Retracing Zora Neale Hurston's footsteps

Zora Neale Hurston's name has come up in several of the books we've discussed this year, most notably Edward White's The Tastemaker: Carl Van Vechten and the Birth of Modern America.  So some of you may be interested in the following Bitter Southerner (great name for a magazine!) article: "The Sum of Life: Zora Nearle Hurston." (I was disappointed that nowhere does the writer even allude to her bisexuality, but the article is well worth reading nonetheless.)

When "Angels in America" came to East Texas

Those of us in the D.C. area and other blue states may sometimes take for granted our ability to attend LGBTQ-themed plays, movies, etc. without fear of harassment.  This Texas Monthly article, "When 'Angels in America' Came to East Texas," is a salutary reminder that not all our fellow Americans are so fortunate—but also, that courageous artists can make a difference.

A Big Apple / Bookmen DC connection

During my recent visit to New York City, one of my best friends introduced me to Bruce Shenitz, who—along with Andrew Holleran—edited a book we had discussed almost exactly 15 years before: The Man I Might Become: Gay Men Write about Their Fathers. Understandably, my memory of the book is vague, but I recall that I enjoyed it, as did most of those present at that discussion.

We'll be discussing Matthew Lopez's play The Inheritance early next year, so I'd hoped to see it that weekend; but alas, even though it was still in previews at that point, I wasn't able to secure a ticket.   But as a consolation prize, here are reviews from the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Making Classical Music Sexy Again...

A tip of the hat to Octavio Roca for flagging this recent New York Times story "Classical Music and Fetishes Unite in Historical Center of Gay Culture."

A D.C. perspective on the Gay Liberation Front

As we prepare to discuss Martin Duberman's book   Has the Gay Movement Failed?   Philip Clark has shared the video of a June 2014 panel discussion that he organized and moderated at the Historical Society of Washington. While Philip says Duberman's summary of the Gay Liberation Front's beliefs and practices is pretty good, hearing from actual GLF members is always a good idea.