes Historians to Task for Denying Gays a History [tr]
Larry Kramer Rails at Yale's 'Conspiracy of Silence' on Gay History [tr]
Larry Kramer Slams Gay Orgs: 'Lazy, Torpid, Unimaginative, Useless' [tr]

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Longtime adult film star, escort and author Aiden Shaw has done some interviews with publisher/editor Judith Regan as he launches a new book Sordid Truths: Selling My Innocence for a Taste of Stardom.

In one of the segments, he discusses his gifts AFTER THE JUMP…

(probably nsfw)

More segments here. The DC Agenda also posted an interview with Shaw yesterday.

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Another gay bookstore has announced its doors are shutting. Lambda Rising, with two locations in Washington D.C. and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware closing in early January, according to a message on Facebook:

"Lambda Rising, known for 35 years as Washington’s “bookstore that celebrates the gay and lesbian experience,” has announced the imminent closing of their two stores in Washington DC and Rehoboth Beach DE.

“The phrase ‘mission accomplished’ has gotten a bad rap in recent years,” said Deacon Maccubbin, Lambda Rising’s founder and co-owner, 'but in this case, it certainly applies. When we set out to establish Lambda Rising in 1974, it was intended as a demonstration of the demand for gay and lesbian literature.' Maccubbin founded Lambda Rising on a shoestring – the initial investment consisted of $3,000 he had saved and another $1,000 borrowed from a local gay activist. When the store opened June 8, 1974 in a 300 square foot room in a townhouse on 20th Street NW, it boasted 250 gay and lesbian book titles. “That’s all there were at the time,” Maccubbin explains.

But it was enough to capture the attention and the loyal patronage of Washington’s glbt community. It also captured the attention of anti-gay forces – phone harassment was an almost daily occurrence, bricks were hurled through windows, and police had to bring their bomb-sniffing dogs following some threats. But the staff held their ground and kept the doors open seven days a week. 'Over the years, we have been blessed with wonderful staff members, people who shared the vision and who were committed to being on the front lines of the battle for glbt equality every day. I will forever be grateful to them,' Maccubbin said."

This trend appears to be accelerating. Late last month I posted about the closing of Indianapolis' only gay bookstore, Out Word Bound.

(image suite 101)

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Indianapolis' only gay bookstore, Out Word Bound, will close after Christmas, its owners say:

"'It has been a good run,' owners Mary Byrne and Tammara Tracy wrote in an e-mail to customers Wednesday. For
more than a decade, the Downtown store has served as a center of gay
and lesbian intellectual life, with concerts and book groups meeting
there frequently."

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David Sedaris goes retro for his newest audiobook:

"Albums are enjoying something of a renaissance, posting $57 million in sales in 2008, more than double the previous year and the best for the format since 1990, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The format is so rare for audiobooks, however, that the Audiobook Publishers Association has never even tracked its sales.

But Maja Thomas, senior vice president for digital and audio publishing at the Hachette Book Group, said she was drawn to the idea precisely because it was quirky. Mr. Sedaris’s 'audience is very attuned to irony and is going to find this funny,' Ms. Thomas said.

The 31-minute album, which will be released on Jan. 5 and cost $24.98, will include only two of the five essays on the CD version of the audiobook, but will feature a code enabling purchasers to digitally download the entire program."

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New Left Media rounds up another group of Palin morons at a book-signing in Columbus, Ohio.

My favorite quote: "I'm an American. We don't have czars in America."

Frank Rich made some excellent points in his column on Palin over the weekend:

"The fact-checking siege of 'Going Rogue' — by the media, Democrats and
aggrieved McCain campaign operatives alike — is another fruitless
sideshow. Palin’s political appeal has never had anything to do with
facts — or coherent policy positions. The more she is attacked for not
being in possession of pointy-headed erudition, the more powerful she
becomes as an avatar of the anti-elite cause."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP…

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Several hundred Palin fans in Noblesville, Indiana crowd who had waited up to nine hours on a rainy night with books and wristbands to see Sarah Palin were denied face time with no explanation. And they weren't happy. The mob gathered around her bus, booing her as it pulled away on Thursday.

Watch the video, AFTER THE JUMP…

Palin released a statement on her Facebook page: "I've been told that yesterday there were supporters in Noblesville who
stood in long lines for hours in the cold and rain, and the book
signing event ended without a chance to say hello to everyone who
showed up. I am so sorry. We are working on a solution for those who
were left behind. I apologize."

MSNBC talks to some disappointed bookholders:

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The nuts were out in full force in western Michigan at a Palin book signing. In fact, they camped out overnight for it.

Says the supporter above:

"She's a very real person. She's a very fresh breath of air in our political system that's gone very stale over the last many years. She's not afraid to tell it like it is. Considering the three that we had running last time along with Sarah Palin, she was by far the most qualified to hold that office today. More qualified than John McCain, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama. All they've ever done was hold a seat in the senate for a debate committee."

Also, Michelangelo Signorile notes a report on Politico about the signing: "Aside from his showing that it truly is a campaign rally rather than a
book signing, there are a couple of interesting observations re: the
fans. One man notes that Palin is for 'putting the homos back in the
closet,' and, sure enough, minutes later a security guard tells another
man who is wearing a 'Homos for Palin' t-shirt that he's got to 'zip it
up' or leave."

The Palin book has also been blamed for the shooting of Rachel Maddow.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP…

And Going Rogue has shot Rachel Maddow:

"You."

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NY Senator Savino on marriage equality vote: "I'm hopeful it's Tuesday."

Alex Pettyfer strikes a profile in Vman.

Beaver watersports on The Early Show.

Anti-gay Liverpool attack inspires fast-tracking of hate crimes laws in UK: "A new law imposing two years imprisonment for those who incite
violence on the grounds of sexual orientation will come into force by
mid-December, several months ahead of schedule. And local
police forces nationwide will be encouraged to follow Merseyside in
setting up ‘frontline’ action teams to combat such crimes."

Kathy Griffin to play lesbian activist on Law & Order: SVU.

Philippines election committee (COMELEC) rejects gay party on grounds of immorality: "In a ruling dated November 11, the Comelec said that although the party presented proper documents and evidence for their accreditation, their petition is 'dismissable on moral grounds.'

Page 5 of the ruling states that Ang Ladlad's definition of the LGBT sector as a marginalized sector who are disadvantaged because of their sexual orientation "makes it crystal clear that the petitioner tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs."

FOX News goes after gay YouTube newsclipper
(who we use constantly here at Towleroad, and provides a great service)
with takedown notices but leaves right-wing sites alone.

Mug shot of the week.

Dolce & Gabbana purchase NYC condo:
"A source dishes that over the weekend the fashion duo bought a
two-floor brand-new apartment on 10th Ave. in Chelsea — in a building
where one-floor units start at a whopping $5 million. They celebrated
with model Adam Senn (who is starring in the new D&G ads along with
Madonna) at Il Bastardo in Chelsea on Tuesday night."

Warhol Brillo box goes for $842,500 at Philips de Pury auction.

Daniel Radcliffe denies smoking weed.

Dutch bear band Bearforce1 breaks up.

India creates third gender for voters: "Indian election authorities have granted what they called an independent identity to gays and transsexuals — a third gender — on the country's voter lists.

Members of these groups were referred to as male or female on the voter rolls in the past. Now they will have the choice to pick "O" — for others — when indicating their gender on voter forms, the Indian election commission said in a statement Thursday."

Tonight: The Ugly Betty episode that AfterElton says you must not miss.

New York is Burning: Voguing ball returns to NYC's Irving Plaza. "This Saturday, the House of Xtravaganza will host their first ball in over five years. I live for balls, and I’ve always lived for the Xtravaganzas; this ball will consist of 26 different competitions."

Author James Jones was forced to remove expletives and homosexual scenes from the 1951 novel From Here to Eternity: "One character, Maggio makes extra bucks by hanging out with older, rich
gay men who live in Honolulu, who pay good money for his company. The
original manuscript goes into great detail about what kind of sexual
favors soldiers like Maggio are willing to provide. The soldiers act as
if it’s simply their company that these older men are paying for, but
there’s an underlying, secret understanding that many of them will
provide sex. Maggio sees nothing wrong with this at all, since it is a
means to an end – a way to make quick money so he can go back and hang
out with the whores."

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Celebs and unknowns got ready for their close-ups in these shots from a forthcoming book by photographer John Russo called About Face. Russo used type 55 Polaroid film and used natural light.

More, AFTER THE JUMP…

According to the publisher:

Other Actors/Models/Athletes in the book include Ingo Rademacher (General Hospital), Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Summerland), Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters), Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan), Justin Chon (Twilight, New Moon), Justin Hartley (Smallville), Mark Wystrach (Passions), Gilles Marini (Sex and the City, Dancing with the Stars), James Tupper (Men In Trees, Mercy), Josh Henderson (Desperate Housewives, 90210), Victor Webster (Mutant X, Days of our Lives), Andrew St. John (General Hospital), Brandon Beemer (The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives), Ethan Erickson (General Hospital, Fashion House), Will Tant (Model, Surfer), Antonio Sabato Jr. (My Antonio, General Hospital, The Bold & the Beautiful), Will Estes (American Dreams), Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ), Daniel Goddard (The Young & the Restless), Travis Van Winkle (Friday the 13th, Transformers), Mark Forster (Director; Quantum of Solace, The Kite Runner, Monster's Ball), Adrian Bellani (Passions), Michael Ealy (7 Pounds, ER), Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives), Clay Adler (Newport Harbor), Greg Rikaart (The Young & The Restless), Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2), Eric Dearborn (Bedazzled, All My Children), Enrique (Model: Versace Ad Campaign), Jan-Michael Gambill (Tennis Player), Daren Kagasoff (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), William Fichtner (Prison Break, The Dark Night, Crash)…

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