There is no excuse for my poor productivity this month! I only got fourteen pages of the sequel written this entire month! Yeah, I had company for a week and had to play host and I picked up extra shifts on my day job but I still could have pushed myself more. There were several days were I chose to watch a DVD in stead of writing.
The goal I set for June to get an author page/profile set up on amazon.com and goodreads.com really went south. I didn't even contact my IT consultant to get started on it! But, as I posted yesterday, the book trailer is posted on YouTube and I got three new articles written for Rainbow Lit magazine's fall issue. I don't think they will all go into the fall issue but I guess it's possible. Anyhow, Rainbow Lit is the new name for SGL BookLovers magazine. Clevester, the editor, called me maybe a week ago and told me he was changing the name. I've only sent him one article as of this post though. I have also kept up with my blog posting goals, which may not be work on the sequel itself but it is writing.
So, that's my June in review. I guess getting a little something done is better than getting nothing done, even if that something feels like next to nothing! Now it's time to forget about what I didn't do in June, look forward to July and start fresh. I have not determined my specific goals for July yet but I will by July 1st. One thing I do know for sure is that I'm forging ahead no matter what!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
it's finally finished!
The book trailer is finally finished and posted on YouTube! We started this book trailer project back in February, so it took four months to complete. I can honestly say I'm very happy with the end results. Now I have to start promoting the trailer and I have a plan on how to do it. The trailer is titled Rainbow Plantation Blues Book Trailer and it's thirty minutes long. Most of that time is me reading chapter one but some of it is me reading the book summery and at the end there is information on how to order and a plug for this blog. I want as many readers and followers on this blog as I can get.
The visual aspect of the trailer is a series of recent photos of me and the cover of the book. At the end, the how to order information, my blog address and the videographer's contact information are listed on the scene as I announce them, and that's the whole trailer. I'm confident that the trailer will help to increase awareness of my work, so check it out and tell others too!
The visual aspect of the trailer is a series of recent photos of me and the cover of the book. At the end, the how to order information, my blog address and the videographer's contact information are listed on the scene as I announce them, and that's the whole trailer. I'm confident that the trailer will help to increase awareness of my work, so check it out and tell others too!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
interracial gay desire as a pretext for egaliterianism
The last section of chapter three in A Queer History of the United States is called Same-Sex Desire and the Democratization of Race. I find this section to be very interesting, although I guess I've said that about every section of the book. Anyhow, these nineteenth century transcendentalist thinkers/writers, I talked about yesterday, were pro human equality with no fillers, no additives, no artificial flavors or colors. And they found a very clever way to .
Nineteenth century America, as we all know, was fearful of ''race mixing,'' especially male/female ''mixing'' because of the potential for sex and/or bi-racial off-spring. So, novels and adventure narratives used the less threatening interracial male/male ''romantic/intimate'' friendships, which I talk about in my post entitled Bosom Buddies, to address race with same-sex desire cloaked in the sub-text. These books, such as Moby Dick[1851] and Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas[1847] to name two, are considered classic American literature. This literature allowed a place for public discussion on ideas of citizenship, race, gender and sexuality. Although ideas on gender and homosexuality were cloaked in these works, a thinking person could easily have ''clocked'' them in the sub-text. With a few exceptions, these works offer our only depiction of same-sex behavior in the nineteenth century.
I think that what makes classic literature ''classic'' is that, it's so well written, there is always something new to discover about it as time passes. Another indication of a classic is a first of it's kind work, like Rainbow Plantation Blues. Okay, I just tooted my own horn, so what! It's the truth!
I'm not 100% sure if I've articulated my thoughts well in this post, so I'm considering it a work in progress. I might come back and edit it later.
Nineteenth century America, as we all know, was fearful of ''race mixing,'' especially male/female ''mixing'' because of the potential for sex and/or bi-racial off-spring. So, novels and adventure narratives used the less threatening interracial male/male ''romantic/intimate'' friendships, which I talk about in my post entitled Bosom Buddies, to address race with same-sex desire cloaked in the sub-text. These books, such as Moby Dick[1851] and Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas[1847] to name two, are considered classic American literature. This literature allowed a place for public discussion on ideas of citizenship, race, gender and sexuality. Although ideas on gender and homosexuality were cloaked in these works, a thinking person could easily have ''clocked'' them in the sub-text. With a few exceptions, these works offer our only depiction of same-sex behavior in the nineteenth century.
I think that what makes classic literature ''classic'' is that, it's so well written, there is always something new to discover about it as time passes. Another indication of a classic is a first of it's kind work, like Rainbow Plantation Blues. Okay, I just tooted my own horn, so what! It's the truth!
I'm not 100% sure if I've articulated my thoughts well in this post, so I'm considering it a work in progress. I might come back and edit it later.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
the overt west the covert east
While the West coast had San Francisco with it's outlaws and wild west tolerance of LGBT"s going on, what was going on in the East? Well, it turns out the East was not a complete tundra when it came to LGBT expression. There you had transcendentalist intellectual writers who used literature to subtly weave they're pro LGBT sentiments into the public consciousness. If one wants to argue that these intellectuals were not covertly advocating LGBT equality they certainly were questioning they're societies stringent rules, regulations and social norms regarding gender roles and monolithic sexual relationships and behaviors.
References to classical literature was a common way for these intellectuals to discuss sexuality and sexual behavior. These nineteenth century thinkers also had a strong awareness of America's need for racial and women's equality. This is important because you can't have true equality for anyone unless everyone is treated equally, and LGBT's are found in all races and both sexes. So, it appears that these nineteenth century intellectuals had all they're ducks in a row when it came to they're vision for America.
The intellectual thinkers/writers I'm talking about are; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Emily Dickinson and Julia Ward Howe who, along with The Battle Hymn of the Republic, authored an unfinished novel called The Hermaphrodite. The novel is believed to have been composed sometime between 1846 and 1847 but it was not published until 2004. I wonder what kind of discussion the title alone would have provoked in the mid nineteenth century.
References to classical literature was a common way for these intellectuals to discuss sexuality and sexual behavior. These nineteenth century thinkers also had a strong awareness of America's need for racial and women's equality. This is important because you can't have true equality for anyone unless everyone is treated equally, and LGBT's are found in all races and both sexes. So, it appears that these nineteenth century intellectuals had all they're ducks in a row when it came to they're vision for America.
The intellectual thinkers/writers I'm talking about are; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Emily Dickinson and Julia Ward Howe who, along with The Battle Hymn of the Republic, authored an unfinished novel called The Hermaphrodite. The novel is believed to have been composed sometime between 1846 and 1847 but it was not published until 2004. I wonder what kind of discussion the title alone would have provoked in the mid nineteenth century.
Monday, June 24, 2013
the first LGBT community
`When I think of a community I think of two things. One is a physical place where people live, work, shop,etc. and have some kind of organized civic system. The other is a group of people who don't necessarily live close together, it could even be national, but have a shared set of values, goals, identities and life-styles. So, for LGBT's the closest thing to the former definition of community in the 19th century was none other than San Francisco.
From it's very beginning San Francisco was an ''outlaw'' town and it's history of tolerance for LGBT's goes back to it's beginning, too. This tolerance for LGBT's stemmed from a relaxed attitude toward any illegal activities. It was a male dominated city for most of the 19th century with a high percentage of racial and ethnic diversity. But there was a lot of racial tension and prejudice and there was a slave trade going on, too. People were being kidnapped and forced into seamanship or taken to China for slave labor. If you were taken you were ''shanghaied.''
People, mostly men, flocked there in 1849-50 looking for gold and the population kept growing from then on. The cities tolerance of same-gender love and different forms of gender expression stemmed from it's constantly changing social demographics. In 1850 same-sex dancing and what we call ''drag shows'' were common and considered acceptable. This is not to say that LGBT's could walk down the street holding hands and there were no legal protections.
There is a school of thought, and I personally agree with it, that says LGBT communities thrive in economies/environments where income is not dependent on the family unit or ''family farm'' for survival. Most 19th century Americans lived on family farms. People who lived in urban areas had to work in trades but most, if not all, other cities enforced their sodomy laws. There was no same-sex dancing and drag shows in the Eastern cities. But if you couple independent labor with a relaxed attitude toward ''sodomy'' and gender expression it makes sense that some semblance of an LGBT community would blossom.
From it's very beginning San Francisco was an ''outlaw'' town and it's history of tolerance for LGBT's goes back to it's beginning, too. This tolerance for LGBT's stemmed from a relaxed attitude toward any illegal activities. It was a male dominated city for most of the 19th century with a high percentage of racial and ethnic diversity. But there was a lot of racial tension and prejudice and there was a slave trade going on, too. People were being kidnapped and forced into seamanship or taken to China for slave labor. If you were taken you were ''shanghaied.''
People, mostly men, flocked there in 1849-50 looking for gold and the population kept growing from then on. The cities tolerance of same-gender love and different forms of gender expression stemmed from it's constantly changing social demographics. In 1850 same-sex dancing and what we call ''drag shows'' were common and considered acceptable. This is not to say that LGBT's could walk down the street holding hands and there were no legal protections.
There is a school of thought, and I personally agree with it, that says LGBT communities thrive in economies/environments where income is not dependent on the family unit or ''family farm'' for survival. Most 19th century Americans lived on family farms. People who lived in urban areas had to work in trades but most, if not all, other cities enforced their sodomy laws. There was no same-sex dancing and drag shows in the Eastern cities. But if you couple independent labor with a relaxed attitude toward ''sodomy'' and gender expression it makes sense that some semblance of an LGBT community would blossom.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
howdy pardner!
A prime example of the Between the lines history I was talking about yesterday is the American cowboy. What a man! He's handsome, rugged, in shape, swaggered, aggressive, virile, masculine, etc. He's also alone, except for his male ''pardners,'' he lives in a homosocial environment and is an outlaw. When I say ''outlaw'' I'm not necessarily talking about a criminal, but a person not bound by the rules, regulations and conduct codes of the East.
So, what can LGBT's read into this famous iconic image. Well, for one thing sodomy laws were a form of regulation or code of conduct. But the cowboy was often isolated and removed from ''civilization'' and it's laws including sodomy laws. Also his world was male dominated, which can encourage and/or imply homoerotic feelings and behaviors. Horseplaying with his pardner, cooking meals outside on an open flame with his pardner and no doubt confiding with his pardner is a wild west version of those romantic/intimate friendships I talked about in my Bosom Buddies post. Another point is that cowboys are a caricature of manliness and LGBT's, especially gay men, love caricature. I know I'm attracted to caricature. Drag queens are caricatures and Tom of Finland drawings are caricatures.
If the American cowboy persona is part of that masculinization of America that I talked about in my post titled Progressiveness and a Fabricated Man, then it might have backfired. The cowboy persona leaves to the imagination a wide range of possibility as to what he was doing out there in those wide open spaces with his pardner. There are clear homoimplied, to coin a new term, themes with this image, Just ask the Village People! Also, was it really a coincidence that Brokeback Mountain centered around cowboys?
So, what can LGBT's read into this famous iconic image. Well, for one thing sodomy laws were a form of regulation or code of conduct. But the cowboy was often isolated and removed from ''civilization'' and it's laws including sodomy laws. Also his world was male dominated, which can encourage and/or imply homoerotic feelings and behaviors. Horseplaying with his pardner, cooking meals outside on an open flame with his pardner and no doubt confiding with his pardner is a wild west version of those romantic/intimate friendships I talked about in my Bosom Buddies post. Another point is that cowboys are a caricature of manliness and LGBT's, especially gay men, love caricature. I know I'm attracted to caricature. Drag queens are caricatures and Tom of Finland drawings are caricatures.
If the American cowboy persona is part of that masculinization of America that I talked about in my post titled Progressiveness and a Fabricated Man, then it might have backfired. The cowboy persona leaves to the imagination a wide range of possibility as to what he was doing out there in those wide open spaces with his pardner. There are clear homoimplied, to coin a new term, themes with this image, Just ask the Village People! Also, was it really a coincidence that Brokeback Mountain centered around cowboys?
Friday, June 21, 2013
between the lines history
My post yesterday concluded chapter two of A Queer History of the United States. I have eight more chapters to go before I'm done. When I ordered this book I was expecting a more ''traditional'' presentation of LGBT history. What I mean by traditional is I thought I would discover maverick like LGBT's who were way ahead of they're time, shaking up colonial and post revolutionary America by being out and proud. I also expected to learn about secret and little known LGBT groups, clubs[not the kind where you party all night long]and organizations that existed in the 18th and 18th centuries. How did LGBT people meet, I wanted to know. Did they party all night long, if so how? Was there some semblance of a community?
Well, I have not come across information like that so far, but what I have found and realized is actually better. Race and sex are physical traits that most people cannot hide. Maverick like crusaders, groups, clubs and organizations did exist for them. But for LGBT's the opposite is true. Sexuality is not a physical trait and most LGBT's can hide. So, since LGBT oppression is a psychological oppression, rather than a physical one, LGBT liberation would have to be psychological, too. That's not to say that there were no secret groups, clubs, hang-outs, organizations, etc., but there existence would not have been recorded for posterity. It would have much too dangerous.
I use to think pre 20th century LGBT history was scanty but it is not. What I'm learning/realizing is that LGBT's do have a rich history going back to the colonial era, and beyond. I was looking for official groups, clubs, organizations, newspapers and mavericks blazing a trail but that is not how one studies LGBT history. It is a history where messages, meanings and images are subtle and between the lines. If it is studied like that one will find tons of information. Tomorrow I'm going to elaborate on that point.
Well, I have not come across information like that so far, but what I have found and realized is actually better. Race and sex are physical traits that most people cannot hide. Maverick like crusaders, groups, clubs and organizations did exist for them. But for LGBT's the opposite is true. Sexuality is not a physical trait and most LGBT's can hide. So, since LGBT oppression is a psychological oppression, rather than a physical one, LGBT liberation would have to be psychological, too. That's not to say that there were no secret groups, clubs, hang-outs, organizations, etc., but there existence would not have been recorded for posterity. It would have much too dangerous.
I use to think pre 20th century LGBT history was scanty but it is not. What I'm learning/realizing is that LGBT's do have a rich history going back to the colonial era, and beyond. I was looking for official groups, clubs, organizations, newspapers and mavericks blazing a trail but that is not how one studies LGBT history. It is a history where messages, meanings and images are subtle and between the lines. If it is studied like that one will find tons of information. Tomorrow I'm going to elaborate on that point.
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