Hope you're having a homo-centric Summer!

"Vito" Premieres Tonight On HBO

“I don’t know what was different about the way I was raised or the way I reacted, but I never once, not for a second, believed that it was wrong to be gay, that it was a sin, that homosexuality was evil.”  Vito Russo

The reviews are in for the documentary 'Vito,' which airs on HBO tonight:

"Vito is a considerable achievement. Its completeness is exemplary; its boldness necessary; its graphic visuals dramatic and moving."  It is being called "vibrant, argumentative, embracing and engaging," and "emotionally powerful documentary portrait with an impassioned voice."

For those of us without HBO, the film will surely be released on dvd soon.  IN the meantime, you can easily rent or buy two other documentaries featuring Vito Russo.  I've posted the trailers for The Celluloid Closet and the Academy Award-winning Common Threads, history lessons both.

homo-centric's Hot July Nights is Thursday the 19th

The heat wave that's been criss-crossing the country has everyone fanning themselves like they're in a Mississippi revival tent sitting next to the snakes.  Plus, there's no reprieve in sight--the weather forecast says it's going to stay hotter than a Danell Leyva ESPN photo spread.  (It's okay, go ahead, check out the link.  I'll wait...)

Well, there's nothing that will cool down those ESPN photos, but homo-centric does have a remedy for the weather: an evening of cool words by cool people.  Come join us Thursday the 19th for homo-centric's Hot Summer Nights.  This month we're featuring Larry Buhl, Andrea Lambert and Anthony Moses Sanchez.

Larry Buhl has written hundreds of magazine articles, created content for dozens of company web sites, five screenplays (with one in development), six teleplays, four stage plays, two manuscripts, a handful of poems, and scores of ads for products such as cars, garden tools, and panties. "Box o Crap," a young adult dark comedy about a brilliant foster teen with asperger's syndrome, will be published sometime between now and the end of his life (check back for details). It is, in his humble opinion, the best debut novel he's ever written. Larry lives with a dog and several anxieties. 

Andrea Lambert is the author of Jet Set Desolate (Future Fiction London) and Lorazepam and the Valley of Skin / 730910-2155 (valeveil) She is co-curator of the Featherless reading series at Stories Books.  Her work has appeared in HTML Giant, Queer Mental Health.com, 3:AM Magazine, SUNSET.UNFO!, Chronometry, Ready, Able, and is forthcoming in Off the Rocks. She has performed at Rhapsodomancy, the Echo, the West Hollywood Book Fair, the Los Angeles Road Concerts, the 2nd New Los Angeles Folk Festival, homo-centric and REDCAT.

Anthony Moses Sanchez is a Los Angeles native and gracious supporter of homo-centric. Anthony was a contributor for the 2011 Silver Lake Posada for Mama Pancha’s Queer Life Rituals.  Also, a muse to painters Raul Pizarro and Angel Villanueva.  Additionally, he is known as a playwright, producer, and the director of Robotica.  In 2009 was the host of the UCLA Open Mic series.  His poetry is self-published as well as published in La Gente de Aztlan. Currently, he is the producer of the podcast Sass Academy, and also in the process of digitizing his independent press, Siluspress.

Please join us at 7:30pm next Thursday the 19th on the back patio at Stories Books & Cafe in Echo Park.  Stories is located at 1716 Sunset Blvd., between Le Moyne and Logan. Metered parking is available in the lot behind the store on Le Moyne St.  Map here.

Make sure you come early to support the store and cafe!

We usually get there around 7pm to

* Order a coffee or tea and have a sandwich!

* Hang out and meet other people.

* Wander the aisles and buy a book.

Remember that we depend on the word of mouth - so tell a friend, and bring two or three. See you there!

Make a Splash: It's David Hockney's Birthday

David Hockney (b. July 9) is considered to be one of the 20th century's most influential artists.  He experimented and successfully used a variety of medium. 

I like his use of the Polariod camera to create montages like the one pictured at the left.  This montage shows the bottom of the swimming pool at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel that Hockney painted in 1988.  The pool was recently restored to it's original look.

Hockney used other film to create photo montages like the one at the right.  Many of these were sizable pieces, often covering entire walls.  Back in the 1990's, I had a job working for an advertising agency.  Don't go getting all impressed; I worked in the accounting department.  

Despite the fact that the owner of the agency was a misogynistic, Louis B. Mayer wannabe, he did have decent taste in art.  The walls of the agency were covered with everything from antique French posters to yes, a couple of Hockney paintings.  

Even though I've blocked most of the time spent at that job deep in my repressed memory, I do remember the owner's office had a Hockney photo montage in it.  I just can't remember what it was.  My desk sat in front of a Hockney and if it wasn't the Nichol's Canyon painting at the left, it was something very similar.  

Hockney has written several books including the recent That's the Way I See It, the second volume of his autobiography.  There are also several books on Hockney that you can get from your local independent bookstore or at your local library.

Hockney is the subject of A Bigger Splash, the 'fictional documentary' from 1973. The film takes its title from the painting of the same name, also shown at the right.  Check out this cool article about Hockney's pools that includes many paintings.

The final painting I've included (bottom right) is titled 'We Two Boys Together Clinging.'  Painted in 1962, the painting takes its title from a Walt Whitman poem.  There's a very good video explanation of the painting at ArtBabble.

Hot July Nights: homo-centric is July 19th!

Have a Great July 4th - We'll be back after the smoke clears!

I'm on vacation.  Hope you enjoy the 4th of July - even if you're not in the United States!

I'll be back later this week.