NOVEMBER 26, 1993

ENTERTAINMENT

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 13

Susie Bright, advice columnist and leather

dyke Pat Califia, and others. Some of the titles are worth the price of admission; for example, bell hooks" "Power to the Pussy: We Don't Wannabe Dicks in Drag." Carol A. Queen discusses Madonna's Sex, wondering if anybody who reviewed it "set it aside, turn the bell down on the phone, switch on the Magic Wand for a fast buzz or unzip the trousers for a quick wank, and if

so, would it be widely considered appropriate in a book review or opinion piece to say so?" Kirsten Marthe Lentz addresses Madonna's potential bisexuality in "Chameleon, Vampire, Rich Slut." I maybe didn't unzip my pants, but these essays are provocative and entertaining. They should appeal to both women and men.

Cleis Press, one of the most imaginative and adventurous smaller publishers, has also just issued The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse, "A Nancy Clue Mystery," by Mabel Maney ($9.95, paper; $24.95, cloth, 184 pp.). Anybody who read the Cherry Ames, Nancy Drew, and Hardy Boys series of books when they were growing up will recognize their heroines here. This book first circulated in a handmade limited edition a couple of years ago; Cleis has now put it out in a trade paperback that would fit very nicely on the young adult shelf at Waldenbooks. Mabel Maney has given us an outrageous parody of all those series. When nurse Cherry Aimless lands in San Francisco's Castro district in search of Nancy Clue and a flock of missing nuns, the earnestly white girl 50s meet the queer 90s. This book is a scream.

One of the most prolific and long-lived womens' publishers is Naiad Press, which last year celebrated twenty-five years, has given many authors a first start and continues to publish new works regularly. Several recent Naiad books include The Romantic Naiad: Love Stories by Naiad Press Au-

Jay B. laws, author of The Unfinished.

thors, edited by Katherine V. Forrest and Barbara Grier ($14.95, paper, 312 pp.). It contains stories by such Naiad regulars as Nikki Baker, Robbie Sommers, Diane Salvatore, and many others. Long Goodbyes, by Nikki Baker ($9.95, paper, 235 pp.) features African-American detective Virginia Kelly. Stay Tooned ($9.95, paper, 135 pp.) is a collection of lesbian cartoons by Rhonda Dicksion, author of The Lesbian Survival Manual. In it she gives many more lesbian survival hints, such as "Lesbian Survival Hint #231: You know you're on the rocks when she replaces the red carpet treatment with the black death"-Woman on phone: "Sure. I understand. I wouldn't

Dykes To Watch Out For

hot stuff

174

IT'S SATURDAY EVENING...

OUCH! LOOKS LIKE YOU CLOSED YOUR MOUTH TOU CLOSE TO THE FLAME.

WHAT?

ΝΟ KIDDING.

LOIS BURNT HER LIP EATING FIRE WITH THE LESBIAN AVENGERS.

ALAN HERMAN

IT WAS SO COOL! YOU SHOULDA BEEN THERE! Y'KNOW DICK LILLY. THE TRADITIONAL VALUES COALITION GUY WHO'S RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL ?

go out if I had bubonic plague either."

According to its introduction, Wendy Caster's The Lesbian Sex Book, illustrated by Julie May (Alyson Publications, $14.95, paper, 191 pp.) was written for newly out lesbians, as well as for curious women who don't choose to label themselves. The author goes on to state that even experienced lesbians will pick up a tip or two or three. The arrangement of the brief articles is alphabetic. The work derives from numerous interviews in which the author asked women what they enjoyed in sex. The numerous line drawings are tastefully illustrative, not pornographic.

Firebrand Books has just published Alison Bechdel's fifth anthology of cartoons, Spawn of Dykes to Watch Out For ($8.95, paper; $18.95 cloth). Bechdel's cartoons are syndicated in about forty publications nationally. This book collects the recent works, and also has about 30 completely new pag-

es.

Author-activist-playwright Larry Kramer's The Destiny of Me has been issued as a trade paperback by Plume ($9, 122 pp.). This work is the sequel to Kramer's earlier AIDS play The Normal Heart. The principal character, Ned Weeks, checks into an experimental AIDS treatment program run by the very doctor that his militant organization has been criticizing. From his hospital bed, Ned regains his childhood and adolescence, talking with the boy he once was. An important work full of Kramer's patented verbal abuse.

WE PICKETED HIS PANCAKE BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER DRESSED UP LIKE GIANT FLAMING CREPES, SUZETTES!

Y'KNOW, THAT REMINDS ME OF ONE TIME BEFORE I GOT SOBER WHEN A BUDDY LIT MY APRICOT BRANDY ON FIRE AND SINGED ALL MY EYELASHES...

Sojourner: Black Gay Voices in the Age of AIDS, edited by B. Michael Hunter has been issued as the second volume published by Other Countries ($10.95, 256 pp.). Other Countries is a New York-based community of artists. Among the writers and artists included in the book are filmmaker Marlon T. Riggs, writer Melvin Dixon, and poet Assotto Saint. This powerful anthology contains brief fiction, essays, drawings, and poetry, all dealing with AIDS and the Black Gay Experience. This book is recommended to all.

Foreskin: A Closer Look (Alyson Publications,

$9.95, pa-

per, 207 pp.) is Bud Berkeley's paean to the uncut male member. He founded the Uncircumcised Society of America and in this book (apartial reprint

The Day They Put

a 'Tax on Rainbows

Gué es stambu JOHNNY VALENTINE

of an earlier privately printed work) he discusses the history of foreskin and circumcision and devotes many pages to questions and answers. Foreskin is sold with its original uncut flaps. Readers who prefer a cut version are invited to get a single-edged razor and straight-edge and go to work!

For children of gay, lesbian, and gaysupportive parents, I highly recommend all of the books in the Alyson Wonderland imprint. The most famous of the books are Daddy's Roommate and Heather Has Two Mommies, but equally fine are two more Continued on page 14

COME ON, JUNE, OR WE'LL MISS OUR MEETING.

MEANWHILE, OVER AT MADWIMMIN BOOKS...

I'M

SORRY, WE'RE CLOSING.

OH... I JUST WANTED TO DROP OFF THIS CAMPAIGN POSTER FOR ELLEN TUFEL. COULD YOU PUT IT UP ON YOUR BULLETIN BOARD?

VOTE! ELLEN TUFEL

993

GOT A BIG NIGHT PLANNED,

MO?

OH, YEAH! I HAVE TO RUSHLAST LOAD'S GOTTA BE IN BY 7:30 AT DUDS 'N SUDS! WHAT ABOUT YOU AND MAXINE? A QUIET EVENING AT HOME, ACTING OUT SCENES FROM CLAIRE OF THE MOON?"

Wintendo

OKAY, THAT'S IT. WE HAVE TO TALK. YOU'VE BEEN MAKING LITTLE DIGSAT ME ALL WEEK. IF THIS IS BECAUSE YOU'RE FEELING HURT THAT I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH BACK ON YOU, ALL I CAN SAY IS I'M SORRY, AND I'M FLATTERED, BUT...

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BUT YOU JUST DON'T THINK OF ME THAT WAY, AND BESIDES, YOU'RE INA RELATIONSHIP ALREADY, AND YOU HOPE WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS

WELL... YEAH.

OH, OKAY! SO THAT MUST HAVE BEEN MAXINE YOU WERE SUGGESTIVELY REFERRING TO AS A "BABE" WITH LOIS THE OTHER DAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS ME, BUT THE ACOUSTICS IN HERE AREN'T THE GREATEST.

JEEZIZ! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SLINKING AROUND SPYING ON PEOPLE?

HAH!

I KNEWIT!

OKAY. SO MAYBE I AM A LITTLE BIT ATTRACTED TO YOU. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN. GOT IT?

Wow!

I NEVER SAW YOU BLUSH BEFORE! IT'S SO, UM... CUTE.

CITY COUNCIL "HATE IS NOT A

FAMILY VALUE

HI,SWEETIE! HI, MO! THEA,

I'M DOUBLE-PARKED OUT FRONT.

LOOKS LIKE YOU HAD A BIG DAY! THE WINDOWS ARE ALL STEAMED UP!

T'AI CHI

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