In case you haven’t heard, Go Deeper Press recently launched a new anthology called Alternative Fucks. This hot collection features a few reprints (like my story “Spongebath Squeezepants”) along with some fresh material (Natty Solestz – “Ex Sex”, for example!).
All proceeds go to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). To celebrate, we put together an impromptu blog tour. Five questions – unique answers. Here are mine:
What group did you hang out with in high school?
In high school, I was lucky enough to fall in with the Band Geeks. Lucky, you say? Yes, and I’ll tell you why: being in four different bands (concert, pep, marching, and jazz) throughout all four years of high school allowed me to fall in with a mix of diverse kids ages 14-18 who were, for the most part, talented, smart, and dedicated. If I had just been a freshman at a new school, I never would have met cool upperclassmen that had something in common with me. I truly feel that this group of people helped get me through those delicate, trying years, and I easily made friends for life with a wide variety of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. Also, being part of a clique – even an unpopular one such as the Band Geeks – no doubt kept me from harm with its little insular space automatically woven around me. And not to toot my own horn (pun intended), but I played the shit out of a ton of instruments, including clarinet, saxophone, piano, percussion, flute, oboe, and xylophone.
What is the dirtiest story you’ve ever read?
As a child, I grew up with the paperback version of Xaviera Hollander’s sexy classic “The Happy Hooker” sitting on my parents’ bookshelf. The pink cover first pulled me in like a magnet until I became mesmerized (and turned on) by the raucous adventures of this famous provocateur. I’m not sure why my folks had this book in their possession, as they both seem like serious sexual squares, but hey, they did! It affected me profoundly. Since I was so young, this was definitely the dirtiest book I had ever read up until that point, and sneaking chapters when my parents weren’t around was the start of my sexual education. I don’t think it’s still resting on that bookshelf in my parent’s house any longer, but the next time I make it to Sacramento for a visit, I’ll have to search it out. I’m stealing it if it’s there!
What is your favorite movie and why?
I have so many favorite movies that I find it almost impossible to come up with a Top Ten List, let alone a favorite. However, I think I’ll go with Hello, Dolly! (1969, dir. Gene Kelly) with Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, and Michael Crawford. Why? Because I remember my father taking me to see this film in the movie theater, just the two of us. I was only five years old at the time, but I had been playing the soundtrack on vinyl and was completely taken with Barbra Streisand. Yep, my obsession with Babs started early. I still have my parents’ copy of that LP, and when I flip it open to read the lyrics and liner notes from the movie, I’m catapulted back to my childhood in a flash. I still have every word to every song memorized, it’s so ingrained in me.
On a side note, in gay parlance this means that I’m a Barbra, not a Bette—but now that Bette Midler is set to open as Dolly Levi on Broadway next month, I’m beside myself! I want to be a Bette too, and watching her perform this classic part on the boards would be a dream come true. Why can’t a gay man be both a Barbra AND a Bette?
What is right by your side while you are writing?
If I’m home, then my dog Chavez is constantly by my side while I’m writing. If I’m editing there as well, then my little pipe stuffed with weed is sitting next to me too. Puff puff pass…
What is your dream vacation?
I actually live in my dream city of NYC, so picking a dream vacation feels gluttonous. But if I had to choose a location for a fabulous vacation, I would pick Brazil. I haven’t ever been there, so why that country? Uh, because of those hot, sexy, smoldering, gorgeous Brazilian men! Honestly, every single time I see a photo of men frolicking on the beach in skimpy swimsuits in Rio de Janeiro, I don’t know whether to melt or masturbate. To reiterate my point, here are some websites that feature some of my favorite Brazilian models like Marlon Texeira and Mateus Verdelho: brazilianmalemodel.com, boyrio.com, and madeinbrazil.com. I cannot even imagine sitting on a beach in Brazil surrounded by men who look like these guys; in fact, after just a little taste of such succulent delicacies, I might never come back to New York.
Some of my writer colleagues from the Alternative Fucks anthology have answered the same five questions, and you can read their responses by clicking on the links:
You can purchase the Alternative Fucks anthology at Go Deeper Press, or Amazon (click on the book cover). Get your copy today – all proceeds benefit the ACLU.
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