Charley Parkhurst (1812 - 1879)

Charlie Darkey Parkhurst, often Charlie/Charlene/Charlotte or Parkurst, born Mary Parkhurst (1812–1879), was an American stagecoach driver and early California settler. Born female, Parkhurst lived as a man for most of his life and may have been the first biological female to vote in California.

Parkhurst, also known as One Eyed Charley or Six-Horse Charley, was born Mary Parkhurst in 1812 in Lebanon, New Hampshire, to Mary (Morehouse) Parkhurst and Ebenezer Parkhurst. Some reports say her first name was Charlene. She had two siblings, Charles D. and Maria. Charles was born in 1811 and died in 1813. Her mother died in 1812. Some time after Charles died and prior to her father's marriage to Lucy Cushing in 1817, Mary and Maria were taken to an orphanage in Lebanon, New Hampshire where they grew up owned by a man named Mr. Millshark. Upon leaving the orphanage she adopted the name Charley Darkey Parkhurst.

Parkhurst worked as a stable hand for Ebeneezer Balch first in Worcester, Massachusetts, then in Providence, Rhode Island, and later in the "What Cheer Stables" at the back of the Franklin House Inn in Providence for several years.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Parkhurst

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Charley Parkhurst (1812 - December 29, 1879)

Charlie Darkey Parkhurst, often Charlie/Charlene/Charlotte or Parkurst, born Mary Parkhurst (1812–1879), was an American stagecoach driver and early California settler. Born female, Parkhurst lived as a man for most of his life and may have been the first biological female to vote in California.

Parkhurst, also known as One Eyed Charley or Six-Horse Charley, was born Mary Parkhurst in 1812 in Lebanon, New Hampshire, to Mary (Morehouse) Parkhurst and Ebenezer Parkhurst. Some reports say her first name was Charlene. She had two siblings, Charles D. and Maria. Charles was born in 1811 and died in 1813. Her mother died in 1812. Some time after Charles died and prior to her father's marriage to Lucy Cushing in 1817, Mary and Maria were taken to an orphanage in Lebanon, New Hampshire where they grew up owned by a man named Mr. Millshark. Upon leaving the orphanage she adopted the name Charley Darkey Parkhurst.

Parkhurst worked as a stable hand for Ebeneezer Balch first in Worcester, Massachusetts, then in Providence, Rhode Island, and later in the "What Cheer Stables" at the back of the Franklin House Inn in Providence for several years.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Parkhurst

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Persistent Voices: George Dureau

Artist George Dureau is best known for his male figure studies and narrative paintings in oil and charcoal and for his black-and-white photographs, which often feature street youths, dwarfs, and amputees.

He has had solo exhibitions of his work at galleries and museums in Paris, London, Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., among other places. He even lived in New York for several months in 1966. But he is quintessentially a New Orleanian. He was born in the city and, except for brief hiatuses, has lived there his entire life.

As critic Kenneth Holditch observed some time ago, Dureau's art is "entwined with that mixture of contradictory elements that constitutes the carnal atmosphere of his native city. Perhaps this accounts to some extent for the paradoxes so distinctly a part of his best work: the joyful and painful, the beautiful and ugly, the spiritual and sensual, and most significant of all the real in sharp juxtaposition to that which is vividly imagined. Dureau looks at life in its grandeur and grossness and his keen eye and sure hand do not wink or tremble at either extreme."

Dureau was born on December 28, 1930 to Clara Rosella Legett Dureau and George Valentine Dureau and was reared by his mother, grandmother, and aunts, one of whom taught him to paint. He attended Louisiana State University, where he received a B.A. in fine arts in 1952. After serving in the United States Army, he briefly attended Tulane University, where he studied architecture. He worked as an advertising and display manager for New Orleans department stores until he was able to support himself as an artist.



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( George Dureau, 1992, by Robert Giard )

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Particular Voices: George Dureau (born December 28, 1930)

Artist George Dureau is best known for his male figure studies and narrative paintings in oil and charcoal and for his black-and-white photographs, which often feature street youths, dwarfs, and amputees.

He has had solo exhibitions of his work at galleries and museums in Paris, London, Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., among other places. He even lived in New York for several months in 1966. But he is quintessentially a New Orleanian. He was born in the city and, except for brief hiatuses, has lived there his entire life.

As critic Kenneth Holditch observed some time ago, Dureau's art is "entwined with that mixture of contradictory elements that constitutes the carnal atmosphere of his native city. Perhaps this accounts to some extent for the paradoxes so distinctly a part of his best work: the joyful and painful, the beautiful and ugly, the spiritual and sensual, and most significant of all the real in sharp juxtaposition to that which is vividly imagined. Dureau looks at life in its grandeur and grossness and his keen eye and sure hand do not wink or tremble at either extreme."

Dureau was born on December 28, 1930 to Clara Rosella Legett Dureau and George Valentine Dureau and was reared by his mother, grandmother, and aunts, one of whom taught him to paint. He attended Louisiana State University, where he received a B.A. in fine arts in 1952. After serving in the United States Army, he briefly attended Tulane University, where he studied architecture. He worked as an advertising and display manager for New Orleans department stores until he was able to support himself as an artist.



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( George Dureau, 1992, by Robert Giard )

( Further Readings )

Seeker (The Garden: Book One of Four) by Andy Frankham-Allen

It’s not easy to like this paranormal novel, mostly since it’s not your usual happily ever after where the heroes are perfect men and the villains are easily identifiable and targetable as the one to dislike. It’s not easy also since it forces you to “change” your idea in the course of it, changing who you want to be a couple, who you hope will find their soul mates, who will be the ones to kiss in the end and the ones who will walk alone in search of something else, someone else.

At the beginning the author put a lot of effort in making you feel for Willem and his best friend since forever Jake. It’s clear that Willem is in love with Jake, but it’s also clear that Jake has a cloth in front of his eyes. Jake is juggling/fighting with his straight relationship with Amy, but at the same time is unconsciously preventing Willem to find a mate; every man Willem met was wrong, and Jake was always there, being the epitome of what Willem wanted, but being also unreachable. And now Willem once again is risking his happiness, choosing to meet face to face with Charlie, a man who he met online. Jake is not happy, but Willem is stubborn… and when he disappears, Jake has the confirmation he was right, but also the epiphany that he is in love with his friend and that he will do everything to find him.

At this point the storyline split in two, following Willem and his nightmare in the paranormal world, and Jake and his mission to find Willem. Probably for the first time since forever, they are far from each other, and while this is heartbreaking, it allows to Jake to comprehend his feelings, not only towards Willem but also on himself and his desires.

I felt a lot for Willem, and as I said, at first I hoped he would be lucky, that he had finally the chance at happiness he was searching since forever. But that is the skill of the author, to move the reader’s expectation, to yes, let you with a bittersweet aftertaste for Willem, but to give you also a glimpse on a better, and happily, future for Jake. And why not, maybe the “new” Willem will have his chance in the following three books of this 4 books series. He is no more the same Willem we knew in the first book, not at all (and I will stop here to not ruin your reading experience) but he is someone else the reader could care for.

More than a paranormal feeling, this novel reminded me a bit of a gothic genre. Maybe it was the setting, Southend and London, rainy England, always with a dark and heavy feeling, given but the clouds, the muted light, the wet cobbled streets where you expect each moment a coach to come out from the next corner. In this setting it seems more “ordinary” for paranormal events to happen.

http://www.untreedreads.com/?p=2560

Amazon: Seeker (The Garden)
Amazon Kindle: Seeker (The Garden)
Publisher: Untreed Reads (March 16, 2011)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Seeker (The Garden: Book One of Four) by Andy Frankham-Allen

It’s not easy to like this paranormal novel, mostly since it’s not your usual happily ever after where the heroes are perfect men and the villains are easily identifiable and targetable as the one to dislike. It’s not easy also since it forces you to “change” your idea in the course of it, changing who you want to be a couple, who you hope will find their soul mates, who will be the ones to kiss in the end and the ones who will walk alone in search of something else, someone else.

At the beginning the author put a lot of effort in making you feel for Willem and his best friend since forever Jake. It’s clear that Willem is in love with Jake, but it’s also clear that Jake has a cloth in front of his eyes. Jake is juggling/fighting with his straight relationship with Amy, but at the same time is unconsciously preventing Willem to find a mate; every man Willem met was wrong, and Jake was always there, being the epitome of what Willem wanted, but being also unreachable. And now Willem once again is risking his happiness, choosing to meet face to face with Charlie, a man who he met online. Jake is not happy, but Willem is stubborn… and when he disappears, Jake has the confirmation he was right, but also the epiphany that he is in love with his friend and that he will do everything to find him.

At this point the storyline split in two, following Willem and his nightmare in the paranormal world, and Jake and his mission to find Willem. Probably for the first time since forever, they are far from each other, and while this is heartbreaking, it allows to Jake to comprehend his feelings, not only towards Willem but also on himself and his desires.

I felt a lot for Willem, and as I said, at first I hoped he would be lucky, that he had finally the chance at happiness he was searching since forever. But that is the skill of the author, to move the reader’s expectation, to yes, let you with a bittersweet aftertaste for Willem, but to give you also a glimpse on a better, and happily, future for Jake. And why not, maybe the “new” Willem will have his chance in the following three books of this 4 books series. He is no more the same Willem we knew in the first book, not at all (and I will stop here to not ruin your reading experience) but he is someone else the reader could care for.

More than a paranormal feeling, this novel reminded me a bit of a gothic genre. Maybe it was the setting, Southend and London, rainy England, always with a dark and heavy feeling, given but the clouds, the muted light, the wet cobbled streets where you expect each moment a coach to come out from the next corner. In this setting it seems more “ordinary” for paranormal events to happen.

http://www.untreedreads.com/?p=2560

Amazon: Seeker (The Garden)
Amazon Kindle: Seeker (The Garden)
Publisher: Untreed Reads (March 16, 2011)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Gay Romance Challenge: 2011 Result

Last January I started my Gay Romance Challenge. It was an almost impossible task, and indeed I didn't manage to read all the books that appeared in the last twelve months in the Bestsellers List for Gay Romance on Amazon (here is the link to the list: Bestsellers in Gay Romance) but I read many of them. 67 out of 100 books! not bad, isn't it?

This is the 2011 result, and to determine the 100 books I simply considered all books that appeared at least once in the Bestsellers list and gave them a rate equal to their position; of course if a book appeared more than once they received a bonus point for each time they made the list and their position is the average position plus the bonus. So this is the final list (in bold the books I read with link to the review):

1) Something Like Summer by Jay Bell
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I6DKPY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1233202.html
2) Hot Head by Damon Suede
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00564ACK8/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1327655.html
3) The Locker Room by Amy Lane
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XNNEKS/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1285667.html
4) Where He Ends and I Begin (Home Series) by Cardeno C.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054RACL6/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1379306.html
5) Breaking Cover (Life Lessons) by Kaje Harper
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/160820409X/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1439020.html
6) What's Done in The Dark (Volume II) by Solae Dehvine
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VS728U/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review:
7) Without Reservations: With or Without, Book 1 by J. L. Langley
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WCWVSA/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: Read Before LJ
8) Duck! by Kim Dare
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040GJDGC/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1202226.html
9) Shying Away by Kate Sherwood
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W4ME7W/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1289553.html
10) Mark's Not Gay [Brac Pack 11] by Lynn Hagen
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053HEMZY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review:

( books from 11 to 100 )

Gay Romance Challenge: 2011 Result

Last January I started my Gay Romance Challenge. It was an almost impossible task, and indeed I didn't manage to read all the books that appeared in the last twelve months in the Bestsellers List for Gay Romance on Amazon (here is the link to the list: Bestsellers in Gay Romance) but I read many of them. 67 out of 100 books! not bad, isn't it?

This is the 2011 result, and to determine the 100 books I simply considered all books that appeared at least once in the Bestsellers list and gave them a rate equal to their position; of course if a book appeared more than once they received a bonus point for each time they made the list and their position is the average position plus the bonus. So this is the final list (in bold the books I read with link to the review):

1) Something Like Summer by Jay Bell
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004I6DKPY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1233202.html
2) Hot Head by Damon Suede
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00564ACK8/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1327655.html
3) The Locker Room by Amy Lane
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XNNEKS/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1285667.html
4) Where He Ends and I Begin (Home Series) by Cardeno C.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054RACL6/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1379306.html
5) Breaking Cover (Life Lessons) by Kaje Harper
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/160820409X/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1439020.html
6) What's Done in The Dark (Volume II) by Solae Dehvine
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VS728U/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review:
7) Without Reservations: With or Without, Book 1 by J. L. Langley
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WCWVSA/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: Read Before LJ
8) Duck! by Kim Dare
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040GJDGC/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1202226.html
9) Shying Away by Kate Sherwood
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W4ME7W/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1289553.html
10) Mark's Not Gay [Brac Pack 11] by Lynn Hagen
Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053HEMZY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Review:

( books from 11 to 100 )