This site is about things I find interesting or feel you should know about--Fashion, men, news, politics, gay awareness issues and above all it's definitely GAY!
I am a Kent State University English Major,striving to be a writer, and I am a 40-something Gay man so this should be a really fun visit... grab your favorite cocktail and enjoy reading.
Well our neighbors Rick and Nancy Meadows through this huge fabulous Halloween party every year and this is like our third or fourht year going now and this is the first year Jim and I went dressed as "couple themed" costumes. Of course my favorite story and some of my favorite characters. The picture of me with the "leather slave boy" is one of our hosts Rick and well Wolverine was with the band and the combination of me with Wolverine was just to funny I couldn't pass. Hope you enjoy the photographs. We sure had fun so Rick and Nancy if your reading thanks for such a great party and for doing it every year--we love ya!
Another of my purchases while we were at the Chesterton, Indiana Wizard of Oz Festival was the brand new John Fricke and Jonathon Shirshekan book---"The Wizard Of Oz: An Illustrated Companion to the Movie Classic". Printed by Fall River Press and produced by Becker & Meyer, and at 162 pages in lenght this book is one of the very best out on the Wizard Of Oz. IWth never before seen photogrpahs and stories this is a great addition to any collection of books about Oz.
John Fricke has proved himself again as the master of the written word and espcially in reagrds to Oz and Judy Garland. Having the opportnuity to have John sign my book was wonderful and meeting Jonathon for the first time made this experience even more wonderful, he signed my book as well and was just charming. Hopefully it will be the start of a brand new friendship.
Rumor has it that there will be a new Judy book in 2010 by John Fricke, so keep your eyes open for it. Right now there is no title as the contracts are not signed but will try to keep you posted as information becomes available.
Well one of the things I got to do at Chesterton this year was meeting Roger Baum and his lovely wife. He signed a slew of first editions I have that his great grandfather ( L. Frank Baum, of course) and then I had some of his books he signed for me and I bought some of the ones I was missing. So I wanted to talk a little about 2 of the books......
"Toto of Oz and the Surprise Party" is published by The Overmountain Press, is illustrated by Victoria Seutzinger and was written in 2004. At 32 pages in length this is one of those books that is perfect for the kiddies for bedtime and the illustrations are beautifully drawn and the story all though brief is very well told.
The basis is Toto's adventure trying to get a bag of Chocolate Chip cookies to the Wizard of Oz for his surprise birthday party. Sounds simple enough but there are surprises along the way. A great book for any collection and especially a child's collection of books.
The second book I bought that day was "The Wizard of Oz and the Magic Merry-Go-Round" is also published by Overmoutain Press, is illustrated by Victoria Seutzinger and was written in 2002. This book is also 32 pages long and again makes for the perfect bedtime story or addition to a child's collection of books.
The basis for this story is two children find this old run down merry go round in a junk yard, the merry go round magically is restored and than takes them to Oz for a ride on it.
Well gang one of te many things I bought at the Chesterton, Indiana Wizard of Oz Festival this year was a book titled "Lessons From Oz". I actually got to meet the autthor of the book and got her to autogrpah it for me. Actually we kind of swapped one of my collage pieces for a book--it worked for both of us.
Lessons Freom Oz was written by Julienee La Fleur and published by The Flower Tree Press and is 181 pages long. It is sort of this Oz tribute meets self help book which is wonderfully and created and written. Witty, clever, charming, funny and at times a little brassy it was the type of book I could not put down. Each section of the book relates itself to a section in the 1939 MGM movie and most often comes with stills from the movie. Chapters include: Auntie Em's Advice, When Life Gets Stormy, Who Killed my sister---well you get the idea. The book is $1995 and be purchsed directly on their website http://lessonsfromoz.com you can also read reviews and get a sample chapter to read as well.
I know this little charmer is at the top of my list of must reads for the year.
I know it has been ages since doing a post here but I want my readers to know that I am going to rededicate myself to this site, college or no college. The first weeks were crazy and insane and this site suffered horridly because of it. The schedule, the homework, the classes but in the process I fell in love with all of it! Thaks for your patience, your understanding and you unending support--I love you for it.
One of my newest acquistions is the book "With A Feather On My Nose" by Billie Burke with Cameron Shipp. The publisher is the Crowell-Collier Publishing Company and was printed in 1948. At 260 pages in length this was a good read about parts of Billie's life, not all of it entireally and I think with some effort could be better than waht it is. I am not saying it wasn't good it was just not what I expected it to be, and with only one very small paragraph about "The Wizard of Oz" it left me feeling like I wanted more.
I got my edition on E-bay and with shipping I paid $9.94, so not a total loss. A good book if you a DIE-HARD Billie Burke fan but skip it if you are wanting a trip down Oz memory lane-- it just isn't going to happen.
