Arts & Culture :: Books
Words: Franklin Abbott’s ‘My Ordinary Life’ - Bright story poems from dark times
Franklin Abbott’s newest book, “My Ordinary Life,” is more than a collection of story poems. It’s a quiet reckoning with the extraordinary weight of recent years. With a gentle yet unflinching voice, his work spans pandemics and personal moments.
David Cameron Strachan’s ‘Memoir of a Reluctant Giant’
David Strachan is perhaps best known as a member of the Board of Directors of the Intersex Society of North America or as a founding member of the SF Transgender Civil Rights Implementation Force. His new memoir tells the story of his fascinating life.
Words and pictures: queer illustrated books
It’s getting to the point where we might need a spreadsheet to keep track of all the iterations of “Wicked.” A new graphic novel is one of three new illustrated books of note.
Spring Books 2025 round-up, part 3: Obsessions, revealing memoirs & a ‘Wicked’ prequel
Here’s the third installment of our Spring books round-up, with thought-provoking stories from a trans author, self-reflective queer memoirs including one from a longtime AIDS-era survivor, and both fictional and historical books about witches.
‘Shechinah at the Art Institute’ - gay Rabbi Irwin Keller explores his feminine side
A Shechinah is “the immanent presence of the Divine, also the Divine Feminine.” His feminine side as it relates to his Judaism is but one of the topics that Irwin Keller explores in his new book, “Shechinah at the Art Institute.”
Spring Books 2025 round-up, part 2: Drag history, revealing memoirs, & horror film studies
Here comes our second Spring books round-up series, where we present a wide range of titles; a historical reinvigoration from a well-known eighth season "RuPaul's Drag Race" winner, as well as a super-charged, highly dramatic Regency-era fantasy.
Spring Books 2025 round-up, part 1; sexy memoirs, cowboy poems and more
There are lots and lots of new books in the literary pipeline to choose from this spring for every color on the personality rainbow and beyond. If you’re desperate to take a breather from all the negative political press, grab one of these new books.
Words: Jerry Wheeler and Shawn Stewart Ruff
Jerry Wheeler and Shawn Stewart Ruff have a few things in common, both known for writing LGBTQ literature, particularly with a focus on gay male characters and themes.
Neal King’s ‘Trauma Is a Thief’ - a transformational journey
Former professor, university president and licensed psychologist Neal King, PhD, recently published “Trauma Is a Thief,” his candid new memoir that seeks to make sense of the damaging abuse he suffered as a child.
Michael Amherst's debut novel, 'The Boyhood of Cain'
In just under 200 pages, debut author Michael Amherst takes us through a gay teenager's "tender, brutal, and enthralling" journey like a seasoned guide.
George M. Johnson's 'Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known'
The exciting new groundbreaking book by George M. Johnson, "Flamboyants: the Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known," is an empowering book written specifically for high school students, but one that can be enjoyed by all.
Felice Picano: Pioneering author & publisher leaves a literary legacy
Prolific author, publisher and editor Felice Picano died at his home in Los Angeles on March 12 of lymphoma. He was 81. Since then, numerous authors and people in the publishing industry had praised him and remarked on his generosity.
'Wild With Happy' and 'Fat Ham' - onstage and in audiobooks
Major productions of two contemporary comedies with gay Black lead characters are being mounted in San Francisco this month. And in an unusual coincidence, earlier stagings of both are available in polished recorded audiobook versions.
Winter tales: Curl up to a quartet of queer fantasy books
Here are a handful of new queer and queer-adjacent titles from the Sci-Fi/Fantasy realm of fiction for those of you who like a bit of thrilling other-worldliness in your reading material.