thelastnoel

Personal Faves of the LA Art Show

2012-01-22T12:27:00.000-08:00

There was lots to see at the LA Art Show. The art from all over the world was truly impressive. I wish I could write about everyone. However, there were two artists that I found myself drawn to. Their voice, their skill drew me in.

I met Tony Abeyta last year at the LA Art Show. I was simply awed by his work. I consider myself a Los Angeles writer. I love my town, and often use it as a back drop for my work.

I like that Mr. Abeyta does that with his paintings. The Southwest has an active art scene, but is sometimes dismissed as, well, being the Southwest. There can be regional snobbery, which I find defeats the purpose of an artistic community.

I fell inlove with the Southwest when I'd visit my college friend in New Mexico. Back then, the Southwest was a really big. Fashion, design and art, particularly by Georgia O'keeffe and R.C. Gorman, was being widely explored.

I love that he uses Native American iconagraphy in his abstracts.

Another favorite was discovering the work of the late S.C. Yuan brought down from Carmel by Trotter Galleries. I was happy to see a person of Asian descent in a gallery known for "early California & American Paintings."

I loved his color palate, and the spirit his paintings evoked. From his bio, one read: "Despondent over what he felt was lack of recognition for his work, his inability to become nationally known, and his failing marriage, Yuan took his own life and died September 6, 1974."

I had a discussion with a gallerist about Pacific Standard Time, which hopes to solidify Southern California as an active part of post-war art. He wasn't sure if PST had done that. However, I did think PST did manage to explore the work of artists of color who were never mentioned.

It would be great if they could do PST Northern California, and Mr. Yuan's work would finally get the recognition it deserves.

Let's take a look at this still life.

Look at the brush work of this painting. I loved that he piled it on thick! Of all the paintings I'd seen, I probably spent the most time gazing into the work of Mr. Yuan. Mr. Yuan thank you.

LA Art Show thank you for bringing art from all over to my city!

Sculpture and Stuff

2012-01-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

There were some wacky things that were shown at the LA Art Show. Among all of the beautiful paintings and vibrant colors, it was nice to see some work that was a little more challenging.

I liked this pod theme. I really had to look at it to comprehend what it was about. I like seeing art that causes me to see the world differently.

These life-like torsos was something to behold!

This three-eyed Asian dude gave me the creeps--in a good way. He stands about 2 and half feet and was positioned behind glass. I wondered what was the artist's intent in doing this. The "third eye" is an important pychic trait in some cultures. Seen in that way, it becomes less scary and more provocative.

Oh, Buddha! More from the LA Art Show

2012-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

Like last year, China was well represented at the LA Art Show. Read 2011 blog post here. The China Pavillion was truly charming, particularly the presentation of Buddhas. Spirituality was absent at last year's show. 2011 exhibited more of China's nationalism. This time we're asked to look deeper into the Chinese soul.

These paintings of monks made me pause.

Some revered Tibetan Buddhist leaders were among the Buddha Show.

There were some naysayers who felt all this joyful Tibetan stuff was propaganda by the Chinese. Tibetan life under China is not as tranquil as these paintings portray. Point well taken. I noticed that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was not painted among the portraits. HHDL is, of course, considered an enemy of the state.

Regardless, the artist's skill of these paintings can not be denied. You can't tell from this post, but the next picture was HUGE. Maybe 20 feet by 40 feet. It's basically a mural--and this was worth the price of admission.

The LA Art Show is HERE!!!

2012-01-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

I went to the opening night of the LA Art Show. What an amazing event. It's great to start off the year being exposed to art from all over the world. Galleries and artists make the trek to our glamorous city to see if we're intereted in paintings, sculture, prints. If you're wondering, you bet we are.

I spoke with one gallerist who had come for the past several years because the LA scene is so supportive of artists. Another gallerist said she has three different booths at the show to showcase work from the east coast. She contacted her west coast clients, and was happy to see that they came.

I'll be blogging about the event all weekend, so keep dropping by. The China Pavillion, Santa Fe Art, the Buddhist exhibit, Northern California galleries were a highlight for this writer. I'll be sharing images in the next few days.

One critique I had about last year's show was the lack of social commentary that art can provide. That was not the case this year as visitors were greeted with performance artists carrying signs educating us about rape. It grounded the evening, reminding us that art can inspire change and thought.

Upon entering, it seemed the energy changed quite drastically as we're greeted with a large fortune cookie!

The fortune cookie theme continued into the show...

There was a showing of some familiar names:
Jasper Johns

Basquiat

Joan Miro

There is a ton to see. Go check it out.

Write in 2012!

2012-01-16T15:49:00.000-08:00

I start my Winter writing class on January 25th! Come write with me. Click here.

What's Your Story?

2012-01-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

Last year, the White House Initiative on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs asked members of the community to submit a video called "What's Your Story?" The purpose was to highlight the accomplishments of Asians in America. Here is my contribution. It was on the mighty Prince Gomolvilas. I make fun of Prince whenever I get. I've called him Thai crackhead and a whore, but I have to admit: he's talented.

With affection, here's my video of that crack--ur, fine artist Prince.

Long Beach Literary Life

2011-12-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

I was invited to this really cool literary event. I'll be reading at around 1:30pm. Come for the day. Would love to see ya!

A New Plot Twist

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, I was appointed to the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, a body that makes recommendations to the Governor's Office and the Legislature on matters concerning the Asian and Pacific Islander Communities. While others had been congratulating me--and my family is ecstatic!--I was actually alarmed at my new role. I am flattered that there were those who felt my background and knowledge would qualify me for this. When I was asked to apply, I said, jokingly, I would do it just to see if I'd pass the background check. This required them looking into my credit and financial records.

It's odd to say that I'm a "Commissioner." When I think of "Commissioner," I think of some old guy, maybe someone who'd been to war, and has a gruff old voice. You know, like Commissioner Gordon from the Batman comics. There was a part of me that thought my creative voice will somehow be stifled. In going through the background check, I made it clear that I'm a writer who firmly believes in Free Speech. There was no way that my Voice will be quieted. On my curriculum vitae, I did point out that I was anthologized in Best Gay Asian Erotica, and if they had a problem with that, just throw my application in the trash right now.

Apparently, there was no problem with that. So, I'm a commissioner. It's been interesting work, which included meeting with the Governor's Staff in Sacramento, and listening to the needs of the community. I'd been going to "hearings," where people and organizations talk about what the collective community is worried about. It's actually been quite informative.

Recently, I went to a hearing in Long Beach to hear a survey taken with Cambodian youth, an underserved community still experiencing the traumatizing effects of the Killings Fields. I sat with Assemblymembers Mike Eng, Bonnie Lowenthal and Warren Furutani as we became educated about this community experiencing an array of issues: racial profiling, immigration, education. All of this I will report back to the statewide committee.

I was truly moved by the youth who provided personal testimony of being pulled over by cops or having a relative deported. I found their civic engagement inspiring.

I know I have new duties under my belt, but these young people have it harder. I wouldn't want to be a teenager again for all the chocolate at Hershey.

Who Needs Vampires When You Have Art?

2011-11-11T11:08:00.000-08:00

My latest on the Huffington Post. It's on artist Bonnie Lambert. Click here.

Teaching Again...

2011-10-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

I started teaching again. I'm doing an Intro to Fiction Writing course, and I truly value it. It forces me to go back to the basics. I instruct students to write atleast 10 minutes a day--something I forget to do sometimes.

Going back to how to do things from the beginning is always good, I think.

Character Development

2011-09-14T00:51:00.000-07:00

I'd been thinking about a character all day. I didn't write about him, because he was so new that I was afraid that he wouldn't last. I do this all the time: think up people and put them in a story. However, I know to let the idea gestate. I have too many stories with just a few sentences, but don't go anywhere.

I wanted to make sure this character sticks, particularly if he's going to be in my new novel. I started working on him tonight. I won't tell you much, but his name is Eduardo Betancourt, the son of an ambassador.

Creativity in Another Form

2011-09-09T16:06:00.001-07:00

I hope you can attend this! It's the first time that I'm exhibiting work in public. I'd love to see some supportive faces!

Please join me and my fellow artists:

Akumal Blur

2011-09-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here I am in a bar in Mexico. It pretty much represents my time there--colorful, playful, and one huge blur! In other words, it went by so quickly that what I felt and what I experienced can not be contained in one blog post. It can not be contained in several blog posts--it was that incredible.

What made it astounding was that I'd never done anything like this before. I went away with a bunch of other writers with the intention of doing nothing but writing (of course, we ventured outside of our rooms to enjoy the local flavor, as the photo above proves). We were asked to observe the writing hours of 9am-12pm and 3pm-5pm. Those hours were dedicated to writing.

On the first day, I'd done more in the first three hours than in the previous nine months! I learned alot about myself and about my book. I decided to strip away characters and voices that don't serve the story--we're talking atleast 100 pages here!

I had a deep honest look about what I wanted to accomplish with my third novel, and I discovered that I was going in the wrong direction. Hub-boy. But I feel better about my choices with this book. I feel more at ease.

Thanks to Radar Productions. Michelle, Ali, Beth, and Christina--you rock!

Journey to Akumal

2011-08-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

Most of my writing life is kind of dull. I'm by myself, filled with dread and awe. I wonder what will happen with my creativity, if something will come out of a writing session I commit to. Some writers call it drudgery. And, sometimes, it is.

Every once and awhile, I'll get to do something cool though. Like get a writing fellowship. Which I did! I'm heading off to spend ten days in Akumal, Mexico with a bunch of other writers. All of this with the generosity of RADAR Productions.

I have definate goals for this trip. I'm bringing a ton of research material, an old draft of my third novel, a newer draft which needs some revising. I intend to rewrite 25 old pages and write 25 new pages. Of course, I'll still be on a beach in Mexico--I hope I can focus.

Here's a recent interview.

My First Love

2011-08-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

I did a reading of Aurelio Locsin's play "Family Affair." It was really fun studying a character again and doing ensemble work on stage. I never thought going to "rehearsal" would be such joy again.

In the audience was someone who was more familiar with my literary life. He'd seen me host at Skylight, and he told me that he knew I did other things...but not acting! I told him that theatre was my first love. It's still a love.

However, I started to write because my first love was always hard to come by. She was like the popular girl you wanted to spend time with in high school, but she would only give you the time of day at her whim.

I probably wouldn't have written if the acting game wasn't so hard. Now, that I've written and consider myself a writer, could I return to my first love? And not feel slighted if she chooses not to spend time with me? Would I find joy just in the pursuit of her?

New Works Festival--August 14th

2011-08-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

East West Players is having their Summer 2011 David Henry Hwang New Works Festival. And I'll be a part of it. No, no, not as a writer, but as one of the actors. Yes!

Playwright Aurelio Locsin is having a reading of his new play and I'll be reading one of the characters. Director Dom Magwili asked me to play the role of LD, a rather plain accountant who is ending a relationship. We had our first rehearsal last Sunday...it was good to go to "rehearsal" again.

Here are the details:

Family Affair by Aurelio Locsin
Directed by Dom Magwili

Filipino-American LD and Anglo Kenny decide to break up their long-term gay relationship. LD’s family, who like Ken better than LD, are thrown into turmoil. Do they try to get them together or push for the separation?...

Starring:Noel Alumit, Melody Biutiu, James M. Dyer, Christian Estrada, Ronalee Par Miyasaki, Alden Rey

ADMISSION IS FREE but parking costs, unless you can find free street parking.

(This is a staged reading, so no costumes, props or lights. Just some great acting and directing.)

When: August 14 at 8pm

Where: East West Players, 120 Judge John Aiso Street in Little Tokyo, downtown LA.

Thanks, Phyllis. Thanks a Whole Bunch

2011-07-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the memorial for Phyllis Gebauer, a writer and well loved writing teacher. I took a class with her in 1999 at writing conference. It forever changed my writing life. She gave me hardcore literary techniques on how to write. She was a dear friend to the amazing writer Thomas Pynchon, and gleaned writing advice from him.

From that class, I also bonded with several other writers. Phyllis created a safe, unifying space for us to learn. Recently, we had a gathering and toasted her memory.

I have no shame in saying that in my own life as a teacher, I've stolen many of her techniques. I sat in a church in Pasadena listening to others memorialize her. I took it all in and teared up. I'll miss this lady.

She'd taught many writers, and her legacy will live on in us.

Idyllwild, Where Have You Been All My Life?

2011-07-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

Friend and Author Eduardo Santiago started a reading series in Idyllwild, a small town up in the San Jacinto Mountains. I was invited to read my work. I'd never been to Idyllwild. I don't know why. I'd always heard about it, but never had the gumption to go. Now that I'd been there, I wondered what took me so long?!?!?

I had a great time in this small town of four thousand people. And the residents make it a point to keep it a small town. No chains stores are allowed. No 7-11, no McDonalds, no Ralphs.

A nice crowd came to the event, including a book club from Palm Springs.

With Eduardo and Lauren of B's Mountain of Books, the store hosting the event.

It was a wonderful experience. Spending time in the mountains was truly restorative. I'm already planning my trip back.

The New Suzie

2011-06-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last month I interviewed pioneering actress Nancy Kwan. She made it big in The World of Suzie Wong, where she plays a prostitute with a heart of gold. I caught up with her as she celebrated 50 years in show business. A documentary on her life was being shown where she talks about losing her only son to AIDS. I interviewed her about AIDS awareness in the Asian community.

This, of course, got me thinking about a writing project called The New World of Suzie W. It'll be a modern take of this Asian woman, dealing with her crumbling life. Instead of Hong Kong, she lives in Silverlake. Instead of prostituting, she's an aging artist forced to whore her creativity. Hmmmm.

AIDS at 30

2011-06-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Wasn't there supposed to be a cure by now? It's been 30 years since AIDS entered our conciousness. There's been a lot of discussion about it. The fine journalist Karen Ocamb asked me to write a personal essay on AIDS. I chose to remember my friend James Sakakura (pictured above). Here's my contribution:

My standard of beauty at the time was some white guy. Seeing James, a well-built Asian man with a bald head and full lips made my head spin. He challenged my concept of beauty. Read more here.

Coming Through

2011-05-21T19:18:00.001-07:00

Some of you may have remembered how I went through the process of trying to get my third book published. Well, here we are, a year later, and no book contract in sight. I must confess that in the last year, I'd experienced some (alot) of depression over this. But, today, May 21st, I think I'm coming out of it.

Yes, some predicted the End of the World today. Well, part of my world had ended--that part of hoping, yearning, praying that someone will want to put my next book into print. I even started entering my collection of short stories into contests, hoping that it'll win a publication. Not too long ago, I got a rejection letter from one contest stating that I'm not the winning manuscript. Oh!

It's a tough time out there, and I'm not the only author getting rejected. However, it stings. It really does. Or rather, it really did!

I'm feeling back to my old self again. Welcome back, Noel. I missed you.

Screenwriter?

2011-04-26T22:19:00.001-07:00

Where have I been? Well, I'd been writing. My 2011 goal was creative success, so I'm trying new things. A little while ago, I was asked to work on a screenplay, something I'd never done before. I didn't think writing a screenplay was my cup of oolong. But I'd never tried it.

After spending several weeks on it, I must admit that I have a new respect for screenwriters. Really. You have to understand that in Los Angeles EVERYONE seems to be working on a screenplay. The kid in Starbucks is working on a screenplay. It is common lingo in LaLa Land to say, "I'm working on a screenplay."

I was telling a friend about my latest venture, and she encouraged me. She said you SHOULD write a screenplay. Lord knows, there are people who can't write who are writing a screenplay. I thought, yeah!

More later.

Porn Prodigy

2011-04-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

My latest post for Huffington is on emerging performing artist Bobby Gordon. Check it out here.

Japan, Part II

2011-03-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

Strangely, my friend Dan Kunosoki, did some investigating and found the commercial that I did for Japan. I hadn't seen this in over 20 years!

Oh, Japan

2011-03-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture that I keep in my apartment. I'm all of 20 years old. I was booked on a commercial/print job for a Japanese company. I was just starting my creative life, so that period in my development will always be memorable for me.

I remember my audition. I had been smoking, but decided not to smoke that day. I didn't want to smell like cigarettes. I arrived at my audition, and it was for a cigarette commercial! They asked me if I'd be willing to smoke. Of course, I said, Yes! They must have seen the relief on my face when I inhaled. They hired me. I was flown to New Mexico with two other actors and had an AWESOME time.

Later that year, I visited Japan, and thought Tokyo was an incredible city. I thought the Japanese people were truly hospitable, and have always felt a kinship with them.

What's been going on in Japan has devastated me. The Japanese and Americans of Japanese descent that I've known have played an integral part of my life, and I know that they're hurting right now.

It's hard, but I know they'll recover. Their strength continues to inspire me.

Save Our Libraries

2011-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Come check this out! I'm hosting this.

Skylight Musings

2011-02-26T23:58:00.000-08:00

I'd been hosting events at Skylight for over TEN years now. I'd had some great times there. Indeed, a big part of my writing community is because of that bookstore. The picture above is of me and a fellow skylight staffer Kevin. See other pictures here.

What's great about Skylight is that there is a great bunch of weirdos who work there. They even started a Skylight band! The band is called Staff Juice.

I was cleaning up after a book event when I saw some of the guys fiddling with some recording equipment. They wanted to know if I'd like to sing.

"Sing what?" I asked.

"Anything."

"Anything?"

Well, I sat down, put the mic to my mouth and recorded this song. I totally made it up on the spot! It's coarse and funny. My voice is wacked, but, hey, it was a blast. You can also hear our store cat "meow," along with other staff folks chiming in. Hear us screech here.

To hear other Staff Juice songs, click here.

I'm not in a couple, but I played one in a parade

2011-02-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

I got married! Well, not really. In the Lunar New Year Parade earlier this month, I was asked to be in a pretend a gay marriage. That's my friend Alan above. A lesbian couple marched next to us. It was to raise awareness about the marriage issue to the residents and visitors of Chinatown.

I was a little afraid at how we might be treated at the parade. Afterall, this was rather bold for a rather conservative community. And, you know what? It was great! We weren't booed or anything. It was actually quite...liberating. We were cheered and appreciated for our actions.

I remember five years ago when we hoped to march for the very first time in the oldest parade in Los Angeles. There was some tension among the organizers. But we were given permission and away we went.

Someday, this will be looked at with such folly. People will wonder what the big deal was. As I marched down the parade, I truly felt like a young groom looking toward his future.

LA Art Show Mash Up

2011-01-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

The LA Art Show ended today at 5pm. It was a full five days of visiting galleries and artists from all over the world. The best part was viewing work I wouldn't necessarily would have seen otherwise.

Meeting Tao Dong Dong was a personal highlight for me. He lives in Beijing, so I thought it was treat

Some performance art took place. This artist rolled around in a potato sack.

Believe it or not this is not a live person. She is literally a piece of art.

Me chatting it up with Magnolo Bulgarin, Gallery Director at Pyo Gallery in dowtown LA.

My mother and sister came to the art show. That was the best time of all!

First Nation Art

2011-01-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

Native American, AKA First Nation, art has been around, well, before the United States became the second nation. Native Americans have been the subject for many artists (check out the Andy Warhal piece above). Their lives continue to inspire, and serve as a constant reminder of injustices committed against indigenous people.

There were many pieces at the show. Not surprisingly, galleries from the Southwest featured the lion's share of Native American Art. Yes, there were traditional renderings of American Indian life (above); however, there were newer, more abstract pieces, like the ones by Native American artist Tony Abeyta (below).

What the Hell Is That? Thinking in Abstract.

2011-01-22T10:57:00.000-08:00

There was a time when I thought that abstracts were bunk. I needed to see defined images with obvious content. Then I began to appreciate color for color's sake. What is on the canvas, is open for interpretation.

Last year, I was at a gallery and was awed by an abstract. There was something about it that "spoke to me," if you will. The artist was there and began explaining it to me. The painting was called Pain, and it was a piece he had done when his lover passed from AIDS. Having done AIDS work for 20 years, I understood what the artist was doing. He captured an emotional state that I was familiar with. What do you see?

Exploring the Female Nude

2011-01-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

What is it about the female nude that is so tempting to capture? The male nude is also beautiful, but the painting, photographing, sculpting of a woman's nude body is just different somehow. The curves, the peaks of the breasts, the grooves of a ribcage is truly awesome.

Here are some images from the LA Art Show.

Seeing Monty and Other Dead Celebrities

2011-01-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

I was walking around at the LA Art Show, admiring the work. I turned a corner, and I lost my breath. As many of you know, I am a HUGE Montgomery Clift fan. You can imagine how I felt when I saw his face in a painting!

There are certain icons who continue to inspire way after their death. Indeed, it's their demise--often at a much too young age--that contribute to their legend.

China, Loud and Clear

2011-01-21T07:37:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been living in a cave, you may have noticed China's emergence in global discussions: politics, economics, sports (they whupped ass in the Olympics). But there's always been that not-so great record on human rights. For obvious reasons, divisive political art in China is frowned upon, however, there are creative Chinese voices coming through loud and clear. It was evident at the LA Art Show.

Freedom of expression seems to be tolerated, as long as its charming. There was no work recalling Tianemen or demanding freedom for Tibet. Gallerists probably chose the pieces at the artshow, thinking they'd best appeal to westerners. It certainly appealed to me. The work displayed was incredible. Large, colorful pieces overwhelmed walls, as if to say that the Chinese voice is truly THIS BIG. Playful and melancholy were sentiments that I took away from the work exhibited.

For some of the galleries, this was their first time showing in the US.

It was refreshing to see work by Chinese women at the art show. Artist Hao Li in front of her painting. She's exhibited all over the world.

My childhood came rushing back when I saw this piece!

An artist that I hyperventilated over meeting was Tao Dong Dong. His visions of seeing his subjects through water has awed me for quite some time. I was thrilled to do this impromptu vid of him.

Art in 3-D

2011-01-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

For those of us who like to walk among or around our art (or simply want the work to jut out at us) there were some really interesting sculptures and installations at the show. I'm certainly guilty of paying too much attention to the oils and acrylics. However, there were other pieces there that were amazing.

These skateboards made to look like Polynesian artifacts just tickled me.

There's something about crushed art that I love, like this mounted piece of broken cups and saucers. It looks like one mean party or one mean divorce just happened.

This intallation rocked! It's interactive, so you could step on the broken plates and glass.

The Los Angeles Art Show

2011-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

With what is going on in the world--floods in Australia, broken government in Tunisia, and the Tucson shootings--it was nice to attend the LA Art Show and be overwhelmed with creativity. It was an eclectic exhibit with galleries and artists from all over the world.

I'll be blogging about it all weekend, so stay tuned.

"Faces of Hope" Book Sales Soar

2011-01-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

From Publishers Lunch:

Arizona Tragedy Highlights Book of 9/11 Babies

The death of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green in the Arizona shootings has brought national attention to a previously-overlooked 2002 book from HCI, FACES OF HOPE. The title presents pictures of 50 babies born on 9/11/2001, one from each state, along with messages of hope for their future, with Green's baby picture representing Arizona.

For anyone who missed the first wave of attention for the book, President Obama cited it again in last night's nationally-televised speech: "As has already been mentioned, Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called Faces of Hope. On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child's life. "I hope you help those in need," read one. "I hope you know all the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart." "I hope you jump in rain puddles." If there are rain puddles in Heaven, Christina is jumping in them today."

HCI director of communications Kim Weiss tells us they were already receiving reorders for the book--including a sizable order from Ingram--prior to last night's speech, and demand has only increased. The company, which prints its own books, will be back on press later today for "a significant number" of new copies that is still being determined, and Weiss expects it will take them two days to turn around the new books. They have a modest number of books still in their warehouse heading out today, with demand hitting online first but now expected to spread to bookstores. In-store stock was light, since the book had sold modestly after its 10,000-copy printing in 2002. While they did discuss a modest revision to the book in light of recent events, Weiss says they "decided not to."

Notes from the Front Lines

2011-01-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

I ran into Marisela Norte a few months ago. (Read previous post about Gronk at MOCA) She was upbeat, and we talked writing and creativity. I had no idea she was laid off. Then again, I'm not sure what "laid off" looks like. With all the news of the economic downturn, I'd always known that no one knows the pain of unemployment or job rejection like artists. It is something we've known from the gate. During this time, artists feel the sting even more. I know a painter who hasn't sold a painting since the market went bad in 2008. I know many writers who haven't sold a book in awhile--including me!

Here is an article of an artist making do. It was quite refreshing to read. As artists, we are resilient souls. Let's show the world how creative people live creatively!

Article here.

2011 is all about Creative Success

2011-01-04T19:30:00.001-08:00

This is a picture of me dressed as an angel from the 1980's German movie Wings of Desire. It was taken at an art installation that the Hammer Museum had on Halloween. The installation was a house that was made in a way that caused one to question gravity. Indeed, it looks like I truly am testing my wings and preparing for flight.

I think this picture encapsulates my 2011 goals. I'm going to focus on Creative Success. This means many things to me. Yes, there's the money aspect of creativity--I do hope to make a few dollars as a writer. However, it also means growth.

You may have gathered from earlier posts, that I've been engaging in painting. At the time of this writing, I've taken two painting workshops with respected artist Margaret Garcia. I'll continue to take more.

I'm working on a new performance piece.

I'm going to complete my next novel.

I'm going to put more art into good homes via Art Rescue by Noel. Thus far, I'd put over 40 pieces of art into worthy hands.

I want to teach writing again--something I haven't done in a couple of years.

2011--watch out!

Black Swan--I Get Her

2010-12-28T23:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, I went to see the Black Swan. I knew a little about the movie, but not a lot. Natalie Portman is a crazed ballerina struggling to play the Black Swan in Swan Lake. She can be the sweet White Swan, but the seductive Black Swan is a bit of a challenge.

I went with my family who had problems with the movie. Of course, going to see this kind of movie with your mother is NOT a good idea. I mean I really wanted to enjoy the sex scenes, but with mom next to me, I was rather self concious.

My family wasn't as enthused about the movie as I was. I loved it. Afterall, I connected with the protagonist. Not the crazy, schizo part, but the creative part. The ultimate challenge for any artist: you must win the war against...yourself!

This is something I live with every day. Write, write, create, paint maybe, perform another show--but how, when?

Black Swan was a sumptious tribute to the creative mind. One of the best movies I'd seen in a long time.

Literary Hotspots

2010-12-22T22:40:00.000-08:00

There I was, winding down my evening. I do some internet surfing, reading peices in the Huffington Post. There is a link to Literary Hotspots in Los Angeles. I think, oh, this might be cool. The first paragraph makes mention of the regulars that you might read about when it comes to Literary Los Angeles--Raymond Carver, Joan Didion.

It mentions places in Los Angeles that have been named in books. What a pleasant surprise it was to see my first novel mentioned! Well, this sleepy head just perked right up.

Read here

Painting Stories

2010-12-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

Last month, I went to see the artist Gronk (above) at the Museum of Contemperary Art. For the last twenty years, he'd been painting a character named Tormenta, a faceless woman depicted in various scenarios. I thought that was marvelous. She's on ongoing character carried through in images.

I ran into Poet Marisela Norte at MOCA. Here she is with a statue of Tormenta.

I started painting last Summer and I felt inspired to do my own Tormenta. She's simply called "Pinay," (pronounced pin-eye') slang for a Filipino woman. This first piece is called "Pinay Causes Energy in the City."

Difficult Writing: Eulogy

2010-12-12T22:24:00.000-08:00

I had one of the hardest writing assignments ever! I was asked to write a eulogy. A friend and colleague passed away suddenly just before Thanksgiving. A handful of people were asked to eulogize him. I was one of them. I kept putting it off and putting off. Finally, I had to get down to it and write the best way I knew how. It's an emotional experience because it is ultimately a good-bye note.

The last time I wrote a eulogy was when my father died. To this day, my dad's eulogy was the most difficult thing I'd ever written.

Writing novels or plays is nothing compared to having to write one of these suckers.

Literary Recommendation: Mens Vogue

2010-11-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

I never thought I'd be recommending the international edition of Mens Vogue for literary influence, but I am. I was perusing the magazine section of Skylight Books and began reading the English version of Vogue Hommes International. It was dedicated to older men. As a man who is getting older, I was interested. They featured male models of old, well the 1980's, and I remembered those faces who I saw on billboards and magazines in my youth. They were still handsome. Even with wrinkles and lines, these men held up.

I was more thrilled to see to see features on Don Delillo, Martin Amis and John Waters. There were also interesting pieces on desinger Giorgio Armani and artist Ed Ruscha. A photographic essay on Iggy Pop was also quite entertaining.

Run out and get this issue right now! It'll serve up hours of good reading.

Book Rec: Catching Fire

2010-11-21T06:43:00.000-08:00

When I hear that an anthropologist writes a book, I groan. I think of some dry piece of writing with a ton of citations. I don't immediately think of it as thought-provoking, illuminating or quickly-paced. However, Catching Fire, How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham was exactly that.

It was our book group pick and I dreaded reading it, but a few pages in, I couldn't wait to see what would happen. Wrangham postulates that the act of using fire to cook our food led to our development as humans. Cooking makes food easier to digest--raw meat would take hours to eat and process in our systems--and helped develop our brains and bodies.

What I most enjoyed about this book was that I truly wondered what would happen next. Like a good novel, I wondered how the hell did we get from ape to man. Oh, I know the theories from school, how we slowly evolved over time, from four-legged creatures to two-legged ones, but this books provides a missing link: cooking!

I know eating "raw" is in these days, with some claiming it to be healthy. Afterall, monkeys and apes eat things raw. Well, it turns out that if monkeys and apes actually had a choice, as some examples illustrated in the book showed, they much prefer cooked food over raw.

I'm never taking my stove for granted again.

Get Centric

2010-11-15T11:17:00.001-08:00

Please come and support this reading! I'll be sharing the mic with Monica Carter, Glenn Kessler, and more. It's curated by the amaaaaazing Hank Henderson.

November 18th. Read more here.

When the writing hurts, paint!

2010-11-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes writing hurts. It just hurts. The sentences are slow going and the words feel like boulders being upchucked from my throat. However, I commit to being creative every single day. If the writing doesn't do it, it's performance or redecorating or cooking or sewing.

Well, performance can be harder to come by than writing. There are only so many ways I can move the couch. The recipes and spices run out. That cumbersome sewing machine just gets too heavy to take out of storage. The great thing about being creative is finding other ways to be creative.

Over the Summer, I started painting. After admiring those who do it, I gave myself permission to try it. Got some canvas, paint and brushes, and away I went. It's been fun and relaxing. I even sold one to my brother in Texas!

Writing Workshop at Cal-State LA

2010-10-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

I'll be teaching a writing workshop at Cal-State LA on Monday, November 1 at 3pm.

I'll be in the Alhambra Room, 3rd Floor of the University-Student Union.

Cal-State LA

5151 State University Drive

LA CA 90032

Call the Cross Cultural Center for more information: 323.343.5001.

Eileen Myles

2010-10-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

Writer Eileen Myles read from her new book Inferno tonight at Skylight. I'd introduced her before and have always liked her. Read about her here. She's produced 20 books of fiction, essays and novels.

During her question and answer period, she talked about being lazy and how she tricks herself into writing. I thought, OMG, me, too! I'd been having a hard time writing. Well, I'd been writing in, but not putting thoughts on paper. Like these sentences that came to me while driving.

"You must break her heart," Mrs. Lomi told her oldest son. "Tell her everything a girl likes to hear, that you'll always love her, always take care of her. Tell her you'll never leave. Make her fall in love with you. Once she does, write her a note and tell her you found someone else. Tell her you never loved her afterall. She'll be devasted. You must do that. Break her heart."

"That's cruel, mom."

"That's nothing compared to what her family did to ours."

Frankly, it hurts to write. While my book of short stories is making the rounds, it's been painful. It was a relief hearing Eileen talk of her difficulties writing sometimes. Her latest book took ten years to write! I don't feel so bad now.

Tayo Party

2010-10-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

TAYO RELEASE PARTY

Join TAYO Literary Magazine supporters, artists and writers at our annual release party on Saturday, October 23rd from 6:00pm - 8:30pm. After a successful inaugural year empowering our artistic community through our 1st annual issue, online community, and events/workshops, TAYO is extremely proud to be releasing its 2nd annual issue.

Along with showcasing the 2nd issue of TAYO, the event will feature open mic performances, a silent art auction, and refreshments. Admission price also includes one complimentary issue and light hors d'oeuvres. Pre-sale admission is $15, door-sale admission is $20.
INTERESTED IN PERFORMING OR SHOWCASING YOUR WORK?
Fill out this form here: http://tayoliterarymag.com/TAYO/participate/

ABOUT TAYO

TAYO Literary Magazine aims to empower and bring together Filipino American youth through the many different forms of creative art. By gathering differing expressions of Filipino American identity, from high school students to full-fledge adults, TAYO paints an intricate anthology of the Filipino culture and community. Sponsorship and advertisement opportunities are still available.

For more information, please visit: http://www.tayoliterarymag.com/TAYO/.

Free Downloads of an AMAZING Novel

2010-10-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

As some of you know I loved this novel. Read here. In response to the gay suicides, Rakesh Satyal is offering free downloads till midnight tonight!

According to Satyal, “I wrote the book that I needed as a kid and didn't have, so it seems particularly relevant to the events of this past week to make a story about transcending homophobia available to readers of all stripes.”

BLUE BOY tells the story of Kiran Sharma: lover of music, dance, and all things sensual; son of immigrants, social outcast, spiritual seeker. A boy who doesn't quite understand his lot—until he realizes he's a god... As an only son, Kiran has obligations—to excel in his studies, to honor the deities, to find a nice Indian girl, and, above all, to make his mother and father proud—standard stuff for a boy of his background. If only Kiran had anything in common with the other Indian kids besides the color of his skin. They reject him at every turn, and his cretinous public schoolmates are no better. Cincinnati in the early 1990s isn’t exactly a hotbed of cultural diversity, and Kiran’s not-so-well-kept secrets don’t endear him to any group. Playing with dolls, choosing ballet over basketball, taking the annual talent show way too seriously… the very things that make Kiran who he is also make him the star of his own personal freak show.

BLUE BOY was named “Best Debut Fiction” of 2009 by the Lambda Literary Foundation. Rakesh Satyal is a graduate of Princeton University, where he studied comparative literature and writing. Currently an editor at HarperCollins, he is also on the planning committee of the annual PEN World Voices Festival. He sings a popular cabaret show that has been featured widely, from “Page Six” to the New York Observer. He lives in New York City. More info can be found at: http://www.rakeshsatyal.com/

Click here to download.

Congrats, Mario!

2010-10-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

Guess who won the Nobel in Literature. Read here.

Outing Myself

2010-10-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

Gay.com is honoring October, Coming Out Month. They asked me to contribute by writing a letter to my younger self and give him advice just before I came out. The result was this letter. Read here. With the news of gay suicides, I'm glad I could offer this in some small way. Oh, yeah, that's a pic of me in high school with perm.

Gay Suicides

2010-10-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

It's been hard reading news of the suicides by young men for being gay (or appearing gay). They were spurred on by taunts or internet shenanigans. This strikes a cord with me and makes me wonder: why do we treat gay lives as fodder? I suppose when churches, schools, businesses degrade gay life (going as far as calling us degenerates), it's no wonder children or teenagers will take on the call of their elders and mock gay people. Unfortunately, these taunts have had devastating effects.

I can hear naysayers griping that it's not society's fault for the death of these young people. I've heard it before when people say gay men die of AIDS becasue they brought it onto themselves. This is bullshit. It simply gives creeps the excuse to be as homophobic as they wanna be.

I'm a big believer that a stone in a pond causes a ripple effect that most of us can't fathom. This is the stone I throw: Being gay is wonderful! It is the most beuatiful thing. Let that ripple out.

Literary Rebels!

2010-09-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

Come check us out! I'll be on at 5pm at the Storytelling and Readings Stage. More here.

More on the Libraries

2010-09-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

It still burns me how LA libraries are being closed down twice a week. As this LA Weekly article discusses, it's a "black eye" to our city.
Read here.

Interviewing Rick Moody

2010-09-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

My First Painting--EVER!!!

2010-08-30T07:21:00.001-07:00

I noticed that when the writing gets tough, I start to do other creative things. When I had a hard time writing Letters to Montgomery Clift, I began to sew. With Talking to the Moon I started to cook and engage in martial arts. Now, I picked up a paint brush.

All of this I know is just another means of expressing myself. If I don't write, I just feel awful, but if I'm doing something--anything--creative I feel I've accomplished something.

Yesterday, I just started painting. It was fun and relaxing, and I look forward to doing more of it.

Women Vs. Men

2010-08-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting article on how men seem to get the focus when writing about literary fiction. Jonathan Franzen has--again--stolen the spotlight. Read here.

The Perfect Storm: Mysterious Skin in LA

2010-08-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

It is rare for me to experience the coming together of some of my favorite things. Scott Heim's Mysterious Skin is one of my favorite novels; East West Players is one of my favorite theatres; Director Tim Dang and Playwright Prince Gomovilas are two of my favorite people. And on September 9, they will be all coming together!

The LA premiere of Mysterious Skin, adapted for the stage by Prince Gomolvilas, directed by Tim Dang, will be at East West Players!

Deadline for Emerging Voice Fast Approaching

2010-08-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

AAJA Aftermath

2010-08-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

1. I'd been thinking about the Asian American Journalist Conference, especially going to the closing reception and hearing the stories of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, the journalists who were imprisoned for crossing the border from China into North Korea. AAJA lobbied for their release because they believed that reporting the news shouldn't be a crime.

I was moved to hear how Laura Ling got out of North Korea with Bill Clinton's help. Ling admits that crossing the border from China to North Korea was a "big mistake." But to get sentenced to 12 years of hard labor?

Bill Clinton's visit made a big impact on Ling's release. Kim Jong Il wanted to meet Clinton for some time. You see, when Kim Jong Il's father passed away, Clinton was the first to call and give condolences. Apparently this act of diplomacy, of kindness stayed with Kim Jong Il and influenced the release of Laura Ling and fellow writer Euna Lee. Good deeds can go far!

2. I was thrilled to meet Emil Gueillermo. I'd been reading his columns for years. Read about him here. When I was thinking of a Filipino journalist who gets kidnapped in the Philippines for my novel Letters to Montgomery Clift, I was influeced by Emil Guillermo and named the character after him.

3. The most electrifying time of the conference was when 82 year old editor KW Lee recalled the reportage of the 1992 Riots in Los Angeles. He cussed out AAJA for their lact of action during the riots. "We're chicken shit Asians," he said, referring to Asian journalists and our inaction on reporting on social issues. (Ur, I didn't take it personally. Most of my journalism was reporting on AIDS for God's sake.)

Ouch!

2010-08-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

I love a good literary fued and this writer is starting a war. He lists 15 of America's Overrated Writers. Click here.

Your thoughts?

Asian American Journalist Association--AAJA

2010-08-05T22:44:00.001-07:00

I'd been attending the AAJA conference this week, learning all the neat things that journalists need to know to get by. I went to a workhop on "search tools" and got caught up on this OPENBOOK thing. Click here.

Essentially, it shows how unprivate Facebook is. Unless you have privacy settings in place, anyone can search your profile--even if they're not one of your "friends." Try it out. Plug in a topic of interest like "Prop 8" or "Obama" or "Lady Gaga" and it shows you what people (you) are saying about the subject.

Um...

2010-07-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

I had a good discussion with my agent. He gave me feedback on the first 50 pages of my new novel. In a word to describe the first 50 pages: useless. Well, maybe I'm being too harsh, but he didn't think those first 50 pages should start the novel. He said it was all exposition. Start with action, action, action!

The funny thing is I know this. This was the same note I got with my last novel. These are "throat-clearing" pages. Now, that it's clear, maybe I could start anew. Here is the first paragraph that I wrote this morning.

Chapter One

"It was never my intention to be a father, let alone be a father to a sick child. My wife wanted a baby and I’d do anything for her. Through my ups and downs as a writer, she’d stuck by me. Now, she wanted this. She wanted to be a mother. We adopted because we can’t have any of our own. If I’d known our son would be sick, I wouldn’t have done it. Frankly, I wanted to give him back."

Kind Rejection

2010-07-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

I got my first rejection for my short story collection this week. It was truly the kindest rejection I'd ever gotten. The editor said he was familiar with my work and he enjoyed my last book, but he chose to pass on this project.

Libraries in the News!

2010-07-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

(Writer Naomi Hirahara speaking her mind)

I hosted a press conference on the library cuts in Los Angeles. The LA Weekly covered it. Read here.

It also made the news. Here's the video (with me getting a little ticked).

Un-Slam

2010-07-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

Un-Slam The Doors-Keep Our Library Open: A Protest Rally at Central Library

Where: Central Library Fifth Street Entrance When: Monday, July 19th at 9:30 AM

On Monday, July 19, for the first time in our library's history, the Los Angeles Public Library is ordered to shut its doors on Mondays to our patrons, including our city's children. Because of the Mayor's budget cuts and layoffs, a two year hiring freeze, and retirements, our library is now reduced to five days a week service (Tuesday thru Saturday).

This Monday closure is a historical, unprecedented cut to the library and is the first sign of the Mayor and City Council's sweeping blow to the rest of our city services.

In protest, city workers and library supporters of all ages are staging a rally, demonstration and program at Central Library on the first closed Monday of the budget cuts. Distinguished speakers and local slam poets will be featured. We are united in our call to city leaders: Restore our library's hours! Restore our library's services! Restore our library's programs!

I'm hosting this baby! I'll be there with D'Lo, Imani Tolliver, Naomi Hirahara and more!

It Begins...

2010-07-13T21:47:00.001-07:00

My agent started sending out my manuscript to publishers. Breathe in...out.

Linda!

2010-07-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of visiting Linda Smith's studio. Her work is colorful, overwhelming, loud. It is both a ballad and a scream. "Breathtaking" is on overused descriptor, but I finally understood the meaning of that word when I saw her art. I walked through her studio, a place that held canvasses from the 1980's, and felt a sense of awe.

It is always a pleasure hearing how an aritst creates and why. The above video is only a glimpse of the two hours that we shared eating, talking and laughing.

Check out her website here.

Look at what I found...

2010-07-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

This hobby is really making me happy...and broke. Seriously, I'm really seeing all of the beautiful things in the world and how people just give them up. Or get tired of them.

I found one lovely painting and on the back read, "For my honey, Happy Birthday, I Love you!!!"

Perhaps there was a break-up and this source of beauty became a source of pain. It was discarded, and now I have it. I have their moment, when times were good. I framed it.

I have another painting that reads: "To: My 'Precious' friend Vicky. Love Always Holden." It's dated 1920. Decades later, I wonder about Holden and how he still loves Vicky. Always, he wrote. That's a very long time.

Done!

2010-06-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

Made revisions. Sent another draft to my agent. Let's see what happens.

Recent Art Saves

2010-06-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

These amazing paintings were "saved." My apartment is getting stacked with art. What to do?

John and Me

2010-06-17T17:39:00.001-07:00

Promising on June 11: Riffing on Pride

2010-06-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

On June 11, Queers writers will riff on Pride. On the eve of Gay Pride Weekend, nine amazing writers will explore Pride—all sorts of PRIDE. True creativity will shine as writers read work that exemplifies Pride’s meaning. This could be discussing civic Pride, an analysis of Pride and Prejudice, a description of a Pride of animals, the Deadly Sin of Pride and, of course, gay Pride.

Contributing to the fray:
Hailed as one of “the top 5 up and coming solo artists” by Music Connection Magazine, ALEX DAVIS is a transman to be reckoned with. In 2004, he began touring local venues in LA, leaving audiences awed and moved by his phenomenal talent and raw emotion. With influences such as Elliott Smith and Kurt Cobain, he's apt to be driven. Check him out at http://www.luckyalex.com/

ALISON DE LA CRUZ is a multi-disciplinary theatre artist and community-based cultural organizer. Whether working in theater, film, arts education, administration, music, or arts and culture, De La Cruz is always exploring something.

Described as a “jolt of creative and comedic energy,” D'LO is a Tamil Sri L.A.nkan-American, political theatre artist/writer, director, comedian and music producer.

LARRY DUPLECHAN is the author of five novels, including Blackbird and the Lambda Literary Award-winning Got ‘til it’s Gone. His hobbies include playing the ukulele, reading show business biographies, and pursuing his ongoing quest to forestall the physical aging process and build truly outstanding pecs.

DAVID FRANCIS' first novel Agapanthus Tango was published internationally in seven languages and then in the United States as The Great Inland Sea. His second novel, Stray Dog Winter won the American Library Association Stonewall Prize. http://www.straydogwinter.com/.

JACKY GUERRERO is an award-winning journalist in Los Angeles.

HANK HENDERSON curates the monthly reading series homo-centric. His first solo show, Stories From the Fugue State, will be performed at Highways this July.

RIC MONTEJANO is a writer, director, actor who has proudly had his work performed at Highways Performance Arts Space, Wordspace in Los Feliz, Stories in Echo Park, the West Hollywood Book Fair, the Village and various venues around the state. He has always been a proud gay man

IMANI TOLLIVER has been honored with a Certificate of Appreciation by the City of Los Angeles for her work as a promoter, host and publicist in support of the literary arts in Southern California. She also served as the 2007/2008 Poet Laureate for the Watts Towers Arts Center in Los Angeles, California.

The Promising Series will take place on Friday, June 11 at 7:30pm. Skylight Bookstore, 1818 North Vermont, Los Angeles, CA 90029, (323) 660-1175.

A Viable Collection--Oh, Joy!

2010-06-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

My agent had been slowly giving me feedback on my collection of shorts, Laconic Messages of Love. I was worried that he'd say this book isn't quite ready with these stories, maybe you should write a few others. Imagine my relief when I got a stash of revisions with a note stating that this is a "viable collection." I jumped for joy! I hope to send him a final draft this month, which means Noel goes into hibernation for the next several weeks.

In his note, he said that this collection might be easier to sell if I had a "promise of a novel" to go with it. Of course, I have a novel. And I promised him the first fifty pages in July, which means Noel goes into more hibernation.

I think I was a bear in a previous life.

Literary Psyche Up

2010-06-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

I submitted a story to a liteary journal, one I had been rejected from before. It took so much mental focus to actually mail the story off. I had to fight the voices, the ones that said I'll probably get a rejection letter, ones that said it costs too much time, effort and money to mail something off that'll probably get rejected, one that said you should be doing other things (like laundry) rather than preparing a story the editors probably won't like anyway.

I got it to the post office and will try my best to forget about it. What else can I do?

Art-Save of the week!

2010-06-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

I found this nude (and a few others) at a thriftstore in West Hollywood. This was behind some other paintings. I simply fell inlove with it. That red just drew me in. I guess the artist of this painting recently passed away. Other paintings and drawings of hers are still available at the store. Alas, I only have so much money to save art. I'd suggest you go to the Out of the Closet in Weho, on Santa Monica Blvd.

The artist was Mary Retting. She did lovely work. She may be gone, but her creativy lingers on. Thank you, Mary. Your work lives on. I'm sure it'll provide me with wonder for years to come.

Skylight Reads!

2010-05-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

If you're around on this Memorial Day Weekend, please join staff at Skylight Books as we read from our work! It'll be this Saturday. More here.

Art-Saving in our thrift stores

2010-05-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

Last year I was in Goodwill buying a shirt. A painting caught my eye. It was an abstract painting in varying hues of orange, sunset colors really. After staring at it for awhile, I saw that it was really a painting of a butterfly. I smiled because the art transformed right before my eyes, as long as I was willing to see it in a different way. Of course, the concept of transformation, change is often represented in a butterfly and, perhaps, that's why the artist chose it as a motif. I was moved by the painting because it depicted chyrsalis and the burnt orange made me sigh.

The painting was $50, which was something that wasn't in my budget. I was there for a $5 shirt, not a painting. My pragmatic side kicked in and I decided to think about it. When I returned to Goodwill, I discovered that the staff had placed several pictures on top of the painting. The corners of the pictures dented the canvas, ruining it. Management took notice and repriced the piece at $9.99.

I didn't buy it. I left angry. I felt like a beautiful person had been defaced and I was mad at myself for not buying it when I had the chance. In the last year, I'd "saved" several pieces of art from thriftstores. Below are some of them.

This piece I'm particularly proud of saving. It's by Linda Smith. Her website here. Her work sits in Madonna's private collection. Ironically, I e-mailed her about this piece and we have mutual friends. I plan to attend a group show that she's a part of in June.

Support New Orleans

2010-05-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

I just returned from New Orleans. I'd never been to this city and I'm certainly going back! After New Orleans, I believe I'd seen the trifecta of Eurpean colonies in America. New England has its British roots, Southern California has its Spanish roots. Well, New Orleans gave me the point of view of our French Colonizers. Mon Dieu! I learned alot. There's a lot of history in New Orleans: the first colonists were the unwanted of France--thieves, murderers and whores. The French seemd to be the most civil with their slaves--if you want to call owning slaves civil--but the Noire Code, forbid the beating and killing of slaves. In addition, Slaves were allowed to have second jobs in order to buy their own freedom, leading up to Louisiana having the largest number of wealthiest blacks in the South. African Americans were allowed to assemble, which led to the birth of jazz.

Of course we know New Orleans had seen some tough times. Katrina had devasted the city, something the city hadn't quite recovered from. The oil spill in the Gulf threatens wildlife and fishing in the area. This is why anyone reading this blog should flock to New Orleans and support its residents. They desperatly need the commerce.

What I loved about the New Orleans is that it so supports its artists. Buying local art is tax free. There is an array of literary festivals worth attending: the Tennessee Williams Festival, the William Faulkner fest, and Saints and Sinners, the LGBT lit fest.

I was there for the Saints and Sinners conference, a place to talk about writing and develop our skills. I went to accept the James Duggins Award for mid-career artists. This is me with fellow winner Lee Lynch. I dressed as a jass musician to honor the city.

On Sunday morning, the day before I was supposed to leave, it rained. It was quite lovely.

Happy Birthday, Highways!

2010-05-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

I went to the Highways 21st Anniversary Party and had a blast. In the lobby, they had programs from the last 21 years, including the above pic (taken with my blackberry). This was back in 1999. Trust me, I went all nostalgic looking at the past photos. I also remembered the anxiety and joy of putting on a show where I wrote and performed it all.

Back then, the only way I knew how to speak, make a statement about the world, was on the stage. Now, I do it through books or essays or short stories. I'm somewhat satisfied with being heard this way. I always said that I'd go back to the stage when I have something to say that need theatrical conventions. I have some ideas brewing but nothing concrete. My last show at Highways was in 2002, so I'm worried that I hadn't developed a how in nearly ten years!

I'd been wondering about other ways to get my point across. I'm thinking about visual art or conceptual art. Hmmmm. Maybe I can do a show incorporating that.

Read more about Highways here.

Hollywood on Broadway

2010-05-04T07:05:00.001-07:00

The Tony nominations are out, and it looks like Hollywood has invaded Broadway. In the 1990's, I was in New York seeing plays. I didn't recognize names of most of the actors. There was something cool about that. With theatres struggling to stay alive, it seems casting movie or tv stars is a way of insuring an audience.

It just means that well-studied actors dedicated to their craft might lose a role to someone who was on a season of Survivor.

Click here.

Run to the Nick Cave Exhibition

2010-05-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been to the Nick Cave Exhibit at the Fowler Museum at UCLA, you'll kick yourself. It was STUNNING! More here.

I was simply floored with what he was doing with fabric and beads and faux fur and sequence. It really is something to experience. It ends May 20. Go!

Supporting Our Teachers

2010-04-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

I went to a fundraiser for 826LA, a remarkable organization doing fine work. Read about them here. It was a group founded by author Dave Eggers. There were celebrities there, like Jimmy Kimmel. Regardless, I was honored to meet Jose Navarro, California's Teacher of the year. He wanted something from Mr. Kimmel, and well, I think he should get his wish. Don't you think? Let's make teachers the cool ones!

Another person I met there was film director Judd Apatow. I asked if he wouldn't mind appearing on my blog. Imagine my surprise when he agreed! I could barely contain my excitement. He got some life-changing support in school.

My Bathroom Interview with Stephen Elliot

2010-04-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I attended the Granta party in Los Angeles. For those who aren't familiar with the magazine, it "was founded in 1889 by students at Cambridge University as The Granta, a periodical of student politics, student badinage and student literary enterprise, named after the river that runs through the town."

The party launched the sex issue. More here.

It was most fun, especially when I interviewed author Stephen Elliot in a dark bathroom at the party. Believe me, there were people whispering when two men exited the bathroom and one was holding a camera.

Thank You, Mr. Duggins

2010-04-20T06:56:00.001-07:00

James Duggins was a professor in San Francisco, and currently retired. He loves books, specifically gay and lesbians books. Each year an award is given in his name at the Saints and Sinners Conference in New Orleans. It honors "mid-career" authors. This year, I won. I share it with lesbian writer Lee Lynch.

I am honored and humbled. I really am. More here.

Places I'll Be

2010-04-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

UCLA Career Week, Tuesday, April 20

I'll be at Career Week to talk up the writing life and my work doing Communications in my nonprofit world. It's called "Write On! Writing and Communications Careers."

More here.

Smartgals Annual Poetry Slam, Sunday, April 25th

6 Dead Poets, 3 Celebrity Judges, 2 Teams, 1 Winner! Smart Gals Speakeasy Presents:U.S. vs. THEM: The Axis of Poetry Speakeasy

Sunday, April 25thth7:00 – 9:00pm
Mt Hollywood Underground
4607 Prospect Ave., Los Feliz
Admission: $15.00

More here.

Skylight Books

Monday, April 19, 7:30pm, to host Joanna Rakoff and her new book "A Fortunate Age."

Friday, April 30, 7:30pm, to host David Vann for his collection "Legend of a Suicide."

More here.

Me and GQ

2010-04-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

This is Ron Darling, the first Asian man on the cover of GQ, waaaay back in 1986. We need more! Check out my Huffington Post Piece: Hey, GQ! Put an Asian Man on the Cover, Will Ya?

Losing It All and Gaining More

2010-04-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

I remember when Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez got a shitload of money for her first book, The Dirty Girls Social Club. Ms. V-R and Dirty Girls were supposed to be the Latina version of Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale. I wondered what it must be like to get that kind of cash. Now, all these years later, she's broke and looking for a job, any job. Read it here.

It's beautifully written and I became extremely sad. It seemed it took her losing it all to realize that she had it all in her friends and family. She and I are about the same age, but she didn't see the extent of AIDS that I saw. Life is precious; people can go, like that! Something I learned from that terrible time is that life with family and friends is really all the joy you'll ever need.

Her essay was really a look at degrees. Her writing about Latinas may not be as accessible as she'd hoped, but trust me, her writing will get more notice than a writer trying to tell tales of Latina lesbian life.

I was bothered by some points in her essay, particularly about how she felt she didn't get the kind of support she hoped for from her community. She stated her initial success as a reason why no one took to her. She went as far to say that a book club curator that promotes Latino/a authors "hates" her because she's successful.

What she didn't realize is that she WAS (and STILL IS) successful, and for every writer like her, there are fifty who didn't get a publicist with their book deal. I curate a literary series and try to get the word out about unheard of writers. Some more prominent writers seem to wonder why I hadn't asked them to read. Well, because they read all the time, everywhere. They don't need my little literary series that meets ups quarterly. (Frankly, I've seen little known writers just ecstatic at reading at a bookstore like Skylight and I've experienced NYT bestselling authors who show no gratitude at all.)

In reading Ms. V-R's essay, particularly about how she's struggling to get by, I thought: oh, she's become like most of us trying to make ends meet. She wrote, "I lost my car this week. I simply gave it back to Lexus because I can’t afford it anymore." It's hard to get my sympathy when you drove a Lexus. I drove my beat-up jeep for seventeen years, then bought a used Chrysler. I still take the bus, especially when gas prices rose to nearly five dollars a gallon. I plan on taking the bus today.

Regardless of her downfall, she's still more publishable than most writers that I know. Most writers I know don't have movie options of any kind. She may get a small advance for her books, but something tells me that it's still larger than mine. (And mine was larger than a friend who got her book published by a university that didn't give her an advance at all.)

Always stay grateful. There are always those doing better than you and those doing worse.

(Thanks Los Angelista for giving me a heads-up about this article.)

Full Circle on E-bay

2010-04-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm a big Monty Clift fan. Every once and awhile, I'll get on e-bay and see what kind of Montgomery Clift memoriabilia is available. There were times that I had multiple bids on photos, books, magazine covers with my favorite actor's mug on it.

Well, things have come full cirlce, as I've been listed among all the Monty Clift stuff on e-bay. See here.

I'm tickled actually.

Atwood's Tale

2010-04-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my writing life when Margaret Atwood was all I read. Bodily Harm, Cat's Eye, Alias Grace were books that captivated me. She wrote in first person with a goal of exploring the lives of women in Canada.

At the time, I was getting a grip on writing a book length project in first person and her work served as a model. I saw her give a talk at Dutton's in Brentwood (the line was loooooong) and was surprised at how physically small she was.

There's this interesting article on Atwood and her use of Twitter. Click here. It makes me smile to know that she's still at it, still connecting with readers.

Political Erotica

2010-03-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Guess who wrote sex scenes. I thought this was hilarious. I actually warmed to these people. Writing sex scenes is hard. Read this in Huffington.

New York, New York

2010-03-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

I'd been reflecting on the last several days. I went to New York for the purpose of dropping off my manuscript and reconnecting with my agent, Al Zuckerman, a man I hadn't seen in five years. He's the founder of Writers House, a literary agency. We talked about work, which seems to be going well for Writers House, a place that saw the wild success of two of their authors: Stephanie Meyer (The Twilight Series) and Michael Lewis (The Blind Side).

Then the conversation turned to me and my collection of short stories, which even Al had to admit would be a hard sell. Yikes. I'd been through this process before and know the dance. This dance might be a little harder to move to. The publshing industry has been hit hard by the economy and they're more picky about who to place into print. I know finer writers who didn't get their books published in the last two years and, well, that's just the reality.

My book will be read by my agent, then returned to me. I revise, then back to my agent. He reads it again, and more revisions. This process could take a year. Maybe by then the economy would have improved. We'll see.

Regardless, I had a blast in the Big Apple: sight seeing, catching a play on Broadway, hanging out with my friend Stephen (who was kind enough to host me--Thanks, Sir!). I hadn't been to New York in several years and was blown away at how Times Square has turned into Las Vegas. It was rather overwhelming. Hence, my expression in the photo.

Something tells me I'll be back in that town sooner than later.

Lammy Noms Are In!

2010-03-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

(Above, Lambda Lit. Executive Dirctor Tony Valenzuela)

Congrats to the Lambda Literary Award Noms! Click here. The Lammy's is one of my faves when it comes to award season. It basically mentions some of the best LGBT work that came along in the last year. I'm always amazed at how many books I didn't know about. That, in itself, is why such awards exist: to give publicity to books that so desperately need it.

I was happy to see that a few of the books that I realy enjoyed were nominated (Blue Boy, Salvation Army, Silverlake). I judged one year and know how hard it is to come up with finalists. There was obvious junk in the pile of books I was asked to read, but there were some really great stuff. I was given 22 books to read in my category. Of those 22, there were 8 or 9 books that were really great. Unfortunately, there were only five slots. My peers went back and forth, back and forth and settled on five titles we seemed to agree on.

It's a hard job, but I guess that's why it's called "judging."

Buy Beads

2010-03-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Halie Kampman, a young entrepreneur, started this really cool company: Beads for Development. It's cool because it helps a community in Africa become more self-sufficient.

Here's their Mission Statement:

The mission of Beads for Development is to help women play a role in the development of Saint Jean. Through the sales of traditional West African beads, Beads for Development aims to increase global awareness and cultural exchange.

More here.

Rush!

2010-03-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

One week from today I'm going to be giving a draft of my short story collection to my agent. This book, tentatively titled "Laconic Messages of Love and Other Stories," will have eleven pieces that I'd been working on for years. About four of them are published, but most have never seen the light of day.

Of course, there is always that one story that won't allow itself to be finished. It feels like I'm nearly done. But I've been saying that for weeks.

I won't let myself even think about how hard it is to sell a short story collection, particularly now in this publishing climate. All I can worry about is getting this mother done!

The Power of Art

2010-03-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

ART BEYOND BARRIERS
Live Art Petition to stop human rights violations in the Philippines
FREE the 43 health workers! Never Again to Martial Law!

barrier – a structure that prevents or hinders movement or action

We would like to invite you to share your images, movement, rhythm, and voices to break beyond the barriers and take action to stop human rights violations in the Philippines.

In an ongoing assault on human rights by the Philippine government, 43 health workers were illegally arrested and detained on February 6, 2010 in Morong, Rizal, Philippines. They are still illegally being held at the Philippine Military Camp Capinpin and have endured three weeks of continuous ill treatment and torture in the military camp. This situation is critical. Each day that the 43 health workers are not released, it is one more day they have to endure pain, fear, and torture.

Please join us in the movement to demand freedom through art by participating in this Live Art Petition to demand the immediate release of the 43 health workers, Stop human rights violations, and to say Never Again to Martial Law in the Philippines.

The first Art Beyond Barriers Live Petition will be held after the convening of the “Never Again to Martial Law in the Philippines” Coalition for Southern California.

Saturday, March 6, 2010
Southern California Never Again to Martial Law Convention, 3:00 pm
Live Art Petition will begin at 5:30 pm

Fernando’s Hideaway
519 S Spring St (between 5th St and 6th St)
Los Angeles, CA 90013

This project will tour North America. More information will be forthcoming about other cities and countries where the Art Beyond Barriers Petition will tour.

About Art Beyond Barriers Live Art Petition:

A coming together of concerned artists, communities, and human rights supporters to create a movement for change through music, voice, dance, images, and words created during the Art Beyond Barriers collaboration.

You don’t need to be an artist to participate and all ages are welcome.

Participation in the Live Art Petition means you support the movement to stop human rights violations in the Philippines, support the call to Free the 43 health workers, and to say Never Again to Martial Law in the Philippines.

Support of this movement is in support of a global movement to uphold and defend human rights.

What to bring with you:

A passion for making art in all forms whether it be through music, song, dance, spoken word, written word, images, and collaborating with other artists and non-artist to create a movement for change.

Art materials, instruments of all kinds (you can be creative and bring found objects; anything that can make a rhythm), movement, voice, poems, and anything you would like to share with others in this experience.

This project is in collaboration with Melissa Roxas, poet, human rights activist, and survivor of abduction and torture in the Philippines; and Habi Arts, an artist collective that promotes political and artistic empowerment to inspire and mobilize people for progressive social change (habi-arts.org).

"Brief" Recommendation

2010-02-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

I just finished The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier.

This novel delves into the importance of Memory. Think of all of the people you encountered in your entire life, even the nameless ones. They exist in the after-life as long as we remember them. That is the premise of this novel, and a brilliant one at that.

The book packs in a lot in a mere 250 pages. This can easily be read in a weekend and it caused me to ponder. Remembering the Dead. Isn't that why I write? Who will speak for those who couldn't speak before? Millions of people died of AIDS--each of them deserves a book dedicated to their memory.

What I most enjoyed about this book is that it inspired me to write. I write regularly, but reading a book like this stirred my love of stories and characters and plotting. If you can, pick up Brockmeier's novel.

More here.

I Can't Stop Watching this Video

2010-02-22T20:59:00.000-08:00