Editor Michael Montlack has assembled an anthology of a hundred gay poets--award winners and fresh voices--in thrall with female icons throughout the ages ranging from Gloria Swanson to Mary J, Blige, from Edith Piaf to Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler to Lady Gaga. These are not merely appreciations of the gorgeous and daring but poems that are confessional to bittersweet to witty.
From USA Today bestselling authors Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens comes murder, magic, and laughter on the bayou... There’s magic in the air at The Mansion at Mystic Isle where Melanie Hamilton works—magic everywhere. The Federation of Magicians has contracted to hold their annual show at the resort on the bayou, and Melanie's excited to join in the fun—nothing like a little hocus pocus to liven things up, right? The winner’s own show and a huge cash prize guarantees stiff competition. And speaking of stiffs, when the contest frontrunner turns up dead, Mel, Jack Stockton, and the staff at the resort rally to chase down the culprit. Is one magician so desperate for fame and fortune they’d kill for it, or is there another reason to work some black magic? Mel conjures up several suspects, but the adept sleight of hand conceals the identity of the murderer. Will an abracadabra and the wave of a magic wand catch the killer, or will it be Mel who disappears? Mystic Isle Mysteries: Mystic Mayhem (book #1) Mystic Mojo (shorts story in the Killer Beach Reads collection) Mystic Mistletoe Murder (book #2) Mystic Mischief (book #3) Mystic Deception (book #4) "Writing team Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens, a top all-time favorite, have penned a well-written and exciting series with a Southern flair, combining cheeky characters, humorous foibles, and of course, a clever cozy murder mystery." —Kings River Life Magazine
Family continues to be a wellspring of inspiration and learning for Blanco. His third book of poetry, Looking for The Gulf Motel is a genealogy of the heart, exploring how his family's emotional legacy has shaped—and continues shaping—his perspectives. The collection is presented in three movements, each one chronicling his understanding of a particular facet of life from childhood into adulthood. As a child born into the milieu of his Cuban exiled familia, the first movement delves into early questions of cultural identity and their evolution into his unrelenting sense of displacement and quest for the elusive meaning of home. The second begins with poems peering back into family again, examining the blurred lines of gender, the frailty of his father-son relationship, and the intersection of his cultural and sexual identities as a Cuban-American gay man living in rural Maine. In the last movement, poems focused on his mother's life shaped by exile, his father's death, and the passing of a generation of relatives, all provide lessons about his own impermanence in the world and the permanence of loss. Looking for the Gulf Motel is looking for the beauty of that which we cannot hold onto, be it country, family, or love.
This book presents interviews with eight gay men who are celebrated American poets and writers, discussing their early lives, friends and communities that shaped their work, histories of gay writers before them, how sex and desire connect with artistic production, and what coming out means to a writer.
A wonderful collaboration, containing the poetry of Linda Joy Burke, Lenett Nefertiti Allen, Jaki-Terry, and Chezia Thompson-Cager. This mesmerizing collection of verse is as diverse and inspiring as the women who wrote these poems.
The diva a central figure in the landscape of contemporary popular culture: gossip-generating, scandal-courting, paparazzi-stalked. And yet the diva is at the epicentre of creative endeavours that resonate with contemporary feminist ideas, kick back against diminished social expectations, boldly call-out casual sexism and industry misogyny and, in terms of hip-hop, explores intersectional oppressions and unapologetically celebrates non-white cultural heritages. Diva beats and grooves echo across culture and politics in the West: from the borough to the White House, from arena concerts to nightclubs, from social media to social activism, from #MeToo to Black Lives Matter. Diva: Feminism and Fierceness from Pop to Hip-Hop addresses the diva phenomenon and its origins: its identity politics and LGBTQ+ components; its creativity and interventions in areas of popular culture (music, and beyond); its saints and sinners and controversies old and new; and its oppositions to, and recuperations by, the establishment; and its shifts from third to fourth waves of feminism. This co-edited collection brings together an international array of writers from new voices to established names. The collection scopes the rise to power of the diva (looking to Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, Grace Jones, and Aaliyah), then turns to contemporary diva figures and their work (with Beyoncé, Amuro Namie, Janelle Monáe, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and Nicki Minaj), and concludes by considering the presence of the diva in wider cultures, in terms of gallery curation, theatre productions, and stand-up comedy.
You are meant to live with grace, style, wisdom, and boundless joy. With this unique book, you can set free your inner diva and let your fabulousity shine through every day! Putting a fun and fresh spin on the art of card reading, professional tarot reader Sasha Graham unveils the magic and mystery of a tarot deck. She shows that the tarot is much more than a deck of cards—it's a fantastic tool for embracing your beauty, unleashing your power, and enriching your life. For beginners and seasoned professionals alike, Tarot Diva teaches tarot basics and presents creative new ways to explore each card's particular energies: meditations, exercises, recipes, spells, charms, and even fashion tips. You'll weave enchantment through every aspect of your life...and discover the diva within. Manifest your wishes by casting powerful tarot spells Re-create delicious recipes that invoke tarot archetypes Peek into your future with divinatory spreads Create cool charms to channel your inner power Praise: "What tarot needs—right now—is Sasha Graham."—Rachel Pollack, award-winning author of 78 Degrees of Wisdom "One of our star students, Sasha Graham, has filled us with pride and admiration with this sparkling new approach to teaching tarot. Tarot Diva is packed with solid tarot knowledge infused with modern magic, power, and fun."—Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, directors of The Tarot School "A novel and fun approach that results in a greater understanding and interaction with tarot's rich imagery."—Ciro Marchetti, creator of The Gilded Tarot "Sasha Graham is intuitive, inventive, and a gifted story teller. She not only tells you how to read the tarot, but also what it feels like to read and why you would want to."—Robert M. Place, author of The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination
