fiction and musings from a gay black dude with delusions above his station
The one-two punch. The first punch came when Mitch McConnell refused to consider President Obama’s final Supreme Court choice, Judge Merrick Garland. In spite of everything, McConnell held his ground and won. Judge Garland did not receive so much as a hearing. The second punch came on November 8, 2016, a day that will live…
I’ll be reading in Vallejo on Wednesday, June 6 at 7:00 pm at the JFK Library (505 Santa Clara Street). Hosted by Queer Words, this event will celebrate Pride Literature. I’ll be reading with Achy Obejas, Jon Wilson, and Richard Loranger. Come joint us!
My friend Hans M. Hirschi’s 12th novel will drop on May 21, 2018: Returning to the Land of the Morning Calm. Here is a synopsis: Martin is eighty-four years old, a Korean War veteran, living quietly in a retirement home in upstate New York. His days are ruled by the routine of the staff. In his…
I’ve heard Bay Area-based singer Tiffany Austin several times. She frequently returns to her alma mater, Berkeley Law, to perform at the commencement day after party. My work often keeps me from hanging out and listening to her and her band perform. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of hearing her perform in a more…
It happened six days after my 3rd birthday, so I don’t have memories of the day. But I can picture my mother screaming. I can picture my grandmother also upset. I can picture my father trying to console them, while tears ran down his own face. I can picture my older brothers, in their teens,…
My standard workout routine runs Sunday through Friday. On weekdays, I get up quite early, usually by 4:30. After shaking away grogginess, I dress in a t-shirt and shorts—sometimes long pants in the winter—then go around the house in the backyard to the rear entrance to the garage. This leads to the basement, a low-ceiling…
This weekend I’m attending, for the first time, the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival in New Orleans. In its 15th year, this gathering of LGBTQ writers has become one of the premier events of the queer literary world. Today, I presented on a panel discussing Queer Fiction as Social Commentary with authors Matthew Griffin, Nick…
Boom… March 2, 2018, Austin, Texas. A package bomb went off at the home of Anthony Stephan House, killing him. Boom… March 12, 2018, Austin, Texas. A package bomb killed Draylen Mason, a 17 year-old, and injured his mother. Boom… On the same day, another bomb went off at a different address, injuring Esperanza Herrera,…
My husband, our friend, and I had dinner at a Thai restaurant just around the corner from the theater. Across the room from us sat a group of about 10 African-Americans, ranging in age from youngster to auntie. Most wore beautiful prints of African origin. Some of the men wore hats. We smiled. No need…
Karl the Fog stayed away, allowing Bay Area skywatchers a chance to observe the Super Blue Blood Moon total lunar eclipse that occurred in the early hours of January 31. I get up early anyway on weekdays. My current workout regime requires it. But that Wednesday morning, I had an extra incentive. Low clouds had…
