Readings by Rob Rosen, Baruch Porras-Hernandez and Jim Provenzano

I haven't blogged in more than a month - oh my! - but I did do a reading on Facebook Live on April 20 hosted by prolific author and editor Rob Rosen, and with Bay Area poet, author and amiable event host Baruch Porras-Hernandez. 

You can see it on Rob's page HERE.

My reading was as excerpt from the title tale in my short story collection, Forty Wild Crushes. It's available in print and Kindle editions.

I hauled out an old oversize construction paper picture book that I used for the first reading of this childhood tale (with pop culture footnotes, visualized in the picture book) way back in 1994 at the old A Different Light bookstore on Castro Street. 

After being the site of several other clothing stores and businesses, that location now the new Dog Eared Books' second store, where I've already enjoyed reading a few times and attending more events.

My voice in the video was a bit nasal, since I was getting over a cold. But hey, it's there, so enjoy. And check out Rob's books HERE.

Baruch's website is HERE.

More about Forty Wild Crushes HERE and HERE. Oh, and HERE.

Comedy Salon @ Spark Arts

Enjoy stand-up comedy, and a comedic reading from yours truly, at the premiere of Marga Gomez' 'Comedy Salon,' at Sparks Arts in San Francisco's Castro district.

Hop a bar or three before or after, and enjoy the talents of Natasha Muse, Karinda Dobbins and me, with host Marga Gomez.

 Tuesday, July 26. 8pm. Spark Arts, 4229 18th St.  Gomez recently performed a version of her hit show Pound at the intimate gallery, where art shows open each month.

Here's Karinda Dobbins telling of a "Beauty Shop Beatdown."

As Gomez says, "Do reserve your tickets now - as it's limited seating. If you love comedy but not the noise and heckling of a bar - this salon is the spot for you.  Our closing act Natasha Muse is known for inspired riffing, being clever, hilarious, lovely and chill."

Here's Natasha explaining shoes and her feet. 

Here's the Facebook event page.  See you there!  I'll have copies of my books you can buy and have signed.

I'll be reading an excerpt from my 'Rocky Horror"-inspired short story. Thinking of which, someone suggested I make a trailer for #40WildCrushes, (retweet that hastag, please), like the other three I made for PINS, Every Time I Think of You, and Message of Love.

But I don't have many music references in the stories, and it isn't named after a song title, so who cares? Trailer suggestions appreciated.

Message of Love: Bibliography

Since I've got a few great group readings with other authors coming up, the next one being in a library, I thought I'd share a list of the nonfiction books that were basically my homework while writing Message of Love, the sequel to Every Time I Think of You.

In the interest of variety, I'll link as many books as I can to Alibris, which features all my books, and is a nice alternative to Amazon.com. Just don't buy the overpriced listed editions. I got most of these books used online, and had fun finding them.


Out & About
For scenery and setting, I enjoyed perusing several travel and nature books.

The Peterson Field Guides for Wildflowers (Roger Tory Peterson, Margaret McKenny, editors) and Eastern Trees (George A. Petrides, Janet Wehr, editors) gave me accurate information about the flora of the area. Living in California makes for a little distance from knowing which kinds of trees and plants Reid would work with in his classes, his job, and elsewhere. They're also the sort of books Reid would use a lot.

Incremental, Incidental

Magnet SF

There are lots of ways to promote your books, and literacy in general. An author often has to do the bulk of promotion on his/her own. This is even when they have a deal with a major publisher. Sometimes, an event just happens without one's own doing.

This month, I'm honored to have Every Time I Think of You chosen as the book for Magnet's Book Club. 

Magnet is the San Francisco men's health center that does HIV and STD testing. They also host monthly art exhibits and readings, like Smack Dab, the (usually) monthly open mic event cohosted by author-colleagues Larry-bob Roberts and Kirk Read.

The Play's the Thing

So, I finally finished this project. Here's some PR:

The commissioned stage adaptation of Jim Provenzano's acclaimed debut novel, PINS, is available in paperback.

Reviews excerpts for the stage adaptation of PINS:

“Realistic and engaging.”
– SF Weekly

“Perceptive and honest.”
– SF Bay Guardian

“A fast-paced and imaginative production.” – Bay Area Reporter

“Provenzano shows great skill with naturalistic dialogue and a healthy dose of wry humor.”
– San Francisco Examiner

Readability

More readings, and a little online update.

The Books Inc reading organized by Rob Rosen, with myself and Alvin Orloff, was quite fun. Of course, as usual, I read too fast, according to my pal Marco (I also read too fast at the GLBT History Museum, according to others!).

Perhaps it's a holdover from my high school Speech Team days, where I once got disqualified from First Place by going over the time limit by half a minute. I don't know. Either way, it was nice to read a few unrehearsed passages, test my elocution skills.

Anywhose, as usual, I encourage you to buy from independent bookstores wherever possible. It may take a bit longer for me to get them a book, but "Every Time" and a few others are in stock at Books Inc on 2275 Market St. in SF, and at Giovanni's Room in beloved Philadelphia.

Lambda Literary Award Reading: Bay Area Finalists

Listening to one's own voice can be a bit odd, but this is a good recording of my participation at the April 24, 2012 group reading by Bay Area finalists for this year's Lambda Literary Awards at the San Francisco Public Library. Thirteen authors read short excerpts of their works, ranging from fiction to poetry and scholarly works. It was quite a fascinating variety. Lambda Lit's Executive director Tony Valenzuela hosted.

We each had five minutes. I chose a 4.5-minute excerpt from Chapter Two of Every Time I Think of You.

Fortunately, my slightly silly comment about requesting finalist gold stickers was edited out. I didn't mean to be flip. I recall 23 years ago when I visited (the sadly now gone) Oscar Wilde Bookstore on Christopher Street and saw a row of books with the little gold stickers on their covers. They resembled Willy Wonka chocolate bars.

And with another reference that also parallels Johnny Depp (whose recent film characters include Wonka and Barnabas Collins), my excerpt's reference to the TV show Dark Shadows seems well-timed, what with his film version having just opened in cinemas.

Here are videos of the other Bay Area finalists.

Enjoy more literary readings at LitSeen.

Lambda Lits Out Loud

Tuesday, April 24!

Join Bay Area LGBT authors in a group reception and reading event celebrating finalists in the 24th annual Lambda Literary Awards.

Confirmed readers include:
Ryan Van Meter (If You Knew Then What I Know Now, Gay Memoir/Biography)
Daphne Gottlieb (15 Ways to Stay Alive, Lesbian Poetry)
Justin Chin (98 Wounds, Gay Debut Fiction)
Tirza T. Latimer (Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories, LGBT Nonfiction)
Jan Steckel (The Horizontal Poet, Bisexual Nonfiction)
Malinda Lo (Huntress, LGBT Children’s/Young Adult)
Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (Love Cake, Lesbian Poetry)
Jim Provenzano (Every Time I Think of You, Gay Romance)
Lara Fergus (My Sister Chaos, Lesbian Debut Fiction)


San Francisco Public Library
Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room A & B
100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, California 94102
5:00 pm Reception - 6:00 pm Reading

Here's the Facebook Event Page for the SF Public Library event. Please do RSVP!

Here are other U.S. (and Canadian) events.

Can't attend? Listen in to my live (then archived) online interview with host Nate Klarfeld, on Stonewall Live! Thursday, April 12, 9pm Eastern; 6pm Pacific Time.


While looking up links for fellow finalists, I found this amazing and deservedly praised book trailer for Ryan Van Meter's memoir. It's not a trailer, it's a short film!


If You Knew Then What I Know Now, essays by Ryan Van Meter from Sarabande Books on Vimeo.

See/listen to more Vimeo videos of more than 70 authors, posted by Lambda Lit.