Fasten your seatbelts for an amazing read! I recently spoke with author Mark Chestnut about his new memoir Prepare for Departure: Notes on a single mother, a misfit son, inevitable mortality and the enduring allure of frequent flyer miles. Mark is coming to New Orleans to be a speaker at the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival and the … [Read more...] about An Interview with author Mark Chestnut
Book Review
Alfred & Stewart: A Love Story that Made History
The pick-up line was direct: “You can fuck me, and I’ll suck you.” That’s what Alfred Doolittle whispered in Stewart Butler’s ear on the night they met. The pair left Lafitte’s and immediately went to Stewart’s house. On the way there, Alfred remarked, “You’ll probably throw me out in the morning like the rest of them.” But Stewart didn’t throw him out. The two fell … [Read more...] about Alfred & Stewart: A Love Story that Made History
Book Review: The Mayor of Oak Street
The Mayor of Oak Street by Vincent Traughber Meis. Nine Star Press, 2021 Destination: High school and college. For many gay men, this novel will read like a personal time machine. All the emotions associated with emerging sexual awareness are here—lust, confusion, anxiety. Along his journey, our protagonist experiences people and things that will resonate … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Mayor of Oak Street
Book Review: Johnny White’s Sports Bar: The Tiny Joint that Never Closed—Until It Did
Johnny White’s Sports Bar: The Tiny Joint that Never Closed—Until It Did. Marita Woywod Crandle. The History Press, 2019. 144 pages. For 23 years, Johnny White’s Sports Bar reigned as Bourbon Street’s premiere dive bar for locals. Located at the corner of Orleans and Bourbon, the small bar was an island for Quarter Rats in the midst of an unceasing flow of tourists. It was … [Read more...] about Book Review: Johnny White’s Sports Bar: The Tiny Joint that Never Closed—Until It Did
Book of the Month: How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived
When Leslie Jordan’s new book was released, I quickly snapped it up and finished reading it within a week. How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived is a lovely collection of stories, memories and advice from a man whose life has recently been catapulted more into the spotlight through his Instagram fame during the pandemic. Jordan has actually … [Read more...] about Book of the Month: How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived
Book of the Month: Bourbon Street Blues
Recently I attended Wine, Art, & Books: A Benefit for the LGBT+ Archives Project and discovered my Book of the Month for June. The event itself was wonderful, located in a space adjacent to Grand Krewe wine store at 2305 Decatur Street. They were holding their Thursday wine tasting in conjunction with the book and art sale, which was a brilliant … [Read more...] about Book of the Month: Bourbon Street Blues
Book Review: The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States
The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States. Eric Cervini. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2020. 512 pages. $35 History is a series of causes and effects: A lie about voter fraud leads to bloody insurrection. The murder of George Floyd leads to a national call for police reform. The election of a black president leads to the election … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. The United States
Book of the Month: The Night Crawler King
A gripping memoir has the capacity to take readers on a journey of a person’s life and experiences. Memoirs tend to be not so much of an autobiography but a glimpse into a slice of your life. My book of the month choice for May is about William Fagaly who while growing up in rural Indiana during World War II began his first venture―collecting and selling earthworms (or … [Read more...] about Book of the Month: The Night Crawler King
Book of the Month: Tennessee Williams 101
It is hard to be a theatre lover and not be familiar with Tennessee Williams, especially if you are from the Crescent City. Considered as one of the greatest playwrights of 20th-century American drama, Williams not only lived in New Orleans for a period of time, but set many of his successful plays in the city such as A Streetcar Named Desire, Vieux Carre and Suddenly, … [Read more...] about Book of the Month: Tennessee Williams 101
Book Clubs Are The New Bars
I am about to pour myself a glass of wine and settle down in front of my computer to log into the New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE) Book Club for February Zoom meeting. We are discussing our book of the month, A Star Is Bored by Byron Lane, a witty novel about an assistant to a famous movie star and their complex relationship and adventures together. … [Read more...] about Book Clubs Are The New Bars
