“Folsom Forever” Offers the Low Down of SF’s Iconic Gay Event
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The trip starts off all light and love and it is surprising that they actually get to their first destination as they cannot keep their hands off each other and are always making out in the back of the van. However it is inevitable that they cannot avoid the elephant in the room especially when Lukas shares with them the Living Will that he has written that gives them both control rather than his estranged parents.
This well-meaning movie is full of energy and brimming with enthusiastic performances and has a lot to commend it for particularly, in its attempt to de-mystify the whole thruple relationship concept.
C.J. SMYTH – COMMON SHAMAN – DANCING DRAGON MUSIC
I love finding new artists that remind me of other artists, but have their own distinct sound which sets them apart. Georgia native C.J. Smyth’s voice reminds me of the laidback caress of Aimee Mann, her tone takes me to the dark approaches of Mazzy Starr’s Hope Sandoval, and her songwriting echoes the honesty of Joni Mitchell. Not quite Folk, Country or Rock, Smyth falls into the category of Homespun Rock Angels like Sheryl Crow or Alana Davis.
My favorite song on “Common Shaman” is “Open Hand.” It’s complicated lyric can have several interpretations. The chorus says it all for me; “Love me with an open hand it’s all you need to do/ove me with an open hand and I’ll come home to you.” I took this as someone in an abusive relationship who has settled for the circumstances regardless of how destructive, due to drowning in love. Others may see the phrase “open hand” as meaning something inviting or offering. Other lyrics in the song lead to me believe the open hand was of a violent nature; “I know you worry cause I’ve been known to run from pleasure and pain, When it feels like a loaded gun with a shot that bears my name.”
The twelve tracks on C.J. Smyth’s Common Shaman cover a lot of emotion and many points of sadness, however it’s not grim. The relationship songs are complicated as most relationships are and the songs of inspiration are within realistic expectations. Well rounding out the experience are a few upbeat numbers that add richness to the project. Of these, “Sweet Mercy” stands out for me and is geared at being the most commercial. Miranda Lambert would be smart to cover this seductive number with it’s religious undercurrent.
C.J. is a noteworthy up and comer. I’d like our readers to be able to get some insight into someone whom in my opinion knows how to “do it right” when it comes to putting your dreams on the map and letting the cosmos take over from there.
Gaysonama: C.J., I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed your Common Shaman project. I can tell a lot of time, love and emotion went into it. I’d like our readers to get to know you better, so tell me a little about yourself. How did you start out to be a singer-songwiter, what made you select such a sometimes non-rewarding profession, and what were some of the hurdles along the way to this point, your first solo effort?
C.J. Smyth: Bob, thank you for this opportunity to talk with you about “Common Shaman!” I am very happy that you enjoyed the album, and you are right, its creation was an important chapter in my life
To answer your questions, I came to professional songwriting a bit later in life. I played guitar and wrote prose from a young age, and in college decided to try combining the two and loved it. I wrote mostly for my own enjoyment or for friends and family celebrations until I was about 30. At that time I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis and my hands were really being affected, I decided that if I was going to give myself a shot with my music I needed to do it or I might not get the chance. Luckily some new treatments came along a few years later and my hands are still doing well.
My first professional venture was a trio, Cynova, and I wrote all of our original music. We were just starting to talk about cutting a record when one of our group, Valerie Van Zyl, was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer. She died 15 months later just a few weeks before we were to go into the studio. We did go ahead and cut that record “Miracle Alley” with the remaining member Nora-Ellen Long and my partner Kit Thompson filling in for Valerie’s part. We were excited to have it nominated for Pride in the Arts (PITA) Favorite album of 2007.
Afterwards, I wanted to be more intentional about what I created with my life and put out in the world. I worked to get clear on what was important to me and how my music was an expression of that. The songs on “Common Shaman” are a result of that reflection. I also knew from my previous experience that I wanted to have more creative input on the production of this album and it soon became clear it would be a solo project.
Gaysonoma: Starting out later in life reminds me of one of my favorite Country Singers, K.T. Oslin from the later 80s, do you remember her? Seasoned performers even “new to the game” have that built in confidence which is very apparent. You surely have that in common. I noticed your partner Kit is not a performer on Common Shaman. Is Cynova on hiatus for now?
C.J. Smyth: I do remember her, I especially like the tune “Hold Me” such richness and texture in her vocal!
Cynova decided to disband in 2013, after a wonderful 12 year run we all were interested in other directions creatively, luckily it was on good terms, and we support each other 100%. Kit was just helping out with the third harmony part as the songs had been arranged (for which I am grateful!). She did the photography on both albums.
I really wanted “Common Shaman” to develop more organically in terms of supporting vocals and instrumentation and found the perfect producer in John McVey. Rather than take a set arrangement into the studio, John and I worked hard to find the right backing musicians and vocals lines for each tune.
Gaysonoma: Your planning C.J. paid off well. I have listened to thousands of debuts over the years. Many seem to have something a bit off about them. The vocal drowns in parts or some backing tracks seem off. “Common Shaman” was put together very well, so hats off to you and your team! My favorite track is “Open Hand.” Now that I’m speaking to you directly you can uncover the mystery for me. I took it as a tale related to domestic abuse. I am I right? What is the actual meaning behind that song?
C.J. Smyth: Thank you so much, I really appreciate hearing that from you. I could not have been happier with how “Open Hand” came out! The arrangement we came up with really serves the song well.
I love hearing about how people relate to lyrics, I hear many different things that get touched in people, it’s like all the facets of our humanity comes out. My usual answer is, if that is what you are hearing then yes, that is what the song is about! But I will answer you more directly, the song is an explanation from one partner who needs more independence and space in relationship to the other who worries this means they are not committed and maybe a little self destructive at times. It is a way of saying, I am here and when I go away it’s to gather myself in order to come back more fully present. My partner Kit calls it one of her instruction songs.
GAYSONOMA: When there are many interpretations, that is the sign of a really good song. The title track and title of your CD “Common Shaman” seemed to have a mystical connection. What was the inspiration behind that and why did you select it as the CD’s title?
C.J. Smyth: I was studying Peruvian shamanism at the time. The philosophy is with the right tools the gifts of the shaman are available to everyone. I just hit on the “Common Shaman” as word play one day and really liked it. I planned to title the CD that before the song ever came into being. It circles back to what I was saying earlier about wanting to be more intentional with what I was putting out in the world, focusing more on positivity.
The song posed a challenge musically as it one of several that I alter the tuning on by adding multiple capos to the fret board, so it’s not as straight forward for the musicians to play. John had to do a big of arranging to accommodate that.
Gaysonoma: C.J., if I was to pull a single from the album, my choice would be “Sweet Mercy.” It has playful and lightly seductive lyrics, and a slight blues feel while bordering on country-soft rock. I could see Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt or Miranda Lambert scoring well with that track. What was your direction with that number?
C.J. Smyth: That one is super fun to perform live too! You are right on with that one. I had been out with some friends the night before I wrote this and we were watching these two women do this kind of fun, flirty dance back and forth all night, taking bets on whether they would hook up or not.
I sat down to write the next day. It had been a while since I had written anything and I was having a little writer’s block. I sometimes try to write something like someone else might to get things flowing when I feel a little stuck, so i asked myself, “What would Melissa Etheridge say about last night” and this was the result. Sometimes I get keepers out of that and sometimes not, but it’s fun.
Gaysonoma: Well that makes me really happy C.J.. I can tell you really enjoyed creating it as much I enjoyed discovering it. On the subject of inspiration, in closing, what single artist has influenced you and your creativity the most throughout your career and how? Also, what one song do you wish you had written and why?
C.J. Smyth: Wow, that is such a difficult question, there are so many inspirations out there Melissa E, Aimee Mann, the Indigo Girls all come to mind. I had to really think about this for a bit as you said “the most” over my career. I think I would have to say it’s a toss up between Ferron and Dan Fogelberg for many of the same reasons. They both cut across the folk, rock and country genres adeptly, they both write stellar lyrics, though I might give that one to Ferron. The prosody they both utilize in their music can create some exceptional emotional moments. I’d have to give Dan the upper hand in musical composition though. He used so many different chords to create a song. If I need some restoration these are the two I come back to over and over after many years. Okay that was a really long answer!
I’ll give you a favorite from each of them that I wish I had written “Ain’t Life a Brook.” by Ferron because the lyrics paint such a great picture of what it’s like healing from a break up over time and the vocal delivery is awesome. Then Fogelberg’s “Dancing Shoes” because the musical arrangement is so sparse and delicate and supports the feeling of the lyric perfectly, wonderfully crafted.
Thank you so much for this opportunity I have really enjoyed it!
Our thanks to C.J. for her time and personal exposure into the realm of media. You can find C.J. Smyth’s music at several venues including Amazon, CD Baby, CD Universe, and at www.cjsmyth.com.
Best LGBT books? Here’s what’s in the running for the Lambda Literary Awards this spring.
Lesbian Fiction: Adult Onset, Ann-Marie Macdonald, Tin House Books; Last Words of Montmartre, Qiu Miaojin, translated by Ari Larissa Heinrich, New York Review Books; Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, Francine Prose, Harper Collins/Harper; Miracle Girls, MB Caschetta, Engine Books; New York 1, Tel Aviv 0, Shelly Oria, FSG Originals/Farrar, Straus and Giroux; The Palace Blues, Brandy T. Wilson, Spinsters Ink; The Paying Guests, Sarah Waters, Riverhead Books, Penguin Random House; Yabo, Alexis De Veaux, RedBone Press
Gay Fiction: All I Love and Know, Judith Frank, HarperCollins/William Morrow; Barracuda, Christos Tsiolkas, Hogarth; Bitter Eden: A Novel, Tatamkhulu Afrika, Macmillan/Picador USA; The City of Palaces, Michael Nava, U. of Wisconsin Press; I Loved You More, Tom Spanbauer, Hawthorne Books; Little Reef and Other Stories, Michael Carroll, Terrace Books, an imprint of the U. of Wisconsin Press; Next to Nothing: Stories, Keith Banner, Lethe Press; Souljah, John R. Gordon, Angelica Entertainments Ltd/Team Angelica Publishing
Bisexual Fiction: Best Bi Short Stories: Bisexual Fiction, Sheela Lambert editor, Gressive Press, an imprint of Circlet Press; Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, Ron J. Suresha, Lethe Press; Finder of Lost Objects, Susie Hara, Ithuriel’s Spear; Give It to Me, Ana Castillo, The Feminist Press; She of the Mountains, Vivek Shraya, Arsenal Pulp Press
Transgender Fiction: Everything Must Go, La JohnJoseph, ITNA PRESS; For Today I Am a Boy, Kim Fu, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Moving Forward Sideways like a Crab, Shani Mootoo, Doubleday Canada; Revolutionary: A Novel, Alex Myers, Simon and Schuster; A Safe Girl To Love, Casey Plett, Topside Press
LGBT Debut Fiction: Death in Venice, California, Vinton Rafe McCabe, The Permanent Press; Kill Marguerite and Other Stories, Megan Milks, Emergency Press; A Map of Everything, Elizabeth Earley, Jaded Ibis Press; The Music Teacher, Bob Sennett, Lethe Press; Nochita, Dia Felix, City Lights/Sister Spit; Part the Hawser, Limn the Sea, Dan Lopez, Chelsea Station Editions; Unaccompanied Minors, Alden Jones, New American Press; The Walk-In Closet, Abdi Nazemian, Curtis Brown Unlimited
LGBT Nonfiction: An American Queer: The Amazon Trail, Lee Lynch, Bold Strokes Books; Hold Tight Gently: Michael Callen, Essex Hemphill, and the Battlefield of AIDS, Martin Duberman, The New Press; The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality, Julie Sondra Decker, Skyhorse Publishing/Carrel Books; Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS, Rebecca J. Anderson, McFarland; Robert Gober: The Heart Is Not a Metaphor, Hilton Als, Ann Temkin, Claudia Carson, Robert Gober, Paulina Pobocha, Christian Scheidemann, The Museum of Modern Art; Sexplosion: From Andy Warhol to A Clockwork Orange, How a Generation of Pop Rebels Broke All the Taboos, Robert Hofler, It Books/HarperCollins; The Transgender Archives: Foundations for the Future, Aaron H. Devor, U. of Victoria Libraries; The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-Two Deaths in a New Orleans Gay Bar, June 24, 1973 , Clayton Delery-Edwards, McFarland
Bisexual Nonfiction: Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Charles M. Blow, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Not My Father’s Son, Alan Cumming, HarperCollins Publishers/Dey Street Books; Recognize: The Voices of Bisexual Men, Editors: Robyn Ochs & H. Sharif Williams, Bisexual Resource Center
Transgender Nonfiction: Man Alive: A True Story of Violence, Forgiveness and Becoming a Man, Thomas Page McBee, City Lights/Sister Spit; Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love and So Much More, Janet Mock, Atria Books; Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community, Laura Erickson-Schroth, Oxford U. Press
Lesbian Poetry: Haiti Glass, Lenelle Moise, City Lights/Sister Spit; Janey’s Arcadia, Rachel Zolf, Coach House Books; Last Psalm at Sea Level, Meg Day, Barrow Street Press; Like a Begger, Ellen Bass, Copper Canyon Press; MxT, Sina Queyras, Coach House Books; Mysterious Acts by My People, Valerie Wetlaufer, Sibling Rivalry Press; Only Ride, Megan Volpert, Sibling Rivalry Press; Termination Dust, Susanna Mishler, Red Hen Press/Boreal
Gay Poetry: [insert] boy, Danez Smith, YesYes Books; Clean, David J. Daniels, Four Way Books; Don’t Go Back to Sleep, Timothy Liu, Saturnalia Books; ECODEVIANCE: (Soma)tics for the Future Wilderness, CAConrad, Wave Books; The New Testament, Jericho Brown, Copper Canyon Press; Prelude to Bruise, Saeed Jones, Coffee House Press; This Life Now, Michael Broder, A Midsummer Night’s Press; This Way to the Sugar, Hieu Minh Nguyen, Write Bloody Publishing
Lesbian Mystery: The Acquittal, Anne Laughlin, Bold Strokes Books; Done to Death , Charles Atkins, Severn House Publishers; The Old Deep and Dark-A Jane Lawless Mystery, Ellen Hart, Minotaur Books; Slash and Burn, Valerie Bronwen, Bold Strokes Books; UnCatholic Conduct, Stevie Mikayne, Bold Strokes Books
Gay Mystery: Blackmail, My Love: A Murder Mystery, Katie Gilmartin, Cleis Press; Boystown 6: From the Ashes, Marshall Thornton, MLR; Calvin’s Head, David Swatling, Bold Strokes Books; DeadFall, David Lennon, BlueSpike Publishing; Fair Game, Josh Lanyon, Carina Press; A Gathering Storm, Jameson Currier, Chelsea Station Editions; Moon Over Tangier, Janice Law, Open Road Media; The Next, Rafe Haze, Wilde City Press
Lesbian Memoir/Biography: Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith, Alethia Jones and Virginia Eubanks, with Barbara Smith, SUNY Press; Cease – a memoir of love, loss and desire, Lynette Loeppky, Oolichan Books; Eating Fire: My Life as a Lesbian Avenger, Kelly Cogswell, U. of Minnesota Press; The End of Eve, Ariel Gore, Hawthorne Books; Under This Beautiful Dome: A Senator, A Journalist, and the Politics of Gay Love in America, Terry Mutchler, Seal Press
Gay Memoir/Biography: Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS, and Survival, Sean Strub, Scribner; Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance, Brent Phillips, U. Press of Kentucky; Closets, Combat and Coming Out: Coming of Age as a Gay Man in the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Army, Rob Smith, Blue Beacon Books by Regal Crest; Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris, Edmund White, Bloomsbury; Letter to Jimmy, Alain Mabanckou, translated by Sara Meli Ansari, Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press; The Prince of Los Cocuyos, Richard Blanco, HarperCollins/Ecco; Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh, John Lahr, W.W. Norton & Co.; Wagstaff: Before and After Mapplethorpe, Philip Gefter, W.W. Norton & Co./Liveright
Lesbian Romance: Christmas Crush, Kate McLachlan, Regal Crest; The Farmer’s Daughter, Robbi McCoy, Bella Books; The Heat of Angels, Lisa Girolami, Bold Strokes Books; Jolt , Kris Bryant, Bold Strokes Books; Nightingale, Andrea Bramhall, Bold Strokes Books; Seneca Falls, Jesse J. Thoma, Bold Strokes Books; Tangled Roots, Marianne K. Martin, Bywater Books; That Certain Something, Clare Ashton, Breezy Tree Press
Gay Romance: The Companion, Lloyd A. Meeker, Dreamspinner Press; Everything’s Coming Up Roses: Four Tales of M/M Romance, Barry Lowe, Lydian Press; Foolish Hearts: New Gay Fiction, Timothy Lambert and R.D. Cochrane, Cleis Press; Like They Always Been Free, Georgina Li, Queer Young Cowboys; Message of Love, Jim Provenzano, Myrmidude Press/CreateSpace; The Passion of Sergius & Bacchus, A Novel of Truth, David Reddish, DoorQ Publishing; Pulling Leather, L.C. Chase, Riptide Publishing; Salvation: A Novel of the Civil War, Jeff Mann, Bear Bones Books
Lesbian Erotica: All You Can Eat. A Buffet of Lesbian Erotica and Romance, Andi Marquette and R.G. Emanuelle, Ylva Publishing; Forbidden Fruit: stories of unwise lesbian desire, Cheyenne Blue, Ladylit Publishing; Lesbian Sex Bible, Diana Cage, Quiver Books
Gay Erotica: Bears of Winter, Jerry Wheeler, Bear Bones Books; Incubus Tales, Hushicho, Circlet Press; The King, Tiffany Reisz, MIRA Books; Leather Spirit Stallion, Raven Kaldera, Circlet Press; The Thief Taker, William Holden, Bold Strokes Books
LGBT Anthology: Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam’s Call, Charles Stephens and Steven G. Fullwood, Vintage Entity Press; A Family by Any Other Name: Exploring Queer Relationships, Bruce Gillespie, TouchWood Editions; Outer Voices Inner Lives, Mark McNease and Stephen Dolainski (co-editors), MadeMark Publishing; The Queer South: LGBTQ Writers on the American South, Douglas Ray, Editor, Sibling Rivalry Press; Understanding and Teaching US Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History, Leila J. Rupp & Susan K. Freeman, U. of Wisconsin Press
LGBT Children’s/Young Adult: Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Susan Kuklin, Candlewick Press; Double Exposure, Bridget Birdsall, Sky Pony Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing; Five, Six, Seven, Nate!, Tim Federle, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before, Karelia Stetz-Waters, Ooligan Press; Lies We Tell Ourselves, Robin Talley, Harlequin Teen; Pukawiss the Outcast, Jay Jordan Hawke, Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press; This is Not a Love Story, Suki Fleet, Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press; When Everything Feels like the Movies, Raziel Reid, Arsenal Pulp Press
LGBT Drama: The Beast of Times, Adelina Anthony, Korima Press; Bootycandy, Robert O’Hara, Samuel French; A Kid Like Jake, Daniel Pearle, Dramatists Play Service; The Whale, Samuel D. Hunter, Samuel French; Wolves, Steve Yockey, Samuel French
LGBT Graphic Novels: 100 Crushes, Elisha Lim, Koyama Press; Band Vs. Band Comix Volume 1, Kathleen Jacques, Paper Heart Comix; Pregnant Butch: Nine Long Months Spent in Drag, A.K. Summers, Soft Skull, an imprint of Counterpoint; Second Avenue Caper, Joyce Brabner; Art by Mark Zingarelli, Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Snackies, Nick Sumida, Youth in Decline
LGBT SF/F/Horror: Afterparty, Daryl Gregory, Tor Books; Bitter Waters, Chaz Brenchley, Lethe Press; Butcher’s Road, Lee Thomas, Lethe Press; Child of a Hidden Sea, A. M. Dellamonica, Tor Books; Full Fathom Five, Max Gladstone, Tor Books; FutureDyke, Lea Daley, Bella Books; Skin Deep Magic, Craig Laurance Gidney, Rebel Satori Press
LGBT Studies: After Love: Queer Intimacy and Erotic Economies in Post-Soviet Cuba, Noelle M. Stout, Duke U. Press; Charity & Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America, Rachel Hope Cleves, Oxford U. Press; Delectable Negro: Human Consumption and Homoeroticism within US Slave Culture, Vincent Woodard, Ed. Justin A. Joyce and Dwight McBride, New York U. Press; Queen for a Day: Transformistas, Beauty Queens, and the Performance of Femininity in Venezuela, Marcia Ochoa, Duke U. Press; The Queerness of Native American Literature, Lisa Tatonetti, U. of Minnesota Press; Sexual Futures, Queer Gestures, and Other Latina Longings, Juana Maria Rodriguez, New York U. Press; The Sexuality of History: Modernity and the Sapphic, Susan S. Lanser, U. of Chicago Press; Under Bright Lights: Gay Manila and the Global Scene, Bobby Benedicto, U. of Minnesota Press
Winners will be announced on June 1 in New York City.
Charlie Jane Anders via sfweekly.com
A man who can see the future meets a woman who can see many possible futures and the two fall in love, despite knowing exactly when their relationship will end and how.
Date of Publication: 2011
Why You Should Read It: Not only did it win the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novelette (and get nominated for many more awards), but this novella will also soon be adapted to the small screen by NBC.
Random House via themanbookerprize.com
Jan Morris via patriciaannmcnair.com
This fictional memoir details Morris’ six-month trip to the imaginary country of Hav, which seems to be on the brink of war.
Date of Publication: 1985
Why You Should Read It: The book, which crosses genres between travel literature and science fiction, was nominated for a Man Booker Prize its year of publication.
Topside Press via topsidepress.com
Plett’s collection of short fiction stories feature young trans women navigating life, from a rural Canadian town to the boozy nightlife of Brooklyn.
Date of Publication: 2014
Why You Should Read It: Plett offers insight to the struggles all young women recognize, through journeys of heartbreak to those of growth and transformation.
Topside Press via olyblog.net
Julie Blair via bklooks.com
Binnie’s dark comedy is about a young punk girl living in New York City who embarks on a journey that will change her life after discovering her girlfriend has lied to her.
Date of Publication: 2013
Why You Should Read It: Imogen won Lambda Literary’s 2014 Emerging Writer Award for the novel and received rave reviews from readers upon her debut.
Topside Press via topsidepress.com
Sybil Lamb via jrvmajesty.tumblr.com
On her way home from a same-sex wedding, the character Sybil is brutally attacked and wakes up days later in a hospital to find that her brain, and thus reality as she knows it, has changed.
Date of Publication: 2014
Why You Should Read It: A fictional take on a real-life hate crime, this book is a powerful novel about strength, survival, and punk rock.
Atria Books via slate.com
Aaron Tredwell via jandaywilson.com
The talk show host and Marie Claire editor shares her coming-of-age memoir, detailing her life growing up as a black trans girl from an impoverished background in Hawaii.
Date of Publication: 2014
Why You Should Read It: With a narrative firmly rooted in both pop culture and academic research, the New York Times best-seller explores the highly relatable themes of family, community, and self-reliance, while also offering teaching opportunities typically missing from similar narratives.
Pocket Books via amazon.com
Lady Chablis via monikermgmt.com
The Lady Chablis became well-known after making an appearance in John Berendt’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the longest nonfiction best-seller on the New York Times list. (It was later adapted into a 1997 Clint Eastwood movie of the same name, in which Chablis also starred.) Chablis shares her story as a drag queen and performer in this memoir.
Date of Publication: 1997
Why You Should Read It: The book provides an opportunity to explore the rich life of an entertainer who still maintains an active career, including a 2013 appearance on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Red Umbrella Project via redumbrellaproject.org
Ceyenne Doroshaw via marisarmiller.tumblr.com
Doroshow shares her life through 40 Southern-style recipes with a Caribbean twist.
Date of Publication: 2012
Why You Should Read It: How can you say no to food? The book stands out in the memoir genre with an interactive and delicious method of storytelling that further connects you to Doroshow’s life and history.
Broadway Books via amazon.com
James Bowdoin via jenniferboylan.net
Boylan, the national co-chair for GLAAD, shares her experience with transitioning between genders while navigating life, family, love, and, ultimately, self-acceptance in this memoir.
Date of Publication: 2003
Why You Should Read It: The book is an important part of queer history, as the first memoir by a transgender American author to land on the New York Times best-seller list.
Biyuti Publishing via autostraddle.com
Lovemme Corazon via youngist.tumblr.com
This memoir is composed of poems and prose about Corazón’s journey through abuse and assault and her life as a survivor.
Date of Publication: 2013
Why You Should Read It: The memoir explores themes with which survivors of assault and young activists living with gender dysphoria and healing through trauma can easily emphathize.
Trans-Genre via trans-genre.net
Ryka Aoki via womenwhokickass.tumblr.com
Aoki’s collection of essays, poems, stories, and transcripts from her performance art explores violence, love, hope, and home, defined by seasonal themes.
Date of Publication: 2012
Why You Should Read It: A finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, the collection has been praised for offering “the possibility of healing, of hope and redemption, of reunion.”
CREATESPACE via amazon.com
Toni Newman via wildgender.com
The memoir shares the story of Newman’s journey growing up in a strict Christian home in North Carolina, making a living through sex work in Los Angeles and NYC, and, finally, attending law school to help her community.
Date of Publication: 2011
Why You Should Read It: In a rich exploration of life from church pews to the streets of L.A., Toni shares her pride and triumph through life’s trials. The book is also in the process of becoming an independent movie.
Seal Press via juliaserano.com
Julia Serano via juliaserano.com
Serano’s collection of critical essays deconstructs socially accepted narratives on trans women in Western culture.
Date of Publication: 2007
Why You Should Read It: The manifesto is great for anyone interested in learning about the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in feminism. It is also responsible for coining the term “transmisogyny” — the point at which transphobia and misogyny meet.
Biyuti Publishing via publishbiyuti.org
Morgan Robyn Collado via Twitter: @witchymorgan
Collado’s collection of poetry explores the evolution from rage to love in the face of injustice.
Date of Publication: 2014
Why You Should Read It: It’s a powerful meditation on how to live in peace and love while struggling through oppression.
TSAR Publications via amazon.com
Kaspar Saxena via news-centre.uwinnipeg.ca
Salah’s collection of poetry that explores gender, nostalgia, language, race, and the idea of a cultural home.
Date of Publication: 2002 (Reissued in 2013)
Why You Should Read it: A winner of the 2014 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction, the collection shares a cultural experience rarely made available to mainstream American audiences.
Debuting soon with its Seventh Season is the Ultra-Fabulous RuPaul’s “Drag Race.” Undoubtedly, the new season will be way over the top and filled with cheesy drama, deliberate conflicts, and shameless product placement. However, I find it very entertaining as it seems to make fun of itself and still comes across as genuine. Aside from all the glitz and glamor, many of these “ladyboys” are singing their little hearts out on Internet Downloads, CDs, and YouTube. None have broken through to mainstream on the scales of MamaRu, but it’s just a matter of time. Here is sample of some noteworthy “dragalicious” sounds that are awaiting discovery. Also for the first time I’m giving each artist a rating in the scale of one to five in Cha Cha Heels. If you are a connoisseur of “Drag” history then you’ll know where the Cha Cha Heels connection comes from.
JINKX MONSOON – THE INEVITABLE ALBUM – SIDECAR MUSIC
Now this collection is a cute little tribute to the days of Vaudeville with most of the background music fittingly provided by an old time piano. Somehow Jinkxy (Jerick Hoffer) managed to get a endearing guest appearance by Fred Schneider of the B-52’s on the opening act and the uproarious song Bacon Shake. Aside from the celebrity draw, Monsoon is right on the mark vocally and you can sense the mischievousness on all the tracks. The only song that is out of place in the line up is a remake of Radiohead’s “Creep.” The interpretation itself isn’t horrible, actually in contrast it’s delightful. The song just doesn’t flow with the rest of the numbers and breaks the flow of the time warp the set places you in. It would have been better included at the end as a bonus track or transformed into the same style as the other tracks. If you’re a fan of ballsy Broadway tunes with so much tongue in cheek that leaves no room for a face, snatch this all out bash from the “Drag Race” season five winner right up. Rating: 5 Cha Cha Heels.
WILLAM – THE WRECKONING – WILLAM MUSIC
From “Drag Race’s” fourth season, Willam (Willam Belli) has been the only contestant eliminated from the contest and gained shameful popularity for that event. Willam is my least favorite in this list because as a drag queen I feel he is weak. A good drag queen gives the illusion of a female, sometimes with exaggerations. Sadly, in Willam’s case his facial structure is just too manly, even though from the neck down he nails it. This is probably why he has landed acting roles where gender is in question as the mainstream can only handle so much of the illusion. “The Wreckoning” features many of his download singles with his partners in crime Detox and Vicky Vox (the now disbanded DWV) and other drag guests. I’ve included Willam here because musically he is the Weird “Alice” Yankovic of the bunch. His songs are extremely nasty and devilishly clever. The bulk of his songs are parodies and the accompanying videos are quite amusing. “The Wrecking” is available on his website, but I recommend watching the videos rather than only listening . Rating: 2 Cha Cha Heels.
ADORE DELANO – TILL DEATH DO US PARTY – SIDECAR MUSIC
Adore’s debut is a probing mix of Electro-Punkish-Dance-Rock and astonishingly very well-polished. Welcome to the arena a new Glam Goddess. Delano (Danny Noriega) was first on our TV screens as a contestant on the seventh season of “American Idol” minus his drag collective and made it to the top 13, one year before Adam Lambert sissy’d his walk to success on that venue. “Drag Race” allowed Delano to further explore his creativity and more than Idol could tolerate. “Till Death Do Us Party” is the perfect title for this project as it was one of his catch phrases and describes the bulk of the tracks. I was immediately fan struck with the magnetic opener “Speak My Sex” and have grown utterly addicted to the “Party” song. If this was a standard release by an unknown “safe” artist and marketed to pop outlets it would soar to the top of the charts as it really is that good. Actually if some of these songs were put out by the likes of Katy Perry or Ke$ha they would be instant hits. The release did gather attention as it quietly debuted at #59 on the Billboard Album Chart. This is a grand showing and proves that the music buying public want more than what they will find on the Walmart or Best Buy corporate controlled racks. My only dislike is that his drag persona is virtually lost in the effort and the use of profanity seems placed. Sadly in Adores’ case, it comes off as plainly immature. On “Drag Race” season six, Adore seemed very bratty by dropping the “F” Bomb, which seemed like almost every time he was on camera. With all his flaws compared to the other more seasoned queens, he came across as a hot mess with potential and early on he was a judges favorite. He is as captivating as a perky young Molly Ringwald. The “Party” song is a winner in my book and you can check out the amusing accompanying video on YouTube. Rating: 4 Cha Cha Heels.
COURTNEY ACT – WELCOME TO DISGRACELAND – COURTNEY ACT MUSIC
All I have to say is that this glittering star is waiting to explode all over the nation and I wish someone in the business would snatch Courtney up and market the crap out of him. Courtney Act (Shane Jenek) is like a dose of Britney Spears with a splash of Madonna, topped with coating of Olivia Newton John circa 1985. In my opinion, this is the only contestant that has appeared on Drag Race that could reach cross-appeal on the level of RuPaul. Courtney also was a contestant on “Australian Idol” way back in 2003, made it to the semi-finals performing in drag and in 2004 released a single “Rub Me Down,” which did not make the US Charts. There is no album yet from Courtney, but there is web product if you search well enough. I have found a YouTube video for the song “To Russia With Love.” that I just can’t get enough of. I think I’m respoinsible for at least 300 of the mentioned views. The video alone prompted me to spend hours looking for more Courtney Act music. There are downloads available for “Mean Gays,” a fun-little romp and three collaborations with other contestants; “Downton Abby Snore,” “American Apparel Ad Girls,” and “Dear Santa Bring Me A Man,” a remake of the Weather Girls holiday hit from 1983. There also is a remix CD single for the track “Welcome To Disgraceland,” from 2010, which is not easily found. I can barely wait for a full album from this artist. Rating: 5 Cha Cha Heels
MANILA LUZON – ETERNAL QUEEN – LOMLPLEX MUSIC
Runner up from “Drag Race’s” third season Manila Luzon (Karl Westerberg) is a flawless fishy queen whose confidence and talent grew during the show achieving many positive comments from judges and earned a place on RuPaul’s spin off show Drag U. “The Eternal Queen” album is very much like the later RuPaul CDs with an ample supply of short and sweet dance tracks but nothing really stands out for me. Unfortunately nothing on it compares with several of the web singles that appeared prior to its release and left off of the debut. I found this odd and assume there must have been a legal reason behind it. The best of the early tracks was his first, the catchy and hook filled “Hot Couture” from 2011. Rating: 2 Cha Cha Heels.
SHARON NEEDLES – PG 13 – SHARON NEEDLES MUSIC
On “Drag Race’s” fourth season, Sharon Needles (Aaron Coady) was the ghastly spooky queen who could only be rivaled by Marilyn Manson for theater effects. It seemed odd at first, but in each episode you were drawn in to see what he would wear next and be amazed at the level of his creativity. Because of this dynamic, I was a little let down by his debut “PG-13.” Filled to the rim with Club Music it is a great addition to any “Halloween Party,” but outside of October it’s just out of place. Creepy and Scary certainly fit the bill with Needles’ image and lead him to grasp the “Drag Race” crown, but it should have been used “in addition to” rather than encompass the whole project to achieve longevity. Rating: 3 Cha Cha Heels.
VARIOUS ARTISTS – RUPAUL PRESENTS THE COVERGURLS – WORLD OF WONDER MUSIC
This is the companion album to season six of “Drag Race” and it’s filled with reinventions of RuPaul songs featuring all of the contestants from that season whether they have pipes or not. It’s a playful example of how far we’ve come with “in the studio” magic. It’s a cute novelty and if you’re a die hard fan it’s a must have, but of course the O”ru”ginals are the better of the bunch. Rating: 2 Cha Cha Heels.
RUPAUL – BORN NAKED – RUCO MUSIC
Yes I do proudly own the RuPaul music collection and I have to say “Born Naked,” is his most diverse collection thus far and is responsible for Ru’s first time busting into the Billboard Hot 100 Albums Chart. Ru hasn’t cracked the Billboard Hot Album Chart since 1993 when “Supermodel of the World” made it to #109. It was a breakthrough at that time on so many levels. It will never be duplicated or surpassed and it’s become a standard piece of pop culture “herstory.” So what’s a gurl to do? Just what RuPaul is doing. He is the finest at his craft and releasing new music with a touch of exploration. On “Born Naked” you will find carefree dance numbers, Rhythm & Blues, Electro Funk, and for the first time a sound close to new wave rock with “Geronimo” and “Born Naked.” As an added treat Club Icon Martha Wash is featured on “Can I Get An Amen” and gal-pal Michelle Visage on the anthem “Let The Music Play.” Rating: 4 Cha Cha Heels.