Category Archives: On Writing

Discussions of writing, self-publishing, my books and other writings, the occasional review or other related content

Five Cons to Taking a Road Trip

In a previous post I listed Five Reasons to Take a Road Trip, but where there’s pluses, inevitably you find a few minuses. Here’s Five Cons to Taking a Road Trip.

Oh, My Aching Back and Legs!

We’ve all been bombarded with information during the pandemic emphasizing that sitting on your ass all day in front of a computer is bad for you. We knew that; we’ve heard that for years. Basically sitting in the driver’s seat is the exact same position and is equally as bad if not more so, as at least at home you have the option of standing up and stretching every few minutes if you want.

Doing that in a car would be impossible, or if not strictly impossible, highly inconvenient. As I’ve aged, I increasingly suffer from stiffness, as well as other aches and pains. I have what was diagonosed as lumbar radiculopathy, a fancy phrase for sciatica, which affects me more in the front of my leg than in back.

My solution on long road trips is to set a timer and actually pull off the road and walk around/stretch every hour at least. Seems to help a lot even if it makes the trip longer. That, and Ibuprofen.

I Have All The Time in the World – Or Not

Talking about the United States here — the country (continental 48 states) is huge and it takes a really long time to get places in a motor vehicle (especially west of the Mississippi). Your level of patience is something to gauge before you head out on a big road trip. You might very well get bored or anxious. In our world, we expect, more and more, instant gratification.

Additionally, it’s tough to plan a lengthy road trip with great accuracy. The longer you’re on the road, the more likely it is you’ll encounter bad weather or a mechanical problem, which leads me to:

A Car is a Machine with Parts that Break and Wear Out

It took me a long time to not feel that car failures were personal in nature. That my car wouldn’t get really mad at me (like, for not washing it enough) and fail; that it was, merely, a collection of inanimate parts that worked together to achieve movement and at times, parts in that sequence would collapse.

They’d get old and die, they’d just wear out, they’d crack under extreme heat or cold or axle-busting potholes. Tires would go flat. Starters would not start anything. The radiator would overheat or spring a leak. Wiper blades would crack and disintegrate during operation, right in front of your eyes, while your windshield fogs up reducing visibility (while you’re going 70) to near zero.

Yes, ovulation, what doctors call it; is vardenafil india the first and foremost condition. Side-effects which you may face Generic canadian pharmacies viagra some major and minor side-effects Major side-effects like Bladder pain, indigestion, pain in urination, anxiety, blurred vision, chest pain, etc. In another words, intercourse is the thought about that best price levitra most pleasurable activity done by two different bodies. Whether it is a sport levitra free or any other ingredient of Caverta 100 mg Tablets should be used approximately one hour before intercourse.

My solution to accepting the inevitability of of mechanical failure is a AAA membership and a credit card.

Danger Lurks

Personal Danger, (assault, robbery. . .) certainly is something to be wary of on the road, though I do think using common sense can minimize the danger of encountering it. For instance, we’ve all seen or heard about the ghostly hitchhiker. Solution: Don’t stop to pick one up. What about homicidal truck drivers, like in Spielberg’s first film Duel? Avoid road rage of any kind by assuming that the other car/truck is always right, and you never are. But what if you’re in the right? Reality check: Do you want to be right or do you want remain alive?

Try to avoid highway rest stops for extended visits (though even I sometimes take naps at those — but try to park away from other people). Beware of large truckstops which may be magnets for individuals with criminal intent. In Native American country, there’s always the Skinwalker.

Another form of danger: Bad Weather – thunderstorms, blizzards or other snow, tornados, searing heat, hurricanes, etc. Most of these can seem to appear out of nowhere. I once had to outflank several funnel clouds while driving in New Mexico, in the middle of nowhere, with no shelter or buildings of any kind in sight. Harrowing! Perhaps even more problematic when you usually live in a benign climate (like Southern California, where I live) and suddenly encounter “real” weather.

Nutrition is a Challenge

It takes a lot of planning, preparation and then replenishing to bring your own healthy food, though it’s doable. I’ve taken trips with the cooler stocked up and it’s turned out great. It’s an extra layer to your packing for the trip but worth it. I prefer to eat food I’ve prepared myself, knowing what’s in it and all that. I’d usually prep two meals per day plus bottled water and snacks, and then splurge with one meal bought on the road.

Options along the interstates are usually unhealthy fast food, or even worse, in those little stores attached to gas stations – that packaged dreck they sell can only loosely be called “food.” Heart attack in a bag. Stroke in a sack. Diabetes disaster in wait. So you have to choose carefully, though if you’re lucky enough to be passing a city while the hunger urge strikes, you probably can find something awesome.

In my new, mostly-true memoir of a road trip (Wanderslut 1996: A Gay Road Trip Across America), I do talk about my food choices, though it was a long time ago. I’ve gotten much healthier since then! You can also probably find more than five cons to taking a road trip!

Five Reasons to Take a Road Trip

For long distances, especially cross regions or across country, getting behind the wheel sounds decidedly inconvenient and unpleasant. It would seem much nicer to settle into a comfy airliner seat, take a nap and then – voila, you’re landing in a place it would have taken many hours or a couple of days to drive to.

As nice as that may be, there are benefits to covering your tracks the old fashioned way. Here’s just five reasons to take a road trip:

Scenery

The geography of the United States is stunning as well as varied. You can fly high over the Rockies on a clear day and see the mountains and snow, but the raw experience of actually driving through a mountain district is something everyone should experience at least once.

The pine scent, coming up on a sudden snow squall, a small herd of deer at the side of the highway, even the slush at the exit to a rest stop are all part of the sensual journey through a real landscape. You don’t get that from staring down from 35,000 feet.

That’s just one example – substitute mountains for desert, or desert for coastline, and you get the idea.

People

On a plane, you might meet somebody from, let’s say, Albuquerque. They may give you the resident’s silver dollar description of the highlights and lowlights of their town. A richer experience is to chat up, say, a waiter at a diner, who can give you a local’s opinion of one must-see sight before you have to drive out of town, in a way that only the local can tell it.

Or, you may see people that upend what you previously thought about a particular place. For instance, in driving through Kansas, I’ve seen cowboys. Stetsons, jeans, boots, something I thought might be reserved for a place like Texas. In Kansas I thought I’d see overalls only. So, a road trip can be a stereotype-buster.

Regional Food

I guess an airline could serve you some version of regional cuisine. But, of course, it would be dry, probably either overheated or cold, and be overpriced. No comparison at all with going to a restaurant on the ground that serves authentic local cuisine.

Also, food that’s mass produced like something for a chain or an airline has little incentive to be innovative or surprising. Independent restaurants in out of the way places are the exact opposite. Whether it’s Texas barbecue, Cajun recipes in Louisiana, seafood in New England or Americanized German or Scandinavian dishes in the upper Midwest, you find delicious authenticity on the road.

Using mud pack and cold water therapy has buy viagra italy got both mental as well as physical benefits. Pills like sildenafil sales are very costly but nowadays many pharmacies also provide cialis. However I wouldn’t advise taking it if you are a patient of any of these health conditions- high or low blood pressure, liver problem, cardiac problem, or any other serial ailment * Do 5mg cialis price secretworldchronicle.com not take Kamagra with any of nitrate drug. This may lead to having the elimination transplant as well as dialysis online cialis purchased here in the event the problems usually are significant.

Serendipity

A relaxed road trip sets up perfect circumstances for serendipity to happen. Most often for me this has meant coming across something in the landscape that I did not know was there, but yet it turned out to be the perfect thing for the time and place.

I was off the main roads to get to Mt. Rushmore; then I realized that an iconic image from a movie I loved (Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, from Close Encounters of the Third Kind) was within easy driving distance of where I was, so I could include that on my itinerary. Or, meeting a sexy guy by chance in Boston, who turns out to live in Denver, a stop on my journey. He turned out to be a fortuitous tour guide and well, a lot more. Which brings me to:

The Kindness of Strangers

Especially now in our hyper-partisan world, it’s pretty easy to lump huge swaths of territory into stereotypes. On a road trip we’re reminded that people are individuals, and most often, friendly and hospitable.

The very nature of a road trip — you’re in a car that must stop for gas and food and rest, at least at some point — makes it likely that you’ll come in contact with locals, who can add a tremendous amount of color to a journey through a particular area. Whether it’s an historical perspective, a suggestion for a restaurant, or directions to your next stop via much more interesting back roads, it’s the people who live there that give a region its personality. Definitely something you can’t get from reading about an area or flying high above it.

Those were just Five Reasons to Take a Road Trip, though there are many more. To find out what I found on my own road trip, check out my new book Wanderslut 1996: A Gay Road Trip Across America.

Working Biography for “Benefits” Character Karen Kling

National Librarians Day is coming up on April 16. This is a perfect time to highlight the working biography I wrote for “Benefits” character Karen Kling (since she is a librarian), who is main character Ben Schmidt’s best friend.

Working Biography Purpose

This is another in the series of working biographies I’ve posted for characters in my novel “Benefits“. She is not an original character for “Benefits”; she had a huge role in the predecessor book “Benediction.”

As with so many of the working biographies for fictional characters, I used this sketch to draw from but did not use all of it. Additionally, I invented other aspects of character not in the working biography at all. So it’s best thought of as resource and starting point.

Karen is very loosely based on someone in my real life, not a librarian but a (now retired) teacher. This is the working bio I concocted for her prior to writing “Benediction”:

Karen Kling Working Biography

Karen (Ben’s producer and confidante):

She wants the movie Hell for the Holidays to be a success, and a springboard for her to go on to other projects, with or without Ben, She wants to assist Ben as he’s going through Cancerworld, She wants to find out if her husband (Dennis) is having an affair, and if so, who with.
She has an off-again, on-again weight problem, yo-yo.
She’s 46, blond, blue eyes. SHE’S 55 IN THE SEQUEL.
She would shop at Macy’s, but not Nordstrom.
Her day job is as a librarian for the SF Main Branch public library.
Her desire is to become a movie producer. She caught the bug going to the Castro Theater for years.
Married to Dennis Carstens, who is chasing the dot-com boom in SF, and has made some good money at it. Karen drives a new Mini-Cooper that was paid for by this.
IN THE SEQUEL, KAREN HAS GOTTEN RID OF THE MINI AND HAS A TOP OF THE LINE PRIUS, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE RICH PEOPLE IN SF DRIVE. SINCE BEN AND JAKE HAVE A BLACK ONE, KAREN’S IS RED.
She suspects that Dennis is having an affair (he is) and she’s really curious about finding out the source of this affair.
Karen’s a San Francisco native, that rare bird. Oddly, she’s not what you would expect, some “granola” girl with extreme leftist tendencies. She’s surprising “normal.”
She loves Ben because he brings things to her life that she would never normally experience.
She’s also extremely nurturing, helping, and can very much be in charge and throw her weight around when she wants to.
She doesn’t talk much about her family of origin, though they are scattered about the Bay Area. Her parents are dead, her mother was sick for a long time and that really affected her having fun as a girl. She has a younger brother, Jim, and a younger sister, Peaches (nickname for Persephone) who has two children. Karen’s somewhat jealous in that she’ll never be a mother, “but that’s the choice Dennis and I made.” That’s a lie, they married too late to have kids.

Yes, at the fingertips of the person, things are already grasped. canadian viagra sales http://secretworldchronicle.com/books/ This is the only way to ensure that all its functions are working properly. viagra sale uk So the next time you feel fatigued or worn out, simply gulp a glass of acai shake or pop an acai india cialis online pill and you would be invigorated in no time. cheap viagra canada In a very healthy private, glucose is normally absorbed within the various cells with the body where it is broken lower for electrical power and regulating body’s temperature.

Like I’ve done with other working biographies, here’s a few rando photos from the Internet to illustrate what was in my mind when I thought of Karen (but blond):

Anonymous Librarian
Anonymous Librarian
Librarians

“Benefits” Working Biography of Character Danny Fernandez

Here’s another in the series of working biographies I’ve posted for characters in my novel “Benefits“. This working biography is for Ben’s sidekick Danny Fernandez. He is an original character for “Benefits” in that he did not appear in the predecessor book “Benediction.”

We’ve all had coworkers we grew to be fond of and depend on in various jobs we’ve had. I don’t think I drew on specifics of any of those people for this working biography, but the spirit is there.

Danny Fernandez

“He is 29. Has Latino background, dark brown hair and eyes, 5’6”. He’s a cub, enthusiastic baby bear. Danny’s an aficionado of what remains of SOMA’s underground gay sex culture. Fetish, gear, leather etc., and does lighting and other behind-the-scenes stuff on wild porno, think Treasure Island Media. His unstated dream is that he wants to be a conventional filmmaker. He has a steady boyfriend, an older bearish guy. They live together. Ben calls the boyfriend BEAR MOUNTAIN, somewhat condescendingly or at least in a teasing manner. His real name is something innocuous, like John Ralston. Danny is also an acquaintance of Tony Ochoa; occasionally they’ve gone after the same guys.”

The working biography in this case is this short. The relationship that evolved during the course of the writing was that of a zany work duo, and probably owes as much or more to my memories of Lucy and Ethel as it does to anything in the gay world. Sisters, out to solve a harebrained scheme.

Here are a couple of images pulled from the Internet to illustrate how I conceived Danny:

Cub #1
Cub #2
Cub #3

With the use of FEZINIL CAPSULES any woman gives greater value to the levitra professional online sex making experience. There is no doubt about the potency and safety of the medication.* Also generic manufacturers don’t invest vast sums in advertising free prescription for levitra and PR. How does Propecia work? The mechanisms for how Propecia order levitra online works at restoring hair growth are better understood than those for minoxidil. These patients take stomach acid suppressed medications, but that does not help all people who have the issue. respitecaresa.org cialis generika

It’s National “Take a Walk in the Park Day”

Monday, March 30 is National “Take a Walk in the Park Day.” This year, it has an added significance. For most of us in the U.S. and indeed, around the world, walking in the park is one of the few activities open to us in the time of coronavirus quarantines.

In my novel “Benefits,” Ben Schmidt and his crew make good use of Golden Gate, Buena Vista and Jack Early Parks — for walks, yes, as well as other things. Like cruising. Like surveillance. Or just for taking in the view.

In my already solitary writerly life, taking walks is one of my constants. Often, they are in a park here in Los Angeles. Could be Griffith, which is giant, or North Hollywood Park, closer to where I live. Also l love to walk/hike in Fryman Canyon, which is part of a string of mountain parks here.

I’ve included a little gallery of park walks from here as well as recent travels. Hope you enjoy — and make sure to get out and Take a Walk in the Park! Wash your hands and stay six feet from other humanoids!

The blogger in Griffith Park
Mississippi River Levee in New Orleans
Audubon Park in New Orleans
Mission Dolores Park in SF
Mission Dolores Park in SF
Blogger in Griffith Park
Fryman Canyon Trail (LA)
View from Fryman Canyon Trail, LA
Oak Leaf Trail, Milwaukee
Herman A. Zeunert Park, Cedarburg, WI
Washington Park, Chicago
Blogger’s sister and brother, Herman A. Zeunert Park, Cedarburg, WI
Blogger in Jack Early Park, SF
Buena Vista Park, SF
Blogger in Griffith Park
Historical photo of blogger baring midriff in a park overlooking SF

NOTE: This drug is just for you. heritageihc.com female viagra canada Now they are more tadalafil super active than willing to accept the problems at the early stage. One of the researchers, Thomas Fergus, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Harvard cialis on line University, the meaning of happiness is “anything we pleased” ( Gilbert, 2009). Here, the penile organ has lesser blood which tadalafil cheap see this link is responsible for not having a proper erection in him.

Happy 65th Birthday to You, Senior!

So March 20 is my birthday. I’m 65 today. Can you imagine a worse year to turn 65? I mean, it’s the increased-at-risk age for serious complications with Covid-19, so here I am, front and center! Yikes!

I think you have to laugh and shrug. And have some cake. Finally got Medicare, so there’s that, and that is a huge thing in our country. Even though I’ve worked all my life to get here, to cross this invisible finish line, so to speak — hope that soon it’s just standard for every citizen of the U.S. regardless of age or anything else. It’s way past time. It’s the right thing to do.

Fatigue, changes in physique angel and caring for your cialis 10mg new built-in can all prove to be a sex drive dampener. This medication is the general version of the brand Sildenafil Citrate which cialis generika pamelaannschoolofdance.com is a PDE5 inhibitor. Men could be completely healthy, but occasionally there are emotional counseling to sale levitra find a psychiatrist to do better. Using multiple impotence treatments is not recommended as the first line of treatment, this medication works on the belief of using the natural herbs. viagra prices

With that, I’ll blow out the candles on my tiny cake in my shelter-in-place pod and hope for a great year — another book is coming, so stay tuned!

My Writing Desk

Thought maybe you’d like to see where the magic happens. A bit of the full glory of the glamorous writer life. A photo of my writing desk at home.

A photo of writer Jim Arnold's writing desk at his apartment in Los Angeles. — where the magic happens: my writing desk

Erectile Dysfunction (ED), or impotency, is a man’s inability to express his love by coming closer and he failed to be intimate with his partner by sex.Impotency is really a serious this storefront buy cheap levitra stage of inability in man’s life. George Carlin expressed his position as an atheist in some of his comedy routines and often spoke out in favor of discount viagra the separation of a couple. Mentat also helps lessen the level of tribulin, an endogenous Mono Amine Oxidase inhibitor, which gets raised in various stages thought about this tadalafil 80mg of research and development already in the pipeline. One effective way of Erectile cialis overnight no prescription Dysfunction Treatment is hormone therapy, where testosterone patches or drugs are administered to increase the low libido of the guy, which is causing the Erectile dysfunction.

At first I thought I should tidy up my writing desk. Then I thought authenticity was better served by leaving it as I found it today — covered with a coffee cup, eye drops, hand lotion, cords that go who-knows-where, and bills both paid and unpaid. You’re jealous, I know, of this glamorous life. As is often said, someone has to live it.

In a future post, I’ll take some pictures of the places where I externally write – those coffee shops, parks, libraries, etc. where my writing desk turns into a public writing space.

“Benefits” Working Biography of Glenda Bourne

Here’s another in the series of working biographies I’ve posted for characters in my novel “Benefits“. This working biography is for antagonist Glenda Bourne, who also appeared first in the novel “Benediction“.

For some reason, when writing Glenda, I had the image of Princess Diana in my head. Though I clearly state Glenda had long hair, was from South Africa, etc. I think it’s because at the time of writing her initially, I worked with a Brit who had a Diana haircut. So I offer these photos of Diana with short hair channeling Glenda Bourne:

Princess Diana with short hair
Princess Diana with short hair

aimhousepatong.com viagra prescription Well, about the first drug called Minoxidil, the results do not satisfy them. But if your http://www.aimhousepatong.com/gallery.html the cost of viagra problems are related to your business and contains appropriate content. These firms are typically located in India where the patent legislation isn’t considered and these alternatives are totally reliable and are available at all leading cancer hospitals generic viagra tab that offer chemotherapy treatment in India. The hormone insulin produced by pancreas is the primary blood glucose regulator. purchase levitra online

Glenda Bourne Working Biography

Glenda Bourne is Ben’s film editor, that’s the starting point of their relationship.

She wants a Baby – but, she’s a single lesbian and she doesn’t want a relationship with a man, she just wants some good sperm!

Glenda is a lesbian, 37 years old, originally from Capetown, South Africa, has lived in SF for almost 10 years. Film editor. Highly regarded in the Indie production community. Lives in small apartment in the Tenderloin, off of Ellis street (note, she moved to Haight in the sequel, to a place on Steiner.)

She’s 5-7, long brown hair, which she often keeps in a ponytail or up on top of her head. She has brown eyes, always seems to have a tan, like she’s outdoorsy, which is odd in SF. She must spend a lot of time in Marin or some other sunny place. She is fit, not fat and not skinny.

She has a lot of anger, and is not the most pleasant person to be around. But she can be persistent and even sweet when she has to, to get something she wants. She originally came to SF rather than LA or NY (more traditional centers for film editing) because of the lesbian scene. But, sadly for her, she’s been unable to really connect with one woman for any long-term thing. She’s had lots of girlfriends, but nothing has seemed to stick.

Now she has angst, because of her age, the ticking clock, and she really wants a child. She’s estranged from her family in S. Africa, perhaps there was some abuse at home growing up.

Her respect for Ben is mostly put-upon, she pretty much thinks his film Hell for the Holidays is shit. It was her ex-girlfriend CJ at Film Artists Foundation who referred Ben.

Her opinion of him has changed recently since she now sees him not as a filmmaker to deal with, but as a sperm factory she can order from.

In the sequel, “Benefits”, Glenda has a car. It’s an SUV. Older, say 1998 black Ford SUV Explorer.

Cover of Jim Arnold's "Benefits" is a street scene in Cole Valley, San Francisco, used here in blog post Glenda Bourne Working Biography.

In the Novel “Benefits”: Two Truths and a Lie

Here’s a little teaser for your day. I’m going to give you three statements about my new novel Benefits; two truths and a lie. Can you figure out where I’m fibbing?

If not, you may have to read the book. If so, you should read the book anyway to enjoy the circumstances of the statements that are true.

Statement #1

Protagonist Ben Schmidt seems to have a definite love/hate relationship with work. In fact, this guy can’t seem to hold a job. His ego most often gets in the way, and it’s a major character flaw. Good thing he has partner Jake to pick up the pieces! In fact, Ben lost his jobs in both the first novel Benediction (marketing exec) as well as in the sequel Benefits (office furniture salesman).

Statement #2

It is also available in pill, skin-patch, spray cialis in canada and gel form. Going Here acquisition de viagra In order to do this, we have to go with the flow. A significant strike to the center leads to collapse with all the affected leg and high-intensity learningworksca.org viagra no prescription suffering, in addition to mental stunning just for 3 to 7 seconds, and possible unconsciousness. d. Prostate gland enlargement along or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)can cause compression of viagra generico uk urethra which may interrupt urine flow and cause urine saturation in bladder.

Ben’s mother, plumbing company heiress Margaret Kanner Schmidt, decides to move to San Francisco as she’s nearing 80. She surprises Ben by doing this, leaving her beautiful home on the shores of Lake Michigan for an uncertain West Coast future. But even more than that, Ben is shocked when Margaret meets and marries Davis Sternberg, who not only is a younger doctor who treated Ben in Benediction, he’s also a bisexual man Ben had an affair with.

Statement #3

In stark contrast to Ben and his ongoing work dramas, other half Jake Brosseau seems to continue to move up that ladder of life without obstruction. From a part-time job designing window displays for a high-end men’s store, to repping edgy street artists to finally having his own art gallery, Jake has a lot of success. Even when his current enterprise faces economy-related problems in Benefits, a wealthy colleague comes to the rescue to bankroll yet another venture in a new, even better location.

Figure It Out?

So, did you figure out which are the two truths and which is the lie? Good for you! If not, read the book! Hey, even if you did, also read the book. Till next time. . .

Ten of My Favorite Books

Here’s a list of ten of my favorite books which have influenced me in some way. As you’ll see, they run the gamut from fiction to non-fiction and from short stories to self-help. It’s not my top ten list, but it’s a top ten list on this particular day. They’re not listed in any particular order.

Truman Capote, “In Cold Blood”

Also, generic cialis without prescription the costliest might not mean that that is the best solution and it is not that expensive like surgical treatments. So you canadian viagra 100mg have to be careful and stay straight. There are some serious or major side effects of ED? The Common side effects of ineptitude are Inability to accomplish an erection Inability to keep up an erection In a couple cases, barrenness could be connected with wellbeing issues which can demonstrate the best approach to grave or may be cialis generic purchase life-debilitating complex issues. As follows: Blood tests Imaging scans MRI of the neck Nerve ultrasound Nerve conduction tests Recording of the electrical activity in muscles (EMG) X-rays Swelling and nerve function in the ulnar nerve can be determined based on these tests. viagra on line valsonindia.com

My own writing has been heavily influenced by literary non-fiction writers like Capote and Joan Didion. “In Cold Blood” combines that writing genre with horrific true crime, a combination that’s like catnip to a reader like me. I’ve been warily interested in the Clutter family murders since my dad took me to the film version of “In Cold Blood” in 1967 when I was about 12. This is an incredible book.

Joan Didion, “The White Album” and “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”

Actually two books, but they’re both non-fiction essay compilations, from the period of late 50s to early 70s. So much of her writing defines the myth of California for me. I’m a native but didn’t spend my childhood in the state, also born in Sacramento, as was Didion. Guess I felt she was kindred. Her way with a sentence is really unmatched. I find her writings hypnotic; don’t know how many times I’ve read these essays and they don’t ever age. I never get tired of them.

Paul Monette, “Becoming a Man – Half a Life Story“

This is an autobiography, a writer’s autobiography, which fascinated me because not only was the writer (Paul Monette) a gay man, but one I already admired from his amazing memoir of AIDS, “Borrowed Time.” I remember looking for some hint in these pages of how I should live my own life — what experiences I should have as a gay man in Los Angeles, how I should think about them, how I should write about them. As much as a kind of blueprint for an existence as a window into someone else’s remarkable life, as gay men (of my generation, anyway) have had so few role models. It’s hard not to fall in love with the spirit of this beautiful but very human and flawed man, which infuses each and every page.

Michael Cunningham, “A Home at the End of the World“

I really felt very connected to both the men in the story (fiction, about a relationship triangle over the course of many years). One is straight, one is gay, and they are both contemporaries of mine – so there were many touch points I could so easily identify with. The structure of this novel, where alternating chapters are written from each of the main characters’ point of view, has influenced how I put together “The Forest Dark,” my own second novel. I also loved the epic nature of the story, in that it follows an enduring friendship over many years. I found myself longing for the kind of love expressed in this book.

George Chauncey, “Gay New York“

This is a real history book with an 80-page source notes section! It’s a fascinating look at how and why what we know today as gay urban culture came together. In writing about gay people in the fictional present, knowing our past and how that forms us is a crucial exercise in back story. Until I read this book, I never knew how recent (big picture-wise) a recognizable “gay community” was. This book covers a ton of topics, including looking at the police repression of gay men and lesbians and how wars and the industrial revolution hastened our community’s formation. In the United States, it all starts with New York.

Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, “Your Money or Your Life“

Told you there was a self-help book in here! Chose this one because it literally changed my life, from not really having any kind of spending plan to becoming frugal and being able to get out of debt and save/invest enough money in a few years to work part-time (or not at all) for 16 years. That’s up until this year (2020) when I will mostly retire. I was interested in doing this for a number of reasons, but the main one was having time for my creative interests. This scheme really delivered.

Armisted Maupin, “Maybe the Moon“

Great story about a dwarf actress whose claim to fame was starring in an ET-like movie. I’ve always loved stories/books/movies about those who (like myself!) came to Hollywood to make it in some way. Most of us, of course, don’t make it or have many strange twists and turns on that journey, and this is such a story. The heroine, Cady, is a take-no-prisoners little person who somewhere in the book refers to herself as a “fat baby with tits and pubic hair.” It’s hard not to love a character like that. I found this a somewhat more serious and touching novel than the “Tales of the City” series, just a beautiful piece of work.

Jon Krakauer, “Into Thin Air“

A non-fiction account by this mountaineer-outdoor writer about the ill-fated Mount Everest climb in 1996. Krakauer was actually part of this group, so the access and immediacy is unparalleled. Generally I wouldn’t say I’m the type of person to like outdoor sagas, but this is something else. For me, it was a literal page turner, I could not put this book down – was hooked from the start, and man, what a story. And it’s true.

Annie Proulx, “Brokeback Mountain“

When I first started reading this short story, I realized I’d have to slow down, as it seemed to be written in a dialect of English with which I was totally unfamiliar. Unfamiliar territory, indeed, and so authentically wrought western talk. I think the story sneaks up on you. Like so many Americans I probably have a fascination with the West, its promises as well as its dangers. In my case, it’s also my native yet adopted part of the country, though California could be put in another category entirely. I believe the rural parts of my state and Wyoming have more in common than California’s coastal cities have with its interior. Here was a genuine rendering of love between two men. A feat so rare in art that when it finally appears it’s really quite astounding, and in this particular case, broke my heart.

Denis Johnson, “Jesus’ Son”

Cover of Denis Johnson book of short stories, Jesus' Son

Amazing group of loosely-related short stories. I was inspired to reach far beyond my current writing effort by this. The publisher’s note: Jesus’ Son, the first collection of stories by Denis Johnson, presents a unique, hallucinatory vision of contemporary American life unmatched in power and immediacy and marks a new level of achievement for this acclaimed writer. In their intensity of perception, their neon-lit evocation of a strange world brought uncomfortably close to our own, the stories in Jesus’ Son offer a disturbing yet eerily beautiful portrayal of American loneliness and hope.

So there’s 10. By no means my entire list, just 10 of my favorite books.