Elisa - My reviews and Ramblings

Margarett Sargent (August 31, 1892 - 1978) was born in 1892 into the privileged world of old Boston money (she was a distant relative of John Singer Sargent) and a life of rigid convention from which few (especially women) broke free. Art provided her ticket out of this claustral milieu. After breaking an engagement, she began her training in Italy as a sculptor (''If only we hadn't sent her to Europe,'' her family would say whenever she did something un-Bostonian, which was fairly often), and later turned to watercolors and oils. She had her first one-woman show in New York in 1926, quickly followed by others in Chicago and Boston. But just as she was establishing her reputation, she stopped exhibiting, and soon stopped painting altogether.

Margarett, 5 foot 10, raven-haired, ivory-skinned, blue-eyed, becomes a socialite, a student of Mount Rushmore's Gutzon Borglum and painter George Luks, a member of the artistic avant garde of New York and Boston, and, within conventions -- she's a virgin -- a seductress of note. She also may be having an affair with her New York roommate, Marjorie Davenport.

Her personal life was more shocking than her paintings, which reflected an expressionism not much in vogue at the time. She waited until 1920, and the age of 28, to marry another proper Bostonian, Quincy Adams Shaw McKean (November 1, 1891 – August 1971) , a polo-playing, dog-breeding Boston aristocrat and owner of a remarkable estate called Prides, who promises her a career but doesn't know what he's bargained for. They had four children in the next three years. The marriage had its problems (ironically, not conflicts over her career -- her husband accepted her artistic aspirations), and Margarett ''took to affairs,'' an old friend noted, ''as easily as to brushing her teeth.'' These affairs included both men and women, and many took place on Boston's North Shore at Prides, the McKean home, a 17th-century saltbox transformed into a Yankee palazzo so grand it required a staff of 13.


Sargent, Margarett W., Beyond Good and Evil (Self-Portrait), ca. 1930, Gift of Honor Moore, Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College
Margarett Sargent was born into the privileged world of old Boston money; a socialite, a student of Mount Rushmore's Gutzon Borglum and painter George Luks, a member of the artistic avant-garde of New York and Boston. She also may be having an affair with her New York roommate, Marjorie Davenport. She married Quincy Adams Shaw McKean, a polo-playing, dog-breeding Boston aristocrat and owner of an estate called Prides. They had four children in the next 3 years.

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Source: www.nytimes.com/books/97/07/27/nnp/19414.html

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time by Elisa Rolle
Paperback: 760 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1500563323
ISBN-13: 978-1500563325
CreateSpace Store: https://www.createspace.com/4910282
Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/dp/1500563323/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MZG0VHY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Days of Love chronicles more than 700 LGBT couples throughout history, spanning 2000 years from Alexander the Great to the most recent winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Many of the contemporary couples share their stories on how they met and fell in love, as well as photos from when they married or of their families. Included are professional portraits by Robert Giard and Stathis Orphanos, paintings by John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, and photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnson, Arnold Genthe, and Carl Van Vechten among others. “It's wonderful. Laying it out chronologically is inspired, offering a solid GLBT history. I kept learning things. I love the decision to include couples broken by death. It makes clear how important love is, as well as showing what people have been through. The layout and photos look terrific.” Christopher Bram “I couldn’t resist clicking through every page. I never realized the scope of the book would cover centuries! I know that it will be hugely validating to young, newly-emerging LGBT kids and be reassured that they really can have a secure, respected place in the world as their futures unfold.” Howard Cruse “This international history-and-photo book, featuring 100s of detailed bios of some of the most forward-moving gay persons in history, is sure to be one of those bestsellers that gay folk will enjoy for years to come as reference and research that is filled with facts and fun.” Jack Fritscher

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Born in August 1954, Nancy Rosenblum grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and developed an interest in photography and filmmaking at age seven. She often borrowed her father's Bell & Howell 8mm camera and spliced together short movies. After coming out as a lesbian in 1975, she attended the photography program at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) for six years, eventually earning her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1983. During her time at CalArts, she created two photography exhibits. Her first exhibit, "Vegetables: A Reaction to Male Violence Against Women," premiered in 1979 and her second exhibit, "Some of My Best Friends... Portraits of Lesbians," was her 1983 Master's show. She also created a 3-monitor video installation about growing up in her family. (Picture: Rosa Bondini, 38, Cook, 1983, © Nancy Rosenblum)

After graduating from CalArts, Rosenblum turned to video editing and filmmaking. In 1988, she edited and co-produced with Irene Pinn a documentary about lesbians called, You Can Know All I Am. From the 1980s through the mid-2000s, she worked as an editor for film and television, winning several Los Angeles Emmy Awards for her work on various news documentaries. She was also active in the gay and lesbian political movement, contributing to such organizations and publications as Lesbian Tide, Connexxus: El Centro de Mujeres, Lesbian News, Outfest and IMRU Radio; and she continued to exhibit photographs at various Southern California locations.

In 1983, Rosenblum met Mary Whitlock, who became her life partner. In August 2008, Rosenblum and Whitlock relocated to Nelson, British Columbia, where Whitlock studies music and Rosenblum continues to create art works and teach film editing at Selkirk College.


Catherine Lord (left) 35, Writer, Nathalie Magnan (right) 27, Artist, 1984, © Nancy Rosenblum
In 1983, Nancy Rosenblum met Mary Whitlock, who became her life partner. In August 2008, Rosenblum and Whitlock relocated to Nelson, British Columbia, where Whitlock studies music and Rosenblum continues to create art works and teach film editing at Selkirk College. In America, Love It Or... (2009), an 8 minutes documentary, Nancy Rosenblum tells the story of how Mary and Nancy an all American lesbian couple of 24 years, leaves family and friends, pack up the U-haul and immigrate to Canada.

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Source: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt396nd93t/

More Real Life Romances at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Real Life Romance


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Bruce Boone (born 1940) is the author of Century of Clouds, My Walk with Bob, The Truth about Ted, and LaFontaine (in collaboration with Robert Gluck). He has translated works by Georges Bataille, Pascale Quignard, and Jean-Francois Lyotard. Ghosts preoccupy Bruce Boone, who lives alone now in San Francisco with only dog Sadie. He wants to write a love story about Jamie, his late beloved. But they come at him like bats.

Searching for info about what is Mr. Boone currently doing, I found this wonderful blog about the loss of his partner Jamie, A stele for Jamie, posted on August 31, 2010. It brought tears to my eyes, and it still does, every time I read it.

"It struck me pretty forceably this morning that in the last year I’ve created a giant spidersweb of Jamie references here and there, in stories, notes, prose-writing, whatever and yet, who from this crazed mess when arbitrarily assembled in a heap—could by any stretch begin to grasp who or what Jamie is and was to me. I’ll attempt a beginning this morning and see how far I get.

To have as much generosity toward other people as he had and in death still has: remembering even on his deathbed (noted a mistranslation in Richard Howard’s translation of the Barthes book on the effects on him of his mother’s death, a small thing, and though Howard’s certainly become a far better translator than the man who so monstrously translated the Baudelaire FLEURS DE MAL/FLOWERS OF EVIL ugh! Still that was decades ago and he’s much, no vastly improved in my opinion. But, this may be nitpicking but it stands for more than the one given instance, why in the world would he refer to the mother’s deathbed, or passing, or being taken as we say sometimes, or used to, “in the throes of death”—all of these apply to the French word “agonie”. Or have I already said that? Hope not. When H decides to translate the underlying French word “agonie” by the English agony it therefore gives a false impression. For in the French, unlike the English cognate you have the impression of great suffering, of, indeed—agony. Whereas the word in French simpy refers to someone’s being on their last legs, on their deathbed, that and nothing more, there’s no pain necessarily implied by the usage.

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More Particular Voices at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Particular Voices



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Starting from June 1, 2015, I will daily feature authors attending the three conventions I will join, Euro Pride in Munich (July), UK Meet in Bristol (September) and GRL in San Diego (October).

For the GRL in San Diego, October 15-18, 2015, today author is Eli Easton: Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a game designer, an organic farmer, an avid hiker, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author.

As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.

Further Readings:

How to Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton
Series: Howl at the Moon
Paperback: 322 pages
Publisher: Pinkerton Road (May 28, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692456309
ISBN-13: 978-0692456309
Amazon: How to Howl at the Moon
Amazon Kindle: How to Howl at the Moon

Sheriff Lance Beaufort is not going to let trouble into his town, no sir. Tucked away in the California mountains, Mad Creek has secrets to keep, like the fact that half the town consists of ‘quickened’—dogs who have gained the ability to become human. Descended on both sides from border collies, Lance is as alert a guardian as they come. Tim Weston is looking for a safe haven. After learning that his boss patented all of Tim’s work on vegetable hybrids in his own name, Tim quit his old job. A client offers him use of her cabin in Mad Creek, and Tim sees a chance for a new start. But the shy gardener has a way of fumbling and sounding like a liar around strangers, particularly gorgeous alpha men like Sheriff Beaufort. Lance’s hackles are definitely raised by the lanky young stranger. He’s concerned about marijuana growers moving into Mad Creek, and he’s not satisfied with the boy’s story. Lance decides a bit of undercover work is called for. When Tim hits a beautiful black collie with his car and adopts the dog, its love at first sight for both Tim and Lance’s inner dog. Pretending to be a pet is about to get Sheriff Beaufort in very hot water.



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Calvin's Head by David Swatling
Gay Mystery / Thriller
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (September 15, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626391939
ISBN-13: 978-1626391932
Amazon: Calvin's Head
Amazon Kindle: Calvin's Head

Life in Amsterdam isn't all windmills and tulips when you're homeless. Jason Dekker lives in a jeep with his dog, Calvin, on the outskirts of the city. A thesis on Van Gogh brought him to the Netherlands, and the love of Dutch artist Willy Hart convinced him to stay. But Willy is gone and Dekker is on the brink of a total meltdown. On a summer morning in the park, Calvin sniffs out the victim of a grisly murder. Dekker sees the opportunity for a risky strategy that might solve their problems. Unfortunately, it puts them directly in the sights of the calculating stone-cold killer, Gadget. Their paths are destined to collide, but nothing goes according to plan when they end up together in an attic sex-dungeon. Identities shift and events careen out of control, much to the bewilderment of one ever-watchful canine. Oscar Wilde wrote that each man kills the thing he loves. He didn't mean it literally. Or did he?

2015 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2015.html

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