(Finally) An Update

I didn’t complete the read-a-thon nor did I connect over the weekend since where we stayed had no wi-fi. (I doubt it’s not the town but just the house, which was used to be a bed-and-breakfast, that had no connection). I did finish reading three books from cover to cover: Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee—a [...]

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Birthdays are days to give thanks to mothers and to remember their love and courage.

2. Winter is my favorite season because it’s when I take a trip to Asia and spend Christmas with my family.

3. I feel my best when I feel confident and am doing something I really enjoy.

4. Sushi is my [...]

GLBT Classic Literature

In honor of gay pride month, and egged on by some recent e-mails, I’ll name the five gay literature classics that have one way or another shaped my perspective as a person.
1. The Folded Leaf, William Maxwell. A classic story: Athletic and slightly unruly Spud Latham saves the frail, flat-chested Lymie from going under in [...]

A Prince

After asthma, I came down with a cold, which confined me to bed last night. I didn’t do much reading (or anything) but I have started a wonderful book by Jane Hamilton.
In The Short History of a Prince, Walter McCloud is faced with a double whammy: the death of his brother and his own homosexuality. [...]

Frameline32 | SF GLBT Film Festival: Two Spirits

Two-Spirit people are American Indians who fulfill one of many mixed gender roles found traditionally among many American Indian and Canadian First Nations indigenous groups. Traditionally the roles included wearing the clothing and performing the work of both male and female genders. The term usually implies a masculine spirit and a feminine spirit living in [...]

[141] The Music Room – Dennis McFarland

“My grandfather crashed his plane into the side of a mountain and killed himself and my grandmother because he was drunk. My father drank himself to death at a point in life when most men are coming to their own. I just lost my only brother–I don’t know exactly why, but I see it as [...]

Frameline32 | SF GLBT Film Festival: Gay Asian Short Films

From Singapore to Seoul and L.A.: Gay Asian Shorts is a collective of five short pieces. When I saw the title and the the picture with a pout-lipped Asian man posing in front of the dryers in a laundromat, I thought it’s some off-the-beaten-path documentary about gay Asian men and their shorts fetish! Well, that’s [...]

Frameline32 | SF GLBT Film Festival: Solos

I’m not surprised this film was pulled from the film festival over gay sex in Singapore, where the city-state is under a “benign Fascist” government. The sensitive, taboo subject–the sexual relationship between a male teacher and a male student to explore the fallout from an all-consuming love affair would be edgy anywhere else. What makes [...]

Friday Fill-Ins

1. A smile is always brightening everyone’s day.
2. Monopoly is my favorite board or card game. (The longest game ever lasted for three days.)
3. I would love to have more time to spend with my mother in my life and less worries and unrequited love.
4. When I think of the Summer [...]

Twitters on War and Peace

I want to share my students’ feedback on the novel and their reading experience. The depth of their insights, the enthusiasm, and perseverance (you need it for a 1400-page book) have truly inspired me and helped me gain a better understanding of the book.
“Tolstoy is able to go in and out of his creations’ [...]