Books

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Benjamin Alire Sáenz: “I am the luckiest.” On Writing Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World

Since its publication nearly a decade ago, Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe has been widely regarded and accepted as a seminal young adult novel in the queer literary canon. Sáenz’s lyrical and beautiful novel about two Latinx boys becoming best friends and falling in love has been beloved among queer readers of all ages in the years since, prompting a sequel that released October 15, 2021, Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World. I spoke with Sáenz via email about the new novel, his unique writing style, and what readers can expect from […]

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‘Hidden Mercy’ shines light on nuns, priests who responded to AIDS with compassion

In 1986, the Vatican released a letter condemning homosexuality with what The New York Times called a “pointed allusion to AIDS.”  A year later, nearly 48,000 Americans had died from the disease.  Even as the death toll rose, the Roman Catholic Church reinforced its stance and also opposed the gay and lesbian rights movement more generally, creating an ongoing tension. Despite this, some nuns and priests went against those teachings and worked behind the scenes to care for and sit at the bedsides of people dying from AIDS-related illnesses. A new book, “Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in […]

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12 superheroes who came out in 2021

Comics fans are still reeling from the news that next-generation Superman Jonathan Kent, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, is bisexual. Although DC shared the news on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day, Kent will explore his feelings for another young man in “Superman: Son of Kal-El” No. 5, dropping in November. Queer representation in comic books has exploded in recent years, but in 2021 it went supernova: In part that’s due to an expanding presence in sci-fi TV shows and — with the release of Marvel’s “Eternals” next month — a blockbuster movie.  Below we celebrate a dozen […]

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First Trans Amazon introduced by DC Comics In ‘Wonder Woman’

The world of DC Comics-Warner Brothers became more LGBTQ+ inclusive this weekend as the venerable comic book franchise of Wonder Woman expanded with the introduction of the character of Bia, a Black trans woman, in the first issue of the series Nubia & The Amazons. Earlier this month on National Coming Out Day, the canon of the Superman series changedfor the life of Jon Kent, the Superman of Earth and son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, taking a bold new direction. After initially striking up a friendship with reporter Jay Nakamura, he and Jon become romantically involved, making Kent an Out […]

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Mouths of Rain Showcases the Richness of Black Lesbian Intellectual Life

Mouths of Rain is a distinct anthology of writings from Black lesbian intellectuals, showcasing the creativity and depth of thought in the community over the last century. Edited by Briona Simone Jones, a doctoral candidate at Michigan State University’s English department, it features academic essays, personal recollections, short fiction, and poetry. The anthology boasts works from well-known figures such as Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, and Ma Rainey, as well less prominent but equally as insightful authors. The title of the anthology is inspired by Lorde’s “Love Poem,” with its line “carved out by the mouth of rain.” As Cheryl Clarke writes […]

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Peter Staley’s memoir of the early years of ACT UP is unbearably suspenseful

Peter Staley’s much-anticipated new memoir, Never Silent, opens with almost unbearable nail-biting suspense, sweeping us into the behind-the-scenes machinations of an ACT UP takeover of the New York Stock Exchange at opening bell. It’s legitimately dangerous, timed to the second, and absolutely thrilling, written with the intensity of a spy novel. For that matter, the phrase “No Time to Die” more perfectly captures the haunted and mortality-driven triumphs of ACT UP better than any of the antics James Bond might conjure. Staley is just getting started, with nearly every significant ACT UP action of their heyday re-lived in vivid detail on […]

LGBTQ History Month: 17 must-read books about queer history

In honor of LGBTQ History Month, celebrated every October, here are books that aim to shed light on and clarify significant historical moments that informed and shaped the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights movement. 1. “The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle” by Lillian Faderman A thorough introduction to the history of the gay and lesbian civil rights movements, this book chronicles the early struggles of LGBTQ individuals from the 1950s to present day using a compilation of enlightening interviews with politicians, military officials and members of the community. The Gay Revolution$15.99BOOKS A MILLION$15.99KOBO$16.77$21.00AMAZON 2. “And […]

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“Radiant Fugitives:” A Family and Country Test Their Capacity for Change

“All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time,” Barack Obama said in Cairo in 2009. “The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort … to find common ground.” Just pages before the end of his debut novel, Radiant Fugitives, Nawaaz Ahmed turns to this quote, crystallizing what has become, by that point, one of the book’s major themes: the struggle to forge a path through estrangement and open oneself to potential togetherness. (Far from feeling redundant, Obama’s words poignantly steer the novel’s […]

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Book Launch of “Generation Occupy” by Michael Levitin at OCA Oct. 17

Sunday, October 17th 4pm. Book Launch. Occidental Center for the Arts auditorium. Generation Occupy: Reawakening American Democracy by Michael Levitin. Free event, donations welcome.Proof of vaccination/ID required at the door, masking while indoors. Selected readings, book sales and author signing. Refreshments available for sale. OCA: 3850 Doris Murphy Court, corner of Bohemian and Graton Rds. Go to occidentalcenterforthearts.org or (707) 874-9392 for more info. OCA is accessible to people with disabilities. 

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It’s official: Superman is queer

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DC Comics has celebrated National Coming Out Day by confirming a long-rumored development: Superman has officially come out as bisexual. To be clear: this is not the well-known Clark Kent/Kal-El Superman; rather, his son, Jon Kent. GayTimesreports that DC has confirmed the character will officially come out in the pages of Superman: Son of Kal-El on October 9. “I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes and I’m very grateful DC and Warner Bros. share this idea,” Tom Taylor, writer of the book, said in a statement. “Superman’s symbol has always stood for hope, for truth and for justice. Today, that […]

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