And this is the best book title ever.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Keep the Lights On
In response to:
http://bandofthebes.typepad.com/bandofthebes/2012/04/ninety-days-left-handed-.html
I found it interesting how for the most part, although they are both telling the same story, both Sachs and Clegg make sure to tell THEIR side of it and not too heavily involve the other in their narrative. The one moment of cross over in both stories is the hand holding with the hooker.
I have read Clegg's books, Galassi's book, and tonight I saw Sachs' film and after having spent two weeks living these people's lives, I am really glad to be finished and to be able to walk away.
So many thoughts came up, the meaning of life, our interactions with our selves and with others, our insecurities and how we hide them and what we sacrifice along the way. Shame and guilt, and is shame selfish, and how to accept the past and move on, and how to learn from our mistakes and how to make better decisions.
Deep in thought for two weeks, and as I said, I am ready for a release. I head about Galassi's book from this blog and have referred many people to this post recently. Thanks much.
http://bandofthebes.typepad.com/bandofthebes/2012/04/ninety-days-left-handed-.html
I found it interesting how for the most part, although they are both telling the same story, both Sachs and Clegg make sure to tell THEIR side of it and not too heavily involve the other in their narrative. The one moment of cross over in both stories is the hand holding with the hooker.
I have read Clegg's books, Galassi's book, and tonight I saw Sachs' film and after having spent two weeks living these people's lives, I am really glad to be finished and to be able to walk away.
So many thoughts came up, the meaning of life, our interactions with our selves and with others, our insecurities and how we hide them and what we sacrifice along the way. Shame and guilt, and is shame selfish, and how to accept the past and move on, and how to learn from our mistakes and how to make better decisions.
Deep in thought for two weeks, and as I said, I am ready for a release. I head about Galassi's book from this blog and have referred many people to this post recently. Thanks much.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Flower in my hair
I'm going to San Francisco and LA!
Departing Oct 18 for San Fran, flying to LA on Oct 24, a cruise from Oct 28-Nov 4 and then home.
I've booked the Golden Gate Hotel, complete with cat, for 6 nights.
While in San Francisco, I have to see:
- The GLBT History Museum
- Alcatraz
- Chinatown
While in LA, I have to see:
- ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives. They also have a Gallery/Museum 10 miles away from their research facility
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Hollywood sign
- Paul Monette's grave (others buried at this cemetary include Arnold the Pig, Steve Allen, Lucielle Ball, Bette Davis, Liberace, and many more)
More to come!
Departing Oct 18 for San Fran, flying to LA on Oct 24, a cruise from Oct 28-Nov 4 and then home.
I've booked the Golden Gate Hotel, complete with cat, for 6 nights.
While in San Francisco, I have to see:
- The GLBT History Museum
- Alcatraz
- Chinatown
While in LA, I have to see:
- ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives. They also have a Gallery/Museum 10 miles away from their research facility
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Hollywood sign
- Paul Monette's grave (others buried at this cemetary include Arnold the Pig, Steve Allen, Lucielle Ball, Bette Davis, Liberace, and many more)
More to come!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Blaze of Summer by Alexander Goodman
Blaze of Summer by Alexander GoodmanMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
DOWNLOAD EBOOK FOR KINDLE HERE.
Four short stories:
BLAZE OF SUMMER - A small-town teacher with a history of being blackmailed and having to run from town to town for being gay starts a relationship with a local farmhand with devastating consequences.
THREE IMMORAL FABLES - An interesting enough read, even if the stories go nowhere.
A CASUAL AFFAIR - Probably the best of the bunch, a theatre producer uses a boytoy to get investments for his latest play.
JOE'S OTHER HUSBAND - A couple argues in bed one night after one of them gets schooled in the world of S&M with a trick. High drama, as with most of the book. The partner complains that he doesn't care if the guys screws around, he just doesn't like it when he gets home tired. "I don't ask for much, why can't you just save a little for me?!?!?!"
View all my reviews
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Left-Handed: Poems by Jonathan Galassi
Left-Handed: Poems by Jonathan GalassiMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
There's a lot going on with this book. The author wrote for and about a time when he left his wife and kids for another man, literary agent Bill Clegg. It's not like you can fully understand that from the text though. It seems the author hides a lot behind poetic license and double talk to mar the situation and hide his feelings.
Certain elements ring true, the infatuation phase of love is clearly conveyed. His wonder of Clegg is apparent but you can see the path he's on from the beginning. He over thinks the relationship, he's home writing poetry about Clegg while Clegg is I'm guessing living his life. I can relate, it's hard not to let new love enter infatuation. But the author really loses himself, his sense of self worth, he has validity, he brings things to the table too, but he loses sight of these things.
I like that he keeps some rhyming in the poetry and that it often has a strong structure. What is less good is the over analysis to the point of getting lost in the details. The details choke out the emotion. It's like the author couldn't fully let himself express his school-girl infatuation feelings, that he felt he had to be more high-brow than that.
A celebration of the transience of beauty is related as:
FEAST YOURSELF ON BEAUTY
WHILE YOU CAN, THE USELESS
THING: THE NECK, THE HIP,
THE ROAD BETWEEN THE HILLS,
THE SHORT HAIRS ON THE CHIN,
THE SNOW ON THE TABLE.
The snow on the table? I don't understand how the Times says "direct and plain-spoken" of this work. To me he is bringing in metaphors that cannot be understood by anyone who isn't him which really serves to alienate the reader from the emotion of the work. I believe he is intellectualizing with the purpose of keeping us out.
As the relationship deteriorates there really is less and less the ability for an outsider to distinguish what is actually happening or to find the emotion in Galassi's riddles. It ends up making love feel sterile.
View all my reviews
Ninety Days: A Memoir of Recovery by Bill Clegg
Ninety Days: A Memoir of Recovery by Bill CleggMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
There is no prize for beating an addiction, there is no finish line. Like life itself, it's a work in progress.
You can't have it all. You have to choose, do you want your addiction or do you want life. You can't have both.
You get to a point where you're sick and tired of being sick and tired.
I never understood the AA philosophy until I read this book. I was reluctant to look at it because of it's emphasis on God or a higher power. I never liked the line "I accept I am powerless over drugs and alcohol" as the only way I could see to get sober was to take back the power from drugs and alcohol. But what this book really illustrated for me was the community aspect, how people can help each other, talk to each other, look out for each other. When you're at your lowest point you have someone in the same situation and the two of you are stronger together.
I don't know that I've ever relied on someone like that, that I have ever let my guard down enough to need someone else. With this book I hope to have made a step in that direction, to be able to trust.
I bought signed copies of the physical books and the ebooks for both of Clegg's book before reading a word. He is attractive, gay, powerful, someone I want to be. And you read the harrowing account, and it reminds me that we are all the same, all human. Everyone has plusses and minuses. Clegg has looks and power and fame and he also has a desire to throw it all away, to kill himself, to smoke crack. He has lied and cheated and stolen from those closest to him.
So many thoughts came out of this book, it's hard to summarize. I had to stop reading frequently to think.
Clegg mentions in this book feeling like there was a primer, a set of rules to live by and that he feels he's the only one who never got the memo. I've felt like that my whole life. This book has helped me to not put other people on a pedestal above myself, that they are not better, just different. We all bring something to the table.
This book has helped me realize that kicking the addiction is not the end of the process. There is a bigger picture, where you take the shame and the guilt and the reasons that led to the addiction and you get a chance, in the light of day, to see them.
I have not treated myself well, and I accept that, and now I am ready to try harder.
I have held on to guilt and shame and I am ready to release them and let something else fill that space in my life.
I have held myself back, been afraid, hidden in drugs and alcohol, hidden in myself, hurt myself. I see this now. I will not beat myself up for it, but will acknowledge these feelings and use them to help me be stronger, and braver and better in future. And to be myself.
Thank you, Bill Clegg, for sharing your journey. I wish us both luck.
View all my reviews
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Amazon Kindle: Pricing and Copyright
I have been aware for some time that book rights do not cross borders. For example, Equus is available on ebook but only to Americans, not Canadians. Christopher Isherwood's A Single Man is only available to people in the UK, not people in North America, same with James Baldwin. One wonders what the point is.
I have recently found a solution however, pick a hostel or hotel from the country you want to buy your book from and change your home address on Amazon to there. Buy the book, then change your address back. Done. A quick fix around stupid rules.
One thing I noticed recently when changing my account back from American to Canadian is that the prices changed. Here is a quick sample of books with their American and Canadian prices below. What's up with that?
I have recently found a solution however, pick a hostel or hotel from the country you want to buy your book from and change your home address on Amazon to there. Buy the book, then change your address back. Done. A quick fix around stupid rules.
One thing I noticed recently when changing my account back from American to Canadian is that the prices changed. Here is a quick sample of books with their American and Canadian prices below. What's up with that?
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