Weekend Update


I had dinner with Cecilia Woloch and a group of fellow writers and poets Friday night at Agave, the fabulous southwestern restaurant in Cabbagetown. The cayenne fried chicken will make you snap into the fetal position it's so good. Among the writers at the table were Rita Golden Gelman – author of Tales of a Female Nomad, about how she gave up all her possessions, a fixed address and went on a global odyssey to rediscover herself – and Kelly Hayes-Raitt, a former Democratic candidate for the California General Assembly, who is now the writer in residence at the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians in Columbus, Ga. It was a very lively evening, punctuated by lots of political talk. 

On Saturday afternoon, Cecilia and I read together at Wordsmiths Books in Decatur. We had about 25 or 30 people there and sold a fair number of books. Cecilia read mostly from her new chapbook Narcissus, which is absolutely brilliant. After the reading, Megan Volpert, her wife Mindy and I went over to Ted's Montana Grill for bison burgers. I'd never been to Ted's (and that's Ted as in Ted Turner) and never had bison. It was unbelievably good. One of the best burgers I've put in my mouth. 

Today, was our final strategy meeting for the Atlanta Queer Literary Festival, which kicks off with a pre-festival slam on Tuesday night. Programs are being printed, poets and writers are driving and flying in from all over the country and we're as ready as we're going to be. It'll be posting more about the festival on Tuesday. 

I also received an email from Michael Montlack, who is editing the "divas" anthology featuring my essay on Jeanne Moreau. The official title of the book is now My Diva: 65 Gay Men On The Women Who Inspire Them. Dorothy Allison, Eileen Myles and Marie Ponsot are writing the blurbs. The University of Wisconsin Press has the book on the Spring 2009 release calendar. 

The presidential campaign  has gotten seriously ugly over the last week and if you want proof of just how scary and ignorant McCain and Palin's supporters are just watch this video of them filing in to one of his campaign rallies. "Faggot, socialist, commie, scumbag, baby killer" are just some of epithets hurled at the camera crew asking questions about Obama. Ignorance and fear a dangerous combination. It really is the "sidewalk to nowhere." I love how Palin is just pretending she did nothing wrong, despite violating Alaska's ethics code, and the media seems to be giving her a pass well, focusing on the negative campaign instead. The New York Times had a great article yesterday about how McCain's campaign is adrift and he and his handlers are basically just throwing stuff at the wall to see what will stick. 



Comments

ButtonHole said…
That might be the stupidest group of people concentrated in a single place I've ever had the misfortune to witness.
jaxx said…
have a great time with the festival this week. i'll be looking for your updates.

it was fun to find michael montlack here on your blog. he just featured for me at cornelia last friday night -- he was GREAT! i told him when you're coming to town.
Anonymous said…
The reading on Saturday was a great event, Collin. I'm so glad I got to hear your poems again. I'm racking my brains, trying to remember who the persona was in the the persona poem you read. A senior moment, I guess.

As far as McAngry and McPalin go, well, it's exposing a lot of ugliness, like a festering sore. Let's hope their crowd is a disgruntled minority. I just can't believe a majority of Americans want to live filled with hate.
Whew! First, congrats on getting a good group at Wordsmiths' Books for you & Cecilia's reading--I'm ordering her "Narcissus" presently!
That dinner sounds like it was mouthwatering--the company, the subject of conversation, and that yummy chicken!
Enjoyed getting to see you on Sunday, and am excited about AQLF!
The video here puzzled me at first, because it felt "baited"--I could not see WHAT the folks were responding to...so at the end, when I saw the upbeat, harmless, POSITIVE messages being held up, it sickened me that these folks on that "Sidewalk to Nowhere" could be so hate-filled, so completely unreasonable, and ignorant. It's sad. I surely hope they are in the minority!
I posted a letter a few days ago at my blog, from a white older man--a life-long Republican who helped found the "Religious-Right", who has a son in the Marines--he's VOTING FOR OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!
He just published his memoir, "Crazy For God", where he explains, and takes back--most of his early beliefs!
ButtonHole said…
Lisa: How can they be in the minority? Just look at the last sad eight years.....
Pris said…
This campaign...
Ah, Buttonhole, but they CAN be--we all know that in 2000, the five thieves in black robes stole the election--and handed it to George W. I dunno what happened in 2004, but if they WERE a majority, let's hope these folks are NOT the majority, by now!(sigh)

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