By Lena Judith Drake When I received my review copy of Ann Tweedy’s Beleaguered Oases, I sincerely hoped that I would enjoy the poetry, because did not wantto write a scathing critique. I was not disappointed. In fact, I devoured these beleaguered poems while furiously taking notes about my future reviewon the back of the…
Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente (Bantam Spectra, 2009)
Reviewed by Debbie Block-Schwenk “From every terrace and corner grin gargoyles through whichold rainwater spurts in sprays and splashes, only to be caughtin long pools at the base of each tower. The little faces are miceand hedgehogs and opossums, foxes and rats and blind, nosingmoles. Their faces contort as all gargoyles do, peering fromwithin curling…
Frost Moon, Book One: The SkinDancer series, by Anthony Francis (Bell Bridge Books, 2010)
Reviewed by Lara Zielinsky Dakota Frost is the Southeast’s most famous magicaltattoo artist. Also a Skin Dancer, she can make the tattooson her body writhe and even do magical battle. Whenold friends of her father’s on the Atlanta P.D. and federalinvestigators from the Department of ExtraordinaryInvestigations ask her to help them track down a serialkiller…
From your editor
For this issue, you were invited to talkabout your bodies: Body image. Genderedbodies. Bodies and health. Changing bodies.Bodies converging and merging. Bodies asobjects and/or subjects of attraction. Sexualityand the body. And you did. The submissions camepouring in. For every piece that I was able tosqueeze in, there was another I was forced toput aside for…
“Map” by Audrey Beth Stein
Reviewed by Lara Zielinsky Regardless of the age at which a person comes out, the searchfor identity brings out traits often associated with youth—awkwardness, uncertainty, and end-all, be-all feelings. This “everyone goes through something like this”message permeates each event of Audrey Beth Stein’s veryrelevant memoir Map. In 1996, through an online romance with another youngwoman,…
From your editor
The theme of this issue is “Bi Health.” Relatedto this theme, we offer essays by Jen Bonardi,Julie Ebin, Paige Listrud, Neelima Prabhalaand Mike Szymanski. In addition, Mizz M, a.k.a. Maria, offersa bi perspective on the National EqualityMarch, Sarah E. Rowley reviews M+04EVR,and Martina Robinson shares a poem withus. Our “Bis Around the World” featuretakes us…
From your editor
The theme of this issue is “VisiBIlity.” Relatedto this theme, we offer essays by Lindsay andV. F., a short play by Tracy, and an article byDi on bi visibility at the LGBT Human RightsConference in Copenhagen, July 24-27, 2009.Also on theme is Amanda’s report on the BiMedia Summit held in NYC on May 30, 2009….
BOOK REVIEW: Love You Two by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli (Random House Australia, 2008)
Reviewed by Lara Zielinsky Love You Two is the story of teenage Pina’s discoverythat her parents’ loving marriage—and the relationshipsall around her—are far from “normal” or “idyllic.” Herassumptions shattered, her journey through Love You Twois her process of coming to terms with how the manysexual and relationship permutations she encounters areencouraged or discouraged. Guiseppina, Pina…
From your editor
The theme of this issue is “LABELS” The explosion in recent years of different labels onto the identity scene has been both achallenge and a delight. Ellyn’s list on page 5 contains enough of these to give you a taste of some of the labels that are out there. Accompanying this explosion of labels –…
From your editor
The theme of this issue is “Allies.” Th is topic is veryimportant to me. Thinking back to the “bad old days”when out bisexuals were even fewer than today, andwe were subjected to relentless biphobia, having ouridentities, our commitment to the LGBT movement—and sometimes our very existence—challenged, Iremember how much it meant to me to when…