Still Dancing

My agent got back to me with notes on my novel this week.  I'm happy to get them and work on them.  I have till May 31 to do the rewrite.  Focus!

Going Schizo this Week

                                          (A random pic with CNN's Wolf Blizter.)

It's funny how it's quiet for a long time, then--boom!--tae happens all at once.  I'm going to be exhibiting ALL of my talents in one week.   

1.  April 4 at 7:30pm.  Skylight Showcase.  Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont in Los Feliz.  I'll be reading my short story Laconic Messages of Love, which was anthologized in Best Gay American Short Stories, 2012, at the Skylight Showcase.  The showcase will have a number of Skylight staffers showing off their skills in the fields  of literature, music, film, installations, paintings.  (I'll also have one of my paintings on view).

2.  April 4 - April 28, The Culture of Communication, Casa0101, 2102 E. 1st Street, Los Angeles.  I'll have some paintings in this group show, curated by the fine Margaret Garcia.  Other artists include Joy Alumit, Kikki Eder, Margaret Garcia, Sergio Hernandez, Bonnie Lambert, Barry Markowitz, Ester Petschar, Monica Ramirez, Michael Rascon, Suzanne Urquiza and Others.
The Culture of Communication will compliment a fascinating play called Tamales de Puerco, a family drama about a Latino family dealing with a deaf child.  It is a "trilingual play in English, Spanish and American Sign Language.

3.    Sunday, April 7 at 8pm, The W(hole) Story: Anal Gazing, Not Navel Gazing.  Akbar, 4356 W. Sunset (cross is Fountain in Silverlake).  Suggested donation: $5.  It's sorta like the gay version of the Vagina Monologues.  I'll be returning to my first love--performance.  There's been a new solo show percolating.  I'll be showing a bit of it.  It's curated by Steven Reigns and fellow artists include:  Daniel Foster, Gavy Kessler, Chris Lung, Ian MacKinnon, Martin Martinez.

Hope to see you at some point!

 

A Kind of Cry

I can hear my neighbor weeping
through our thin walls. 
It sounds like a heartbreak-cry.
It doesn't sound like a I-lost-my-job-cry
Or a I-can't-believe-my-best-friend-betrayed-me-cry.
It sounds like a someone-I-loved-doesn't-love-me-back cry--
simply a Heartbreak.

I know that cry.  I know it well.

Major Step

The dance continues.   A year ago, my agent read 100 pages, which he said needed some major work.  He asked for revisions and instructed me to finish the novel.  I did that recently.  The last five months have been pretty bare for me as I tried to finish this novel.  In other words, I stayed home most nights and weekends so I can have the time to write.  This is the writer's life.  Face to the computer. 

There is nothing romantic about it.  This is fucking work. 

Notes from a Panel

I curated a panel at Skylight Books to discuss the publishing industry.  The panelists were Writer and Teacher Dana Johnson, Editor Dan Smetanka, Agent B.J. Robbins and Critic David Ulin. It was a great opportunity to provide our neighborhood writers a chance to get advice from experts on how to get published.  Here are some worthy comments:

1.  Consider book contests in trying to get published.
2.  Make sure query letters to agents are professional.  (Please have someone read it before it goes out.  A letter that says I wrote a "fictional novel" will not be taken seriously.)
3.  Don't think about getting a book published, think about having a career.
4.  Don't take rejections personally.  If a book gets rejected, it doesn't mean a book is bad. It just means the book is not right for that particular editor/agent.
5.  Look at the Acknowledgment Page of a book similar to yours to find an editor and agent. 
6.  Find a literary community.  Through this community, one gets an idea of where the agents/editors are.  (Indeed, I won a literary contest with a nice cash sum because another writer in my community told me about it.)
7.  Be aware and alert of what's going on in publishing.  Gone are the days when writers just wrote books and others publish and market them.  Writers are EXPECTED to work hard to get their books out there.
8.  The rejection experience doesn't have to be negative.  Some agents give feedback on how to make the project better.
9.  Beware of the internet and technology: It can be a distraction--facebooking is not writing.
10.  Know your genre.  If you want to debut your first novel, please be prepared to answer this question: Who were the five First Novels you read last year? 
11.  Blogging is over.  (I understand the irony as I write this blog).

Memorials

It's hard going to a memorial. I went to three recently.  One was for activist Tak Yamamoto did a lot for the gay and Asian community.  Another was for Dramaturg Jim Boyle who did some good workin LA Theatre and worked as a screenwriting professor at USC for many years.  They led full and interesting lives.

The hardest memorial was Justin, a bookseller I worked with at Skylight.  He was 35.  He died of alcoholism. 

Memorials or funerals are more for the living.  It helps with the grieving process.  We gathered and remembered him.  I didn't want to be caught babbling, so I wrote a poem. 

Namaste.

What Am I Doing at 7am?

The morning after election day, I had a phone appointment with Maryland.  The fine Lambda Literary organization hooked me up with The Tatnall School to talk about my work as a writer.  I put on my robe, had some coffe then had stimulating conversation about a few short stories that I'd written. (One of them you could read here.)

It was incredible conversation.  However, what intrigued me most was the ways a writer can interact with his readership.  There I was asleep, then an hour later, I'm on the phone talking to students across the coutnry.  Sweet.  Something tells me this is the new wave of book promotion. 

Asian Americans for Prop 30

I went to a press conference urging Asian Americans to vote YES on Prop 30, which would stop $6 Billion in cuts to our schools this year and prevent tuition hikes.  California's wealthiest (those who make $250,000 or couples who make over $500,000 a year) will have their taxes temporarily raised for seven years. 

Civil Rights Activist and Zen Nun Angela Oh, Senator Carol Liu and me

I was there to present a world where $6 Billion cuts would affect our schools:  less English lessons, which would be deadly for Asians with a large limited English population; less history, which may mean leaving out stories of people of color in our curriculums; or less health education, which means putting our youth at risk for sexually transmitted diseases like HIV.

Assemblymembers Warren Furutani, Mike Eng, State Senators Ted Lieu and Carol Liu, Mayors Ed Lee, Jean Quan, Evan Low are among those those who favor Prop. 30.

The LA Times, Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle also favor Prop 30.

More on Prop 30 here.

Sumi and Me

Every once and awhile, I get to do something really cool.  On October 27, I wen to the launch of the Philippine Heritage Collection at the Echo Park Library.  That was the library I used to go to as a child.  It was truly a remarkable feeling being apart of this event, particularly since my novels have scenes set in the area.

What a greater joy it was to sit next to Sumi Haru, a woman who recently released a memoir about her life.  I'd greatly admired this woman for a long time.  Back in the 1990's I went to an event that the Screen Actors Guild was sponsoring for actors of color in Hollywood.  Sumi was one of their panelists.  She had been on SAG's board since the 1970's and did amazing work to push for equal opportunities for minority actors in entertainment.

Now, in her 70's, Ms. Haru continues to grow and change.  Author is her latest title.

A Bunch of Gay Guys Talking About Writing

I hope you can join me this Sunday, September 30 at the West Hollywood Bookfair.  I'm on at 1:30.  I'll be moderating a panel with Eduardo Santiago, George Snyder and Kergan Edwards-Scout.  More here.