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

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. 

Remains of the Day (01/28)

Out With Dan: Jeff Copeland joins the podcast to talk about his deep creative bond with Holly Woodlawn and their years developing a biopic of her life -- a journey he recounts in “Love You Madly, Holly Woodlawn,” his coming-of-age story in Hollywood. Listen HERE.

Advocate: Over 1,000 anti-LGBTQ+ attacks occurred in U.S. in 2025

SCMP: Malaysians lampoon minister over stress-gay link: "They never work hard in parliament?"

State Press: My college newspaper where I was a reporter explores the impact of "Heated Rivalry" on LGBTQ+ portrayal in television

Washington Blade: Defunding LGBTQ groups is a warning sign for democracy

Wrestle Wednesday: "Anything he wanted"

Timely Coincidence: My pal Steve Rutledge happened to feature Bobbi Campbell on his #BornThisDay feature today, which came as a surprise because Damian and I just watched "And the Band Played On" for the first time this week, in which Donal Logue portrayed the late AIDS activist and onetime Newsweek coverman. (I'd read the book while interning on Capitol Hill in early '89) Learn more about the birthday boy, who died in 1984 at just 32, HERE. 

Attitude: Remembering Roger Butler, the first man to come out publicly as gay in the U.K. press

PinkNews: How the Nazi pink triangle became a defiant symbol of LGBTQ rights

BAR: San Francisco exhibit focuses on LGBTQ psychiatry history

Out: "Heated Rivalry" star Hudson Williams is a mouthful in splashy new photo shoot

GCN: Sundance Film Festival offers LGBTQ features, documentaries and shorts

Just Jared: Calvin Klein, 83, spotted at gym with model boyfriend Kevin Baker, 37

Out: Antoni Porowski is getting the gays all horned up with new SAXX underwear campaign

Variety: LGBTQ rom-com "Before I Do" to star Cole Doman, Michael Hsu Rosen and Nico Greetham

Washington Blade: Top Democrats reintroduce bill to investigate discrimination against LGBTQ military members

Gay Express: Uganda shuts down LGBTQ human rights group ahead of election

Out: The Billie Jean King documentary “Give Me the Ball!” garners Oscar buzz

Hot Cat of the Day: If only Erdogan could be replaced by someone sane ... 

"Antiheroine": A new doc on the singer-slash-superstar that premiered at Sundance gives Courtney Love the mic -- and lets her tell her story in her own words

Liza With the T

 

Liza Minnelli's memoir is heading to a bookstore near you, although this has "the audiobook will be even better" written all over it!

She writes:

On March 10, my book "Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!" finally arrives in the world. I’m spillin' the tea and tellin' the truth about my life - from “Original Nepo Baby” to carving out my own lane as an artist. It honors my father, my mother, my family… and all but one of my husbands!

My book began as a series of recorded conversations with my dearest friend, Michael Feinstein, over the past 15 years. I used to say, “Michael, tell it when I’m gone!” Yet, as countless people I loved lost their lives to drugs and alcohol, I knew it was time to open up and truly let you inside my heart.

In these pages, I share my loves, heartbreaks, triumphs, the laughter that keeps me going, and my lifelong challenges with what we now call SUD (Substance Use Disorder) - and yes, how I’ve thrived in recovery for over 10 years. If my book helps even one person find their way to healing, then telling my story is worth it. I'm taking all the tremendous love you’ve shown me over the years and giving it right back to you.

The first signed editions of my book sold out immediately … You've asked for more, so it's back to my desk! Kids, I turn 80 in March, so I can’t keep signing forever. I invite everyone who connects with me here to be aware that we have a limited number of signed copies. If you'd like, we'll share my life, my memories, my recovery, my joy and my love for you.

Order HERE.

Tennis Tuesday: Lachlan McLean

Yowza. More of the 29-year-old old former professional soccer player cum media personality and men's health advocate BELOW.