Short Takes
November 9, 2009
My Romantic/Sexual History: Live!
I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I agreed to write an essay for The Good Man Project. My piece about my education in manhood — which took place in the beds of some extravagantly kind women — was one of 31 in this book; I thought it would get lost. But the editors are real go-getters, and so, on Tuesday, November 17th, at 7 PM, at The Gay Center, 208 West 13th Street, I’m going to be reading my essay and talking about it. My partner in this evening of reading and discussion is Cary Wong, who writes that his experiences with men have left him feeling better off being alone. I’m beyond ambivalent about exposing this NC-17 side of me, but I wrote this thing, I believe in it, and I might as well face the shocked faces of Butler readers who show up. It’s free. For reservations, click here.
November 3, 2009
I Brake for Beauty
A friend made a mix for me. “Another Train” by the Poozies is the second song. Watch/listen and you’ll see/hear why I’m having so much trouble getting to the third song. (Thanks, Bill.)
November 2, 2009
Gonna Fly Now: ‘Canal House Cooking’
Our new favorite cookbook is one of eight to advance to the next round in food52’s Tournament of Cookbooks. The authors are trying hard not to brag, but they won Round 1. And for those who care about celebrity endorsements, Gwyneth Paltrow picked “Canal House Cooking" as one of her four "most notable" cookbooks of 2009.
October 31, 2009
Bette Midler: Force of Nature
For a lot of New Yorkers, Halloween is "Hulaween", Bette Midler’s costume party/benefit for the New York Restoration Project. Don’t know it? Founded by Midler in 1995, this cause is all about dotting our city with clean parks, tree-lined streets and community gardens. Current goal: plant a million trees in New York by 2017. Progress report: more than 200,000 already planted. Friends invited us this year; we couldn’t say yes fast enough. (For the costume obsessed, my wife was the Ghost of Christmas Past, carrying a copy of Dow 36,000 and shopping bags with designer labels; I was Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, with money — fake — stuffed in every pocket.) What a night! Gobs of stars, freaks galore, Whoopi running her mouth, a delightfully obscene Bette, and a heart-stopping, quasi-acoustic set from Crosby, Stills & Nash, who led a group sing of “Our House”. Our favorite new cause is $1.6 million stronger today, and we’re saving our pennies to plant a tree.
October 29, 2009
“The Good Men Project” (and me)
Unknown gents appeared last year with an entreaty: ‘Please contribute an essay to our book about men.’ Flattered, I read their list of suggested topics. One jabbed at me: how sex and drugs wasted the Boomers’ time and purpose. I thought: No way — it’s just the opposite. And I wrote a piece called ‘Sex and Drugs Made Me a Man.’ To my amazement, they published it in “The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood”, along with 30 other essays by Pulitzer winners, Poet Laureates, ex-cons, Pro Football Hall of Famers and regular guys. Despite my presence, it’s a fine collection. You can buy it from Amazon.com, which even offers a Kindle edition.
