Tennis Tuesday: Luciano Darderi

 

More of the Italian-Argentine player whose heavy forehand and movie-star looks make him as easy on the eyes as he is tough to play BELOW

Remains of the Day (02/02)

"Crack that whip!"

Out: Remembering Catherine O'Hara's five most iconic roles, which is to say nothing of her Brooke Shields impersonation! 

The Caftan Chronicles: Tim Murphy's not-so-great chat with LGBTQ rights legend Rep. Barney Frank 

Attitude: Oscar Wilde’s only grandson, Merlin Holland, reflects on his family's legacy in his new book, “After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal”

Socialite Life: Male Model Monday with Gioele Borghello, Gabriel Riccieri, Tom Walker and more 

Die Alone With Me: Remembering Dan McLaughlin and the joy that changed how an enemy-turned-friend loves, judges and shows up

Salt Lake Tribune: As Utah looks to cut schools budget, one lawmaker chides an arts group for LGBTQ advocacy

The Advocate: This transgender Space Force veteran’s service didn’t end when the U.S. military pushed her out

Stolen Holiday: From a childhood shock at Lyric Opera to lifelong devotion -- the voice of Ljuba Welitsch stopped everything cold and ruined every other "Salome" forever

40 Candles: Who's going to see "Pretty in Pink" -- and Andrew McCarthy's wig -- for Valentine's Day?

PinkNews: A Filipino man accused of killing multiple LGBTQ people has been found dead while in custody

Washington Blade: Unconventional homes are gaining popularity, with an HGTV show shining a spotlight on alternatives to cookie-cutter living

GCN: LGBTQ leaders, candidates join Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC’s 40th anniversary party

Hot Cat of the Day: "Where we goin'?"

He Outed Elvis: Remembering the fearless gay gadfly and James Dean fan from Michigan who became the pre-Perez Hilton gossip king of Hollywood in the '70s

Weekend Tennis Roundup

First-time Australian Open titles for Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.

 

Reading Is Fun(damental)

 

So my reading kick continues -- you'd be surprised how many books you can tackle when you stop watching five hours of "Dateline NBC," "48 Hours," "Snapped" et al. a day week.

Recently I polished off Truman Capote's "Answered Prayers," which I'd actually purchased at that darling bookstore in the Marais when I was in Paris months before 9/11. Turns out I was wise to not bother all these years -- it’s a long-winded and tedious mess, and the graphic gay material sounds as embarrassing today as I'm sure it did when it was first published. 

To wash the taste out of my mouth, I finally read "Breakfast at Tiffany's," which I knew was very different from the film -- an all-time favorite -- and enjoyed finding out how. (Now that's good writing.) Damian and I are keeping our Valentine's Day classic movie tradition alive, going to see Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly on the 14th at the Metrograph. 

I also devoured my friend Ellen Jovin's "Rebel With a Clause," which it turns out is largely a print version of the hilarious documentary I've seen a couple times, only with additional local color. I informed her that I especially liked the discussion of the use of possessive pronouns before a gerund, which besides tennis is probably the thing that bonds Damian and me the most. 

And then I read a friend's memoir that he is trying to shop around. Whether anybody who is not famous can sell one of these in a post-"Housewives" era is anyone's guess. But he's about a decade older than I am, which is enough for him to have experienced some things that need to be documented as part of the LGBTQ canon, so I hope it finds an audience. 

Since I still seem to be in the zone, I'm now about to attempt to knock off a couple books from friends that I'm embarrassed to say I never got around to reading -- Jeff Copeland's "I Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn" and Tim Anderson's "Tune In Tokyo" (his "Sweet Tooth" is a fave!) -- plus one that was a gift (Betty Hutton's "Backstage, You Can Have").

But right now I'm knee-deep in "Cybil Disobedience," which I ordered just after we finished watching Ms. Shepherd's titular CBS sitcom and heard that she'd trashed all her co-stars in it -- she does!!!

Let me know what you're reading in the comments.

Remains of the Day (01/30)

People: Big 10 football player lived in fear of teammates learning he's gay -- the secret landed him in the hospital

Gr8er Days: The first known use of the term “gaslighting” -- as a verb -- might surprise you

Attitude: Rob Jetten moved closer to becoming Dutch prime minister after a coalition breakthrough, a role that would make him the Netherlands’ youngest leader and its first openly gay person to hold the office

IG: What could be more natural than sporting a vintage jockstrap while reading your copy of Madonna's "Sex"?

PinkNews: Bruce Springsteen names Alex Pretti and Renee Good in new song dedicated to Minneapolis

Saturday 'Stache: When your treasure trail leads to treasure island

The Nation: A long-lost novel by George Whitmore (1945-1989) resurfaces as a stark, prairie-quiet reckoning with gay survival, solitude and the shadow of AIDS in midcentury America

NYT: So this California Post tabloid is really happening

Advocate: Health insurance costs are up and women and LGBTQ people are paying the price

Go Mag: The LGBTQ films to watch at Sundance 2026

Out: A guide to the "Before I Do" actors, characters and gay storylines in the upcoming romantic comedy directed by Gary Jaffe, which features an all-homo cast

MetroWeekly: NYPD increases security at NYU after anti-LGBTQ bomb threats

American Songwriter: Jane Wiedlin reveals she’ll be sharing “really intimate and crazy shit” in an upcoming memoir titled "TMI" 

NYT: Washington Post plans cuts to reshape newsroom

Out: Rob Rausch turns heads on "The Traitors" with viral photos highlighting his sexy V-line and bulging biceps

Pride: Meet all 41 LGBTQ Olympians at the 2026 Winter Olympics

TV Line: I'd watch Katey Sagal and Jane Lynch play longtime besties in an NBC sitcom

Speedo Sunday: Camo tease

Hot Cat of the Day: Fun idea -- build a dollhouse that's an exact replica of your actual home. Let your cat loose in it. Send pictures to your neighbors, family and friends, saying: "Something happened to the cat, I don't know if I'll survive the night." 

Making his Mark: I miss the days when we had an actual leader -- and a funny one, to boot

Down Under: You can only imagine how happy I am that both Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic advanced to the Aussie Open final!

RIP: Catherine O’Hara, who has made me laugh for as long as I can remember, is reportedly dead at 71. Although the cause is unclear, what is certain is that there are millions of heartbroken fans today. How lucky we were to have had her. xo

Demond Wilson, Lamont on "Sanford & Son," dies at 79

On the Rag, Vol. 893

This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Zac Barrett, Robbie G.K., Hudson Williams, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Scott Eastwood and more BELOW.