Adam Grammis (1948 - January 24, 1985)

Adam A. Grammes, a well-known professional actor and dancer, both locally and on Broadway, died on January 24, 1985, in his apartment at 746 Ninth Ave., New York City, after a lengthy illness. Known professionally as Adam Grammis, formerly of 22 S. Schaffer St., Cetronia, he lived in Manhattan for 12 years, choreographing and performing in a variety of Broadway productions.

Grammes made his Broadway debut in "Wild and Wonderful," and later was the dancing partner of Shirley MacLaine in the Emmy award-winning CBS special "Gypsy in My Soul."

He also appeared in many hit shows including "A Chorus Line," "Kiss Me Kate," "Room Service," "Can Can," "The Fantasticks," "Hello Dolly," "Cabaret," "Fiddler on the Roof," "George M," "Show Boat" and "The Tempest."

He considered his role as assistant choreographer Larry in "Chorus Line," his greatest triumph because he had been rejected for that part several times before. Also, in past feature articles appearing in the Call, Grammis said that role had particular significance for him because the story line about the acting struggle mirrored his own acting struggles.

He appeared in many major stock companies on the East Coast and in many different musicals. For a short period he substituted in the role of the master of ceremonies in a production of "Cabaret" with British actress Judy Carne.

He performed with such stars as Jane Powell, Robert Alda, Van Johnson, Marilyn Maxwell, Denise Darcel and Dorothy Lamour.




AIDS Quilt

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Source: articles.mcall.com/1985-01-26/news/2461047_1_broadway-choreographer-chorus-line

( Further Readings )

More LGBT History at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Gay Classics

George Cukor (July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983)

George Dewey Cukor (July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head of Production, assigned Cukor to direct several of RKO's major films including What Price Hollywood? (1932), A Bill of Divorcement (1932), "Our Betters" (1933), and Little Women (1933). When Selznick moved to MGM in 1933 Cukor followed and directed Dinner at Eight (1933) and David Copperfield (1935) for Selznick and Romeo and Juliet (1936) and Camille (1936) for Irving Thalberg.

He was replaced as the director of Gone with the Wind (1939), but he went on to direct The Philadelphia Story (1940), Adam's Rib (1949), Born Yesterday (1950), A Star Is Born (1954) and My Fair Lady (1964). He continued to work into the 1980s. (Picture: George Towers by Bruce of Los Angeles)

It was an open secret in Hollywood that Cukor was homosexual, although he was discreet about his sexual orientation and "never carried it as a pin on his lapel", as producer Joseph L. Mankiewicz put it. He was a celebrated bon vivant whose luxurious home was the site of weekly Sunday afternoon parties attended by closeted celebrities and the attractive young men they met in bars and gyms and brought with them. At least once, in the midst of his reign at MGM, he was arrested on vice charges, but studio executives managed to get the charges dropped and all records of it expunged, and the incident never was publicized by the press. In the late 1950s, Cukor became involved with a considerably younger man named George Towers. He financed his education at the Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences and the University of Southern California, from which Towers graduated with a law degree in 1967. That fall Towers married and his relationship with Cukor evolved into one of father and son, and for the remainder of Cukor's life the two remained very close.


George Cukor’s Beverly Hills residence in 1935 by William Haines. “The house suits me perfectly, and I know that I belong here,” said Cukor. “That’s his skill and his talent.” Dark walls and velvet draperies added drama to the Georgian-inspired dining room.

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

( Further Readings )

More LGBT History at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Gay Classics

Lawrence Lott (1951 - January 24, 1991)

Lawrence Lott was an actor and adjunct professor of acting at the University of Southern California. He died on January 24, 1991, in Greeley, Colo., of complications of AIDS at 40.

He taught acting at USC and performed in such films as "Torch Song Trilogy" and "Real Men" and in such popular television series as "All My Children" and "Cheers."

His stage credits included "The Film Society" at Los Angeles Theater Center, "Richard III" at the Mark Taper Forum and "Watch On the Rhine" at Theater 40.

Lott was also a noted Shakespearean actor, performing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Conn., and last summer at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

The original New York production of The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer opened on April 21, 1985 at the Public Theater in New York City, New York; a New York Shakespeare Festival Production, it was produced by Joseph Papp. Lawrence Lott was cast as David, Hiram Keebler, Examining Doctor and Orderly.

His AIDS Quilt reads: Old Stauncher You Remain, Lawrence Lott, Was I Sleeping While the Others Suffered?


AIDS Quilt

Source: articles.latimes.com/1991-01-27/news/mn-293_1_lawrence-lott

( Further Readings )

More LGBT History at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Gay Classics

Yves Navarre (September 24, 1940 - January 24, 1994)

Yves Navarre (September 24, 1940 – January 24, 1994) was a French writer. A gay man, most of his work concerned homosexuality and associated issues, such as AIDS. In his romantic works, Navarre was noted for his tendency to emphasize sensuality and "the mystical qualities of love" rather than sexuality or sensationalism. He was awarded the 1980 Prix Goncourt for his novel Le Jardin d'acclimation.

He was born in 1940 into a prosperous bourgeois family at Condom (Gers), in Gascony, a region traditionally celebrated for its tellers of tall tales and its romantic braggadocio. In the first of two volumes of his own semi-fictionalised Biographie (1981), Navarre states: 'I never decided to be a writer, I was writing even before I knew how to write. Writing begins at the first glance exchanged with another.' But he did start writing at a very early age, while still a student at the Lycee Pasteur in Neuilly-sur-Seine, and later at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord in the University of Lille.

Navarre kept his hand in as a writer at 'that other school of composition', copywriting, and for many years worked as editor and creative writer in publicity companies. Some of his fictional characters bear witness to this professional training: Sarah in Kurwenal (1977) or Barbara in Une vie de chat (1986). Yet it was not until 1971 that he was finally able to publish what he described as his 'umpteenth novel', Lady Black. It had a moderate succes d'estime and was followed almost every year by a new novel.

Evolene (1972) was more highly praised, and led to his first big success, Les Loukoums (1973), which was later translated into English. It is still a best-seller in the paperback edition, with its charming drawing of the author by David Hockney (1975), showing a great perceptive sympathy for a character both wary and defiant, tender and - as befits a true Gascon - choleric.

Les Loukoums may truly be described as a prophetic novel, for it describes the mortal illness of an older man, Rasky, in New York. When he telegraphs his former, much younger lover, Luc, a Frenchman who is unmistakably a semi- autobiographical portrait of Navarre himself, to fly to his bedside from Paris, Luc finds his old friend in a hospital room like a mortuary, too weak to move, his body covered with scars supposed to be symptoms of syphilis, but which we recognise today as the type of skin cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma. They joke that no one dies of 'Dame Syphy'. But the disease Rasky is dying from is certainly Aids, though it was not until the early 1980s that it was discovered and so named in New York.



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Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-yves-navarre-1409462.html

( Further Readings )

More LGBT History at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Gay Classics

New Release Blog Tour: Polyester Prince (ABQ Heat #2) by Hayley B. James

Thank you for hosting me today! This kicks off my blog tour for Polyester Prince – book two of the ABQ Heat series.

Polyester Prince and Paid Leave both take place in my hometown of Albuquerque, NM. Albuquerque is 180 square miles of land with 555,400 residents. The Sandia Mountains are to the east, the Kirtland Air Force base is to the south, and the Pueblo of Sandia is to the north. Albuquerque is abbreviated to ABQ, and the city is nicknamed Burque and Duke City.
When I set out to write Paid Leave, Albuquerque Police Department was under constant fire from the media over police related shootings. My frustrations at the unfair media criticism went into Benji’s story, but Polyester Prince was written to expand on a side character from Paid Leave and has no political motivation behind it. Polyester Prince is meant to be a light-hearted humorous story about one man’s journey chasing the perkiest pair of cheeks in a polyester blend in all of Albuquerque.
Kyle Edington is flirty and a bit flighty when it comes to relationships. He doesn’t plan for the future and views the boyfriend title as a death sentence. But his summer of 2013 changes more than just his career.
Personally, I prefer to read drama with a sprinkling of humor to help break up the heavy parts. But I also like some hard times in my comedy to break up the laughs or to soften the blow. Polyester Prince is light on drama, which compliments Paid Leave’s more serious story.
Do you like reading drama in your comedy?

( Excerpt )

Visit my website www.hayleybjames.com and like my Facebook page www.facebook.com/HayleyBJames for updates! I'll also be chatting with readers on the Dreamspinner Press Facebook page on January 26 (11am mountain time): https://www.facebook.com/dreamspinnerpress

Polyester Prince (ABQ Heat #2) by Hayley B. James
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4633

Kyle Edington built his life around clubs, alcohol, nameless sex, and turning a blind eye to his future, but having front row access to his best friend’s perfect relationship leaves him wanting something he doesn’t understand—the white picket fence. After an ankle injury hinders his plans for PrideFest and puts his day job selling furniture at risk, Kyle attends Pride anyway to cheer himself up. Leaving his crutches at home was a mistake, though, and he’s shoved off balance and hits his head.
A bike officer keeps him safe until the paramedics arrive. Kyle’s memory of the event is foggy. He doesn’t recall the name or face of his guardian angel, but he definitely remembers the finest polyester-covered ass in all of Albuquerque.

But when he goes in search of his polyester prince, Kyle realizes relationships take hard work. After he learns the name of that perfect ass, a lifetime of avoiding serious boyfriends leaves Kyle second-guessing himself and making difficult decisions about what he wants for his future



ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hayley B. James is a lifelong resident of New Mexico with no plans to pack up and leave just yet. Writing is her part-time job and full-time hobby. She works in a small office during the day and lives in her written worlds at night.
When she isn’t writing, Hayley is reading m/m romance, mystery, real-life crime, fantasy, and yaoi novels, and can be found cruising Tumblr and webcomics. She may or may not have an unhealthy obsession with police officers. It's still up for debate.
Website: http://www.hayleybjames.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/HayleyBJames.author?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hayleyb_james

GIVEAWAY: Winner’s prize – A set of paperback copies of Paid Leave and Polyster Prince
A “Paid Leave” coffee mug
Runner Up will win – An ecopy of the book
Link: a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR SCHEDULE
1/24 - Elisa Rolle - http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/
1/25 - Andrew Q Gordon - http://andrewqgordon.com/posts
1/26 - MM Good Book Reviews - http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
1/27 - Prism Book Alliance - http://www.prismbookalliance.com/
1/28 - CupOPorn - http://cupoporn.blogspot.in/
1/29 - Fallen Angel Reviews - http://fallenangelreviews.com/
1/30 - Sid Love – http://sidlove.com/
1/31 - Live Life, Buy Books - http://liveyourlifebuythebook.wordpress.com/
2/1 - Book Reviews and More by Kathy - http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/
2/2 - The Novel Approach - http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/

It Happened Today: January 24

Blair Mastbaum & Scott Coffey: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3432397.html

Blair Mastbaum (born January 24, 1979) is an American writer and a former model who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Mastbaum acted in and produced the 2005 Sundance Film Festival official competition film, Ellie Parker, directed by his partner since 1995 Scott Coffey. Mastbaum's first novel, 2004's Clay's Way, won a Lambda Literary Award: Set against the dazzling backdrop of Hawaii’s Oahu and Kauai islands, Clay’s Way seethes with energy and hormonally charged nihilism.

Adam Grammis (1948 - January 24, 1985): http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4151383.html

Adam A. Grammes, known professionally as Adam Grammis, a well-known actor and dancer, died on January 24, 1985, after a lengthy illness. He considered his role as assistant choreographer Larry in "Chorus Line," his greatest triumph because he had been rejected for that part several times before. Also, in past feature articles appearing in the Call, Grammis said that role had particular significance for him because the story line about the acting struggle mirrored his own acting struggles.

David Gerrold (born January 24, 1944): http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/377498.html

David Gerrold is an American science fiction screenwriter and novelist known for his script for the popular original Star Trek episode "The Trouble With Tribbles", and for his novelette The Martian Child, which won both Hugo and Nebula awards, and was adapted into a 2007 film starring John Cusack: a semi-autobiographical novel, expanded from a novelette of the same name, based on the author's own experiences as a single adoptive father, with most of the key moments drawn from actual events.

George Cukor (July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983): http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3432549.html

George Dewey Cukor (1899 – 1983) was an American film director. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. In the late 1950s, Cukor became involved with a considerably younger man named George Towers. He financed his education at the Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences and the University of Southern California, from which Towers graduated with a law degree in 1967. That fall Towers married but for the remainder of Cukor's life the two remained very close.

Lawrence Lott (1951 - January 24, 1991): http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4151661.html

Lawrence Lott was an actor and adjunct professor of acting at the University of Southern California. He performed in such films as "Torch Song Trilogy" and "Real Men" and in such popular television series as "All My Children" and "Cheers." His stage credits included "The Film Society", "Richard III" and "Watch On the Rhine". The original New York production of The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer opened on April 21, 1985: Lawrence Lott was cast as David, Hiram Keebler, Examining Doctor and Orderly.

Yves Navarre (September 24, 1940 - January 24, 1994): http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3060927.html

Yves Navarre (September 24, 1940 – January 24, 1994) was a French writer. A gay man, most of his work concerned homosexuality and associated issues, such as AIDS. In his romantic works, Navarre was noted for his tendency to emphasize sensuality and "the mystical qualities of love" rather than sexuality or sensationalism. He was awarded the 1980 Prix Goncourt for his novel Le Jardin d'acclimation. Navarre's last two novels were La Vie dans l'ame (1992) and Poudre d'or (1993).

Loving Peter by Bonnie Dee

It’s not only the name that links Peter to Peter Pan and Wendell to Wendy, there are many other references in the novel, a young elf of a boy by the name of Tinker, a band of scoundrels that always goes along with Peter, and of course, the firm decision of Peter to never grey up, to not being a captive of an house with closed windows.

Wendell, as his female counterpart, is the one with the leveled head, the older of three brothers, the one who always behaved as his parents expected, except for the fact that he didn’t marry, and at almost 30, he is reaching an age that makes him a black sheep among white lambs. Wendell is homosexual, and he knows that, but in 1901 London, the same year, if I remember well, when Oscar Wilde died in exile, an happily ever after for him is unthinkable. And so he searches solace in a very special private club, where he meets Peter, and the two start a passionate love story, in a way less traumatic than what I was expecting.

The book had a warning for BDSM theme, but sincerely, that is really far from any BDSM themed novel I read; sure, sometime Peter tends to order Wendell around, but more cause he is the experienced one in comparison to almost virgin Wendell, but aside from that, there is no difference between them in bed, no Domination or submission; and even if Peter is from aristocracy and Wendell is a middle class clerk, even in that account there is no highlighting of their social status different level when they are together.

All in all, I found this story to be more romantic and sweet than expected, and it left me with a warm comfortable feeling.

Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC (June 15, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1611249139
ISBN-13: 978-1611249132
Amazon: Loving Peter
Amazon Kindle: Loving Peter

More Reviews by Author at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Reviews