Carl Phillips (born July 23, 1959)

Carl Phillips (born July 23, 1959) is an American writer and poet. He is a Professor of English and of African and Afro-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

He was a child of a military family, moving year-by-year until finally settling in his high-school years on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A graduate of Harvard University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Boston University, Phillips taught high-school Latin for eight years.

His first collection of poems, In the Blood, won the 1992 Samuel French Morse Poetry Prize, and his second book, Cortège, was nominated for a 1995 National Book Critics Circle Award. His Pastoral won the 2001 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. Phillips' work has been published in the Yale Review, Atlantic Monthly, the New Yorker and the Paris Review. He was named a Witter Bynner Fellow in 1998 and in 2006, he was named the recipient of the Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets, given in memory of James Merrill. Phillips is currently a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.

In 2002, Phillips received the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, for The Tether. He won the Thom Gunn Award in 2005 for The Rest of Love.

( Read more... )

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

( Carl Phillips, 2000, by Robert Giard  )

( Further Readings )

More Particular Voices at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Particular Voices

Edward Prime-Stevenson (January 29, 1858 - July 23, 1942)

Edward Prime-Stevenson Irenæus (Madison, January 29, 1858 - Lausanne, July 23, 1942) was an American writer and journalist.

He was the first American writer to publish an openly gay novel with the pen-name of Xavier Mayne.

Edward Prime-Stevenson was born on January 23, 1858 in Madison, New Jersey, the youngest of five children; his father was a Presbyterian priest and dean of the school and his mother was from a family of writers.

After classical studies he went to law studies that did not ever translate into a job. He chose to write immediately devoting to fiction, poetry and music criticism. He worked with major magazines such as Harper's and The Independent, New York.

At 19 years old he successfully began publishing children's books such as White Cockades (1887) and Left to Themselves (1891), both focused on close homoerotic friendships among adolescent. His name, among other authors of success, was listed in the first edition of Who's Who in America (1899-1900).

In 1901, Prime-Stevenson moved to Europe where he began to write openly homosexual texts using the pen-name of Xavier Mayne.

In 1906 his novel Imre: A Memorandum was privately printed by the publisher Rispoli in Naples. The script, the first by an American author, openly and positively speaks about homosexuality. In 1908, Prime-Stevenson, always under a pseudonym and always in Naples, give to the press an essay on sexology The Intersexes: A History of Similisexualism as Problem in Social Life. The text is a defense of homosexuality in scientific, legal, historical and personal perspective.

( Read more... )

Source: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Irenaeus_Prime-Stevenson (in Italian)

( Further Readings )

Lisa Alther (born July 23, 1944)

American novelist Lisa Alther creates fictional worlds in which lesbianism is a fluctuating force as tenuous as all other forms of relationships in a frequently absurd universe.

Born July 23, 1944, in Tennessee, Alther had a privileged upbringing as the daughter of a surgeon. Educated at Wellesley College in the 1960s, Alther experienced firsthand the tumultuous events that were to be portrayed so vividly in her best-known novel, Kinflicks (1976).

This satirical novel, Alther's first, met with tremendous popular success, shooting to the top of the best-seller list. Ginny Babcock, the book's heroine, leaves her Tennessee home to attend Worthley College, an elite women's college in the East, where she meets Eddie, a fiery young radical lesbian. In order to sort out their new priorities, Ginny and Eddie leave college, live in Boston, and finally, move to a lesbian communal farm in Vermont. Life on the farm is hectic and hilarious since none of the residents have any extensive knowledge of farming.

But lesbianism is only one phase in Ginny's constantly changing life: Next, she tries marriage to a man, and at the conclusion of the novel, she leaves her husband to return to the South to minister to her dying mother. This novel is memorable for its depiction of lesbian feminism and separatist politics in the 1960s and for presenting lesbianism as a desirable way of relating to other women.

Alther's other novels also focus on the dynamics of lesbian interactions. Original Sins (1981) shows one of its central characters, Emily, coming to recognize her lesbianism against the background of the women's rights struggle and the civil rights movement.

Other Women (1984) explores the relationship between Caroline Kelley and her lover, charting the changes in it as Caroline undergoes psychotherapy. She struggles to understand her relationship to her therapist and her parents, as well as the seemingly random and awful happenings in the world. This novel depicts the often ludicrous behavior of both heterosexuals and homosexuals, without suggesting that one group is superior to the other.

Bedrock (1990), like many of Alther's novels, shows how difficult it is to define who is a lesbian and who is not. Clea Shawn is married and has children, yet she has a friendship with another woman, Elke, which is described as a "charged connection" compared to the "more comfortable old-shoe camaraderie each shared with her husband."

( Read more... )

Citation Information
Author: Inness, Sherrie A.
Entry Title: Alther, Lisa
General Editor: Claude J. Summers
Publication Name: glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture
Publication Date: 2002
Date Last Updated February 4, 2002
Web Address www.glbtq.com/literature/alther_l.html
Publisher glbtq, Inc.
1130 West Adams
Chicago, IL 60607
Today's Date July 23, 2013
Encyclopedia Copyright: © 2002-2006, glbtq, Inc.
Entry Copyright © 1995, 2002 New England Publishing Associates

( Further Readings )

GayRomLit Ebook Giveaway: Sandrine Gasq Dion - A Marked Man

I asked to all the authors joining the GayRomLit convention in Atlanta in October (http://gayromlit.com/grl-authors) a personal favor, a special Ebook Giveaway: everyday I will post 1 book from each author, and among those who will leave a comment, I will draw a winner. Very easy and very fast ;-) I will send a PM to the winner, so remember to not leave anonymous comments!

And the ebook giveaway goes to: Suze

Today author is Sandrine Gasq Dion: Sandrine (Sandy) was born in Inglewood, California. Raised by "Old School" French parents, she later moved to Tucson, AZ. It was there that writing became a hobby. Always told she had a great imagination, Sandy wrote short stories for her friends in high school. In college, she took more writing classes while working on her Criminal Justice degree, but it wasn't until a soap opera caught her eye that she got involved in male on male romances. On the advice of a friend, Sandy dipped her toes into the world of M/M Romance. Sandy takes the writing seriously and has had countless conversations with gay men as well as hours of research. She's been involved with the military in one way or another for over twenty years, and has a great deal of respect for our men in uniform. She's traveled the world, but is currently enjoying the South.

A Marked Man (Assassin/Shifter) by Sandrine Gasq-Dion
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (January 11, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1470033860
ISBN-13: 978-1470033866
Amazon: A Marked Man (Assassin/Shifter)
Amazon Kindle: A Marked Man (Assassin/Shifter)

Mateo Esposito loves his job. Hired assassin for the U.S. Government, he takes lives and he kicks ass with no mercy.When a job lands in his lap that's just not quite right, Mateo finds himself questioning orders for the first time in his career. Who would have known he'd be undone by a purple hippo... Riley Flynn is CEO of Flynn Electronics. Deep in his closet, Riley wonders what it would feel like to be with a man. When his path crosses with Mateo's, their lives will never be the same. Because Riley is Mateo's next target.......

I'm in the top 1% of reviewers on Goodreads!

Just received this news from Goodreads, unexpected to say the least. So apparently I'm a top, Top 1% on Goodreads, Top1000 on Amazon, Top100 on Lj...

On behalf of the Goodreads team, I want to say thank you. You’re in the top 1% of reviewers on Goodreads! Your many thoughtful book reviews help make us a vibrant place for book lovers.

And our community has been growing! We now number more than 20 million members on Goodreads.

Every day readers from all over the world are connecting over a love of books. And our 25 million reviews – including yours – are a big part of that conversation.

Thank you for your support of Goodreads, and keep reading! I’m looking forward to seeing what you think of your next book!

--Otis

2013 Rainbow Awards Submission: Aleksandr Voinov & L. A. Witt - Unhinge The Universe

Unhinge the Universe by Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt
Paperback: 250 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing; first edition (July 15, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626490473
ISBN-13: 978-1626490475
Amazon: Unhinge the Universe
Amazon Kindle: Unhinge the Universe

Give me one fixed point and a long enough lever, and I'll unhinge the universe. —Archimedes

December 1944 – The Battle of the Bulge

SS Lieutenant Hagen Friedrichs is the sole survivor of a party sent to retrieve his brother—and the highly sensitive information he’s carrying—from behind enemy lines. But his daring rescue attempt fails, and Hagen becomes the prisoner.

Allied command has ordered Captain John Nicholls to extract critical intelligence from their new Nazi POW. His secrets could turn the tide of the war, but are they real? John is determined to find out . . . and to shatter the prisoner who killed his lover during the attack on their tiny base. The deeper he digs, though, the more he realizes that the soldier under the SS uniform is just like him: a scared, exhausted young man who’s lost loved ones and just wants to go home.

As captor and captive form an unexpected bond, the lines quickly blur between enemy, friend, and lover. And as horrifying rumors spread from the front lines and American soldiers turn their sights on the SS for vengeance, John may be Hagen’s only hope for survival.

2013 Rainbow Awards Submission: Aleksandr Voinov & L. A. Witt - If It Flies, If It Fornicates

If It Flies (A Market Garden Tale) by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (March 9, 2013)
Amazon Kindle: If It Flies (A Market Garden Tale)

Spencer is in a rut. Long hours at the law firm are sucking the life out of him, and he doesn't have time or energy for a relationship. He’s lonely, horny, and itching for something new, so he tries the Market Garden, an exclusive—and expensive—brothel. Spencer isn't in the door five minutes before a cocky rentboy makes his move.

Nick isn't just any rentboy, though. He’s a Dom, he’s a sadist, and he’s everything Spencer didn't know he was missing. One night turns into more, and before long, Spencer is one of Nick’s regular clients.

Both men think they’re just scratching each other’s backs: Spencer’s exploring a submissive, masochistic side he never knew he had, and Nick is getting off and getting paid. But as time goes on, it’s clear their strictly professional arrangement . . . isn't, and if Nick has one hard limit, it’s that he doesn't get romantically entangled with his johns. The problem is, while Nick doesn't want to be owned, Spencer’s no longer content with just renting.

If It Fornicates (A Market Garden Tale) by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (June 8, 2013)
Amazon Kindle: If It Fornicates (A Market Garden Tale)

Nick is a top earner in the Market Garden, where rentboys fulfill their high-rolling clients’ every sexual fantasy. As a Dom and a sadist, he sets his own price and is experienced enough not to let any client get out of hand. He’s damn good at his job, and it’s easy money.

Or at least it used to be. But now he has a boyfriend. Spencer is a former client, a closeted corporate lawyer, and so beautifully submissive he’s perfect for Nick. He doesn’t even mind how Nick earns a living. He just wants to take care of Nick—something Nick isn’t quite sure how to handle.

In fact, Nick’s clearly off his game these days. Sure, he’s tired from his shift work and his studies, but mainly he’s bored by his clients and distracted by thoughts of Spencer—dangerous for everyone when he’s wielding a whip. Now Nick has to make a choice: give up his independence, or walk away from the only man he’s ever loved.

2013 Rainbow Awards Submission: Tara Lain - The Aloysius Tales 3, Cataclysmic Shift

The Aloysius Tales 3: Cataclysmic Shift by Tara Lain
Publisher: Loose Id LLC (July 23, 2013)
Amazon Kindle: The Aloysius Tales 3: Cataclysmic Shift

Prev Book:The Aloysius Tales 2: Brush with Catastrophe

Super cat, Aloysius, may be the most powerful witch's familiar in the world, but when he takes a blast at the hand of an evil witch he loses it all -- power, memory, and his feline form -- to become the ethereal human beauty, Alain Bellarose. When Alain wakes up naked on the floor surrounded by dogs and cats, his eyes first set upon Luke Elliott, the handsome and mysterious veterinarian. Suddenly, the prospect of being human doesn't seem so bad.

Luke has a lot to hide and he likes animals way more than people, but he can't resist the flamboyant boy who washes his face with the side of his hand and tries to lick his own privates! The loss of Aloysius depletes Witch Master Killian Barth's power and that of his “secret weapon” Sammy and leaves their coven sitting ducks for two very nasty women. When Alain discovers that he's really a powerful cat, he's faced with the ultimate choice. To protect his community, or surrender his power and stay with the man he loves.

2013 Rainbow Awards Submission: Sheri Lewis Wohl - Scarlet Revenge

Scarlet Revenge by Sheri Lewis Wohl
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 16, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602828687
ISBN-13: 978-1602828681
Amazon: Scarlet Revenge
Amazon Kindle: Scarlet Revenge

Vampire Victoria “Tory” Grey hides among the books in the Library of Congress where life is safe and simple—until a medieval New Testament shows up on her desk. Someone is sending her a terrifying message with a chilling significance only she understands. With no one to turn to, she goes somewhere she hasn’t been in centuries…church.

Ex-vampire-hunter turned lay minister, Naomi Rand’s midnight services at the National Cathedral cater to preternaturals. Still, she’s surprised by the mysterious, lovely vampire who touches her heart. Attraction between them grows, while around them the body count mounts. Calling for help from the Spiritus Group, they struggle to stop a killer before war breaks out between humans and preternaturals. Tory unknowingly holds the key, but will she find it before it’s too late? Or will Naomi lose the love she’s waited for all her life?