new project: the great art of the South

I'm so proud to say I've been invited to write a book about the great American self-taught artists of the South, who, not co-incidentally, are African-American. They include Thornton Dial and the Gee's Bend quilters, whose work has recently been acquired by the Met- (the Metropolitan Museum) in New York. The Met just accepted a bequest of 57 works. This book will pull together many of my lifelong loves: great art, racial progress, the bravery of pioneers who went out on a limb and did marvelous things, and underdogs who have triumphed over a system I know only too well, having grown up in it: the Art World Establishment. Coincidentally, three generations of my family have known Bill Arnett, who championed this cause and saw it through against all the odds. So... the path unfolds and I feel honored beyond measure to apply myself to this task. For those not aware of Thornton Dial or the Gee's Bend quilts, or others who are part of this hidden culture in America, which is the untold story of the greatest art in the US of the past 50 years, I urge you to go to Google and feast your eyes.

New novel finished!

A book about the devil tempting an artist- set in Paris and ranging from the top of Notre Dame to the catacombs beneath the city. Stay tuned.

Big things, little things

Facing what I'll call a Big Bad Thing last week, I decided not to freak out. Instead, I stepped back, raised my sights, and made really major progress in another direction. The result? The potentially "bad thing" is far less important to me. And, paradoxically, the "big"- (in the Big Bad Thing), isn't so "big" at all. So I have the wonderful feeling of watching the cards play out with a sense of detachment-- whether it's called karma or inevitability. Or maybe it's just the difference between being caught up in worldly affairs vs. maintaining fidelity to my Self? Anyway, a lose/lose scenario turned into a win/win.

A wonderful chat with an old friend

Bill Arnett is the force of nature behind the discovery of the quilts of Gee's Bend and it's thanks to his championing of self-taught artists in the South that the world has become aware of Thornton Dial and others. They put the lie to a myth that African-Americans were only gifted at sports or music since their creative genius in painting and sculpture is one of the great unsung songs of 20th Century, and now 21st Century, fine art. I'm proud to know the Arnett family and glad to say that our paths have converged in the past and may do so again in the near future since I may write a book about this truly extraordinary sphere.

Countdown: two and a half months to go.

So pleased to say that my anthology from Cleis Press will be out in two and a half months. Amazing contributors include many of the brightest, and best-known, LGBT and Intersex folk in the country. The title is still embargoed because my last one (and cover image) somehow wound up on the cover of another book! Go figure. But ALL WILL BE REVEALED SOON. So... stay tuned.

The coming out of an anthology.

So happy to announce that the LGBTQ anthology will be coming out next June, just in time for Pride. Creating this with the participation of amazing people and contributions from many of the most gallant leaders in our community has been a joy. There are never-before-revealed stories about 20th century legends (e.g., Josephine Baker) and historic pieces on Stonewall, for example, testimony from Miss Major Griffin-gacy, one of the black transgender folk who led the charge from oppression to liberation.

Miss Majors and Stonewall

I'm happy to announce that trans activist Miss Majors, who was an out front participant at Stonewall (and who got bashed in the head by a policeman and arrested) will be writing the chapter on Stonewall for my upcoming anthology, due out in a year from Cleis Press.

Miss Majors continues her mission today as the Executive Director of the Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Program in Oakland California, and was just nominated to be/come the Grand Marshall for the upcoming Pride Parade in San Francisco.

To have such a person contribute to the book is an honor and to have one who so centrally involved with the uprising at Stonewall is everything that this editor might wish.