The Homoerotic Photograph: Male Images from Durieu/Delacroix to Mapplethorpe
By Allen Ellenzweig • Columbia University Press.

Allen Ellenzweig traces the male gaze upon men as captured by the camera throughout the history of photography. More than one hundred striking, provocative duotone photographs reflect a wide-ranging history of photographic male homoeroticism and the spiritual, physical, and intellectual exchange among men. Accompanying these images is a detailed account of the multiple, complex meanings of the homoerotic that have taken shape from the 1850s to today. 

Ellenzweig situates each of his artists within their historical context, with chapters devoted to specific photographers and eras. He begins with nineteenth-century French photographer Eugène Durieu and his studies of the male nude, created under the direction of painter Eugène Delacroix. He then takes readers all the way through the rebellious 1960s and the disputes surrounding Robert Mapplethorpe’s controversial retrospective in 1989 and 1990. 

Showing that homoeroticism in photography is anything but a contemporary invention, Ellenzweig unites photographers across the stylistic spectrum within a theme that came to inspire a host of larger spiritual, physical, and intellectual ideals.

De Ville’s deft hand takes readers on Victoria’s and Natalie’s sweet and spicy adventures, which span from a tranquil, but boring, country village, to the bright lights of “The City,” to sizzling South Beach. This is a journey that is both playful and sensual, yet plagued with drama, intrigue and surprises. Along the way, Victoria and Natalie encounter jealousy, betrayal, heartbreak, embezzlement, rape, ruffies, death and pregnancy at the hands of bi-sexual husbands, a controlling and bitchy mother, back-stabbing best friends and, of course, a pair of fabulous gay fashion designers.

The story of these two lovers culminates in the birth of Natalie’s daughter, the green-eyed Bella, who will grow up to become the infatuation of Victoria’s two sons, Ben and Bob.

“I wanted to communicate to the world through these two characters that love is love, nothing more, nothing less,” says De Ville. “It doesn’t matter who you love as long as you love.  We all deserve the happiness that being in love provides.”

Available on www.Firedeville.com as Kindle or in soft or hard cover. Also available on Amazon.com, and selected bookstores nationwide. Prices from $5.99.

In honor of World AIDS Day this year, Bluewater Productions will be releasing the “Lost Raven” graphic novel digitally on Itunes, Kindle & Nook. 

Writer Darren G. Davis’ fiction graphic novel tells the story of an HIV positive person from a different perspective. “I wanted to make a difference in the HIV world and most of the movies and books were about people dying.  I wanted to tell it from the other side, the person that manages it from a living perspective”, said Davis,  “It’s not touchy-feeling,” he adds. “It’s basically raw emotion. Plus, it has a lot of cool monsters in it.”

Based on the entries of Davis' journal from the time he was diagnosed with the HIV virus. The "Lost Raven" is a great source of information to anyone who would become HIV positive.  "This is no longer just a gay disease,  I wrote the book so anyone with HIV can identify with it.  I was  fired from my job after they found out I was HIV positive.  This book should help reduce the stigma of being HIV positive…which has its own challenges."

On December 1st, you will be able to download these titles on Wowio, Comixology, DriveThru Comics, My Digital Comics, Iverse, PanelFly, iTunes, Kindle, Nook, Kobo and wherever eBooks are sold.

Bluewater  Production will be releasing a biography on famed HIV artist Keith Haring called “Milestones of Art: Keith Haring: Next Stop Art”. For more information visit www.bluewaterprod.com.

In such chapters as "Miracle Whip on 34th Street," "Eat Meat in St. Louis," and "Munch of the Wooden Soldiers," DeCaro dishes up a smorgasbord of culinary delights that will enliven any holiday gathering.

Tempt your guests with Peggy Lee’s Holiday Halibut Casserole, Burl Ives’s Stuffed Leg of Goat Hawaiian, Lucille Ball’s Brazil Nut Stuffing, Nat "King" Cole’s Baked Ham Loaf, Guy Lombardo’s Lobster Lombardo, Dick Clark’s Spicy Turkey Meatloaf, Rosemary Clooney’s Viennese Goulash, Bing Crosby’s Sugar Cookies, Shirley Booth’s Pumpkin Bread, Dinah Shore’s Fruitcake, and Spike Jones’s Molasses Jumbles. Then wash them all down with Robert Mitchum’s Eggnog, Edmund Gwenn’s Christmas Cup, or John Lennon’s Hot Cocoa. This star-studded cookbook promises to get even the biggest Scrooge in the holiday spirit and will have you saying your "ho, ho, ho"s in true Hollywood style for many years to come.

Sample Recipes of two of Hollywood's legends:
 
Robert Mitchum 1917-1997
Robert Mitchum was a cool cat and a real Hollywood he-man who became an actor only as a last recourse. He spent much of his early life being what used to be called a “delinquent.” His bad boy reputation was hard-won. He was expelled from schools, he did time on a chain gang, he had a nervous breakdown—the man did it all . . . and survived! He took his tough-as-nails street cred and parlayed it into a fantastic career playing prototypical antiheroes in the movies.
He started as a villain in Hopalong Cassidy movies in the early 1940s, then segued into war pictures including 1944’s Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. Noir films came next like Jacques Tourneur’s 1947 classic Out of the Past and Don Siegel’s 1949 The Big Steal. Holiday Affair was a bit of a switch for Mitchum.
In the 1950s, Otto Preminger cast him as an ambulance driver in 1952’s Angel Face; actor-turned-director Charles Laughton gave him the chilling role of a religious fanatic in the 1955 cult favorite Night of the Hunter, and John Huston shipwrecked him with a nun (Deborah Kerr) in 1957’s Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison.
Mitchum worked steadily in films throughout the 1960s and ’70s. Among his best known works are the thriller Cape Fear in 1962 and David Lean’s 1970 epic Ryan’s Daughter. He played Philip Marlowe in 1975’s Farewell, My Lovely and 1978’s The Big Sleep, too. Focusing on television in the ’80s, Mitchum made appearances in two miniseries, North and South and War and Remembrance. He also played the role of a police lieutenant in the 1991 remake of Cape Fear. How cool is that?
When asked for a holiday recipe back in 1970, Mitchum offered up his eggnog for a crowd. “I make no apology for the excessive quantity,” Mitchum told the food writer who’d requested the recipe. “Only a dope would go to the trouble for less.” It’ll be perfect for any holiday affair you might throw . . .

Robert Mitchum's Eggnog
12 egg yolks
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1 quart rum, brandy, or whiskey
2 quarts cream
1 quart milk
12 egg whites
½ teaspoon salt

Beat egg yolks and confectioners’ sugar together in a large bowl. Beat in the rum, brandy or whisky. Add cream and milk. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with salt until stiff but not dry. Fold this mixture into the liquid. Chill. Serves 20.

Rosemary Clooney, 1928-2002
Let’s get this out of the way first: Yes, she was the aunt of a certain hunk named George. But the most important thing to know about Rosemary Clooney is not that she had a famous nephew who launched millions of carnal fantasies, but that she had one of the greatest voices of the twentieth century.
Singing professionally since her teens, the Kentucky-born singer-actress found fame in the 1950s via a string of novelty hits including “Come On-a My House” and “Mambo Italiano.” Audiences adored these funny little songs, but she wasn’t nearly as enamored of them. Clooney wanted to be known as the woman who infused standards like “Hey There” with longing, not the gal who sang-a “Botch-a-Me.” The woman wasn’t even Italian!
Clooney appeared in White Christmas, which would be the pinnacle of her film career, because she knew starring alongside Bing Crosby would lift her career to new levels. (She’s quite clear about that in an interview that accompanies the Blu-ray edition of the film.) Help her career it did. Not only did Clooney’s star turn as girl-singer Betty Haynes in the 1954 film boost her standing in show business, it established her friendship with Crosby. The two later did a concert tour of Ireland together. And Clooney’s appearance on a 1978 TV celebration of Crosby’s 50th year in show business is considered instrumental in her comeback.
Sadly, Clooney was coming back from a period that hadn’t been kind to her. Diagnosed as bipolar, she had a tumultuous relationship with husband José Ferrer—she married, divorced, and remarried him despite his infidelities. He cheated on her on their honeymoon, as the story goes. Their union produced five children, including the talented actor Miguel Ferrer who first made a splash on Twin Peaks.
Clooney was appearing on behalf of Robert F. Kennedy when he was assassinated. She had a nervous breakdown shortly thereafter. In the late 1960s, she became addicted to pills. Then in 1976, her sister Betty, with whom she’d performed a sister act early in her career, died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. Worst of all, perhaps, Clooney was becoming known as the jingle-singing spokeswoman for Coronet paper towels rather than as a fabulous jazz performer. She recounts all this in two autobiographies, This for Remembrance and Girl Singer. Despite all the words, Publisher’s Weekly said she “remains an enigma.”
Clooney died of lung cancer at the too-young age of 74. She’d found love, though, with an old friend later in life and she saw the respect of an audience who appreciates the depth of emotion she brought to songs . . . and who continues to adore (sorry, Rosie, we can’t help it) those faux-Italian novelty hits she spiced up so many years ago. Here’s a dish from another culture of which Clooney was not a part, Viennese Goulash. You were expecting spaghetti and meatballs? Whatsamattahyou?

Rosemary Clooney's Viennese Goulash
2 teaspoons marjoram
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon rind
1 clove garlic
¾ cup butter
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 pounds onions, sliced
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
2 pounds chuck, rump, or round beef, cut into large chunks
1½ cups water
Salt, to taste
¼ cup flour, optional

Using a mortar and pestle, or a small grinder, crush together the marjoram, caraway seeds, lemon rind and garlic.
In a Dutch oven, melt the butter, add the tomato paste and crushed seasoning and stir to combine. Add the sliced onions and, stirring constantly, sauté until golden. Add the paprika and cook for a minute more, stirring constantly. Add the beef, one cup of water, and salt to taste.
Cover and simmer until the beef is tender, about 90 minutes. Add more water during cooking, if needed. Before the goulash is done, add another half cup of water and bring the sauce to a boil. If more sauce is desired, sprinkle the meat with ¼ cup flour and add another cup of water and bring to a boil.
Serve the goulash with egg noodles or boiled potatoes. Serves 6.

For more information visit www.deadcelebritycookbook.com.

LAND OF 10,000 LOVES: A History of Queer Minnesota


In Land of 10,000 Loves, Stewart Van Cleve blends oral history, archival narrative, newspaper accounts, and fascinating illustrations to paint a remarkable picture of Minnesota’s queer history. Land of 10,000 Loves honors this rich and diverse legacy and is a compelling testament to the sacrifices, scandals, and victories that have affected and continue to affect the lives of queer Minnesotans.

PRAISE FOR LAND OF 10,000 LOVES:
"Stewart Van Cleve has gone into the musty archives and brought them to vivid life. His comprehensive and entertaining overview of queer Minnesota history is a total page-turner. This feat is all the more impressive given that he’s writing about people who, for a long time, were trying hard to keep their lives hidden. This important work of regional history is also a kind of family history—documenting our recent past with equal parts painstaking accuracy and unabashed love." --Alison Bechdel, creator of the comic strip DTWOF and former Dyke Heights resident

"Land of 10,000 Loves is in itself an archive of GLBT history, each entry another astute illumination of queer Minnesota places, spaces, and people. We may ourselves be out of the closet, but too much of our history is still hidden. This compendium is a necessary revelation." --Barrie Jean Borich, author of Body Geographic and My Lesbian Husband

"Stewart Van Cleve has made my dream real with this book. I dreamt that scholars, one day, would use the Tretter Collection to reflect our queer world back to us. You will learn something reading this book, find some new story you missed because you were too young, too old, or just not in the right place at the right time. It is rich, wide-ranging, and very smart. May many others be inspired to follow his lead." --Patrick Scully, founder, Patrick's Cabaret

LAND OF 10,000 LOVES • by Stewart Van Cleve • University of Minnesota Press • 344 pages  • paperback $24.95

Stewart Van Cleve is a former assistant curator of the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies at the University of Minnesota.

Everyone's favorite little curious monkey has a new adventure when he discovers homo-erotic feelings stirring within. 

George the straight little monkey was always too curious see one day a man with a sassy purple beret… This is the moment where everything is changing, and this classic children's book turns into a book full of  surprises.as the adventures begin. George got excited,  and when this happens the real George is coming out as the  Bi-Curious George and the saga begins.

You don't want me to spoil it for you so I will have to just say this, Get the book and find out how gay George is… and if and how and who is the lucky…m…

This book is for gay adults and it is hilariously clever parody of one of the most beloved classic children's books of all time.

Bi Curious George: An Unauthorized Parody • by Cider Mill Press• $14.95 Hardcover  

Taking female empowerment to the extreme

Novel takes place against a murderous and erotic backdrop

Female empowerment has become a predominant topic in today’s culture, with a growing a fascination of strong, independent women who use their intelligence and sex appeal to influence those around them. Brenda G. Wright’s debut novel, Angel: A Hustling Diva with a Twist, shows what happens when female empowerment turns deadly.

In this erotic novel, Angel, an independent Columbian assassin, uses her beauty and charm to seek vengeance on males who have wronged her in the past. Armed with sex appeal and heavy artillery, Angel is a strong, self-confident woman overcoming her rough childhood and fighting for her own personal justice.

“In reality, some things happen that are beyond our control,” author Wright said. “To actually see a female take charge for a change is unbelievable to me. We see action movies with men starring in them, but not too many females carry the artillery.”

Wright says she hopes her novel empowers women to take charge of their own lives. The action-packed, murderous plot provides an extreme example of the capabilities of women.

171 pages • Paperback • Retail price: $19.99 • Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble

About the author
Brenda Gean Wright was born in St. Louis and raised by her father after her mother died when she was 12 years old. She graduated from Summer High School and studied to be a medical assistant in college. She has been happily married to her husband, William, for 15 years. She has two children (James and Christina), two stepchildren (Orlando and Reshunda) and nine grandchildren. Her hobbies include cooking and baking, and she plans to return to school to earn her M.B.A.

By Deanna Brann, Ph.D.

Jackie was sitting on the couch trying to read, but she kept getting distracted and then she’d fidget. Her partner Terry was in the kitchen making coffee, and she couldn’t help noticing that Jackie was obviously stewing about something.
“What’s going on?” she asked Jackie. “You OK?” Although Jackie had been trying to stay calm, she found it hard to contain herself.
“Why does she have to be like that?” Jackie blurted out. Terry hated the sound of that. Something was definitely up.
“She who?” Terry asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.
 “Your mother!” Jackie shot back exasperated, and with a definite edge to her voice. Terry dreaded what she knew would come next.
“What are you talking about?” she asked Jackie. “What did she do?”
Jackie couldn’t believe Terry was asking that. Why doesn’t she ever see it? she thought. I mean, it’s so obvious! She stood up and walked into the kitchen where Terry was sitting.
 “What she always does!” she responded. “She always takes over. Like her thoughts and opinions are the only ones that count. She treats me like I’m not even here…like I don’t matter!”
Terry started to feel sick inside. Jackie’s complaints about Terry’s mother were nothing new, but Terry had no idea how to respond. She wished she could fix the problem, but she had no idea how to even start to address it. Why can’t they just get along? she thought to herself.
“So what did she say?” Terry asked, trying to sound supportive.
 “Where do I begin?” Jackie shot back, on the verge of screaming. “She was over here earlier, helping me plan Kristen’s birthday party, although I’d hardly call it helping. Every time I brought up something I wanted to do, she had to say why my idea wasn’t any good. Then she’d tell me what I should do, which totally ticked me off….” Terry knew where this was going.
“So did you say anything to her?” she asked without thinking, wanting to head the conversation in a different direction. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew it was a mistake. Jackie stopped talking and gave Terry a look she knew only too well.
“Of course I didn’t! You know how your mother is. Why does she have to be like that? Kristen’s our child. We should be able to do what we want!” Terry tried to interject, but it was too late. Jackie was on a roll.

What happened between Jackie and Terry is a pretty common experience for many couples—gay or straight. The bottom line is that when you’re in any type of intimate relationship, the relationship does not include just you and your spouse or partner. It actually includes your extended families as well. And that, for better or worse, usually includes mothers-in-law!

Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law have struggled for centuries, with each side blaming the other. Of course this relationship is difficult, most of us think. Look who I’m dealing with! But no matter how justified your feelings are, the truth is that harboring such resentment will kill any chance you may have of making the relationship better. And no matter how bad you are convinced things are between you, it is possible to improve the situation. Trust me. It may not be easy, and it may not happen quickly. But you can make inroads with your in-laws if you’re willing to take a big step back and look at both your in-law and your relationship from a new and different perspective.
The first step toward changing your relationship for the better forever is understanding why the relationship is so difficult in the first place. Let’s look at the five reasons why mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships are challenging.
 

•  It’s an artificial relationship. If you think about it, as a mother-in-law or daughter-in-law, you did not choose to be in relationship with this other woman. The only reason you are in a relationship with her is because you both love the same person—her daughter/your partner. And so the two of you are quickly thrown together to forge a relationship before you really have a chance to know who the other woman is as an individual.
• You are both at different stages in your lives and in different emotional places. Your mother-in-law has already done the things you are just beginning to do. She’s established herself in all areas of her life—as an adult woman, as a mother, and often also in a career. You are beginning this part of your journey, figuring out who you are and what your place is going to be in the world. You are still determining what you want and how you plan to get it. To add yet another layer to that, the two of you are also in different emotional places. Your mother-in-law sees life differently now from how she did when she was your age. She tends to focus on the past, remembering about what was, while you’re looking to the future, creating the life you want.
•  You both bring your own personal history and emotional baggage. We all have emotional baggage based on our life experiences and personal history. And these past experiences affect who we are and how we feel about ourselves. They also affect how we experience other people, how we experience new situations, and how we react to both.
•  You each have your own unique perception—or rather misperception. Perception is a funny thing. We all use our perceptions as a gauge to interpret what we see. We honestly believe that the way we perceive things is real—that it is The Truth. But in reality, our personal history is constantly at work behind the scene, coloring and shaping what we see and experience. The truth is that there is seldom ever one right way to look at anything. There are as many different ways to perceive something, as there are people to perceive it.
• You each react to things based on your own perception. Just as your perception can be a bit skewed because of your history and emotional baggage, your reaction can also be a bit off. And how you respond to someone will affect how your in-law then responds to you. You can’t immediately get her to perceive what you say or do differently, but you can change how you react to her perceptions.

So just for a moment, put aside your resentment and think about these five points and how they relate to you, to your in-law, and to your relationship. Understanding why this relationship is so difficult can shed a different light on some of these highly charged experiences so they don’t seem quite so horrific. And even a small bit of understanding will, in turn, help you start to shift how you feel about your relationship with your in-law.
Remember, it’s not about who is right and who is wrong. It’s about making the relationship more tolerable. And who knows? It might someday end up being really good. Believe me, it happens! As in international diplomacy, when one side starts to understand where the other is coming from, whether they agree with that way of thinking or not, the situation often naturally becomes a little less volatile. And that is the start of something beautiful—for all three of you.

Dr. Deanna Brann • Author of Reluctantly Related:
Secrets To Getting Along With Your Mother-in-Law or Daughter-in-Law • www.DrDeannaBrann.com

In how well or badly our relationships are with one another.
One person CAN change their relationship with another.
You have to take responsibility AND take action to create what you want in life.
You can change your relationship without confronting or challenging the other person.
“Our broad society is all too quick to simply make jokes about problems with mothers-in-law,” notes Dr. Brann, “while in fact the vast majority of marriages have MIL/DIL difficulties of some nature.” As a result, there is surprisingly little research and literature on the subject until now. Reluctantly Related truly offers hope and practical, step-by-step, hands-on solutions.