More on Harvey Milk

I believe I can speak for those of us who took part in our Oct. 16 Zoom discussion of Leslea Newman's short story collection, A Letter to Harvey Milk, when I say that the title story is far from the only one worth reading. During that session, Mike Mazza was kind enough to share two relevant links. The first is to a New York Times article about another book Ms. Newman is even more famous for: "Heather Has Two Mommies Is Still Relevant 30 Years Later." The second discusses a 2018 off-Broadway musical play based on "A Letter to Harvey Milk."

Which witch is which?

I normally don't disclose which BookMen have nominated titles for our reading list, but since it doesn't appear my nomination of Gregory Maguire's Wicked for next year's list is gaining traction, I am going to unmask myself here. If nothing else, it's an excuse (just in time for Halloween!) to share this New York Times article, "The Wicked Witch of the West: A Heroine for Our Time." In it, Salamishah Tillet traces the evolution of the character from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) to the unforgettable 1939 film, and on to Maguire's 1995 novel (the first of a four-part series), the basis for the 2003 musical "Wicked"--now a film, which will be released in two installments, the first on Nov. 22.

Lit Lovers, assemble!

Our friends at the DC Center are now hosting a book club for LGBTQ+ seniors: Lit Lovers! The group meets monthly in person at the Center, and this month's book--which the club will discuss on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 2-3:30 p.m.--is Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop. (We have not yet discussed that one, though we have read her short story, "Paul's Case," and one of her novels, The Professor's House.) Check it out!