The Swag Report » Reading List

Review by Zack Rosen: Stephen King and The Case of the Psychotic Lesbian

Knowledge — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:26:24 +0000

This article courtesy of Zack Rosen, Thenewgay.net

Oh, overused tropes of fiction: Psychotic homosexuals be thy name. High art and low have dipped into the well so often that it’s a miracle Baby Jessica isn’t hanging out in there with Bart Simpson’s tape recorder. Battlestar Galactica, one of the modern age’s best queer allegories, featured two subplots involving the show’s only gay characters proving themselves to be evil, masochistic or murderous. Those characters, though, were fully-formed and perhaps just extensions of BSG’s larger points about identity and hardship. Ramona Norville, villain of Stephen King’s new novella “Big Driver” accepts no such justifications.

“Big Driver,” second in King’s new four-novella collection Full Dark, No Starsis (sucky spoiler alert) the woman who invites mystery author Tess to a speaking engagement in her small town. She is also responsible for giving Tess “shortcut” directions that allow Tess to be raped by Ramona’s equally psychotic sons. Her two salient characteristics are that she is butch and bonkers.Ramona is introduced in the following manner:

“Ramona Norville turned out to be a broad-shouldered, heavy-breasted, jovial woman… with flushed cheeks, a marine haircut and a take-no-prisoners handshake… Instead of wishing Tess a good morning… she asked a man’s question: Had Tess come by [route] 84?

King supplements this four pages later, in case we didn’t get it, that Ramona watches Tess input directions into her GPS with “manly interest” because, of course, only men take a vested interest in a car’s ability to deliver a driver to their destination. That’s why my mom and sisters close their eyes, stomp the pedal and just hope for the best whenever they drive places. Except they don’t because they aren’t in a Stephen King story. But I digress.

To remove any doubt about Ms. Norville’s orientation, King includes a picture of her and her girlfriend in Norville’s living room. And a whole lot of references to her size and quarterback-like strength when Tess eventually stabs her for her involvement in the rape. This is a good time to mention that “Big Driver” is not very good. I’ve read a lot of good Stephen King books (because I used to be a relatively-friendless 11 year-old) and this isn’t one of them. It, The Shining, The Long Walk, Apt Pupil: Those are good. None of the novella’s in Full Dark, No Stars count among King’s best, or are even that much different than one hundred things he’s done before.

Continued at TheNewGay.net

Review: No Love Lost by Shaun J. Phree, Phreedom Books

Knowledge — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:58:04 +0000

The recurring theme of Shaun J. Phree’s new poetry book is love. The backbone of the book lies and relies on matters of the heart. No Love Lost addresses our most vulnerable state, that of being in love. It speaks on it like a caged bird finally broken free from its inability to express locked emotions. Lyrically speaking, each stanza reflects to the reader in a manner to which we can all relate to at any given time.

Through a looking glass of clear, expressive and clever language, he takes us on a journey of love, pain, and heartbreak by baring it all. Phree’s poems run the gamut of emotions often exchanged in and out of relationships and doesn’t stop short at expressing the agony that often accompanies the end of our most treasured relationships. A powerful and reflective force is ever present in this poets work. The language is pervasive and breeds an exquisite symmetry found in poems such as Her Love :

i know she loves me because
her love for me
has allowed my walls to be
shattered into dust
and the past
will never again matter
because it’s all about us

Phree’s love language resonates strongly through the heartbreak he allows us to be privy to. Love is larger than one’s own experiences and there’s a certain objectivity when we apply our pain or pleasure to form a meaning that speaks for everyone, or that everyone can relate to. There is none of that here. His thoughts are the things and feelings that are entirely relatable to each and every one of us.

Phree’s poetry documents a love that begins with the chase, then the conquering of hearts, only to fail in its permanence with the realization that in the end the most memorable love is never really lost. It may fade, wane, begin to crack at the seams, but one thing is certain, it always remains. Most poetry has no expiration date and so it was easy to allow myself to be pulled deeper into a series of stanzas that not only represented the continuum of the heart before, during, and after love, but also showed a romantic dialect that reflected a brutally honest array of emotions through each phase.

In Escape he writes: “i hate that i love you/ because it’s with all my heart and soul/ with nothing in return that makes me believe we can be whole.”

Most of the poems in No Love Lost follow a poet who is a lover as much as he is a fighter. He has constructed an expose of the sometimes-painful agony that accompanies loves fate. He is wise to its highs and lows, and through his astute observance and life experience he does not shy away from giving it to us raw.

you ask how do i know i’m in love
because
i can’t breathe
without her
she’s my oxygen.
(O2)

Phree does not back down from the emotional complexities of relationships especially when they’re in various states of dysfunction. He writes in a manner consistent with a man on a perpetual mission of self-exploration.

who knew i of all people
could be controlled by
such a small monster
with such a big appetite
(Parasite)

It is naive to assume that any poet’s work is autobiographical in nature, but it’s hard not to do so in this case. Clever, carefully crafted lines wrought with honest emotion run rampart here. This collection is a front row view of deep seated feeling, containing the good and the bad—at alternating intersections of ones past, present, and future experiences with love, heartbreak, and healing. Therein lies the source of power in Phree’s poetry. His language is as vivid and his rhythm is precise. Is it love or pain that carries each stanza? You decide.

Phree’s opening poem, Essence of Sexy, sets the stage for what is sure to be an eclectic collection of relevant, fresh, and hip-hop-esque poetry, gracing each and every line with the eloquence of a man on a mission to clear his mind, and most importantly, his heart. There are no pretenses, his poetry makes no promises and his words are characterized by a perceived innate authenticity. The book ends on a reflective note with Good Guys Finish Last where he concedes:

good guys finish last
but we enjoy the journey
with that one woman that’s worthy.

RELATED CONTENT:

Shaun J. Phree
phree.words@gmail.com
phreewords.wordspress.com

Phreedom Books
info@phreedombooks.com
www.phreedombooks.com

“We are currently working on a few anthologies of erotica and are looking for fresh, interesting manuscripts with at least one lgbtqqi character. Please visit out interim website: www.phreedombooks.com for more information.”

Introducing Rebel & Rene

Knowledge — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:47:52 +0000

After a conversation with an ex about where our relationship went wrong, I realized that we had to be in two different relationships. How could her version be so different from mine? Well, when they say there are two sides to every story, people are telling you the truth.

I have partnered with the wonderful Alix B Golden of A Brown Girl to bring you two sides of the same love story. Even from the beginning there were sparks between Rebel & Rene…

Rebel:

Taking a deep breath, I rushed out of the powder room bumping into a customer in my haste. A tall customer with hazel eyes and locs. Any other day, I would have flashed her my dimpled smile, but I wasn’t my normal flirtatious self. She placed her hands on my hips to steady me as I felt myself ankles wobble courtesy of my ridiculous 6 inch stilettos. Her hands were warm at my waist and even in my grouchy mood, I couldn’t help but notice how the finger tips of her hands almost met. Gotta love a girl with big hands.

“Oh, excuse me!” I said, as I tried to talk myself out of blushing. My cheeks weren’t listening.

“Excuse me, too, beautiful.” She spoke and I found myself looking into thickly lashed hazel eyes. I put an extra swing in my hips as I glided away from her, causing my dress to flow around me. I looked behind me, catching her smirking at my swaying my ass. I rolled my eyes. Pervert, I thought with a smile.

Rene:

As I entered [the bathroom], a short, petite, pale-skinned sales girl was exiting. We bumped into each other hard as I reflexively reached down to steady the camera hanging from my neck. I thought she was going to stumble so I grabbed her around her waist and pulled her toward me to steady her gait.

I felt my face get all hot and my head rushed a little while I considered, for a moment, how good my hands felt around her tiny waist, before quickly retracting them.

”Oh, excuse me!” she exclaimed, in a southern drawl that I just knew had to be exaggerated ‘cause whoa. I hadn’t heard an accent that heavy, deep, and sexy since I first watched True Blood.

I said, “Excuse me, too, beautiful,” as she slipped past me and headed toward the front of the boutique. I watched her hips and ass sway as she walked away. She turned and saw me staring before I caught her roll her eyes as she turned around and continued on.

Make sure you catch Rebel & Rene every Tuesday and Thursday on I Bleed Ink Magazine beginning July 27th!

The Epitome Of A Stud Revisited: Artangel & Oreet Ashery Present ‘Staying’

Knowledge — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:46:05 +0000

Early last year I wrote a blog titled The Epitome Of A Stud. Later that year I received a letter from Satoko Fujishiro from the London-based organization Artangel. They asked to use excerpts from The Epitome Of A Stud to be included in an upcoming publication. A select portion of my writing would be used in conjunction with one of the alter egos in the book who is called Soft Stud.

There was no contemplating anything. Suffice it to say, I said yes because I had absolutely no reason to say no. I researched the organization to familiarize myself with their work and the rest is history. They were working on a project titled Staying: Dream, Bin, Soft Stud and Other Stories. Through art, discussion, monologue, interviews, imagery and doodles hand drawn by the women, we are asked to try to understand a collective journey from oppression. They fled their homes in Africa and the Caribbean after suffering trauma, homophobia and discrimination at the hands of society and family because of their sexual orientation. Homosexuality is considered illegal and punishable by death in some of these countries. All of the women are still seeking or have already been granted asylum in the United Kingdom.

Stayingis a celebration of life, love, fear and perseverance. The alter ego, Soft Stud, seeks to expand not only the terminology, but the way that others envision the heart, mind and soul of the woman behind the word: soft stud. She also discusses sexual experiences and romantic relationships with women and how she’s viewed them both in terms of self-identity and expectations. She expressed that in her role as a stud, there are certain expectations, but there should be none because every single lesbian who identifies as stud or soft stud is unique.

Artangel took a bold step in bringing to light some of the issues that gay and lesbian asylum seekers face in whatever country they seek it. Asylum is often viewed as life or death for many. The threat of violence or worse among international gays and lesbians has made asylum an incredibly viable resource, despite the fact that the process can at times seem never-ending. As recent as 1990, being gay or lesbian was grounds for denying an individual asylum in the United States. That changed with a court decision by former Attorney General Janet Reno in 1994. The ruling set a precedent that says persecution based on sexual orientation can be grounds for person to seek political asylum. It remains a difficult and dangerous journey from start to end no matter where it is sought. What remains is the knowledge that the need for political asylum is still great and can be felt stronger than ever in a day in age where one step forward for gays in the US or UK can mean two steps back for them elsewhere.

I support the individual and collaborative efforts of interactive artists like Oreet Ashery and organizations like Artangel and a slew of others who use their powers for good. I enjoyed the interactive artistic approach. Dramatic storytelling through raw emotion using writing, art and dialogue will remain an art form I hold in high regard.

Staying: Dream, Bin, Soft Stud and Other Stories went live in London on January 20, 2010.

My text appears on page 49, downloadable from the link below;
http://www.artangel.org.uk/docs/file_1268147908645.pdf

The link to download ‘workshop notes’ is in this page as part of the introduction of the project by artist Oreet Ashery; http://www.artangel.org.uk//projects/2010/staying/introduction_staying_and_learning/page_1

If you would like to read the printed publication, two PDF files are downloadable from here; http://www.artangel.org.uk/projects/2010/staying

Roots of My Black America; A Charleston Plantation

Knowledge — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:27:23 +0000

This is truly a one of a kind coffee table book!

Roots of My Black America; A Charleston Plantation began as a travel journal from the summer of 2005. This book is undoubtedly a ground-breaking work of art with it’s colorful images, history, and first hand experiences!

The distinguished LGBT/SGL author and poet, Azaan Kamau takes us on a prolific journey back in time. This is a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece that leaves you hungry for more! This breathtaking book is packed with Azaan’s amazing, brilliant images, Her very personal journal entries about slavery, the plantation, facts and a few unexpected surprises!

Roots of My Black America; A Charleston Plantation is guaranteed to make you think, empower and inspire you.

It’s a book release, and you’re invited — check out the new book at Blurb. Follow the link and enjoy.