Volume 33, Number 12 by Baltimore Gay Life

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1979

MARYLAND’S LGBT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011 VOLUME XXXIII, NUMBER 12 WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

BALTIMORE

PRIDE

2011 PLUS:

n Summer Reading from Local Authors n Take Pride in Your Food: Eat the Rainbow n Thumbs-Up for Glory Days Grill

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VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 PAGE 3

CONTENTS

letter editor’s

hile I hope you enjoy all of the amazing photos we have from Pride weekend 2011 (p.12), I also recommend international news (p.8) where you can check in on Pride festivals and parades in other parts of the world. While equality is a global struggle, different countries and cultures face varying degrees of opposition amidst different cultural contexts. It can be fascinating to learn about how in other countries—some very different from our own— there are people in similar plights, striving for the same basic human freedoms. I certainly had some preconceived notions about Ireland before I visited the country last week. In learning about their struggle for independence from Protestant England, I assumed the largely Catholic Republic of Ireland would be mostly opposed to gay rights; but I found no such evidence. In fact, I found a civil marriage ad in a popular commuter train in Dublin and, far from the urban capital, local women in a pub on the Dingle Peninsula espoused fervent support for their gay children— before even knowing my involvement with the cause back in the States. Here in Baltimore, we have a lot to be proud of—including how successfully we come together every year. While I was sad to miss Pride 2011, I was glad to have one of my assumptions about Ireland corrected. Others

Out Front PAGE 5 BOOKS: A conversation with writer Jen Michalski on her work and the 510 Reading Series. By Terri Solomon PAGE 6 DINING OUT: Glory Days Grill earns a thumbs-up! By John Cullen and Marty Shayt PAGE 7 NUTRITION: Colors are for eating, as well as wearing. By Mark Rifkin

Headline News PAGE 8 NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS: By Rex Wockner with Bill Kelley were spot on—they serve excellent tea, great beer, and the country definitely lives up to its green reputation, an obvious result of the abundant rain. But even the rain was beautiful in this country—it was the kind that came in stormy bursts both preceded and followed by sunshine. I’m reminded that the fiercest storms can create the most beautiful rainbows.

Maggie Beetz, Editor

First Person PAGE 16 TRANSMISSIONS: Separated at Birth: Gender reveal parties and the family who chose to opt out. By Gwendolyn Ann Smith PAGE 16 SPEAKING OUT: Are we Writers or are we Gay Writers? By Rev. Irene Monroe

Out Going PAGE 17 SPOTLIGHT: It Gets Better Baltimore Launch Party with the GLCCB. By Gary Wolnitzek

241 W. Chase Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: 410.837.7748 • Fax: 410.837.8889 Email: sales@baltimoregaylife.com

Maggie Beetz, Editor editor@baltimoregaylife.com

Gay Life is a publication of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore. Gay Life is published every other Friday in Baltimore, Maryland, with distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved. Gay Life is copyrighted and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Gay Life or its publisher.

Scott FitzPatrick, Advertising sales@baltimoregaylife.com 410-837-7748 National Advertising Rep. Rivendell Media, 212-242-6863

PAGE 4 • JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011

Michael Nguyen, Art Director art@baltimoregaylife.com

Marty Shayt Senior Volunteer

Contributors John Cullen, Scott FitzPatrick, , Bill Kelley, Rev. Irene Monroe, Mark Rifkin, Rachel Roth , Marty Shayt, Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Terri Solomon, Rex Wockner, Gary Wolnitzek Photographers: John Kardys, Devin Mack, Linda Soares, Jay W Photos Newspaper Committee: Trevor Ankeny, Bud Beecher, Kelly D. McClain, Terri Solomon

DATEBOOK: Calendar of Events. By Rachel Roth and Scott FitzPatrick

After Hours PAGE 18 BSCENE: DC Pride, Sunset on the Patio HUNTER ON THE PROWL!: Drag Shows, Happy Hours, and Contests Oh My! By Mark Hunter

FEATURES PAGES 10

Summer Reading List: Local Authors. By Terri Solomon PAGES 12

Re-Live Pride Weekend with Photos from the Parade, Block Party, Festival, and more! Correction: Photos in the June 10 issue from D.C . Pride’s Luminous Ladies 500 Watt Par ty were incorrectly credited. The photographs were taken by Paulette Simone of How I See It Productions. Gay Life regrets the error.

ON THE COVER

Baltimore Pride 2011. Photos by John Kardys, Devin Mack, Linda Soares, Jay W Photos

VISIT US ONLINE AT BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

outfront BOOKS

Interview with local writer Jen Michalski BY TERRI SOLOMON

en Michalski is the author of Close Encounters, a collection of short stories published in 2007 by So New Media. The title comes from the “strange little world lurking in a lot of my writing,” said Michalski. Stories feature “in-fetu twins, personality disorders, missing children, surrealist airports, little girls who find time machines in their neighborhoods, and Whitney Houston.” Michalski has another collection coming out in early 2013 from Dzanc Books. It will include a novella I Can Get to California Before It’s Time for Dinner. Her novella May-September won first place in last year’s Press 53 Open Awards. Michalski spoke to Baltimore Gay Life about her recent writing, the 510 Reading Series, and wrestling with the term “gay writer.”

GL: The relationship between Sandra and

Alice in May-September takes place more in the past than the present—Sandra is constantly reminded of her husband, and past loves, both male and female, while Alice replays the relationship with her ex-girlfriend. Why did you choose to write the novella this way?

JM: When I thought about the

characters, they’re both people stuck in their own pasts. Sandra, an older woman reflecting on her life as a result of her memoir project, is acknowledging that she has regrets in her career, her marriage, and her loves. Alice is a younger woman who is having trouble moving forward because of a recent breakup. I think they are drawn to this stasis in each other—they interact mostly in this suspended “way station” of Sandra’s apartment. Only when they decide to take a risk and literally come out together into the world, emotionally and physically, do they encounter these barriers to the relationship—how people perceive them, health issues, financial/power issues, family issues—that they didn’t WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

Laura June, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist Psychotherapy for Individuals and Couples Imago Relationship Therapy Stone Mansion 4901 Spring Garden Dr. Baltimore, MD 21209 Ph 410-235-7899 laura.june@comcast.net www.drlaurajune.com

see in the pure, idealistic place in which it had formed.

GL: I noticed there are small indications

that the novella is set in Baltimore, but if you weren’t from the city, it could be anywhere. Why did you not really root this story in any specific place?

JM: I think the story can take place

anywhere; I tried not to make it too specific. I was more interested in the interior places of the novella (the apartment, the meeting places), than really rooting them anywhere, because the characters are suspended and rootless. Only Sandra’s definite destination (Florida) is revealed.

GL: I read online that you don’t want to be labeled a “gay writer.” Why?

JM: I have wrestled with this term,

“gay writer,” for a long time, and how to react when people ask me if I am, because I don’t want to sound dismissive. It’s not about not wanting to identify with being a gay person— I’m proud of who I am, but my sexually is not something I can separate from the rest of me. For instance, I don’t want to be called a “woman writer,” either. There’s a huge effort to place you into this genre or that genre to target book buyers, when, in reality, we’re all so different. I just think it’s so magical when you pick up a book by someone you don’t know and don’t even know what the book is about, and you just read a great story. Continued on page 18 VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 PAGE 5

MAY 13 - MAY 26, 2011 VOLUME 33, NUMBER 9

outfront DINING OUT Photos courtesy Glory Days Grill

Glory Days Grill Earns a Thumbs-Up BY JOHN CULLEN AND MARTY SHAYT

Located just a mile-plus east of “downtown” Towson, Glory Days Grill, part of a smaller regional restaurant chain, is worth taking time to discover. The good vibes start with a welcoming hostess routinely opening the door and greeting you as you enter. Inside, you’ll find an unexpectedly large open space with a casual sports bar feel and a mix of 50 booths and tables surrounding a large oval bar. The walls are decorated with sports memorabilia and there are multitudes of LCD TV’s in every direction. Many tables have special speakers that allow you to pick the audio for which ever TV sports event has caught your attention (alternatively you can just turn off the audio). Despite the sports hoopla and the fact that it’s seemingly always busy, Glory Days Grill is also a surprisingly easy place to have a conversation. The menu offers six pages of appealing options including a dozen appetizers ($6-12), dozens of burgers and sandwiches ($8-12), entrée salads ($9-12) and another dozen entrees ($12-19). Fortunately, hunger spurred our decision making. Marty went healthy with a slider and salad combo ($8), John decided on chicken Sorrento ($13)—a semi-healthy choice with a sun-dried tomato cheese sauce offset by grilled squash. Our friend Tom ordered a half rack of barbeque ribs ($13) with a side of redskin potatoes, while Paul opted for a blue cheese and grilled onion burger ($9) with redskin PAGE 6 • JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011

potatoes too. All the sandwich options come with choice of seasoned fries, redskin potatoes, fresh veggies, or homemade coleslaw. Marty’s included two tasty cheeseburger sliders and a large, fresh mixed salad; it was a justright portion with nothing to take home and earned a thumbs-up from him. John’s entrée included a large grilled chicken breast and a rich tasting sauce; for $13, his only complaint was he wished the portion of really delicious grilled zucchini and summer squash was far more generous. Paul’s big burger arrived cooked as ordered and prompted his lip-smacking praise. Tom’s plate of ribs was huge (he ended up taking half of them home!) Their “oh so good” red skin potatoes sides were a welcomed, mighty tasty, and healthier alternative to French fries. Desserts are a real temptation here. We shared an order of Oreo sliders ($5); imagine three huge Oreo cookies filled with a thick layer of ice cream served with hot fudge sauce and you’ll know why these earned another thumbs-up! (The homemade peach cobbler is worth considering too!) The staff’s friendly, “can do!” attitude, good food, reasonable prices, and bustling casual atmosphere (not to mention the desserts!) have made us fans of Glory Days! With a $5 bargain burger special on Mondays and $10 beer-batter fried fish entrée special on Fridays, we’ve got even more motivation to come back. n DETAILS: Glory Days Grill, 1220 E. Joppa Rd. Full bar, vegetarian options, abundant free parking. Open 7 days, 11am-11pm. 443.901.0270. GloryDaysGrill.com. Find more Dining Out on Urban Spoon and BaltimoreGayLife.com/ae/dining. Feedback: DiningOut@BaltimoreGayLife.com BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

R U in the Know?

NUTRITION

Colors Are For Eating— As Well As Wearing

BY MARK RIFKIN

During Pride, we see dazzling displays of color from all parts of the rainbow. From pink and rose to lavender and violet and all shades in between, colors are regarded as a healthy expression of gay pride. Well, there’s another healthy use for colors: eating! Fruits and vegetables, colored in every shade of the rainbow, are a treasure trove of healthy plant compounds known as phytochemicals (“phyto” = “plant”). That treasure becomes richer with deeper, darker shades. In fact, the colors we see are the actual phytochemicals, so the deeper darker foods will have more. So when you have a choice between different grapes, go for the red, or, even better, the black/purple.

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Scientists estimate there are 10,000 or more phytochemicals. Of those, only a few hundred have been identified, and only a couple dozen have been isolated and marketed in supplements. Although we tend to look at nutrients in isolation, they probably work together in ways we’ve only begun to discover. That’s why isolated phytochemical supplements are not recommended—nature didn’t make them that way and they may not have the desired effect in isolation. They may even be dangerous. The best way is the simple way—food. Phytochemicals can be grouped by the color of the fruit or vegetable, as follows:

Jeffery A. Klug, LCPC Red: tomatoes, strawberries, red peppers, watermelon, pomegranate

Orange/Yellow: carrots, orange peppers, butternut squash, lemons

Green: broccoli, leafy greens, honeydew, green peppers, kiwi, limes, avocado

Blue/Purple: blueberries, blackberries, plums, eggplant, black grapes

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor 2 Village Square, Suite 211, Baltimore, MD 21210 410 241 4215 JeffKlugCounseling.com

White/Tan: mushrooms, brown pears, onions, garlic, cauliflower. (although these have little color, they are full of good things, and are an exception to the rule about deeper darker colors) Now that summer is here and farmers markets are open, go on a visual and taste adventure. Take your kids and let them select the colors. Try a new fruit or vegetable every two weeks. Ask the farmer for some flavor or prep ideas. Or join a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) farm, which sells farm shares in advance. Each week during the harvest, you’ll get an armload of freshly harvested produce. You can even go out to the farm and work the soil yourself. Or visit a pick-your-own farm, where everyone can pick the berries. Plenty of resources are available online. Then what to do with them? Grill your veggies with the burgers. Make that summer salad a meal with pre-cooked protein and starch additions. Make a colorful fruit salad with a lime-honey dressing. Make a stir fry with an Asian peanut sauce. Roast redskin potatoes, quartered onions, tomatoes and garlic with Italian herbs. Throw at least two cups of veggies on that frozen pizza. Color your morning eggs with onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and spinach. Make a creamy cold soup with green peas, soy yogurt and tarragon. There’s a whole rainbow of choices and delicious flavors. Take pride in your colors! n Mark Rifkin is a Registered Dietitian with Total Health Care, Inc. a health care provider that offers HIV programs, Substance Abuse services, as well as Adult Medicine, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Nutrition, and more. Visit totalhealthcare.org or call 410-383-8300.staff WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 PAGE 7

headlinenews INTERNATIONAL Photo by Rex Wockner

NATIONAL

About 1,000 people marched in Tijuana, Mexico’s 16th GLBTI Pride parade June 18

Photo by Rex Wockner

1,000 March inTijuana Pride

About 1,000 people joined in the 16th GLBTI Pride parade in Tijuana, Mexico, June 18. Many rode on the beds of semis blasting Mexican and American dance tunes. The colorful, rowdy procession was well-received by onlookers who swelled to a throng at Second Street and Constitution Avenue. Afterward, drag queens performed on an open-air stage in Plaza Santa Cecilia, the city’s gayest block, which slants from First Street to Second Street between Revolution and Constitution avenues.

Move to Undo Prop 8 Strikedown Fails A legal attempt to “vacate” the federal court ruling that struck down California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution in 2008 to re-ban same-sex marriage, failed June 14. U.S. District Judge James Ware rejected arguments by Prop 8’s supporters that now-retired trial Judge Vaughn Walker, who is gay, should have recused himself from the case, or have been disqualified, because he is in a relationship. Ware wrote: “The sole fact that a federal judge shares the same circumstances or personal characteristics with other members of the general public, and that the judge could be affected by the outcome of a proceeding in the same way that other members of the general public would be affected, is not a basis for either recusal or disqualification. ... Accordingly, the Motion to Vacate Judgment on the sole ground of Judge Walker’s same-sex relationship is DENIED.”

Gay groups cheered Ware’s ruling. Lambda Legal staff attorney Peter Renn said: “The court decisively rejected an outrageous attack on the integrity of Judge Walker, not to mention judges in general. The motion was a sideshow designed to deflect attention from the fact that the proponents had every chance to prove that Prop 8 was constitutional, but could not do so. Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional because it is unconstitutional -- not because the judge is gay.” The lead lawyer defending Prop 8, Charles Cooper, said he will appeal Ware’s decision.ared, see tinyurl. com/bloomberg-marriage. To watch the speech, see tinyurl.com/bloomwatch.

Tennessee Sued Over Anti-Gay Law

French Parliament Rejects Same-Sex Marriage

France’s National Assembly voted 293-222 against legalizing same-sex marriage June 14. President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ruling Union for a People’s Movement party opposed the measure. In January, France’s Constitutional Court upheld the ban on same-sex marriage but said Parliament could change the law if it wanted to. The court ruled that gay and straight couples find themselves in a “different situation” that justifies differing treatment under family law. Polls suggest that some 60 percent of French people support letting same-sex couples marry. The nation has offered civil unions for gay couples for more than a decade, but the unions lack some of the benefits of marriage.

Gay People to Picket Russian Embassy in London

LGBT people plan to protest at the Russian Embassy in London on July 1. They will demand that Russia’s voting rights at the Council of Europe be revoked. Despite a European Court of Human Rights ruling this year that

Gays, LGBT groups, and elected officials sued Tennessee in state court June 13 over a new law that prohibits cities, counties, and school districts from having laws or policies that protect LGBT people from discrimination.

ILGA-Europe Condemns Croatian Pride Violence

Police in Split, Croatia, were both unwilling and unable to protect the June 11 gay pride parade, the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association charged June 14. “ILGA-Europe is appalled by the inadequate actions of the Croatian police, which caused a situation when the participants of the Pride march were forced to march next to the violent crowd,” the group said. “Due to such an inadequate police arrangement, the violent hooligans were free to shower the participants of the Pride march with petards, stones, ashtrays and other objects. A number of people were hit, including Linda Freimane, co-chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board.” The thousands of anti-gay protesters also hurled bottles, flares, tear gas, eggs, tomatoes, glass, bricks, shoes, paint, cigarette lighters and flowerpots at the 200 marchers. And they shouted, “Kill the gays.” Up to a dozen people were injured, including some reporters. NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS PROVIDED BY REX WOCKNER WITH BILL KELLEY

Find complete news stories at BaltimoreGayLife.com/news.

The lawsuit says, “HB600 embodies an animus toward gay and transgender people so strong that the Tennessee legislature was willing to repeal policies protecting students against bullying and harassment and to make other groups suffer as well, merely to prevent gay and transgender citizens from obtaining needed protections.” Lead attorney Abby Rubenfeld said: “They passed a law based on disapproval of gay and transgender people, which the Tennessee and U.S. constitutions do not permit. Fifteen years ago, in fact—in a case quite similar to this one--the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that ‘if the constitutional conception of “equal protection of the laws” means anything, it must at the very least mean that a bare ... desire to harm a politically unpopular group cannot constitute a legitimate governmental interest.’”

Moscow’s yearly bans of gay pride violate the European Convention on Human Rights, the city prohibited the march again in May. When a small group of people attempted to defy the ban, 18 of them were aggressively arrested, much the same as in previous years, when the activists also were beaten by anti-gay hooligans and assaulted by religious counterprotesters.

The lawsuit says the law violates equal-protection guarantees of the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions.

PAGE 8 • JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

IT GETS BETTER,

BALTIMORE JOIN US JUNE 30, 2011 at the GLCCB 241 W. ChASE STREET BALTIMORE, MD 21201 6PM - 8PM

For an exclusive screening of The Den’s It Gets Better, Baltimore video short. Hear LGBTQ community members share their story in order to decrease suicide among Baltimore’s LGBTQ youth. *Light refreshments will be served

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The Den will serve as a safe space for Baltimore’s LGBTQ adolescents and young adults ages 13-24 with reliable, culturally competent, high quality services that will aid in their social, physical, mental, scholastic and career development.

co-sponsors: kubla khan productions, glccb design: dannyjonesdesign.com / illustr ation: gantpants.com WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 PAGE 9

James Magruder

JAMES MAGRUDER’S SUGARLESS IS “BITTERSWEET” The stark white cover of James Magruder’s coming-of-age novel, Sugarless, features a single stick of gum coming out of its wrapper. It’s an image that’s both provocative and innocent—an apt visual representation of the author’s first, impressive stab at fiction.

t’s late June in The City that Reads. Pride has passed, and perhaps your escapist thoughts have turned to vacation plans, or at least a relaxing weekend. Whether you look forward to a staycation in your air-conditioned living room, or sitting on a distant beach, a variety of literary works by local LGBT writers can help you get away from it all. “People may not realize it, but there is a ton of great writing happening in Baltimore, from writers of all persuasions,” said James Magruder, author of Sugarless. Here are four local writers, each with his or her unique perspective on sexuality, gender identity, and how to tell a good story.

PAGE 10 • JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011

“The book is very autobiographical,” said Magruder, who as a Chicagoland teenager in the late 70’s discovered his sexuality and excelled on his high school’s speech team, like main character Rick Lahrem. Unlike Rick, the local author never had a sexual relationship with an older speech teacher and mentor, known in the novel as Ned Bolang. “Ned is one of only two fictional characters in the book,” Magruder said. “He’s the older man that I like to think I would have been able to handle at 16.” Sugarless does not judge the morality of Rick’s first gay love, in keeping with Magruder’s retelling of sexual attitudes 35 years ago. “It was a fine line in the 70s, a decade very innocent and also very permissive,” said Magruder. The novel also treads a fine line between humor and tragedy, although it’s a far cry from the first draft that “ended with three murders: a double homicide and a suicide.” Magruder characterizes Sugarless as “bittersweet”—readers experience the “terrible choice” that Rick needs to make at the story’s conclusion, as he struggles with conflicting desires. But Sugarless is also very funny, reflecting a writer “still working through childhood humiliations,” according to Magruder. “I was a runt,

We had twenty minutes before Wheaton-Warrenville went to Jumers’s and Glenbard West went to Avanti’s.There weren’t any couches in the social studies wing, but Ned had scoped out a faculty john two turns around the corner from where we were standing. I went in first. Ned pulled the door shut behind him. I smacked against him in the dark and cried out—just a little—when I felt his arms circle my back. Leaves shake, and rabbits, and hummingbirds, and I did too. —from Sugarless, a novel, by James Magruder (2009)

weak physically, and I moved around a lot as a child, so making people laugh was my way of deflecting negative attention.” Magruder, a playwright, dramaturg and translator, has lived in Baltimore for two decades. He is currently working on a novel, scheduled for release next year from a new LGBT publisher, Magnus Books. Told in ten stories, it chronicles the growing pains of two gay first cousins, from childhood through the AIDS crisis. Now 50, Magruder has been HIV positive for half of his life. “This new BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

Rahne Alexander. Still from “60 Writers/60 Places,” a film by Luca Dipierro and Michael Kimball

Josh Aterovis novel is partly about survivor’s guilt, because I made it through the plague, but I wasn’t a warrior for the cause,” he said. He considers himself “incredibly lucky” to be alive and to be writing. Magruder has read at the 510 Reading Series (held monthly at Minás Gallery in Hampden) and plans to do so again in the future. In the meantime, fans and first-time readers alike can visit his website, jamesmagruder.com, to read the entire first chapter of Sugarless, peruse a new short story, or click on a link to a previous Stoop Story about his “Holiday from Hell.” DETAILS: Sugarless, a novel, by James Magruder, Terrace Books/U of Wisconsin P, ISBN: 978-0-299-23380-8, Hardcover, $24.95, 274 p.

RAHNE ALEXANDER DEFIES THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW Self-described “iconoclast” Rahne Alexander is hard to categorize. On one hand, she has contributed to local zine Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore!, writing about scars, her love for Dorothy Parker and the tragedy of electronic devices dropped in toilets. On the other, she’s adding her trans erotic voice to Take Me There: Transgender and Genderqueer Erotica, a November 2011 anthology edited by Tristan Taomino. Then there’s her comic, Tranzilla, “about a disaffected young trans activist. She receives tainted hormones that turn her into a firebreathing reptile when she’s mad,” said Alexander. And don’t forget the film she’s shooting this summer, a “straight-up love story featuring a transwoman on the verge of coming out” and the man who supports her. “At heart, I do think of myself as a writer WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

in a classic sense,” Alexander said. “I grew up obsessed with having a book published by Vintage. Dorothy Parker and the Jazz authors were huge influences.” A woman with diverse interests, she visited the graves of both Parker and Divine on her first visit to Charm City. Alexander has lived here since 2002 and feels the city has “left its mark on [her]”, both literally and figuratively. “Maybe this [Baltimore’s imprint] is a tattoo piece still in process, a sleeve tattoo of the artistic and queer community, very intricate, colorful and vibrant,” she said. In the 90s, Alexander turned her focus from being published as an author to creating music and film, “because it would take too long for anything I said or thought to get into a book,” she said. “I realized I had more of a drive to put my literary aspirations into song and dialogue.” With girlfriend and drummer Kristen Anchor and bassist Chrissy Howland, Alexander writes, sings and plays guitar for The Degenerettes, who just recorded their second album. “I wouldn’t say my songs are poetry, but one of the songs on that record is about my involvement with queer and feminist communities—the good and bad parts,” she said. Titled “Philosopher Queens,” the song has literary references to Walt Whitman and Herman Melville, as well as a borrowed line from an African-American spiritual. Hear The Degenerettes on August 10, 7 p.m. at the Sidebar Tavern, 218 E. Lexington St. and on August 13, 8 p.m., at the Shakemore Festival (For more information, go to degenerettes.com). DETAILS: Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore! eightstonepress.com.; Take Me There: Transgender and Genderqueer Erotica, Tristan Taomino, ed, Cleis Press, Nov. 2011.

JOSH ATEROVIS’S GAY DETECTIVE LURES A FOLLOWING In 1999, Josh Aterovis (joshaterovis. com) was barely out of his teens himself when he created the character of Killian Kendall, a gay teen crime-solver with a knack for the supernatural. “I was writing just for fun, not even thinking about getting published, or it being a series,” said Aterovis.

have been labeled “Young Adult Gay Fiction,” Aterovis “always had a broader audience in mind.” Aterovis has lived in Baltimore for the past three years, and is working on a new series with a Baltimore gay noir theme. “It will probably feature an older private eye, and be a little grittier than the Killian books,” he said. The prolific author is still developing the character and plot, but has started research on local icon Edgar Alan Poe.

Encouraged by friends to see his work in print, Aterovis completed Bleeding Hearts, originally published in 2001. The fourth book in the series, The Truth of Yesterday, came out earlier this year. It features the star sleuth coming to terms with his psychic “gifts” and unexpected twists in his romantic relationship.

However, fans of the Killian series won’t lose their favorite young detective just yet. Readers can look forward to at least two more books in the series, one scheduled for publication next year.

Aterovis characterizes the book as “95% fiction.” The novel deals with Killian’s investigation into the death of his boyfriend Micah’s ex-lover Paul, who was an upscale D.C. escort. “I did a lot of research at the time, although not hands on!” Aterovis jokes.

PLACES TO HEAR LOCAL AUTHORS AND TO PURCHASE THEIR WORK INCLUDE:

The paranormal aspects of the book are based on family and personal experiences, and are “something even as a kid I was fascinated by,” he said. Although Killian has resisted acknowledging his “gifts” throughout the series, in The Truth of Yesterday he “finally deals with it,” said Aterovis. “It shadows the coming-out process for some people.” “I didn’t want a static character,” Aterovis said, on his decision to have Killian age with each successive book. “I wanted to explore the different periods of his life as he grows and matures.” And even though the works

DETAILS: The Truth of Yesterday, a Killian Kendall Mystery, by Josh Aterovis, P.D. Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-933720-81-4, Paperback, $22.99, 365 p.

510 Reading Series, Minás Gallery, 815 W. 36th St., 5 p.m., 3rd Sat. of every month, 510readings.blogspot.com. Atomic Books, 3620 Falls Rd., 410662-4444, atomicbooks.com. Cyclops Books and Music, 30 W. North Ave., 410-752-4487, facebook. com/CyclopsBmore. Normal’s Books & Records, 425 E. 31st St., 410-243-6888, normals.com. Did we overlook your favorite local LGBT author, bookstore or performance spot? Write editor@baltimoregaylife.com and tell us what we missed.

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 PAGE 11

BALTIMORE PRIDE 2011 RECAP TWILIGHT ON THE TERRACE

PAGE 12 • JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011

PHOTOS BY JOHN KARDYS & DEVIN MACK.

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

BALTIMORE PRIDE 2011 RECAP PARADE

WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

PHOTOS BY JOHN KARDYS

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 PAGE 13

BALTIMORE PRIDE 2011 RECAP BLOCK PARTY & DEBORAH COX

PAGE 14 • JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011

PHOTOS BY JAY W. & LINDA SOARES

BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

BALTIMORE PRIDE 2011 RECAP SUNDAY FESTIVAL

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PHOTOS BY JAY W.

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 PAGE 15

firstperson TRANSMISSIONS

SPEAKING OUT

Separated at Birth

Are We Writers or Gay Writers?

Color-coding infants and the family that chose to opt out

BY GWENDOLYN ANN SMITH

n this era of instant information overload, even the smallest of fads becomes big news. From vajazzling to planking, we live in a time when even the most inane trends are inescapable. Enter the gender reveal party. Perhaps this replaces the typical baby shower or just adds yet another excuse for a pregnant couple to throw a big ticket party, but the idea is a simple one: gather your friends together and throw a party where you’ll reveal the sex of the still gestating child. It seems as if most “gender reveal” party planning sites suggested having a frosted cake with colored frosting, or a colored gumball in the middle of cupcakes. It all seems a bit weird to me, but then again, the idea of focusing so intently on the genitals of an infant—let alone one not yet born—does seem a bit off in modern society. But I digress. The gender reveal party just seems an extension of a century long move toward stronger and stronger gender division. As discussed in the book, “Pink and Blue: Telling the Girls from the Boys in America” by Jo Paolett, children one hundred years ago were raised quite differently. A child of any sex would wear long hair—perhaps in fashionable curls—and wear a dress, mary janes, and frills. Far from being considered a girls’ outfit, such attired for young children was viewed as gender neutral. It would not be until children sat through their first haircut at age 6 or 7 that they’d move into gender-specific attire. I’m sure that doctors still announced the sex at birth then, and there was likely plenty of other gender-specific expectations present—but when it came to matters of appearance, the look was not gender specific and would be, by modern standards, viewed as girlish. Pink for girls and blue for boys was still a long time to come: white was the color for children, thanks to its ability to be bleached clean. it wasn’t until the teens and twenties that you begun to see pastel tones for children, and it

“THEY’VE OPTED TO NOT REVEAL BABY STORM’S SEX, LETTING HIR DECIDE ON HIR OWN.”

would be another two decades before those colors were divided into the gender-specific camps we have today. There have been times when we stepped back a bit, such as in my youth when unisex fashion was all the rage. Pink and blue pastels were out as well, in favor of bright, bold, and in some cases eye-searing color combinations. Of course, when I was born there weren’t “gender reveal parties,” nor was a child’s genitals on view via ultrasound. My earliest clothing was neither pink nor blue, but a presumably neutral yellow. All this swung back the other way in the 1980s, as ultrasound became an option and the somewhat androgynous fashions of a decade before were replaced with more gender specific attire. It may have been the era that brought us Boy George and Annie Lennox, but gender was more codified than ever. Kids’ toy aisles became the place of transformers and ninja turtles for boys, little ponies and strawberry shortcake dolls for girls. And now people could shop for all the things to help get their boy or girl off to a color-coded start. You could even get elastic headbands in gender-friendly pink to wrap around your baby girls head, lest anyone mistake them for a boy. Continued on page 18

PAGE 16 • JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011

BY REV. IRENE MONROE

he twenty-third annual Lambda Literary Awards, LLA, (also known as the “Lammys”) took place at New York’s School of the Visual Arts Theatre on May 26. This red carpet event brought out our finest in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) literature and publishing traditions. Celebrities like Bryan Batt (“Mad Men”), former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, TV icon Stefanie Powers of the TV series “Hart to Hart,” Miss New York 2010 winner Claire Buffie, Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”) and the event’s master of ceremonies, stand-up comedienne Lea Delaria, all lent their star power in making the evening special. This year’s LLA pioneers being honored were three-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Edward Albee, 83, and Diamond Dagger Award-winning crime fiction writer Val McDermid, 56. But as I sat in the audience listening to several speakers querying our present-day utility of the literary niche “gay writer” I wondered in our efforts to overcome heterosexism and to go mainstream in literature and publishing do we eventually want to get rid of our niche. Were the speakers assimilationists or homophobes? Or am I a relic stuck in the ghetto of “identity politics”? “I’m looking forward to the day where it’s not ’gay books,’ it’s just, ’books,’” Lea DeLaria told the audience. And Stefanie Powers told Entertainment Weekly reporter Stephanie Lee that “The gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities are in a position where they’re expected to fill a niche, to make a point of themselves,” she said. “We all long for the time when nobody has to do that.” In our longing to enter into mainstream society, how far is too far before we not only lose our distinctive cultural identities, but we also potentially lose leverage from our communi-

ties and allies in our continued battle for LGBTQ civil rights? For Edward Albee, however, these questions of LGBT genres in literature are, at best, a non-issue, and, at worst, absurd, and one he never deigned to tackle in his opuses. In accepting his Lammy, Albee told us, “I’m not a gay writer. I’m a writer who happens to be gay. ...I’ve written a number of plays with gay characters in them, but I have never written a play that could be considered a ’gay play’ because I consider that a lessening of the creative act, to limit oneself to one’s own sexual practices as subject matter for one’s work.” But there was a time, during both Albee’s and McDermid’s, that gay themes were prohibited, and “...to those times

“THE EXCLUSION WE EXPERIENCE FROM PUBLISHING HOUSES AND THE LITERARY WORLD DUE TO HOMOPHOBIA AND/ OR RACISM, AT BEST, DEPARTMENTALIZES OUR WORKS AS EITHER BLACK OR QUEER.” when it took real guts to tackle gay themes openly and unapologetically, in one’s writing, risking one’s career and, up until the 1960s, a possible jail sentence,” Don Weise, Publisher of Magnus Books, reminded LLA audience in his message as host committee chair. And here at home in the U.S., many LGBTQ-themed books still have a hard time landing with big named publishing houses. Just ask Scottishborn writer McDermid. Continued on page 18 BALTIMORE’S GAY LIFE NEWSPAPER

outgoing

Saturday July 2

EMAIL YOUR EVENT INFO TO CALENDAR@BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

SPOTLIGHT

The Den’s Launch Party for It Gets Better, Baltimore BY GARY WOLNITZEK The Den, Baltimore’s LGBT Youth Center, will be hosting a launch party for their It Gets Better, Baltimore video series on Thursday, June 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Event Info It Gets Better, Baltimore Launch Party Thursday June 30, 6pm – 8pm GLCCB, 241 W. Chase St. 1st Floor FREE, donations are welcome TheDenBaltimore.com

Many of us have seen the inspirational videos called “It Gets Better” that grew out of the recent highprofile suicides of gay youth. Having community members across the nation provide their message of hope and encouragement is beyond overdue. However, it is time that youth in Baltimore hear from their local community members. Come view a compilation of videos by community members speaking directly to Baltimore’s LGBTQ youth encouraging them to stick in there and keep living for a brighter day. To learn more about the Den and the great work it is doing in the community visit TheDenBaltimore.org

A Little Night Music: A Tony Award winning production sweeps the audience into places of desire and thought, all inciting and all forbidden. Thru 6/26. $16-20. Spotlighters Theatre, 817 St. Paul St. Spotlighters.com The Fools Lear: This funny and poignant new show tells the tale of King Lear and his Fool, as they leave the pages of William Shakespeare’s famed play. 8pm. $18. Thru 6/26. Fells Point Corner Theater, 251 S. Ann St. FPCT.org Eclipse! at Club Orpheus: Dance to a mesmerizing light show with video projectors, lasers and strobes. 9pm every Friday. 18+. Club Orpheus, 1003 E. Pratt St. ClubOrpheus.com

Saturday June 25 Baltimore Frontrunners: Running/walking club for LGBT individuals and friends. Assemble 8:45am, run 9am. Reassemble for brunch 10am. Panera Bread, 3600 Boston St. BaltimoreFrontrunners.org Diversity Awareness Weekend: St. Paul’s U.C.C. of Westminster, the first and only open and affirming main-line Christian congregation in Carroll County, hosts a two-day event in celebration of the LGBTQ community. Thru 6/26. FREE. St. Paul’s U.C.C., 17 Bond St., Westminster. StPauls-ucc.org Latino Fest: Experience a lively weekend of Hispanic arts and culture, featuring live musical performances, dances, food and more! Noon-10pm. Thru 6/26. Patterson Park, at Linwood & Eastern Ave. LatinoFest.org. Paula Poundstone: The Columbia Festival of the Arts hosts the comedienne from NPR’s news quiz show, “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.” 8pm. $30-40. The Smith Theatre, Howard Community College, 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia.

Sunday June 26 NYC Heritage of Pride Parade and Festival: Celebrate Pride in the Big Apple. New York City. HOPinc.org Best of Serenade! Choral Festival: A convergence of the world’s best vocal talents, featuring six international choral groups. 5pm. FREE. Strathmore Music Center, 5301 Tuckerman Ln., N. Bethesda.

Monday June 27 2nd Annual Summer Lab for Tweens: An intensive theater program designed for middle-schoolers. Students of the Lab will create an original production devised from their own interests WWW.BALTIMOREGAYLIFE.COM

African American Heritage Festival: A celebration of AfricanAmerican ancestry, with nationally known entertainment and educational exhibits. Thru 7/3. FREE. M&T Bank Stadium, Lots B & C AAHF.net. Baltimore Improv Group Presents Independenceprov!: Nothing says Happy Birthday America like improvised insanity. 8pm. $10-15. The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org

Sunday July 3 Sounds of Pride: Lesbian music tour: A showcase of talent within the lesbian community brought to you by KingDOM Entertainment. 9pm. The Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. SoundsOfPride@live.com

Monday July 4 INDEPENDENCE DAY Ports America Chesapeake Fourth of July Celebration: Commemorate Independence Day with festive fireworks, music and family fun! 12pm. Fireworks, 9:30pm. FREE. Inner Harbor Amphitheater & Inner Harbor West Shore Park. PromotionAndArts.com

Wednesday July 6

DATEBOOK Friday June 24

Baltimore Frontrunners: Running/walking club for LGBT individuals and friends. Assemble 8:45am, run 9am. Reassemble for brunch 10am. Panera Bread, 3600 Boston St. BaltimoreFrontrunners.org

and dreams for theatre. Thru 7/22. $500 – Partial Scholarships Available. Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. TheatreProject.org National HIV Testing Day: Take control of your health and your life by getting tested. National AIDS.gov

Tuesday June 28 M.F.A. Exhibit @ MICA: The summer thesis exhibition for the M.F.A. in Studio Art program will feature the work of 10 graduating artists. Thru 7/9. FREE. MICA, Fox Building, 13031401 W. Mt. Royal Ave. PFLAG Baltimore County General Meeting: Support group Q&A for parents of LGBT children. 7pm. Towson Unitarian Universalist Church, 1710 Dulaney Valley Rd., Lutherville. Rainbow Youth Alliance of Howard County: A support group for LGBTQ youth and allies. 7:30pm. To confirm location, contact: rya_leaders@hotmail.com

Wednesday June 29 BINGO!: Hosted by Roger Dimick. Cash prizes and progressive jackpot. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W.Eager St. ClubHippo.com William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”: See one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies, under the stars. A short curtain-raiser will be performed before the show. Pre-show 7:20pm. Show 8pm. Thru 7/10. $10 -20. JHU’s Evergreen Museum & Library, 4545 N. Charles St. MdShkes.org/summer-tour Young Blood: Show and Reception: Maryland Art Place presents annual exhibition of works by recent Baltimore-area Masters of Fine Art graduates. Artists’ talks and reception 6-8pm. Exhibit thru 10/27. FREE. Maryland Art Place, 8 Market Pl. # 100.

Friday July 1 Red, White & Rainbow: Queer Comedy!: Laugh your butt off with N.Y. comedians Jessica Halem and Ben Lerman, performing radical, political, and tender-loving music and comedy. $10-15, 8pm. The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org R. Kelly “Love Letters Tour 2011”: With special guests Keyshia Cole and Marshia Ambrosius. 8pm. $77.50 - 99.50. 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. BaltimoreArena.com Eclipse! at Club Orpheus: Dance to a mesmerizing light show with video projectors, lasers and strobes. 9pm every Friday. 18+. Club Orpheus, 1003 E. Pratt St. ClubOrpheus.com

BINGO!: Hosted by Roger Dimick. Cash prizes and progressive jackpot. Proceeds benefit GLCCB. 8:30pm. Club Hippo, 1 W.Eager St. ClubHippo.com Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band: Part of the Strathmore Free Outdoor Summer Concert Series, this 14-piece orchestra combines West African styles with American pop beats. 7pm. FREE. Gudelsky Concert Gazebo, 5301 Tuckerman Ln., N. Bethesda. Strathmore.org Living the Full Rainbow Flag: Group connecting LQBTQ & Allies in the UU community who face oppression for supporting full LGBT equality. 7:15pm. $20 for 5 classes. Registration info. 301.493.8300 or jwilson@cedarlane.org. Cedar Lane UU Church, 9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda. CedarLane.org

Thursday July 7 Rockapella: America’s favorite a cappella group swings with glee club harmony and vocal pyrotechnics sure to leave you cheering for more. 7:30pm. $30-50. Meyerhoff, 1212 Cathedral St. 17th-Annual Philadelphia QFest Begins & Opening Party: The 17th edition of Philadelphia QFest launches with two opening night features and opening night party. 9:30pm-12:30am. Thru 7/18. Qfest.com Flicks From The Hill: AVAM’s Outdoor Movie Series: Grab a blanket, picnic under the stars, & watch a great film selection inspired by American Visionary Arts Museum’s current exhibition: What Makes Us Smile? 9pm. Fridays thru 8/25. FREE. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway.

Friday July 8 Eclipse! at Club Orpheus: Dance to a mesmerizing light show with video projectors, lasers and strobes. 9pm every Friday. 18+. Club Orpheus, 1003 E. Pratt St. ClubOrpheus.com Anthology I, A Short Film Collaboration Presented by Parallel Octave: It’s a music video! It’s a Greek chorus! Parallel Octavechorus records poems with live improvised music. Music videos followed by a live performance. 7pm. $5-10. Creative Alliance at The Patterson: 3134 Eastern Ave. CreativeAlliance.org Baltimore Playwrights Festival Presents: The Sculptress: The first Baltimore Playwrights Festival show, The Sculptress, by Marilyn Millstone. $12. Thru 7/31. Fells Point Corner Theatre, 251 S. Ann St. FPCT.org Compiled by Rachel Roth & Scott FitzPatrick For additional details and more events, please visit the Gay Life Calendar online at BaltimoreGayLife.com/Events Email your event info to Calendar@BaltimoreGayLife.com

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 PAGE 17

TRANSMISSIONS Continued from page 16

SPEAKING OUT Continued from page 16

So in a century’s time we’ve gone from children becoming gender segregated at age six or so, to having “gender reveals” before a kid is even born. Enter into this era Baby Storm.

“When I was first published in 1987, no mainstream commercial publisher would consider my book for a nanosecond. Only niche publishers catering to lesbians and feminist wanted books with big old queers taking center stage. Now, in the UK at least, pretty much every big house has starry lesbian authors headlining their catalogues. ...My latest book, Trick of the Dark, is chock-full of lesbians, and everywhere except in the U.S. it’s being published by all my usual publishers,” McDermid said in an interview with Sinclair Sexsmith, who runs the award-winning personal online writing project, “Sugarbutch Chronicles: The Sex, Gender, and Relationship Adventures of a Kinky Queer Butch Top” at SugarButch.net.

Storm is the child of Kathy Witterick and David Stocker of Toronto. After experiences with her first two children, Kio and Jazz, the couple decided to go very much the opposite route of the “gender reveal party.” They’ve opted to not reveal Baby Storm’s sex, letting hir decide on hir own. “We’ve decided not to share Storm’s sex for now—a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm’s lifetime (a more progressive place? ...)” was how the email to family and friends from Stocker and Witterick read. So much for pink and blue icing. Unlike the way this story has been framed in much of the media—and certainly in the conservative arenas that have painted the story as that of the “genderless child”—those closest to Storm do know and acknowledge hir sex. Further, Storm will also have plenty of say in how they choose to present when the time comes. This is about the family resisting the barrage of messages from well-meaning outsiders trying to tell Baby Storm how to should act depending on birth sex. I mentioned the media and others above. The usual talking heads have weighed in, claiming all sorts of psychological damage that Baby Storm will face, let alone accusing Witterick and Stocker of abuse simply for not disclosing their child’s gender. No such accusations are leveled at those who feel it necessary to equip their young ones with tiny baseball hats and denim-patterned diapers to somehow preserve their masculinity—let alone monsters like Pedro Jones who pummeled a 17-month-old baby in his care to death because, “I was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl.” In a world with gender division forced that strongly, I wish Baby Storm and hir parents the best of luck, and hope that their stance may make it safer for other children to express themselves without having a gender forced on them from before birth. That would be a fad I could get behind. Gwen Smith thinks Storm is also one heck of a cool name. You can find her at GwenSmith.com PAGE 18 • JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2011

As an African American lesbian, however, I don’t have the luxury to entertain if I am a “writer” or a “lesbian writer” or a “black writer,” because I write at the intersections of where my race, class, gender, and sexual orientation give visibility to my experience and authenticity to my voice. In 2002, I attended “Fire and Ink: A Writer’s Festival for LGBT people of African Descent.” It was a historic

event that took place on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago. I was delighted to be a part of the event because never have I been at a writers’ conference where all the participants were both black and queer. Many of us looked at each other and asked if this was really happening. The goal of the event was to bring together LGBT writers, thinkers, teachers, and publishing and media professionals of African descent to discuss the position and importance of African diasporic LGBT literature. The exclusion we experience from publishing houses and the literary world due to homophobia and/or racism, at best, departmentalizes our works as either black or queer; thus erasing the LGBT-of-African-descent literary canon, and, at worst, rendering us invisible and muting our voice. Being both of African descent and queer creates a distinctive epistemology that shapes not only our identity but it also shapes our distinctive interpretative lens we zoom on the world about politics, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, arts, music, and, of course, literature.

MICHALSKI from page 5

GL: How did you get involved with hosting the 510 Reading Series, and why is it important for the Baltimore literary scene?

JM: Gregg Wilhelm (of the CityLit Project) and I were hosting monthly writers’

happy hours in Baltimore as a way for local writers to meet and network. I met the novelist Michael Kimball, who had just moved from New York, at one of them. He didn’t understand why there weren’t any dedicated fiction reading series in Baltimore. I really couldn’t answer why, but I was happy to try and start one together. We found that there was a great need for this sort of thing—I think we’ve had close to 200 writers come through the series, from as far as South Africa, Toronto, the UK.

GL: Where can we find you in the coming months? JM: I’m always at the 510 Readings, every third Saturday at 5 p.m. at Minás Gallery.

I’m the editor of an online lit quarterly, jmww (jmww.150m.com), and I interview other writers at the online site The Nervous Breakdown (thenervousbreakdown. com/author/jmichalski/). I like meeting other writers in Baltimore and am happy when someone comes up, even in the supermarket, and introduces him or herself. I love that Baltimore is such a small place and that I always run into people when I’m out and about. It makes me feel like my family is very, very large, and it’s a comforting feeling. DETAILS: JenMichalski.com for information on current publications, bio, and to purchase her work. Close Encounters, by Jen Michalski, So New Media, $10. 2010 Press 53 Open Awards Anthology, Kevin Morgan Watson, ed., ISBN: 978-1-935-70807-0, Paperback, $16.

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