Literary Waiting

It can take 12-18 months for a novel to come out once a publisher acquires it. My second novel was bought last spring. I thought it would be coming out this fall. Alas, it's been pushed back to Winter 2007. So, I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me next year.

Literary Low: Nasdijj

Where to start. Another literary fraud. This time it's a Native American writer named Nasdijj who wrote a memoir about caring for his dying son with AIDS. A friend insisted I read this book. I bought it and saved it for a special time when I was prepared to read a person of color's experience whose life was truly affected by AIDS. It turns out, he is NOT Native American and he did NOT care for a child that died of AIDS. This is a new low.

Literary Death: Wendy Wasserstein

Playwright Wendy Wasserstein, known for writing breakthrough womens roles (most notably for "The Heidi Chronicles"), passed away of cancer. She was 55 years old. Young, way too young.

Literary Life: My First Column!

Arts and Understanding (A&U), America's AIDS Magazine, said yes to a column idea of mine. We'd been going back and forth about what I could possibly contribute to this magazine that's currently celebrating it's 15th year of existence. The magazine started at about the time I started to do AIDS work. Then it came to me: why not do a column on those who have managed to work in the AIDS field for quite some time, atleast 5 years or so. The column, called "From the Trenches," would explore how these fine people keep going in a field where people usually leave after two years.

It'll be a quarterly column and it debuted in the January issue. I wrote about the inspirational Terri Ford, a woman doing AIDS work for 16 years now!

Literary Fray Over Frey

Enough. Enough. Enough. Enough. I'm going to explode into a million little pieces if I hear one more thing about James Frey and his memoir. Enough, enough, enough. Please, please, please. All of this will cause me to drink and smoke again. Please! Stop!!!

Literary Passing: Dr. Betty Berzon

I got a call this morning that a vanguard of the queer literary scene passed away. Dr. Betty Berzon, a psychotherapist who promoted the well being of queer lives, won a Lambda Literary Prize for her memoir "Surviving Madness".

She had worked on several books on queer mental health, including "Positively Gay." She did a lot of work in educating everyone about the problems and solutions of being queeer in America.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Berzon when she would support events at Skylight Bookstore. I also had the honor of interviewing her for a magazine piece on the 10th anniversary death of her friend writer Paul Monette.

She is survived by her longtime companion, Terry deCrecenzo. (I can't begin to tell you how heartbreaking it was to get that phonecall.)

Literary Meditation

I take meditation very seriously. I can't properly start my day without meditating. What makes this experience imortant to me is having the time to feel truly calm and have a mind clear of obscuring thoughts.

Lately, my mind has been filled with plot points and character sketches. It's been seeping into my meditation sessions. It's become a double edge sword. I love having creative thoughts, but I know that it defeats meditating, a practice that asks me to have an "empty" mind.

Anyone out there in cyber world have any suggestions?

Literary addictions

It is widely known that writers have some of the most addictive personalities. Of course, some of the addictions got the best of them. Some writers who have died from alcoholism include novelist Grace Metaloius and short story writer Raymond Carver. Of course, writers from Poe to Capote were also known to get sauced!

Then there are smokers like Hunter S. Thomposon (pictured) and Ernest Hemingway (also a drunk).

I confess that I used to drink and smoke. I thought all that shit helped me create. I hadn't had a drop of booze in 13 years and I recently honored my first year of being smoke free.

I've never been more creative.

Literary Fake Out?

I'm still spinning over the fact that JT Leroy, the much hailed writer who wrote sad, intense stories about abuse and prostitution, isn't real. I'm spinning because I met the "guy" when he came to Skylight to promote "his" work. We were all warned that he was highly protective of his identity and wore a blonde wig to conceal himself.

He didn't read his work. Actors and musicians read for him. A bandmember from Nine Inch Nails was one of the readers.

JT LeRoy struck me as a damaged creature and I felt sorry for him. Now, I want to kick him, especially since part of his identity was to make people believe he was HIV positive.

Literary Controversy

I caught the Larry King Live interview with James Frey, the writer who has been under fire for embellishing his memoir. I knew that this category of "memoir" would confuse people. I'm glad that this little controversy took place, so there can be a clearer delineation between memoiric writing (taken from one's own memory) and autobiographical writinig (event driven).

Mr. Frey was a gracious guest, simply stating that what was being questioned in his book stood for a mere 5 percent of his story and the central themes of drug and alcohol addiction should take center stage.

This is not the first time books of nonfiction have been questioned: Alex Haley's "Roots" came under fire for historical accuracy and Carlos Bulosan's "America is in the Heart" because his adventures seemed too overwhelming for one person.

The high point of the evening was when Oprah herself called in to stand by her recommendation. I love live TV.

Literary DC

I'm in DC for a conference. I've been "monumenting" on my off time. My favorite is the Lincoln Memorial. Alot of greating writing is associated with this memorial. From "Four score and seven years ago" to "I have a dream."

Literary Quiz: He is the only US President who hasn't published a book by the time he took office. Who is he?

Literary Birthday

What do JD Salinger and I have in common? We share the same birthday. We were both born on January 1st. I turned 38 this week.

Literary Photo: Part 2

I'm still trying to decide on an author photo.


Maybe this one?

Literary Pageant

A few years ago, I wrote a performance piece called "Master of the (Miss) Universe," a show examining beauty, culture, heritage. I wrote that The Philippines is obsessed with pageants. The last two Filipino women who won the Miss Universe title were put on stamps! I also wrote that Filipinos love a good pageant, recalling Miss America 2000 when a Filipina from Hawaii won the crown, becoming the pageant's first winner of Asian descent.

Recently, Miss America, an instituion in the pageant world, was in danger of going off the air. No television station wanted it due to poor ratings. Country Music Television (CMT) saved Miss America from near death. I read about it in the New York Times. I busted up laughing. True to form, look who is saving the Miss America pageant from going under.

From the NYT:
"No one within CMT lobbied more forcefully to get Miss America than Paul Villadolid, an MTV alumnus who is vice president of programming and development at CMT. Like the country channel itself, Mr. Villadolid would seem to be an unlikely suitor for Miss America: the son of Filipino immigrants...."

Literary Heaven

I watched Barbara Walter's interview with the Dalai Lama (pictured), a show dedicated to what "Heaven" is all about. I've been thinking about the role of Heaven in books. In my next novel, the concept of life-after-death is explored.
(I purposely did not read "Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold so I wouldn't be influenced.)

I'm wondering if there is a trend in literature where more discussion about God, Heaven, and spirituality will be seen more and more in books.

Uh, as Baby Boomers age, I'm sure more questions about what happens to us when we die will become more frequent.

Literary Move to the Screen

I saw the movie Narnia, based on work by CS Lewis. It's the third book to movie experience I'd had recently. ("Harry Potter" and "Memoirs of a Geisha" being the others) The book has been around for quite some time, but it wasn't until recently that we had the technology to carry off the kind of effects needed to tell this story. The movie was spectacular.

I was thrilled to see Tilda Swinton's (pictured) name flash across the screen. I'd been a fan of hers for such a long time. I first saw her in "Orlando" and was awed by a fashion spread she did in Vanity Fair. She's one of the few actresses who not only looks aristocratic but IS aristocratic (her father is a knight).

Literari Wondering: Bad speller = bad writer?

Are writers supposed to be good spellers? I'm not a good speller. Sometimes when I critique work, writing comments in the margins, I think I missspel words. Then I think I'm dum-dum. Then I think: How can you take kriticism from someone who can't spel?

Literary versus Cinematic

I went to see "Memoirs of a Geisha" with my mother. She said she HAD to go see this. I read the novel when it first came out and fell into the pages of this book. I would think that Hollywood would be able to capture the grandeur and breadth of this story. Surprisingly, it did not. The movie was certainly entertaining, but the book left me with the most vivid pictures in my mind. Any man made efforts to replace them simply failed.

The descriptions of the kimonos in the novel, for example, created the most incredible designs in my head. The ones in the movie, albeit lovely, appeared to be embroidered napkins compared to the fantasy I'd created.

Arundhati Roy refused to have her international bestseller "The God of Small Things" turned into a movie. She said that millions of people had already created movies in their heads and she didn't want to spoil it.

The one thing that DID go well beyond my expectations is Gong Li (pictured) as the antagonist Hatsumomo. The novel portrayed the geishas with such incredible beauty that no human would be able to compete. Gong Li is a woman of exceptional beauty. I must confess that I've always thought of Gong Li as one of the screen's most ravishing women--right up there with Elizabeth Taylor. Seeing Gong Li was a major factor in spending money on this movie. (Check out Gong Li's performance in Raise the Red Lantern--that opening scene with tears running down her face stained my soul.)

Literary Cause: Freedom to Write

I write letters to Turkey, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka. Why? Because there are writers who are suffering. Their government finds their work offensive or unfit for public consumption.

They're arrested, beaten up, thrown in jail--for a poem or a short story. I wrote a letter to China today because a writer told the story of a bird who wanted to fly freely, but was caged by humans. The bird chose to commit suicide than have freedom denied. The story ruffled some communist feathers and the writer was jailed, sentenced to serve ten years!

I write letters through the Freedom to Write campaign out of the PEN Center USA West--a remarkable organization. Check 'em out.

http://penusa.org/go/programs/

Literary Encounter: Luis Rodriguez

Luis Rodriguez came by Skylight a little while ago. The audience asked him intense questions about politics, gang life, the prison system.

I asked him: "What makes you laugh your head off?"

"When smart people do something stupid," he said. "Or when stupid people do something smart. It would make me laugh if Bush or Schwarzenegger actually said something with substance. I'd laugh my head off. Or if the Dalai Lama, ambling solemnly in his orange robes, all of a sudden did an Irish jig. I'd crack up then. The funniest things are the broken mirror images of our so-serious realities. It's sad if we can't see the illusion. It's funny if we see them for what they are. Laugh. Dance. Cry. Just know the differences."

You gotta check this guy out: http://www.luisjrodriguez.com/

Literary First

I am so close to a first draft of my third novel. Once a first draft is done, there's no going back.

Close. So close.

Literary Joke

Literary Loss: World AIDS Day

At work, we observed World AIDS Day. December 1st is a day chosen by the World Health Organization to recognize those who are affected/infected with HIV/AIDS.

I think of all the artists, especially writers, who passed. I am sure there are plenty of storied untold because of their deaths. Paul Monette and Harold Brodkey come to mind.

"First Love and Other Sorrows" by Brodkey and "Becoming a Man" by Monette made me a better human being.

Literary Memoir

Okay, so I'm reading memoirs these days. I'm thinking: my life is a hell of a lot more interesting than what some of these people are experiencing. I never thought of writing one because everyone and his mother is writing a memoir. Hell, Clay Aiken (left) from American Idol has a memoir.

I believed I was too young to write such a thing. Then I thought: I am pushing the big four-oh. Maybe I have a little life to write about. One thing for sure--what I experienced before I was fifteen was a lot more exciting than what some memoirists are writing about.

The only problem with a memoir is that everyone will know your business. I mean, do I really want my mother to know what I was doing before I was fifteen?

Literary Salmon

I started a short story yesterday. I started a personal essay this morning. I've been thinking about ways of starting a new novel. I looked through some of my old files and saw a number of stories that I'd started and have yet to finish. These stories seem like salmon: many begin the trek to spawn, but only a few actually complete the journey.

Literary Repitition: The Barong

I started a piece this morning. It was a story that I'd been thinking about for a year. It was inspired from a trip to The Philippines I took in 2004. (Sheesh, that country so inspires me. I wish I could be there more often.) I'm simply "free-writing" about characters in this story and one of the characters is suddenly wearing a "barong." This item of clothing has appeared many times in several of my stories. I don't know why I have a fascination with this shirt and feel the need bring it into my work so often. Think about it: would a writer constantly bring in the same tuxedo to his work? I admit to owning atleast ten barongs in different styles.

I think somewhere deep down inside, I so associate the history of The Philippines with the Barong. For example, the reason the shirt is transparent is because the Spanish, who ruled the country for 4 hundred years, were afraid that their Filipino servants were carrying weapons. Thus, the making of barong required a sheer look, so knives could be detected. I suppose it was the Spanish version of the metal detector.

On another note, I find them absolutely beautiful. I have pictures of my cousin's wedding. All of the men wore barongs. I didn't think much of it at the time, but in photos, there was something aesthically pleasing about seeing all of these Filipino men huddled together wearing this elegant, pristine looking shirt.

Literary Egypt

What did King Tut read? I wondered this as I caught the midnight tour of the Tut exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (It's the last weekend of the exhibit. They' re holding tours 24 hours a day.) Hierogliphics--is this how it's spelled?-- is so beautiful to look at, I wondered what it was like to read.

Going to this exhibit satisfied a childhood dream. I remember the King Tut exhibit when it first came to LA in the 1970's. I wanted to go so badly, but my family was not the go-to-the-museum type of family. I remember passing LACMA as a kid and watching people go inside. I was so envious.

Literary Head-Up-My-Ass

So, have you ever felt like this? I mean, wondered if you made the right choices?

Maybe because we're nearing the end of the year. Maybe because I have a birthday coming up. But my head is going places it shouldn't be. My head is telling me I should have done more, owned more, learned more.

Then, today, I met several people who made "right" moves: went to good schools, recieved advanced degrees, got well paying jobs. After some conversation, I discovered that what they REALLY
want to do is publish a novel or write a book of poems. They have jobs which demands 60-70 hours a week, time that sucks away any energy for writing.

What are they going to do? They're quiting their jobs and are starting from scratch. A good number of them are my age or older, much older.

Suddenly, I realized I'd had my head up my ass. I made the right choices and they were good choices. I'm on a path that many people envy. After meeting these people, I became grateful, very, very grateful.

Lilterary Return: Boldly Back

For the last several weeks, I'd been preparing for today: a press conference announcing the formation of API Equality-LA, a group to work on the same gender marriage issue in the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. George Takei (left), most familiar as Mr. Sulu on Star Trek, and assemblymember Judy Chu were there to announce their support.

I was the point person to bring in media. I'd been losing sleep over this press conference, wondering if any one would come. It is a crappy thing to have a press conference with no press.
It got so bad that I could't write because I was caught up in this event. The only things I was writing were press releases and media advisories.

Well, it's over...and it was a smashing success. They came out, from Asian media like the Singtao Daily to mainstream press like ABC, Channel 7. It's done--atleast until the next event.

I'm hoping to buckle down and get back to my novel. It's amazing how I missed worrying about my novel when I wasn't worrying about it.

Literary Oakland

So, I'm here in Oakland, California attending a conference. Most people don't realize how truly literary this place is. Novelist, essayist Jack London (left) is from Oakland. Mr. London died at 40--an age I'm fast approaching. By the time he died, he had published 50 volumes of novels, short stories, and essays! (Okay, I'm feeling inadequate.)

The other famous Oaklander is Gertrude Stein. I don't think Oakland is praising her, however. (Jack London has a square named after him here). Ms. Stein famously insulted the City of Oakland. She said, "There's no there there."

Literary Get Away

I had to leave town for awhile and breathe. I was feeling bitter--more than usual--and tired. I went to Northern California for several days. I drove up and enjoyed the ride up the 5 freeway. Normally, I dread such a trek (it took me 8 hours), but I enjoyed the fact that I was getting away. Even the smell of death didn't bother me as much. (Anyone whose driven up the 5, heading north, will know about passing the bovine slaughter house--Cowshwitz a friend calls it--which stinks to high heaven.)

I had moments to ponder my next novel. I need to change the names of some characters. I'd pulled names out of the air, just to have them. Now, as the story grows, I found that some of the names no longer have the same kind of resonance. Also, I made notes of developing one particular character that's been feeling unwhole.

I took the 101 freeway down--a much longer trip than the 5. It was coming down the 101 that I saw how truly beautiful California is: the lovely Autumn influence on the vineyards of Napa Valley, the charm of San Francisco, the crisp beaches of central California, and eventually the bustle of Los Angeles.

I needed this trip. I gathered myself back together.

Literary Reasons: Icon Magazine

So, many moons ago, I thought why should I come out of the closet? Why should I care about writing about my Filipino background. I mean, it's not like anyone is going to care. Gay Filipinos are such a small part of the world's population. Who would want to listen to anything that I said or did? Recently, Icon, a gay Filipino magazine in The Philippines--and one of the few in Asia, interviewed me. I couldn't believe that a whole magazine is dedicated to this "small part of the world."

I write for many reasons. A big one is to examine the intersection of different lives, countries, time periods, and beliefs. I heard a radio interview with Maya Angelou who said that people read to hear "The Truth." It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, people want "The Truth." Coming out and accepting myself as a gay Filipino man was one of the most truthful things that I ever did. I hope some of that Truth comes out in my work.

Literary Encounter: Mary Gaitskill

Mary Gaitskill came around Skylight to talk about her new book Veronica. We sat around and chit-chatted. She told me a horrifying story of wanting an HIV test back in 1985. (I've been dedicated to the fight against HIV for a good fifteen years now, so I'm interested in these things.) And she said that the doctor discouraged her from taking an HIV test because women rarely get it. Well, now that countless women have died from HIV, I bet that doctor is eating his words!

I know that Ms. Gaitskill is a cultural phenomenon and all, but I took to her because she was wearing orange, one of my favorite colors. Not everyone can wear orange, but Ms. Gaitskill pulled it off flawlessly. She had an orange bag, a sweater with orange stripes, champagne colored jeans with orange hues. I told her that orange is the preferred color of the insane. She responded: "I started wearing orange when I became MORE sane. Besides, the insane are right about some things."

Literary Photo?

So, my friend Ericson Herbas took some author photos of me. This is my favorite. What do you think?

Literary Distraction: Friendster

So, during those times in my writing life, when the writing is pure hell, I distract myself. One of the ways I do this is is by sending messages, making friends, checking out bios on Friendster. Yes, Friendster! I bet if the internet existed at the time of Charles Dickens, he would be on Friendster, too. It's a great way of keeping in contact with buds and meeting new ones. It's terrrific for a writer who yearns for company, yet wants to be alone. If you're on friendster, look me up and send me a "smile."

Literary Reading

Over the weekend, I did a reading at Michael Kearn's Space in Silverlake. It was a blast. I hadn't done a reading in quite some time, so spitting my words out was a welcomed experience. The writing has been slow (sh*t), so doing this reading made me feel like a writer of some kind.

I must confess that I thought the highlight of the evening wasn't me, but when Sister Buffy (pictured), of the performance troupe the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, did a little talk on Evangelist Sister Aimee Semple Mcpherson. Trust me when I say it was a hoot!

Literary Substitute

The Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany is currently taking place. Frankfurt attracts publishers, agents, writers from all over the world. The book deals and the martinis must be flying.

I don't have the resources to galavant to Germany. So, in honor of the book fair, I commit to watching Liza Minneli in Cabaret.

Literary Skids

Whatever creative progress I'd been feeling toward my third novel has come to a crashing, ear-splitting halt. I hadn't looked at that mess of a book for days. I can't even look in the direction of my computer! I've had it! This novel writing thing is a pain in the ubot. (You can guess the English translation.)

With that said, I'll try to write tomorrow.

Literary Memories: Monty's Birthday

Today is Montgomery Clift's birthday. I credit him for inspiring my first novel. I hope he is happy wherever he is.

Literary Winner: Nobel goes to Pinter!

Okay, every year people place bets on who'll win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Feathers get ruffled, usually when it's some "unknown master". This year, playwright Harold Pinter won. I'm elated, considering that I'd studied theatre waaaaay before I got into writing novels. Pinter is certainly not unknown. I'm sure drama geeks are giving standing ovations the world over.

Check it out:
http://nobelprize.org/index.html

Literary Prize: Booker Award

Britain's Man Booker prize was recently announced. Congrats are in order to John Banville for his novel "The Sea." There is always some controversy that comes with such prizes. Below is a link about a Booker judge and why he chose "The Sea."


http://click.email-publisher.com/maad5NZabk9oka3oRghbaeQxXH/

Literary Encounter: Susan Straight

With my new novel, comes a new author photo. I asked author Susan Straight--one of the coolest people you'd ever want to meet--what she thought of author photos. She replied, "People told me don't smile, you'll look sexy. Or Smile, you'll look friendly. I wondered, What does any of this have to do with my book?"

Indeed, I know readers want to know what the author looks like, but shouldn't the writing itself be the ultimate attraction? Has writing gone the way of the music industry? It's not enough to just have a great voice, you have to be photogenic and be willing to dance.

Ms. Straight manages to have a sense of humor above all else. When I asked her if I should smile in my picture, she suggested that I try "the smoldering stare."

Literary Encounter: Rick Moody

I've been curious about how music affects other writers. Rick Moody came into Skylight Books to read from his latest novel "The Diviners." Mr. Moody said he "thinks about music all the time" and he'll "listen to anything." The only type of music he doesn't like is "smooth jazz." I asked him if he were a musical instrument what would he be and why. He said he would be a tambora because it has beuatiful overtones. He said, "It's not flashy, but a bedrock on which other things are made."

Literary Music: KD Lang

Like many others, I turn to music for respite, entertainment, inspiration. Last year, KD Lang's CD "Hymns of the 49th Parallel" carried me through a difficult time. Those songs of longing, yearning--themes I often explore--helped me deal with my father's death and rewrite my forthcoming novel "Talking to the Moon."

I saw her at the Hollywood Bowl and she won me over for life. She was funny, personable, and, most importantly, entertaining. I ran to buy other stuff by her like her album "Drag." What a voice.

Literary Death: August Wilson

Playwright August Wilson (pictured) recently passed. What remarkable contributions he made to the world of Letters. As I rise into my middle years, I hope to write some good stuff. I don't know how many books I have in me. At this time, I'm thinking maybe four, maybe five? I hope I have enough time on this earth to get all those stories out of me.


Here's a link about Mr. Wilson's passing:

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-10-02-august-wilson-obit_x.htm

Literary Panels

I just left the West Hollywood Book Fair where I sat on my fourth--and last-- literary panel of the year. I forget how many people are hungry to hear how to write and how to get published.

I used to be that person who voraciously read through the LA Times and LA Weekly looking for announcements for "How To" panels: How to write better fiction; how to get published; how to promote your work. Now, I'm sitting on the other side of the table.

I do hope I say and do something useful when I "panelize." The best part of the day is running into people I haven't seen in awhile or meeting earnest young writers hoping to be the next best thing.