Brandon Witt (born May 30, 1978)

Brandon Witt resides in Denver, Colorado. When not snuggled on the couch with his two Corgis, Dunkyn and Dolan, he can be found tucked away in his favorite coffee shop, nose inches away from the computer screen, fingers pounding the keys. When he manages to tear himself away from the coffee shop addiction, he passionately takes on the role as a special education teacher during the daylight hours.

Rising Frenzy, Men of Myth 2, won a 2014 Rainbow Award as Best Gay Fantasy.

Further Readings:

Rising Frenzy, Men of Myth 2 by Brandon Witt
Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 23, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1623809657
ISBN-13: 978-1623809652
Amazon: Rising Frenzy, Men of Myth 2
Amazon Kindle: Rising Frenzy, Men of Myth 2

Sequel to Submerging Inferno

A Men of Myth Story

Heartbroken, angry, and hurting, warlock Finn de Morisco can feel darkness growing inside, altering every aspect of his life. There are moments when the man he used to be seems to have been devoured completely. Retreating from his family and everything he once held dear, Finn attempts to escape the despair left in the wake of Brett’s rejection—only to find dangers he never knew existed.

Still struggling with the decision to leave everything he knew behind, Brett Wright is swept into a maelstrom as he searches for his place within his newly discovered family. Life beneath the surface of the ocean should have been unlike anything he’s ever known, yet prejudice over his demon ancestry and homosexuality follows him. Even the existence he begins to build may not last as those he is learning to love face extinction.

More Rainbow Awards at my website: elisarolle.com, Rainbow Awards/2014

Barbra Amesbury & Joan Chalmers

Barbra Amesbury (born 1948 in Kirkland Lake, Ontario) is a Canadian philanthropist, singer-songwriter, composer and filmmaker, who had several Top 40 hits in Canada in the 1970s as Bill Amesbury before coming out as transsexual. Amesbury is the long-time partner of Canadian philanthropist Joan Chalmers since before 1994.

Amesbury's biggest hit was "Virginia (Touch Me Like You Do)", which was also the first single (1974) ever released on the Casablanca Records label. "Can You Feel It" was also a minor hit in 1976. Amesbury's "Nothin' But a Fool" has been covered by Natalie Cole, and "A Thrill's a Thrill" has been covered by Long John Baldry and by Mitch Ryder with Marianne Faithfull and John Cougar.

In 1976 and 1977, Amesbury produced "No Charge" by J.J. Barrie, which became a number one hit in England.

In 1999, "Virginia" was given an award by SOCAN to mark 100,000 spins on Canadian radio stations.

In 2002, James Collins and Dave Pickell released the single "Do You Mind If We Talk About Bill?", which was written about Amesbury.

In 1994, Amesbury and her partner Joan Chalmers organized an art exhibition called Survivors, In Search of a Voice: The Art of Courage, using the stories of breast cancer survivors to inspire 24 women artists to create works of art aimed at raising awareness of breast cancer. The exhibition toured throughout North America from 1995 to 1998, accompanied by a companion book. Amesbury also shot a documentary film of the tour.


Barbra Amesbury, front, and Joan Chalmers chose artists and cancer survivors to create a remarkable exhibit opening in Toronto. Credit: Ron Bull
Barbra Amesbury (born 1948 in Kirkland Lake, Ontario) is a Canadian philanthropist, singer-songwriter, composer and filmmaker, who had several Top 40 hits in Canada in the 1970s as Bill Amesbury before coming out as transsexual. Amesbury is the long-time partner of Canadian philanthropist Joan Chalmers (born 30 May 1928 in Toronto) since before 1994. While celebrating her 70th birthday in 1998, Chalmers announced that she would provide 20 arts groups with a total of $1 million in funding.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbra_Amesbury

Margaret Joan Chalmers, CC OOnt (born 30 May 1928 in Toronto) is a Canadian philanthropist and supporter of the arts.

In 1972, she and her parents, Floyd and Jean Chalmers, founded the annual Chalmers Awards, which donates $25,000 CAD to artists in dance, theatre, crafts, film, the visual arts and music.

She was involved with the traveling exhibit, Survivors in Search of a Voice: The Art of Courage, which as a collaboration among 24 prominent Canadian women artists and over 100 breast cancer survivors.

While celebrating her 70th birthday in 1998, she announced that she would provide 20 arts groups with a total of $1 million in funding.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Chalmers

Clive Carey & E. J. Dent

Edward Joseph Dent, generally known by his initials as E. J. Dent (16 July 1876, Ribston, Yorkshire – 22 August 1957, London) was a British writer on music. His closest friends were Lawrence Haward and J. B. Trend, but he began a close friendship with Clive Carey (1883-1968) in 1902 which continued until Edward Dent's death. Clive Carey was a 19-year-old organ scholar at Clare College. Edward Dent wrote him over four hundred letters during their friendship. Another friend was E. M. Forster who represented him as the character Philip Herriton in Where Angels Fear To Tread. Edward Dent also introduced Ronald Firbank to Rupert Brooke.

Edward Dent’s father was John Dent Dent of Ribston Hall, Wetherby, Yorkshire, who had been a Conservative Member of Parliament. The family home was on a large estate between York and Harrogate.

Dent was educated at Eton College where he studied music with C. H. Lloyd. He then went to King's College, Cambridge University, where his teachers were Charles Wood and C. V. Stanford.

Dent was elected a Fellow of King's College Cambridge in 1902. He began lecturing on the history of music in 1902, and he also taught counterpoint, harmony, and composition. In 1918 Dent moved to London and became a music critic.

In 1926 he returned to Cambridge University as Professor of Music, and he was also elected again as a Fellow of King's College. He was President of the Royal Musical Association from 1928 to 1935.

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Source: http://www.circa-club.com/gallery/gay_history_icons_edward_joseph_dent.php

Francis Clive Savill Carey (known as Clive) was born at Sible Hedingham on 30 May 1883. He came from an artistically talented family, and was a chorister in the choir at King's College before attending Sherborne School. Edward Joseph Dent, generally known by his initials as E. J. Dent was a British writer on music. His closest friends were Lawrence Haward and J. B. Trend, but he began a close friendship with Clive Carey in 1902 which continued until Edward Dent's death. Edward Dent wrote him over four hundred letters during their friendship. They remained friends until Dent’s death in 1957, 55 years. (P: ©S. P. Andrew, Wellington/University of Adelaide Archives. Francis Clive Saville Carey, 1928 (©20))

He came up to Clare College as an Organ Scholar in 1901, and combined his undergraduate work with the Grove Scholarship in Composition at the Royal College of Music in London. He became friends with Edward Dent, Alwyn Scholfield and Percy Lubbock during his student days, and was involved in the University Greek Plays organised by Walter Durnford and other student productions. Later Carey studied with Jean de Reszke in Paris and Nice. In 1911 Carey directed and sang as ‘Papageno’ in the Cambridge production of Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte when Edward J. Dent's English translation was first used.

During the First World War, Carey served as a ward orderly in the Medical Corps in France, and various other non-combatant roles. Between 1920 and 1924 he was employed as a singer and director of operas at the Old Vic Opera Company, until in 1924, disappointed with his lack of apparent progress in English professional music, he accepted a teaching post at the Elder Conservatorium, Adelaide University. He sang in several of Dame Nellie Melba's farewell concerts in 1927, and left Australia to tour North America (where he sang folk songs) with a touring morris dance ensemble. He returned to London in 1928 and resumed his usual life of teaching at the Royal College of Music, lecturing and giving recitals on English Folk Song. In 1929 he married Doris. It should be noted that Adelaide was originally settled as a quasi utopian society and has always had a strong artistic spirit. It should further be noted that the great English folk song and dance collector, Cecil Sharp, also chose Adelaide and spent some of his early years working in that city. Sharpe arrived in Adelaide in November 1882 and early in 1883 obtained a position as a clerk in the Commercial Bank of South Australia. He read some law, and in April 1884 became associate to the chief justice, Sir Samuel James Way. He held this position until 1889 when he resigned and gave his whole time to music. He had become assistant organist at St Peter's cathedral soon after he arrived, and had been conductor of the government house choral society and the cathedral choral society. Later on he became conductor of the Adelaide Philharmonic, and in 1889 entered into partnership with I. G. Reimann as joint director of the Adelaide school of music. He was very successful as a lecturer but about the middle of 1891 the partnership was dissolved. The school was continued under Reimann, and in 1898 developed into the Elder conservatorium of music in connection with the university. Sharp had made many friends and an address with over 300 signatures asked him to continue his work at Adelaide, but he decided to return to England and arrived there in January 1892. Whether Sharp’s tenure influenced Carey is unknown but is a fascinating connection for the two folk song collectors.

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Source: http://warrenfahey.com/fc_maritime10b.html

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time by Elisa Rolle
Paperback: 760 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1500563323
ISBN-13: 978-1500563325
Amazon: Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time

Days of Love chronicles more than 700 LGBT couples throughout history, spanning 2000 years from Alexander the Great to the most recent winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Many of the contemporary couples share their stories on how they met and fell in love, as well as photos from when they married or of their families. Included are professional portraits by Robert Giard and Stathis Orphanos, paintings by John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, and photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnson, Arnold Genthe, and Carl Van Vechten among others. “It's wonderful. Laying it out chronologically is inspired, offering a solid GLBT history. I kept learning things. I love the decision to include couples broken by death. It makes clear how important love is, as well as showing what people have been through. The layout and photos look terrific.” Christopher Bram “I couldn’t resist clicking through every page. I never realized the scope of the book would cover centuries! I know that it will be hugely validating to young, newly-emerging LGBT kids and be reassured that they really can have a secure, respected place in the world as their futures unfold.” Howard Cruse “This international history-and-photo book, featuring 100s of detailed bios of some of the most forward-moving gay persons in history, is sure to be one of those bestsellers that gay folk will enjoy for years to come as reference and research that is filled with facts and fun.” Jack Fritscher

Colm Tóibín (born May 30, 1955)

Colm Tóibín (born 30 May 1955) is an Irish novelist, short story writer, essayist, playwright, journalist, critic, and, most recently, poet. He is regarded by certain critics as having excelled at the many literary forms with which he has experimented.

Tóibín is Leonard Milberg Lecturer in Irish Letters at Princeton University in New Jersey and succeeded Martin Amis as professor of creative writing at the University of Manchester. He was hailed as a champion of minorities as he collected the 2011 Irish PEN Award. In 2011, he was named one of "Britain's top 300 intellectuals" by The Observer, despite being Irish.

Tóibín's parents were Bríd and Michael Tóibín. He was born in 1955 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, in the southeast of Ireland. He is the second youngest of five children. His grandfather, Patrick Tobin, was a member of the IRA, as was his grand-uncle Michael Tobin. Patrick Tobin took part in the 1916 Rebellion in Enniscorthy and was subsequently interned in Frongoch in Wales. Colm Tóibín's father was a teacher who was involved in the Fianna Fáil party in Enniscorthy. He received his secondary education at St Peter's College, Wexford, where he was a boarder between 1970 and 1972. He later spoke of finding some of the priests attractive.

In July 1972, aged 17, he had a summer job as a barman in the Grand Hotel in Tramore, County Waterford, working from six in the evening to two in the morning. He spent his days on the beach, reading The Essential Hemingway, the copy of which he still professes to have, "pages stained with seawater." It developed in him a fascination with Spain, led to a wish to visit that country, gave him "an idea of prose as something glamorous, smart and shaped, and the idea of character in fiction as something oddly mysterious, worthy of sympathy and admiration, but also elusive. And more than anything, the sheer pleasure of the sentences and their rhythms, and the amount of emotion living in what was not said, what was between the words and the sentences."

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colm_T%C3%B3ib%C3%ADn

( Colm Tóibín, 2001, by Robert Giard )

( Further Readings )

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

Micah Barnes & René Highway

Micah Barnes (born May 30, 1960) is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter. He has performed both as a solo artist and with the bands Loudboy and The Nylons. He was the partner of dancer and actor René Highway, who died of AIDS-related causes in 1990.

Born in Vienna, Barnes is the son of composer, conductor, and jazz drummer Milton Barnes and the brother of drummer Daniel Barnes. He studied voice with José Hernandez and Bill Vincent, and sang in Toronto cabarets and nightclubs during the 1980s while appearing in theatre, film, television and radio productions as an actor. He was subsequently a member of The Nylons from 1990 to 1996, and later moved to Los Angeles.

In 2003, he collaborated with the house music duo Thunderpuss on the hit dance track "Welcome to My Head", which reached number one on the Billboard club charts.

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

René Highway (1954–1990) was a Canadian dancer and actor of Cree descent from Brochet, Manitoba. He was the brother of playwright Tomson Highway, with whom he frequently collaborated during their time at Native Earth Performing Arts in Toronto, and the partner of actor and singer Micah Barnes.

Highway studied dance at the Toronto Dance Theatre, Denmark's Tukak Theatre, and at the Native Canadian Centre in Toronto. René Highway helped to create the role of Nanabush in his brother's play The Rez Sisters (1986), and was the choreographer for Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing (1989).


Micah Barnes (born May 30, 1960) is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter. He was the partner of dancer and actor René Highway. Highway studied dance at the Toronto Dance Theatre, Denmark's Tukak Theatre, and at the Native Canadian Centre in Toronto. René Highway helped to create the role of Nanabush in his brother's play The Rez Sisters (1986), and was the choreographer for Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing (1989). He died of AIDS-related causes in 1990. Native Earth Performing Arts started the René Highway Foundation in his memory.

( Read more... )

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Highway

( Further Readings )

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