Dear Ambush Nation, With 2020 in the rearview mirror and we look forward to better times in 2021, it's important to reflect on the last twelve months. I’ve tried to write this column several times, but for some reason, I just couldn’t do it–in part because I’ve been busy, but also I didn’t know exactly what to say. The year 2020 has been unlike any year any of us has ever … [Read more...] about Tomy’s 2020 Year in Review
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Holiday Survival Guide: 2020 Edition
The 2020 Holiday Season promises to be like none we have ever experienced. Many of us are trying to figure out how we’re going to get through it safely, and maybe even find a bit of holiday spirit along the way. This guide includes information on upcoming (safe) events, open-air markets, staying connected, volunteer opportunities, and various other resources. I hope you find it … [Read more...] about Holiday Survival Guide: 2020 Edition
Book Review: Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love
Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love. Naomi Wolf. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-64502-016-5. 384 pages. $19.95 Every book Naomi Wolf writes manages to piss off critics and her latest book, Outrages, is no exception. The book chronicles the struggles and eventual triumph of John Addington Symonds, an obscure … [Read more...] about Book Review: Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love
22nd Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance
Friday, November 20, marks the 22nd annual Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR). The annual memorial was founded in 1999 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a way to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman who was murdered in 1998. Smith recalls, "Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence. I am no … [Read more...] about 22nd Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance
Trodding the Boards November 3, 2020
Theatre For One: For This Moment at Loyola University Hallelujah! Live theater has returned to Orleans Parish! Granted, it was only for two weekends. And audiences were limited. And the run is over now. But it happened and successfully so. What “it” was, was Theatre For One: For This Moment put on by Loyola University’s Department of Theatre Arts & … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards November 3, 2020
Book Review: If These Ovaries Could Talk: The Things We’ve Learned About Making an LGBTQ Family
If These Ovaries Could Talk: The Things We’ve Learned About Making an LGBTQ Family. Jamie Kelton and Robin Hopkins. Lit Riot Press, 2020. 345 pages. Several years ago, a lesbian couple decided to start a family. Anne and Jaimie would each get pregnant and have a child. Anne was the first, but when it came time for Jaimie to conceive, she … [Read more...] about Book Review: If These Ovaries Could Talk: The Things We’ve Learned About Making an LGBTQ Family
Trodding the Boards October 20, 2020
The Pillowman at Swamplight Theater through November 1 As I headed to Ponchatoula to see a production of The Pillowman, I didn't know what to expect as it would be the first time I'd be attending the theater there. When I got to the Swamplight Theater and discovered that this challenging play was not actually part of its schedule but a presentation by a new, young … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 20, 2020
Trodding the Boards October 6, 2020
Single Black Female online through October 10 In what I believe is the first extended engagement in Orleans Parish, UNO’s Theatre Program presents its opening production of the fall semester, Single Black Female, through October 10. Granted, it’s not live nor being live-streamed, (it’s actually pre-recorded) but given that tickets are being sold individually for dates … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 6, 2020
Trodding the Boards September 22, 2020
The Odd Couple at Playmakers Theater through Oct. 4 It was so good to be heading to the North Shore recently to see a show at Playmakers Theater. First because I was looking forward to visiting this historic 65-year-old playhouse in Covington for the first time since it reopened in July (I missed its A Chorus Line then). And also because, just as the drive began, I got … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards September 22, 2020
Guilty Pleasures for September 2020 (Part Two)
With this damn virus robbing us of so much of life, like parties and events, it’s the little things I am finding joy in doing. Whether it is something simple or special, I now appreciate almost everything so much more. Here are just a few of my latest obsessions. Check out September's part one list. #5. Becoming a tourist in my own city and riding the Steamboat … [Read more...] about Guilty Pleasures for September 2020 (Part Two)