Literary Jury Duty

Oh, what seven days can do! Last week at this time, I was stressing over putting on a really good event at A Different Light Bookstore--which turned out to be a blast. Thanks to all of you for coming and making it a success. Today, I start jury duty. I have to be at the courthouse by 7:30am. I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm actually looking forward to sitting there for a while, giving me the excuse to read or write for several hours.

Literary Restlessnessessess

I'd been dealing with restless nights, waking at 4am. I have a lot on my mind, including work and deadlines.

I have also been tossing and turning over my novels. Oh, I need to promote the published ones, oh, I've got to work on the new one.

My third book has been keeping me wondering. I think one of the reasons I kept starting it over is because I don't know what I am trying to say.

I went running this morning and I think the themes came to me. This book is about faith and disease. When plague comes, one's resolve eithers strengthens or weakens. I think of AIDS and how many people were put to the test, to become better Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Moslems. Many failed (and are still failing). There were those few, however, who gave hope.

This, I think, is what my third novel is about to explore.

Literary Hard and Soft

The soft, soft deadline for getting a draft done of my third novel was June 30th. Uh, I missed that one. The soft, hard deadline is July 30th. Hmmmm. I'm only on page 20.

Literary Radio

I'm going to be on KPFK on Monday, July 2 at 7pm. I'll be talking about "Talking to the Moon," The Promising Series, and a myriad of other things.

The show is called IMRU. Check it out:

www.imru.org

Literary Date: July 12, 2007

Earlier this year, I was part of the first Asian Bookfest. Now, I'm engaging in a new literary project. This one is for gay people. (I know, I know. Some of you are thinking that Noel is biting off more than he can chew...again! Well, get ready to put me away!)

Introducing the Promising Series at A Different Light Bookstore...

A brand, spankin' new reading program will debut at A Different Light bookstore in West Hollywood on July 12th. It’s called the Promising Series with the goal of exclusively featuring established and emerging gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender writers.

“I think that it’s important that writers at varying points in their literary careers meet to share work and ideas,” said series coordinator Noel Alumit. “New GLBT writers in particular need a space where they can express themselves. More established writers can inspire hope for those just beginning a career.”

The Promising Series first reading will feature writer Prince Gomolvilas. His plays include BIG HUNK O' BURNIN' LOVE, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, BEE, and the stage adaptation of MYSTERIOUS SKIN. He received the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild/Julie Harris Playwright Award, International Herald Tribune/SRT Playwriting Award, PEN Center USA West Literary Award for Drama, East West Players' Made in America Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for the Asian Pacific Islander Community, and a screenwriting fellowship with The Chesterfield Writer's Film Project, sponsored by Paramount Pictures.

Up and coming writers who will be showcased are Giovanni Ortega, a performer and poet with a MFA from UCLA, and Serena Lin, an attorney, who recently left the practice of criminal law to pursue the equally difficult path of a free spirit.

The Promising Series will take place on Thursday, July 12 at 7:30pm. A Different Light Bookstore: 8853 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069,(310) 854-6601

Literary Armistead

The event at the Los Angeles Public Library with Armistead Maupin was a ... success. He really is just the nicest guy. After a few moments, I felt like I was talking to an old chum. He loves to laugh and it's a hearty one at that.

In our talk, I became truly grateful about his contributions to fiction. He introduced gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender characters into the mainstream. He was the first writer to incorporate AIDS into fiction. And in his current novel Michael Tolliver Lives, he did something I'd never read before: he introduced a well-rounded "transman," a female to male individual.

At one point in the evening, my friend Eduardo Santiago asked from the audience who were some upcoming gay authors he admired. He turned to me and said that I was one of them. That was really too, too kind of him to say.




I'd highly recommend reading the Tales of the City series if you haven't read it. It's a satisfying read. I challenged the audience to make it their summer reading project.

Literary Eve

It's eve before Armistead. Tomorrow I interview a famous writher, a man I highly respect. Without his trailblazing literary path, I, and many other gay writers, may be no where. I'm actually quite nervous. It'll be little ole me interviewing Armistead, a man who has been writing for over 30 years and has produced 9 novels. Oh, I forgot there will be four hundred people watching.

To prepare, I read seven of his novels--basically the whole Tales of the City series--and read every interview that I could find on the net.

I chose the pic of Bette Davis in All About Eve cause I think Mr. Maupin would get a kick out of it.

Literary Starts

I can't f-ing believe this. I'm writing the beginning of my novel over. AGAIN! I thought the last time I started was the right one. I've been frustrated witht the work and went on a long, long run. 10 Miles. Another possibility came to mind. I tried it and it feels great. Crap. I'm hoping this one sticks.

Literary Cartoons

Cartoonist Joe Matt (his self-portrait above) had an event at Skylight this evening. Writer/Director James Gunn moderated a conversation with Matt, who hadn't made a public appearance in almost ten years. (Though he just lives a few blocks from the bookstore.)

"He's very nervous," said James Gunn to me.

I'm always nervous myself about meeting and greeting someone like Matt. All you have to do is look at his work and know he has an interesting mind. It's quirky and twisted at the same time.

The cover of his current book is of a guy face down with used tissues surrounding him. At first I thought it was supposed to convey a guy with a cold. Then in his conversation he talked about doing comics about porn and masturbating. All of a sudden those tissues took on a brand new meaning.

Literary Vacation

Isn't this a lovely photo? It's a beach in Mexico. Sounds like a great vacation, huh? I'm on vacation. Well, in a way. I'm taking this week off. It has been a hectic last six weeks. And I needed a break. How do I spend my vacation? Uh, working. This time on creative stuff. "Art never goes on vacation" is my new motto.

I've spent this week writing, getting ready for my interview with Armistead Maupin, promoting "Talking to the Moon," and preparing to launch a new literary series in West Hollywood.

I've been struggling with myself on a certain scene I need to write in my novel. I've approached it from several different angles, but it's still not feeling right. I'm hoping I get it right eventually. I feel like I'm writing the scene over and over, repeating the same information, but the flow of the scene is simply not going well. Ugh!

I brought myself up to speed on all six books of the Tales of City series--a wonderful read. I asked to be put in contact with Mr. Maupin. I wanted to give him some idea of how our interview would run. "Mr. Maupin," I began. "Please," he said, "call me Armistead." Now, I can say I'm on a first name basis with Armistead Maupin!

I met with a journalist for a pre-interview segment on a radio show. (Uh, I've learned from past mistakes. I asked him to be kind enough to provide me with a reminder phonecall about where and when the interveiw will take place.)

I walked into A Different Light bookstore in West Hollywood to reinforce the date of July 12th, the day that my "Promising" series takes flight. I plan it to be a quarterly series to promote emerging and established trans, gay, les, bi writers. The first reading will feature playwright Prince Gomolvilas and newer writers Serena Lin and Giovannie Ortega.

Whew!

Literary Fullness

My glass is not half empty. It's so full that my cup might runneth over.

I have one more major event to work on this week, then I take some time off. Hopefully, I can get to do some really good writing. At this time, I'd been doing some good prepping. I've intereviewed a few specialists on blood disorders, a major part of my next novel.

It's frustrating because what I proposed to do in my novel the specialists said would never happen. So, now I'm considering other possibilites.

Other things I'd been doing for my literary life is prepping to interview the writer Armistead Maupin for the Aloud series at the Los Angeles Public Library on June 20.

Mr. Maupin is one of those writers I truly admire. I mean, one of the reasons I have a career is because he was a pioneer who paved the way. His Tales of the City series is one of those must-reads.

I got an e-mail from a friend alerting me that the Maupin event was sold out! Then I freaked because the auditorium must be able to sit some 300 people. Oy! I hope it all goes well.

Literary Screw Up

It has been an overwhelming time at work and in my personal life. May and June is Asian Heritage and gay pride, respectively. That means go, go, go! for my non-profit. I was involved in planning and enacting several events, reapplying for a grant, and worried about two people with health problems. It's been a blur.

It was so busy that I completely forgot about a local televison interview I was supposed to do to promote my novel. Aw *#*@*#*#*! I couldn't believe I screwed up so badly. Ur, needless to say, the anchor/producer was not happy...and I could kiss that opportunity good-bye.

I hate when my writing career suffers because my attention is pulled away. Oh, well. Try better next time.

Literary Weekly

The LA Weekly put out their Literary Issue. It's a cool one. They highlight terrif Los Angeles bookstores. They wrote about Skylight Books, the heaven-on-earth where I host events. They also talk about some other kewl places like Book Soup and Vromans.

This is a must pick-up issue for anyone claiming to have a literary lifestyle in this city of angels.

Personally it was interesting to read that a fellow co-worker at Skylight aspires to do what I do in my life. This week, I had four major projects due at work and my publisher folded. I wanted to go screaming into the night. Reading her comments, helped me see that I've got a pretty good thang going.

Check out the link:

http://www.laweekly.com/art+books/wls/the-bookish-set/16396/?page=4

Literary Upheaval

My agent sent me a note that my publisher Carroll and Graf dissolved in a merger with Perseus Books and my editor Don Weise was let go. I don't know what to do with this information. Happy Tuesday.

Literary Little Tokyo

The first Asian Pacific American Bookfest had been in planning for over a year. This past Saturday, it finally happened.

And what a marvelous success it was.

Booksellers, booklovers, and authors assembled in Little Tokyo for a day of literary panels and discussions.

I was happy that there were patrons who were familiar with my work and wanted me to sing their books. I was thrown when a teenage girl came up to me and said, "My mother LOVES your work!" I never thought of mothers liking anything I would do. But when the girl presented me copies of obviously well worn copies of "Letters to Montgomery Clift" and "Talking to the Moon," I was truly humbled.

The bookfest took a full year of planning. I was involved, but the two people who put their back into the event were Audrey Lee Sung from our sponsoring organization the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and mystery writer Naomi Hirahara.

The only place to go is up!

Literary Fire

The plan was to come home and work on my novel. However, the fires in Griffith Park has caused me to stop. Smoke from the hills is floating down to Silverlake, filling the air with ashes and dread. My apartment smells like burning wood. John Marshall High School three blocks away is being used as the Evacuation Center. The sound of helicopters and traffic is filling the night.

I don't have a television, so I've been going over to my neighbor's apartment to check the latest on the fire. I'm pretty far from the fire; I think I'm safe. But the air quaility has certainly been affected. I'm thinking of going to elsewhere to sleep...and write.

Literary Filipinos

I met with members of a Filipino American Fiction class at UC Irvine and read at the Filipino American Library, where I was filmed for a section on the Filipino Channel. My question is: Where were these literary Filipinos when I was growing up?

I searched high and low in the stack of the Central Library--the biggest one we've got--for Filipino/a stuff. I think I found a play written in the 1920's buried somewhere in the stacks.

I hope this trend continues. There's a part of me that likes to think that my work is needed somehow. I feel that I'm part of a new group of writers creating a strong sense of community.

(And, yes, the photo is an actual product. Filipinos are cookies sold by that colonial force known as Spain. They may come up with mints called The Jews and chips called the Blacks.)

Literary Community Library

I'll be doing a reading at the Filipino American Library in Historic Filipinotown, my 'hood. I'm truly excited about reading here, considering that the characters in my book live in this area!

All of the proceeds will go to the Joseph Ileto Anti-Hate Crime Fellowship at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.

It'll be on Sunday, May 6 at 3pm. Check out the link--it's a really cool website.

www.filipinoamericanlibrary.org

Filipino American Library
135 N. Park View St.
Historic Filipinotown
Los Angeles, CA 90026-5215

--- Free Admission ---
--- Food and Drinks Provided ---

Literary Boothing

I spent some time this weekend sitting at a booth at the LA Times Book Fair. I sat at a table with my two novels prominently displayed, ready to sign a copy for one of the thousands of people who attended the fair over the weekend.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to a man holding a book that wasn't mine.

He asked, "How much is this book?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm an author. I wrote these novels," I said, waving my arm to the small display in front of me.

"So, you don't know how much this book is?"

"Maybe you should ask that woman over there. She runs the booth."

A few moments later, a woman presents me with a stack of books--none of them mine--and hands me a credit card. She said, "I'd like to pay for these."

"Actually, the cashier is over there. I'm an author signing my novels."

The woman joins the line to the cashier.

A student approached my table and picks up one of my novels. Before I could say anything, he flops the book down and walks away.

So it went like that for half an hour. Then I decided to take charge. I do work for the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team. I was a guy who spent a good part of the 1990's and the early 2000's in booths at community fairs coaxing people to talk about anal sex, vaginal secretions, and condon use. If I could talk to complete strangers about how to properly shoot up without getting HIV infected, I could certainly talk to someone about my novels.

I took the offensive and began chatting people up in the booth. You know, I sold a good amount of copies and made some pretty good contacts. I felt my time at the festival was well spent and the money for parking was put to good use. Of course, I loved hanging out with fellow writers Brian Ascalon Roley and Mae Respicio also selling their books.

Sitting in a booth waiting for someone to buy your book can be excrutiating, but when you have fun and just talk to people it becomes less painful.

Literary Radio

Just listen to this if you want to write a novel:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9620861&sc=emaf