I turned 12 and then 13 and then 16 and now I’m 43

12 ball

You’re 12 years old. It’s your birthday. Write for ten minutes on that memory. GO. I hate these questions because most of the time – I don’t remember. Like many survivors of neglect and trauma, I don’t remember. Or I do remember, but much in the way I recall the storyline from a book or […]

If I Grew Up In Allentown. With a Fast Car.

Today’s blogging prompt asked me to explain the socioeconomic class structure in the neighborhood where I grew up. That would be West Mifflin, PA. I have six attempts in my drafts folder. All devolved from thoughtful class analysis of a working class suburb into various rants. Clearly, I have some unresolved issues with my hometown. […]

Dicey and Paprika Return to Club Cafe: Exclusive Interview

Ledcat Paprika

I’ve interviewed some pretty amazing performers over the years – Jill Sobule, Mary Gauthier,  …I’m even in the midst of an interview with Rick Springfield. But when the chance came for me to nab an exclusive with Dicey Stewart and Paprika LaRue, I dropped everything, let out a primal scream and immediately broke out some […]

The Tender Things That We Were Working On

Don’t You Forget About Me Imagine yourself at the end of your life. What sort of legacy will you leave? Describe the lasting effect you want to have on the world, after you’re gone. My biggest contribution to the world after I’m gone is the fact that I am planning on a Green Burial in […]

How The Lesbians Celebrated Valentine’s Day

lesbian valentine

First, we decided no gifts. Of course, Laura bought me cookies and I sent her a singing Teleglam from Renaissance City Choirs. So much for no presents. We decided to head to Sesame Inn in the North Hills. We walked in to this: Turns out, this was the takeout line. I amused myself with selfies […]

General Hospital Explores How Someone Learns Homophobia

I think my dream job would be to write about the soaps. I’d have to get cable. I might also like to write for the soaps. Last week on GH, Lucas Jones revealed that he’s gay to long-presumed-dead bio father and mobster, Julian Jerome. It was a pretty intense series of scenes – Julian reeled […]

My Must Have Kitchen Ingredient – Tony Chachere’s

What’s the one item in your kitchen you can’t possibly cook without? A spice, your grandma’s measuring cup, instant ramen — what’s your magic ingredient, and why? When I moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1992, I was introduced to this magical seasoning  “Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning” by my various authentic Louisiana born friends. We […]

General Hospital Fans Have a Stake in Russian Anti-LGBTQ Violence Too

After yesterday’s post asking fans of “Days of Our Lives” to demand NBC speak out against the atrocities the Russian government is levying against their LGBTQ citizens, I realized that it certainly doesn’t stop with NBC soaps.ABC’s General Hospital has a frontburner story with the evolving love triangle of Brad Cooper torn between Felix DuBois […]

Soap Fans, Please Send Your #CheersToSochi to Support #WilSon, Lucas, Brad, Felix and Friends

The Olympics begin tonight on NBC and while DAYS will apparently not be bumped for coverage, there is a very important concern for viewers, especially fans of #Wilson, Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis. As you may know, Russia has cracked down on “homosexual propaganda” under federal law and informal use of brutal and repressive tactics […]

I May Be Running Out Of Things To Say

(If you said to yourself  “good” I can’t really blame you.) Today was a perfectly normal day. I woke up and Ledcat had gone to work early. I fed the dogs, fed the cats, fed me and made coffee. I read the paper online. Well, sort of read because the Post-Gazette website is just infuriating […]