My Diva: 65 Gay Men on the Women Who Inspire Them, edited by Michael Montlack; Univ. of Wisconsin Press/Terrace Books, $24.95
Admit it, we all have one: a diva. She's that certain someone who, through her own personal creativity, fame, personality or trademark fabulousness, captured our hearts and inspired us to be the best that we can possibly be, from a young age right on through our adulthood. This writer personally adored Pamela Sue Martin; her tough and durable yet feminine roles as Nancy Drew and Dynasty's Fallon Carrington really drew me in and not only inspired me to challenge the malevolence which confronted me (grade/high school bullies), but also to grow my hair longer, whip it around dramatically when I turned to speak to someone, and get to the bottom of my own personal mysteries with as little bullshit as possible. Judge Judy and the recently deceased Bea Arthur admittedly come in a close second place.
Michael Montlack, a poet and part-time San Francisco resident, has assembled 65 fun, lively, and often touching short essays from gay men who expound upon the virtues of their divas, genuflecting in great appreciation for the female muses perpetuating "the boyhoods we never could fully enjoy under the weight of our secrets." He notes in the introduction that less than two weeks after putting out the call for contributors, over 40 writers signed on to participate, including men from all ages ("20-something to 80-something"), histories, occupations and locations.
A certain love of poetry, "the voice of desire," fuels Michael Broder's piece on Sappho; the comedy of Gracie Allen has "tickled, teased" and "titillated" Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Lloyd Schwartz; the melodramatic theatrical extremis of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis ("the waving of the cigarette, the downing of the martini, the tossing of the hair – oh, and the hand on the hip") speaks its own language to writer David Trinidad. Native New Yorker Lawrence Applebaum poignantly tips his hat to the inimitable Lucille Ball, while Bill Fogle bows to the "humble couture" of the one and only 6'2" female French Chef ("If Judy Garland is every gay man's dream of a best friend or clubbing partner, Julia Child is our favorite babysitter.") Jack Lynch shares a "cocktail" with British Two Fat Ladies cooking show personality Jennifer Paterson: she gulps a pint of breakfast stout on screen while he washes down AZT and acyclovir. Michael Schiavi celebrates "Diva of the Deranged" Karen Black, except he forgets to congratulate her on her standout role as the delightfully psychotic Mrs. Firefly in Rob Zombie's grisly masterpiece House of 1000 Corpses.
Musically speaking, the crooners and the wailers dominate this book. Tina Turner, Helen Reddy, Diana Ross, Bette Midler, Cher, Taylor Dayne, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper, Bjork, Annie Lennox, Kate Bush, Sade, and many more (even Celine Dion!) receive curtsies from fans who know every lyric by heart, and sing it out loud and proud.
Richard Blanco's undaunted adoration for Bewitched's Endora helped him survive years of being a tortured grade-school outcast, and it was Princess Leia ("impossibly, perfectly coifed!") who drew the distinction between good and evil for a young, impressionable Christopher Hennessy.
Gloria Swanson, Marlene Dietrich, Billie Holiday, Eartha Kitt, Wonder Woman and so many more are showcased in this delightful collection. Every one a legend – all praiseworthy and idolized to the extreme, in an ultimate homage to the precious, the opulent, the bitchy, and the eternally beloved women who rock our worlds.