Adrienne Rich, and Others, on LP

When I read of the passing last week of acclaimed poet Adrienne Rich, it reminded me that I had recently acquired a vinyl LP, recorded in 1977, where she reads some of her own poetry. She is joined on that recording by Audre Lorde, Honor Moore and Joan Larkin. This disc was released by Larkin’s company Out & Out Books. The title of the project, “A Sign / I Was Not Alone,” was taken from Audre Lorde’s poem, “Between Ourselves.” As this is a rare opportunity for some to actually hear these women speak (Lorde died in 1992), I have set up a page of my website where you can download the complete album.

Listen to “A Sign / We Are Not Alone”

Interviews: Sir Ari Gold, and More

My OutRadio show for April was a fun one, as I got to interview Sir Ari Gold, and talk about his new title, and new CD, and of course I queeried him about a few of my favorites from his career.

And like the say on TV, "and that's not all"....by a long shot, in the second hour there's a rare live performance by Freddy Freeman, Sean Kagalis and Jay Freeman, captured when they were passing through Houston, on the way to, where else, a Bearpalooza (in Dallas).

So that accounts for 1 1/2 hours so far. Also in the second hour was an interview with Kiyomi of Hunter Valentine. I got to see them a couple weeks ago at SXSW, and they packed in the crowd. In the collage below are just some of the 35 different artists featured on the show this month. 

Click to Visit my show on my Site

“Nights of Love on Lesbos”

“A Grecian beauty reveals her most secret thoughts and passions as she describes her many sensual nights of Lesbian love. Her budding desires awaken on the isle of Lesbos. Voluptuous pleasures she had never known transform her young body into trembling submission.”

So started out the LP liner notes on this 1962 recording, with the subtitle: “A Frankly Intimate Description of a Sensuous Young Girl’s Lesbian Desires.” It’s hard to tell what market the label was really after, perhaps whatever market would buy it, though the other albums listed on the back jacket cover certainly could not be confused with scholarly and refined. Still, the poetry, voiced by “Ilona,” is well done and indeed sensuous. 

The reading is from “Songs of Bilitis,” (1894) by French poet Pierre Louys. His Wiki bio indicates he was in elite circles, counting among his friends Andre Gide, Oscar Wilde, and Claude Debussy. Debussy composed a musical adaptation “Chansons de Bilitis” in 1897. The influence of his work lived well beyond his death, in 1925, as in 1955 the first lesbian organization in America, called itself Daughters of Bilitis.

Click for my Webpage, Where You Can Read the Liner Notes and Download the LP

Miscellaneous Lesbos:

 

 

 

 

And, a CD I recommend you Check Out

The Gentleman Doesn't Shave

The Club 82, also called the 82 Club, was the premier female impersonation club in NYC. Opened in 1953, and directed by famed star Kitt Russell, the club had an unusually long life, for that type of business, lasting into the ‘80’s, though in the ‘70’s it had transformed into a glam-rock bar, that featured such acts as the New York Dolls, and the Mumps. The photo of Jo Vaughn was not typical of the program shown below, but the caption caught my eye.

View the Club 82 program

 

Frankie Quinn and Ty Bennett were among the lovelies in the cast

The extensive Female Impersonation section of my website Starts Here

Gosh, I won….(plus, a surprise video)

I just have to share the news that this week it was announced that I was one of the winners of a major award, given by The Committee on LGBT History. I am honored and very, very pleased.

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From their announcement:

The Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History (CLGBTH) proudly announce the winners of the Allan Bérubé Prize, which recognizes outstanding work in public or community-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) history. This award is given in even-numbered years, covering work completed during the previous two years. Scholarly committees determine winners after an open nomination process. The CLGBTH received 11 submissions for the Bérubé Prize, and that prize is underwritten by The GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco.

Allan Bérubé Prize 2012:

CO-WINNERS:

Out in Chicago, produced by Chicago History Museum, curated by Jill Thomas Austin and Jennifer Brier, staffed by Jessica Herczeg-Konecny, Emily H. Nordstrom, Daniel Oliver, Anne E. Parsons, Mark Ramirez, and Morgan W. Valenzuela.

The Queer Music Heritage Radio Show and Website, produced and staffed by JD Doyle, Houston, TX. www.queermusicheritage.com

The Out in Chicago project team’s innovative installation for the Chicago History Museum worked extensively over a three-year period with community members to, as they describe it, “create an exhibition that recasts the city's LGBT and urban histories thematically.” It was open to the public from May 2011 to March 2012. Out in Chicago is a lively exhibit that centers the experiences of individuals—especially African Americans, Latinos, transgender people, and the leather community—through four sections: family, home, community, and activism. Extensive use of oral history helped the curatorial team to create an impressively inclusive portrayal of the city's many and varied queer peoples. New uses of archival and other objects, as well as innovative social media sources, also bring the exhibit to new audiences. Out in Chicago not only is one of the first exhibitions of its kind in a mainstream museum, but also showcases the possibilities of collaboration among institutions and community partners.

Queer Music Heritage is a labor of love of JD Doyle, who for over a decade has worked to “preserve and share the music of queer culture.” Doyle produces and hosts an engaging and informative monthly radio show and maintains an innovative user-friendly website that features a full audio archive of the program, transcribed interviews, and a wide range of visual materials. Among the many historical themes explored are the music of the “pansy craze” of the 1920s and 1930s, the Women’s Music Movement, and the music and politics of Queer Nation. Site content, impressive in its volume and scope, is organized to optimize access by researchers and educators. One noteworthy resource is “Queer Music History 101,” an exhaustively researched two-hour audio course covering the history of LGBT music from 1925-1986. Queer Music Heritage exposes diverse audiences to an important theme in LGBT history and encourages new research avenues.

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About the LGBTH:

The Committee on Lesbian and Gay History was founded in 1979 to promote the study of homosexuality in the past and present by facilitating communication among scholars in a variety of disciplines working on a variety of cultures. The name of the committee was changed to Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in January 2009.

About the Allan Bérubé Prize:

The Allan Bérubé Prize recognizes outstanding work in public or community-based lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer history. It is awarded in even-numbered years, covering works from the previous two years. Allan Bérubé (1946 – 2007) was the author of “Coming Out Under Fire,” and was a well-respected historian, activist, scholar, and a self-described “community-based” researcher.

Click to read an excellent tribute to Alan Bérubé
The article helps explain why this is such an honor

Click to read the CLGBTH announcement

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And this is a good time to share a video of my archives. It was filmed by Sean Kagalis when he and two other artists stayed at my house this month. Sean begged me to let him do the video, as he just wanted to share the experience of walking into that room.

Click to View the Video

Testimony - Stephen Schwartz & SFGMC

“Testimony” is a new song and video by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, and I don’t know how you could pack any more talent into this production. Written Stephen Schwartz, in collaboration with Dan Savage, using words from the “It Gets Better” videos, conducted by Dr. Tim Seelig, and recorded and engineered by Leslie Ann Jones. While hearing it is beautiful, the joy is in watching the video, watching the faces conveying the emotions behind those words. It’s quite moving and they all deserve huge congratulations, and thanks.

SFGMC Website -- You can buy the single or DVD of the performance

 Click to view the Video

Garrin Benfield at SXSW

I first met Garrin Benfield in 2000, in NYC, at the GLAMA Awards, where he was nominated in the Out Recording category, for “What You’re Hiding,” from his debut CD “Living a Dream.” [ He and the Indigo Girls, Mary Gauthier and the Aluminum Group lost to Melissa Etheridge’s “Scarecrow.” ] To my regret, he was not a performer at the event, and I’ve spent the last 12 years gobbling up his five CD releases, but never having a chance to see him perform.

That changed last week when I drove (from Houston) to Austin for the day to go to the SXSW Bent Compass showcase. I was very pleased to finally be able to see Garrin do a live show, but I was NOWHERE prepared for my reaction. I was…okay, this is a trite expression…totally blown away by his performance. I mean, (I may gush a little) I have not been so impressed by a live performance in a long time. I knew that he was known for his intricate loop-driven guitar work, and I’ve seen a couple other artists dabble with this live. But Garrin has got to be the master. His singing and playing are mesmerizing. And, oh yeah, I got to hear him do my early favorite, “What You're Hiding.”

Visit the Garrin Benfield Website

Latest CD: The Wave Organ Song (2011)

 Garrin with other performers at the Bent Compass event:

Above, Kiya Heartwood; below, Michelle Critin and Avi Wisnia

Below a taste of Garrin looping, Click to view the video