Mothers & Sons

I went to see Terrence McNally's play Mothers & Sons yesterday and enjoyed it. It's the story of a man, Cal, who receives a visit from his deceased partner's mother, Katherine. Katherine's son, Andre, died from AIDS years ago and his mother seemed to be in denial about him and his life as a gay man. In the play, Cal has finally moved on from the devastation he felt for years over Andre's loss and now has a new partner, his husband, Will, and they have a son, Bud. The play is really about coming to terms with loss. Both Cal and Katherine were clearly broken mentally and emotionally by Andre's loss and they're forced to try and talk through their pain with each other. It's a tense relationship and the actors were excellent in expressing their anger, angst, disappointment, and general feelings about each other and their lives with and without Andre. It's a fascinating play.

Reading Material

I read an online article recently about a black middle school student who complained that she was tired of reading books about white boys and their dogs so she advocated for a more diverse list of books for students. As someone who was an English major twice, I fully understand this student's complaint. When I was a student, it wasn't necessarily books about white boys and their dogs, but white boys and men in general that seemed to dominate the reading list, particularly when I was in college and graduate school. Henry James, James Joyce, Graham Greene, Shakespeare, Hemingway, Melville...and the list goes on. I read a lot of books about white guys going on a journey while I was in school because the powers that be decided these tales constituted "great" literature. By the time I was near the end of my master's program, I'd had enough and longed for the day when I would be able to go back to reading what I wanted rather than what someone else wanted me to read. I couldn't wait to be done with Billy Budd and The Canterbury Tales and Beowulf. This doesn't mean that I hated everything I had to read. I actually enjoyed some of the literature, but the bulk of it was just not my cup of tea.

In an effort to push back against the promotion of books by and about straight white men, some people have pledged to read only books by non-white female writers for a year (or something like that). While I'm all for people expanding their reading horizons by moving away from the literary canon and the literary darlings (who tend to be white guys also), I don't like the idea of segregating your reading based on an author's race and/or gender. I believe in people reading what they want to read. The race or gender of the author does not make me read a book. I read a book because the plot or the subject matter is interesting to me.

Positively Radiant

My sister and I were talking about flying and airports and I expressed concern about the amount of radiation that you get when you go through the body scans at the security checkpoints. I know you're only in that box for three seconds, but how much radiation is passing through your body during that time? As my sister noted, at least when you get zapped at the dentist's office when you have x-rays taken you get a lead apron to put on. At the airport you don't get anything. I know you can opt out of going through the airport's toxic box, but then you have to get felt up by the TSA. I don't know which option is worse.

London Spy

I've been watching "London Spy" on the BBC America channel and I like it. I've only seen the first two episodes, but so far so good. I didn't realize that the series has already aired in England so Americans are playing catch-up. I've already read a few things on the Internet about what happens in the series, but the spoilers weren't enough to deter me from watching the rest of the series. The series' writer and creator, Tom Rob Smith, also wrote a book I ready a year or so ago called The Farm that was quite interesting. Smith did a great job of showing a gay relationship in The Farm and I'm enjoying his exploration of that same topic in "London Spy."

Snowzilla 2016

I've been watching a lot of the coverage of the snowstorm out east (Snowzilla 2016!) and I hope everyone on the East Coast is able to dig out and get back to life as normal. I really didn't think the storm would be that powerful. When I was in NY last week, the weather forecasters projected snowfall totals that ranged from 4 inches to 23 and they weren't sure which way the storm would go. It could have gone primarily south of the city or out to sea or delivered a direct blow. Clearly, this one was a direct hit. It was so weird to see Times Square and Columbus Circle all snow-covered when I'd just walked those same non-snowy streets a few days ago. Wow. All I can say is I dodged a bullet there by getting out of town Thursday. I'm glad to see that most media outlets are ignoring the Weather Channel's "Jonas" name for this winter storm. I'm so sick of them trying to create a brand around extreme weather events. Ugh. No wonder they keep losing money. Sam Champion never should have left GMA to go there.

Don't Drink the Water

As a former Michigander, it saddens me to hear about the water crisis in Flint. The whole situation is sad and terrible and it never would have happened to an affluent (i.e. white) community. But since Flint is largely black and poor, no one cares about the city's residents. The powers that be in the state probably figured it was no big deal to let Flint residents drink and use tainted water. What a shame. Environmental racism is, sadly, alive and well in Flint. Heads need to roll over this whole debacle and people need to be held accountable. The citizens of Flint should file a class-action lawsuit against the state for trying to poison them.

Just in Time

Clearly, I got out of New York just in the nick of time since a snow storm is blowing into town this weekend. My flight back to Chicago yesterday was packed. I assume a lot of folks chose to change their travel plans and leave early. I was always scheduled to leave Thursday, so no change of plans for me, but I'm glad I timed my trip to get out of town when I did. Woo hoo!

Yesterday's post about An American in Paris failed to mention, by name, the wonderful Robert Fairchild who played Jerry Mulligan. He was wonderful, marvelous...Everyone in the show was great, but seeing Fairchild perform was just icing on the cake. . I guess he normally doesn't do the Wednesday night show, but he was there this Wednesday so I lucked out. Woo hoo again!

An American in Paris

I went to see An American in Paris last night on Broadway and it was great. I love musicals like this. Wonderful singing and dancing, Gershwin music, beautiful costumes...what more could you ask for?  I'm heading back home today after a really nice trip to New York. I didn't make it back to Brooklyn during this visit, unfortunately, but maybe next time. You can only do so much!

RIP Glenn Frey

Even though this post is late in the day, I just had to say a few words about fellow Michigander, the late Glenn Frey. I was so sad to hear of his passing yesterday. I just did a post about him a few months ago. He really was a talented singer and songwriter and he will be missed. 

Back to the City

I'm back in New York for a quick visit that's mainly vacation and some work. It's cold here! I feel like I'm still in Chicago. When I saw the snow coming down fast and furious in Newark yesterday when my plane landed, I was surprised. Thankfully there's no snow today. It's a nice day to get out and see the city before I go to work tomorrow.

Ten Dollar House

I went to see the play Ten Dollar House last night at the Piccolo Theater in Evanston and it was delightful. The play is about a real gay couple, Bob Neal and Edgar Hellum, who renovated and ran a cottage and sold antiques and served tea during the 1930s. Bob bought a run down cottage in his hometown of Mineral Point, Wisconsin and hired Edgar to help him renovate it and the two soon became a couple although in the 1930s, they were forced to be somewhat covert about their feelings for each other. I thought the play was really sweet as you watched Bob and Edgar fall for each other while trying to deal with financial problems that arose from the purchase and renovation of the house and societal backlash from others in their small community. The actors, Scott Patrick Sawa, and Joe Anderson, who played the couple were great also and had wonderful chemistry. You can see a picture of the real life couple below.

Going to LGBT-themed shows like this is weird now because I feel like I get the side eye from the box office folks or ticket takers when they see my name. Yes, I'm Kim Davis, but not THAT Kim Davis. It really is a shame that my name is associated with that Kentucky bigot. Ugh.

Hopes Dashed!

Take a look at one of the many losing Powerball tickets from last night's drawing. Now I can return to the grind and continue being annoyed with Kentucky Kim and her SOTU technicolor dream coat. (Ugh.) 

Don't Drink the Coffee??

I just read that you should never drink airline coffee because the flight attendants don't really wash the pots out. They just rinse them and keep the coffee flowing. I'm actually okay with this. I drink airline coffee a lot and I've never had a problem with it. No, it's not the best tasting coffee, but I figure the hot water will kill any germs and I usually want something warm when I fly because I'm cold on the plane. One beverage I always bring with me on a flight is a bottle of water. After getting caught one time with no water on a plane that sat on the tarmac for about two hours with no water or anything served, I learned my lesson and now I bring my own.

In totally unrelated news, I really want to experience being in a sensory deprivation tank and I read that they're back (at least in New York). I want to do the tank, but I'm afraid because (A) I'm claustrophobic and (B) I'm afraid of drowning. I realize the amount of water in the tank probably isn't enough to drown you, but I'm still worried. I need to do some more research before I take the plunge. I just want to know what the whole experience is like.

RIP David Bowie

I was surprised to hear this morning that David Bowie died. I didn't even know he'd been ill. What a shame. I saw him in concert years ago at the now defunct Pontiac Silverdome outside of Detroit during the Glass Spider Tour. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the show and left early. I wish I had gone to see him during the Serious Moonlight tour. In any case, I'm glad I did have a chance to see him in concert.

The Revenant

Since I didn't win the Powerball jackpot last night, I went to see The Revenant today. The movie was like an extreme episode of Man vs Wild with Leonardo Di Caprio fighting a bear, eating from dead animal carcasses, and struggling to stay alive in the wilderness. As I watched the movie, I kept thinking about the expression "you either get busy living or get busy dying." Leo's character chose to fight for his life when many times he could have thrown in the towel and said, "To hell with this." I think this film may finally be the one that gets Di Caprio an Oscar.

As for the elusive Powerball jackpot, I've already got my ticket for Tuesday's drawing. 

Six Dollars and a Dream

With the Powerball jackpot being over $900 million now (I think that's right), I couldn't help but spend six dollars and get a ticket for myself even though if you win here in Illinois, the state will give you an IOU until they sort out the budget mess in Springfield. Let me just go on record now and say that if I win and these jokers try to give me an IOU, I'll be filing a lawsuit tout suite to try and get my money. I realize the odds are ridiculous for this jackpot, but someone has to win. Why not you or me? You have to be in it to win it, right?

Baggage...Coming January 31!

My new book, Baggage, is scheduled to publish January 31, 2016. Baggage tells the story of Patrick Holt, a forty-year-old ophthalmologist who, after a bad break up, is reluctant to get involved with another man. When his neighbor sets him up with her brother-in-law Eric, Patrick prepares himself for disappointment. But Patrick quickly finds himself surprised and charmed by Eric, and Eric, who’s had relationship problems of his own in the past, falls hard and fast for Patrick. On the outside, Eric seems like a great guy: young and attractive with a promising job as an assistant manager at a Chicago hotel. But Eric has a dark side that he and his family are hiding from Patrick. When the truth is finally revealed and Eric’s secrets are exposed, Patrick has to decide whether he’s willing to go the distance with Eric or run as fast as he can from him.

Say It Ain't So, Donald!

I read Steely Dan front man Donald Fagen was arrested for domestic abuse. As you know if you're a reader of this blog, I love The Dan. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are musical geniuses. So to hear Donald is an abuser is really sad for me. I never would have seen that coming. With some people, you can just look at them and tell they're bad news or one can short of a six-pack, but not Fagen. Sad.

Home Again

I'm finally back home after a weeklong trip to Mexico and I've returned in worse shape than when I left. I now have five mosquito bites and a head cold. Thanks, Cabo! Who has mosquito bites in January...in Chicago? I do! Mexico was lovely but Cabo is not somewhere I would go on my own dime. It's too Spring-Breaky. Too many college kids looking to get drunk. No thanks. In parting l'll just say this: American Airlines, you suck for a variety of reasons starting with my canceled outgoing flight to your broken toilets on the way home. 

Homeward Bound

I'm finally heading home today after one long week away. I'll be glad to sleep in my own bed again and cook my own food. I wish I could say I squeezed some writing in during this trip but, sadly, I didn't. Oh well. I'll just have to be more productive when I get home.

Hola and Happy New Year!

Greetings again from Mexico. I'm still here for another few days and this Americana is ready to head home. Happy New Year to everyone and I certainly hope 2016 is a good one. Not that 2015 was terrible, but I'm ready to put it in my rear view and move on.