Meet the must-reads.*SEPTEMBER* Alice Walker Noun 1. Alice Walker - United States writer (born in 1944) Alice Malsenior Walker, Walker : A Life Evelyn C. White (W.W. Norton, $29.95) The indomitable in·dom·i·ta·ble adj. Incapable of being overcome, subdued, or vanquished; unconquerable. [Late Latin indomit writer, poet, and activist shines in this new bio. Along with a fresh look at Walker's oeuvre and candid shots of her with daughter Rebecca and Oprah on the film set of The Color Purple, note the (brief) mention of Walker's relationship with singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles, "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You" and "Give Me One Reason". She is a multi-platinum and multi-Grammy Award-winning artist. . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Home and Abroad Hanns Ebensten (Professional, $27) The legendary roamer and raconteur rac·on·teur n. One who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit. [French, from raconter, to relate, from Old French : re-, re- + aconter, , who was leading gay travel expeditions 30 years ago, spins tales of his boyhood explorations (sexual and otherwise) in South Africa; a visit to the inn in Jerusalem where Jesus may have conducted the Last Supper; a sunset cruise with a male stripper Stripper Slang for an individual homeowner who strips the equity out of his or her home through mortgage refinancing. Proceeds are generally not re-invested, but spent on consumer goods. Notes: Most people get rich by saving and investing wisely. in Key West, Fla.; an adventurous New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. evening at the all-male Explorers Club; and much more, all in a narrative voice like a perfect dry martini. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How the Homosexuals Saved Civilization Cathy Crimmins (Jeremy P. Tarcher, $19.95) Humorist hu·mor·ist n. 1. A person with a good sense of humor. 2. A performer or writer of humorous material. humorist Noun a person who speaks or writes in a humorous way Cathy Crimmins explores the pervasive--and growing--influence of gay style and manners on American culture. Lose the hat, pilgrim. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You Ain't Got No Easter Clothes: A Memoir Laura Love (Hyperion, $23.95) Whip-smart, witty, and musically unclassifiable Adj. 1. unclassifiable - not possible to classify unidentifiable - impossible to identify , Love has long been a darling of indie music fans. Her latest feat: releasing this memoir along with a CD of the same name. Crack the book and feel your respect grow: Raised in Nebraska, shuttled between foster homes, orphanages, and a mentally unstable mother who just disappeared one day--Love conquers all. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] *OCTOBER* Arts and Letters Arts and Letters (1966-1998) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by American sportsman, and noted philanthropist Paul Mellon, and trained by future Hall of Famer Elliott Burch, the colt began racing at age two. Edmund White (Cleis, $24.95) How often can you find Elton John and George Eliot in the same book? Thirty-five of White's best profiles and essays are collected here: writings on Robert Mapplethorpe, Jasper Johns, Yves Saint Laurent, Vladimir Nabokov, James Merrill, Grace Paley, and others. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Blue Days, Black Nights Ran Nyswaner (Alyson, $23.95) Set mostly in Los Angeles, this is a drug- and sex-soaked memoir of Nyswaner's love affair with a Latin-quoting, leather-clad hustler named Johann. Nyswaner is the acclaimed Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Philadelphia and Soldier's Girl. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Line of Beauty Alan Hollinghurst (Bloomsbury, $24.95) London, 1983: When young Nick Guest moves in with the family of a Conservative member of parliament, prepare for the collision of sexuality, greed, class hatred, and rapier wit in the Thatcher Thatch·er , Margaret Hilda. Baroness. Born 1925. British Conservative politician who served as prime minister (1979-1990). Her administration was marked by anti-inflationary measures, a brief war in the Falkland Islands (1982), and the passage of a era. British superstar Hollinghurst adds to the rep he built with novels like The Swim ming-Pool Library. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That's Revolting! Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation Edited by Matthew Bernstein Sycamore (Soft Skull, $15.95) The perfect antidote to the presidential campaign. Relish this anthology of "the new queer resistance," featuring mild-mannered essays along the lines of "Dr. Laura, Sit on My Face." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] *NOVEMBER* Paul Bowles: A Life Virginia Spencer Carr (Scribner, $35) The author of 1949's The Sheltering Sky also composed music, wrote plays, held court in Morocco, adored young men, married a lesbian writer as compelling as he, and bedded or bonded with the artistic cream of his day: Tennessee Williams, Aaron Copland, Gertrude Stein, William S. Burroughs. The real dirt is here, thanks to thousands of personal interviews with Bowles and his friends. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] *DECEMBER* Edge of Midnight: The Life of John Schlesinger William J. Mann William J. Mann is a biographer and Hollywood historian acclaimed for writing what has been called the "definitive" (The Sunday Times, London) life of Katharine Hepburn, Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn published in October 2006. (Billboard) Already a wildfire hit in the United Kingdom, this authorized bio makes maximum use of the great gay director's letters and tapes. But here's the best dish: It seems Schlesinger blamed Madonna--who starred in his final film, The Next Best Thing--for the heart attacks that led to a stroke from which he never recovered. The U.S. edition of Midnight is set to appear at year's end--clearly the gay holiday gift. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Midnight at the Palace: My Life as a Fabulous Cockette Pam Tent (Alyson, $17.95) Pam Tent was a founding member of the Cockettes, the legendary early-'70s performing troupe. Her memoir is a rollicking rol·lick·ing adj. Carefree and high-spirited; boisterous: a rollicking celebration. rol tale of bad taste and brazen costuming that is diminished only slightly by the bio note confessing that the author is now an accountant. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion