1st Annual Gay and Lesbian Literary Arts Festival

I'll be returning to south Florida again in 2009, to appear at this new literary arts festival!

The first annual Gay and Lesbian Literary Arts Festival is scheduled for April 24-25 2009, and will take place at ArtServe and Stonewall Library & Archives, at 1350 East Sunrise Blvd in Fort Lauderdale, in the Auditorium and auxiliary conference rooms. The festival will feature at least 5 current and prominent GLBT literary arts figures, with an opening reception with the artists, readings, book signings, discussion panels, presentations, workshops, exhibits and social functions.

The festival organizers have put together a great video to promote the event:

Lebian Genre Fiction Tour: September 16 & 17, 2008

The Lesbian GenFic Tour will be reading (and always ready to answer questions) back-to-back in San Francisco this month. The tour members are:

• Jaime Clevenger
• Gabrielle Goldsby
• Karin Kallmaker
• JLee Meyer
• Diane & Jacob Anderson-Minshall
• Anna Furtado
• Ursula Steck
  

Tuesday, September 16: Jaime, Karin , JLee, Diane, Anna and Ursula @ A Different Light Books

489 Castro St.San Francisco, 415-431-0891

Wednesday, September 17: Karin and JLee @ Betty's List Book Club.

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM - Duboce Park Cafe
Corner Duboce & Sanchez Streets,
(The Castro), San FranciscoCo-Chair by Dr. Betty L. Sullivan, Professor Cynthia Katona

Stonewall Library and Archives

After event note: This was a wonderful evening, with standing room only. I had a marvelous time making a few comments and reading from several different books. Photos here, and video here.

It's a pleasure and an honor to announce that I'll be participating in the 2008 Stonewall Library and Archive's Distinguished Author Series. From their material about the 2007 series:

"As part of this public program, Stonewall hosts lectures and book signings by prominent LGBT authors or by authors who have written books of particular interest to the LGBT community. During 2007, our roster of acclaimed writers included James Sears, Lillian Faderman, Gypsey Teague, John McNeill, Alison Bechdel, Richard McCann and Felice Picano."

This year's series begins with historians Michael Sherry and Richard Leopold, followed by Andrew Holleran in February. I will appear on March 19. The lecture is a combination of reading, remarks and Q&A and begins at 7 p.m. I'm planning to include in my comments my sincere belief that genre fiction, especially romance, is the literary representation of our every day emotional and sexual lives, and the validation of our human hopes and dreams as lived out as queer (using the big umbrella word) people. This event is free and made possible by donors to Stonewall.

I hope that those of you in the South Florida area will be able to join me for the evening!

www.stonewall-library.org

Stonewall, 1717 North Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale.(954) 763-8565

Hayward Main Library

After event note: We had a great reading and post-reading discussion. My photos here. The Hayward Public Library's photos here.


Thanks to the organization of Jake Anderson-Minshall, the LGFBAT will be reading at two libraries in the next couple of months. The tour members are:

Gabrielle Goldsby
JLee Meyer
Diane & Jacob Anderson-Minshall
Anna Furtado
Ursula Steck
And moi, of course

On Saturday, March 15, we’ll be at the Hayward Main Library, starting at 2 p.m. Given the afternoon timeframe, it seems like a G-rated reading from the new edition of Christabel is in order. I haven’t ever read from Christabel, so I’m really looking forward to it.


Breaking news: Jaime Clevenger will be joining the tour for the Hayward Library reading, reading from All Bets Off!

San Francisco Public Library Main

Wow! A great turn out for this event. After a long work day and in the middle of the week about 30 or so avid fans of lesbian fiction turned out to hear our group read. Photos from the event are at Flickr. (As always, no log in is required to view or comment on the photos.)

Unfortunately, unexpected events kept Anna Furtado and JLee Meyer from joining us, and they were very much missed.

Reading at this event therefore were:
Gabrielle Goldsby read from Such a Pretty Face
Diane & Jacob Anderson-Minshall each read from Blind Leap
Ursula Steck read from Laura's War

I read the short story "Filled to Overflowing" from In Deep Waters 1. A reader in the audience was kind enough to film my portion of the event. You can watch the video at YouTube, including the out take of me looking for my glasses.

Women's Week 2007

It happens every fall. Women leave the last remnants of summer for the chance of a nor'easter to go to Provincetown for Women's Week. Why? Well, if you have to ask, you haven't been.

I've got photos from the week at Flickr with some captions, but they don't begin to capture the fun. My favorite online community of friends was well-represented at a sunset bonfire on the beach. I brought chocolate; I've found no one will turn me away with chocolate in my hand. Someone else shared a very fine whiskey and the laughter was spread far and wide by a sharp October wind. To the left is a photo from the signings fiesta at Now Voyager books: left to right, KG MacGregor, me, Cindy Cresap and Diana Tremaine Braund.

While I was in Provincetown I participated in a panel to benefit Helping Our Women, a very local charity. It was such fun and I want to thank the NINETY women who bought tickets. KG has photos up at her web site (including the Blues Women). The other panelists were Kim Baldwin and JLee Meyer with Radclyffe moderating (or trying to moderate us...it wasn't easy with KG involved). Between the five of us we've written and/or edited 70+ books of lesbian fiction. It was an honor to share a stage with this group!

A reader and friend sent me a recording of my portion of the event and I've posted the video in three parts on YouTube. The visual is dark, but the audio sounds great and I read from All the Wrong Places and In Deep Waters; both passages feature the musings of Brandy Monsoon. First I read the passage from the novel where she realizes her feelings for Tess aren't exactly what she thought. Then, in the follow-up short story, I read her decided opinion on the necessity of an extension cord when one is far away from one's beloved. The last video is my response to the question about what it's like to work with Radclyffe. (Short answer is, um, YES!)

Golden Crown 2007

The Golden Crown Literary Society's annual conventions are still the best events I attend all year. My main blog has several articles about the events and society. Look for keyword GCLS.

This year in Altanta, the third annual convention featured three days of workshops and opportunities to meet and chat with readers. The synergy of the event makes for energizing, informative and flat-out fun! It's all about lesbian fiction.

This year I got to meet one of my sheroes, Lee Lynch, and teach a class with Lori Lake on writing fabulous story people. Ellen Hart was a fabulous keynote speaker, and I was also honored to win a Goldie for 18th & Castro!

There are photos from several attendees on Flickr. Here's the link to mine.

The GCLS is open to all lovers of lesbian fiction, but you don't have to be a member to attend the convention. Next year: Phoenix.

GCLS 2006

The second annual convention in Altanta was fabulously fun! There's nothing like the laughter of women to put me in a great, creative mood.

Time spent chatting with readers is always well-spent, and I love signing books. Equally energizing is the chance to meet and talk to other writers, because we all share the same passion for lesbian literature. This photo of Lori Lake playing with handcuffs is a personal favorite.

The mayhem and madness of charades, jeopardy and panel readings was a terrific contrast with the studied and serious presentation of writing techniques. I was honored to pick up my second Goldie for Just Like That! Ann Bannon was the keynote speaker this year, and her intimate look at the publishing of pulp fiction was fascinating.

There are photos from the events posted online by other attendees at Flickr. Here's the link to my photo set.