Did I ever mention that I minored in History at Penn State? Well, I did. I have it on my résumé right below "Winner, Watermelon-Eating Contest" (AKA "my proudest moment").
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Gay Bashing Across the Street
According to Towleroad, three gay friends were attacked on Friday night outside of McCoys - a Hell's Kitchen (straight) bar that happens to be across the street from my apartment.
Radio DJ Blake Hayes recounted the experience on his blog:
This is pretty scary, considering I walk past McCoys every single day.
Radio DJ Blake Hayes recounted the experience on his blog:
"Walking down this usual block, a friend turned when a lit cigarette butt was thrown at him. 'Keep moving, faggot.' We all stopped, shocked to hear these words in what is normally such an accepting, gay-friendly neighborhood, in New York, such an open-minded city. We exchanged words, more and more heated, until he started to approach us, threatening violence. Before we knew it, he had thrown one friend against a car, denting it. The other took two punches to the face, cutting his lip before the bouncer at McCoy's came out and stopped him. We called the police. They arrived -- 5 cops or so, from at least 2 cars. They talked to the guy who assaulted us. They asked us what happened. We recounted the story. The cops -- the NYPD -- did NOTHING. They wouldn't even take the guy's information so we could file a claim later, or even run the plates of the car whose body was dented from him throwing my friend into it. 'They're NJ plates, we can't do anything.'"
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Book Review - Subsurdity by Eric Arvin
I just finished reading Eric Arvin's excellent book - Subsurdity - and what a fun read it was! Subsurdity follows the lives of the residents of Jasper Lane - a neighborhood where gay and straight alike bond at gay porn parties, the straight kids don't mind go-go dancing and antiquing, and an old woman simply known as "Nanna" expels judgement and bigotry as easily (and as often) as she passes gas.
Subsurdity has it all - mystery, romance, social commentary, and generous amounts of comedy. In fact, I haven't laughed-out-loud this much while reading a book since my last David Sedaris adventure. The various subplots and characters are intertwined expertly - allowing us to effortlessly follow the various storylines without confusing them. And at the end of the book, the story is tied together by Mr. Arvin into a fierce little bow.
Personally, I loved the Cassie Bloom character - the grand dame and "Auntie Mame" of Jasper Lane (complete with a sidekick named "Vera" and a protege named "Patrick"). And smelly Nanna cracked me up every time she appeared on the pages on Subsurdity. But all the characters truly come to life beautifully in Eric Arvin's well-written novel.
LOGO - the gay cable network - should buy the rights to Subsurdity and turn it into a weekly series. I'm sure it would end up being the "next big thing"...
To order Subsurdity from Dreamspinner Press, please go HERE.
Next up is Eric Arvin's second Jasper Lane novel - Suburbilicious. I can't wait...
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