Reach for the Stars

As a child, I wanted to grow up to be an astronaut. I read everything I could on space exporation, I had my own telescope, and used it so often. At Christmas, I would always get at least one book on astronomy. My room was decked out in models of Apollo spacecraft and one of each space shuttle.

On January 28, 1986, I was a student at Goddard Junior High in Midland, TX. I would spend my lunch hour in the library, like many other nerds. I walked into the library and the librarian, Mrs. Whitlaw, sat me down and told me the space shuttle had exploded during launch. The rest of the school day was a blur as I wanted to race home, which I did. I recorded and watched the news coverage over and over. This was my Kennedy Assasination. I was too upset to cry.
I had always enjoyed school, and even knew a teacher who had applied to the Teacher in Space program.
In my first real act of writing, I composed a poem for each of the astronauts. They were published in my hometown paper. In hindsight, they were atrocious, but what do you expect from an 8th grader?

As time went by, and I realized how much math I would have to take to even think about becoming an astronaut, I quietly gave up the quest. Instead, I began to look at my aunt Kathy, who was a teacher, for inspiration. Even though I got sidetracked, I have always felt a special affinity for teachers, and try to work with them whenever I can.

Every year, I would remember the Challenger Tragedy a little less, as life just kept on going. Yesterday, however, was the 20th anniversary of the launch and destruction of the shuttle, and you cannot turn on a tv without hearing something about it. As I write this, CNN is tunning a special on the life of Christa Mcauliffe.

All of the emotions of that 8th grader have come flooding back, and the sadness is palpable. I mourn for the loss of the astonauts, and feel for the families they have left behind.

Million Little Annoyances

Unless you live under a rock, you have been aware of the media storm surrounding James Frey and his 'memoir' A Million Little Pieces.
Thursday, Mr. Frey appeared on Oprah to discuss the fallout. I say discuss, however, a visibly upset Oprah did most of the talking. Oprah grilled him on every aspect of the book, while he squirmed under the scrutiny. Many times, she would have to ask the question more than once, and drag the answers out of him. And when she was done with Frey, Queen Oprah turned upon his publisher, Random House.

I watched this with the upmost interest, as the entire publishing industry would be affected by this. Like everyone else, I give props to Oprah for going live on national television and admitting she had been duped. (There are other public figures who could follow her example.)
I don't have much sympathy for Mr. Frey. I actually enjoyed watching him duck questions and get called on all the fabrications. Even after he got this hunk of fiction published as the truth, he had ample opportunity to come clean. When Oprah called to tell him his book was picked, when the Smoking Gun report appeared, On Larry King, or even on his own.

As a reader, I rely on the publishers and authors to tell me what is fact and what is not. I do not expect to go into the Biography section and get something fictional.

Look at Carrie Fisher. She writes autobiographical novels. We all know they are BASED on her life, but so much is expanded or embellished. However, we know that most of it is untrue, because they are placed in the fiction section. There were so many ways to avoid all of this.

You also have to take into account how many other writers will feel the consequence of these past few weeks. I am sure there will be great memoirs that will not get published, or authors that won't even get the time of day.

Which Stevie Nicks song are you?

Which Stevie Nicks song are you?

You're a fairly happy song. You're living life your way - and enjoying it.
Take this quiz!








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I'll let you know when I look like this

Thanks to some time on my hands, some guidance from a friend, and an invitation from some co workers, I started yoga tonight. Two of the girls from work go every Monday and they invited me to go along. I was very nervous about my first class, so naturally I hovered near the girls. Of course, they set up their yoga mats at the very front of the class.
Everyone always talks about how hard yoga is, and they are right. I was amazed at how well I did, but I know my limitations and didn't push myself too hard. There were times I had to just stop and go into fetal position to catch my breath. You may not move very fast, but you do get your heart rate up and work up a sweat. After the class, the instuctor and my two friends told me how well I did, which is a nice way to say they all realized I have a way to go...

In other news, John Grogan (Marley & Me) has agreed to do a signing in one of my stores in Kentucky next month. This is a major coup for me and my new position, as initially he was not booked. We were able to slide him in at the last moment. Anyone who is a dog person should read this book and meet him any time you can.

Gay Church

I have joined the Gay Church, or as most people call it, The Gym.

I joined on Saturday, but my first workout session with my trainer isn't until Wednesday, so I figured I could walk on the treadmill for the time being...you know, get my heart rate up and all that. So for the past three days I have donned my cute outfit, plugged in my MP3 player and done a brisk walk at a slight incline.
What I failed to realize was that the Gay Gene would kick in and I would start strutting in time to the new Madonna CD and wrap things up with the live version of the classic Nicks hit 'Standback' the Mother of All Treadmill Songs. I am sure the other patrons think I am doing a bad Naomi Campbell runway walk, but I tell you, it does get my heart racing.
I have also learned to keep my hands gripping the sides of the treadmill, lest I start gesturing like Lady Bunny after a few too many.
The gym is open very late, so I can go in at 8 or so, when it's not so crowded...I bet if I got in even later, I could actually sing along and no one would be there to notice!!

Go Fish

One thing you get used to with a birthday that falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the fact that it tends to get lost in the shuffle. If you recall from my Birthday Post, I had a great one this year, even though I was away from Tom. I had a cocktail party thrown in my honor as well as the rest of the stuff I won't bother recapping here.
So it was quite the surprise when I got to work today to find a tiara and wand on my desk, along with a card from all my coworkers. Several people were out of the office on my birthday and they wanted to make it up to me, along with Jackie and Sean, whose birthdays also fall into that nebulous Tween The Holidays area.
We each got a card and were treated to lunch at this fantastic little hole in the wall diner. On top of that, our boss, Ed let us take the afternoon off to go and see Brokeback Mountain, as it just opened here. I won't give my review here, suffice it to say I Loved It. I don't recommend seeing it with your entire office, but I am glad I was with a group of people.
After the picture, we went back to the office for cake, and I wore my tiara at my desk for the hour or two I stayed to work, which ended up being even more embarassing, as I forgot it was on when I went to the men's room. The wand must have been faulty, as
We felt very taken care of, and it came at a time when my ego needed stroking a little.

The night the Trojans failed

One of the drawbacks of being a Regional Book Buyer is the need to have some awareness of what's going on in Sports. I HATE sports. Yes, I know that is a stereotype, but it's true. Now, movies featuring scantily clad jocks, I am all over, but actual sports, nah.
So it was a mild surprise when I realized I had a professional stake in The Rose Bowl. You see, if The University of Texas won, I would be spending half my day buying 'instant' books on their win and sending them to our stores in Texas. Well, that was just too much work for me to handle. I had better things to do with my time, such as pester authors to do book signings and gossip.
Well, the USC Trojans put up a good fight, but were creamed by the Longhorns. Which was doubly upsetting when it dawned on me that the USC marching band figured prominently in the Fleetwood Mac video for 'Tusk.'

2006 Entertainment News

Instead of New Year's Resolutions, I thought I would share things I would like to see happen in the entertainment industry in 2006:

Olivia Newton John's boyfriend will be found. He has been secluded in an undisclosed location writing Zanna Don't, the sequel to Xanadu. (10 point for anyone who can relate this back to Queen Eye for the Straight Guy)

The Spice Girls will finally put aside their differences and do a reunion tour to benefit One.org. Tragically, Scary Spice, (the lone holdout on the abortive reunion for Live 8) is killed when her platform shoes break in mid jump, and she crashes into a speaker.

Bob, Ted, Carol and Alice will be remade with Brad, Vince, Angelina, and Jennifer, better known as Brangelina Vaugniston.

Patti LuPone and Betty Buckley will star in the stage musical 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' for Andrew Lloyd Webber. Tempers will flare when they are replaced for the Broadway run by Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. (On a side note, the planned film version is scrapped when stars Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler clash over Barbra's desire to direct the film.)

Stevie will finally write her autobiography and go on a coast to coast booksigning tour. When she graces one of my stores with her presence, she is blown away by my abilities as an event coordinator. I am then hired as her personal assistant.

Christmas Post Mortem

Well, Christmas is officially over. I had a great time. Since high school, I have always held jobs requiring me to work the day before and after holidays. It was great to have a few days, especially since my entire family was congregating in Winters, TX (Home of the Blizzards, I kid you not)
My mother, her brother and sister were together for the first time in over 10 years, and it showed. They were happy and laughing most of the time. Being the only grandson and first born, I was basking in the glow of my grandmother's praise. So I was all good.
One thing about my family is how passive aggressive we all are. Every story, every accomplishment is always met with something better, all said with a smile. It is the weirdest situation, everyone is smiling, but you can almost tase the jealousy in the air.
Also, spouses never quite measure up. My grandmother is a hybrid of Doris Roberts a la Everybody Loves Raymond (with myself as Ray) and Shirley MacLaine in Postcards from the Edge. It makes for interesting times. When I wasn't playing with my niece and nephew, I was huddled with my sister, poking fun at everyone else and trying not to laugh during meals.
My grandmother means more to any of us than she will ever know, but she's way too sensetive to be teased, so we wait until she goes to bed and then it's a free for all with the Grandmother Impersonations. It doesn't translate to print, nor would anyone get the key phrases, so I will spare you. Needless to say it is a riot.

Happy Holidays

Before The Mitchum Sinclair Show goes on Christmas hiatus, I thought I would share a bit from the office Christmas party.

I love my coworkers, but we have a hard time committing to social events. Back in September we all talked about how great the office Halloween party was going to be and convinced Ryan to thow it at his house. Ryan went out of his way to decorate and supply the food and drink for the party.
The big night came and 5 of us showed up. Some of us were taken up by illness, some by emergency, but it was still upsetting.

This time around, Sylvia decided to throw a party at the very last minute. I mean, we got invited on Monday for a Wednesday night get together. This one went off great. Lots of people, food, and drink. I loved the frozen cosmos. I also cooked my mother's chicken enchilada casserole. Everyone brought something and it was all good.

We gathered around and played games fueled by the above mentioned cosmos, margaritas, wine and for some, tequila shots.

The best part was the White Elephant exchange, as we were told to bring the most horrible promotional item we were handed by a vendor. The winner was a roll of toilet paper covered with a glossy book cover. Really, what does that say about the hopes for your book?

Happy Holidays!

Just because I have not done anything blatantly Stevie related

Which Fleetwood Mac Song Are You?

I'm not telling...yet

John Spencer 1946-2005

John Spencer, who portrayed Leo McGarry on 'The West Wing' passed away early Saturday morning of a heart attack.
I could get on my high horse and talk about how great the West Wing is again and how sorely he will be missed, but other people have already done that, more eloquently than I could.
My heart goes out to Mr. Spencer's family and to the cast of the show. According to West Wing lore, they were all very close, even when not filming. I cannot express my condolances enough.

Leo and John were both incredible people who will be missed...

A Very Gay Day

Just when I thought I couldn't get any gayer...

One of my publishers sent me the nicest Christmas Gift Ever: Hardback copies of all 13 L. Frank Baum Oz books.

A very nice girl in on the Video Team is sending me The Judy Garland Show boxed set, with every episode of the show.

It's The Most Wonderful Time To Be Queer!!!!

Two posts in one day???!!!

I am sure Hell is freezing over. (Actually it is, it only got to 22 here today)

I have been home sick for the past two days, and I am getting cabin fever. But worse, I cannot get to sleep at a decent hour. I had decided to go back into the office tomorrow, so of course, I am sitting here wide awake at 2 am.

Why do these things happen?

This being sick has really put a damper on my Holiday Spirit.

(Yes, I said HOLIDAY. That is an inclusive word used to celebrate all winter holidays regardless of faith or lack thereof. Get over it Focus on the Family.)

Dysfuctional Family Films

With the Holidays upon us, there are countless movies everyone curls up to see.

My favorite is always The Lion in Winter.

It does take place over a Christmas holiday in 1183, with King Henry II, his estranged and imprisoned wife Eleanor, and their 3 sons, as they scheme and plot over Henry's successor. This is dysfunction at it's finest. It always makes me feel much better about my family.

Katherine Hepburn turns in one of her finest performances, and ties with Barbra for the Oscar. This was filmed right after the death of Spencer Tracy, and you can see it in every scene she is in, which magnifies Eleanor in ways unimaginable.

One of the best scenes in the film is when Eleanor sends Richard to negotiate with Phillip of France (A young and hot Timothy Dalton in his film debut). As the scene unravels, you find out of the love affair between the two. Richard (Anthony Hopkins) is still very much in love with Phillip, and you can see the pain in his face as he discloses this, all while his brothers are hiding behind curtains. Henry barges in and Phillip uses Richard and his love against the King. It is heartbreaking.

This was remade in 2003 for Showtime with Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close But No Cigar. I refuse to watch it.

Incidentally, Katherine Hepburn was descended from Eleanor of Aquitaine on both sides...

Upson Downs

I have been so lax in writing lately, not just here, but my book reviews as well, just as my reviews have been picked up by Amarillo Style. Not to make excuses, but it's a trueism that when you start having to write (or read, or whatever you do for pleasure) for work, it becomes harder to do. I have a stack of books to review, and the stack keeps growing. I stare at them, but make feeble excuses why I can't write today.
So now I have subjected myself to 6 episodes of Sex and the City, made myself a Cosmo and put on my favorite Christmas CD and I am now sitting down to write.
I have challenged myself to knock out three reviews tonight. But first I figured I needed to blog, just to keep everyone updated (and to get my chops back in shape).
Speaking of in shape, I now have the ultimate motivation for getting to the gym. When I interviewed for this job, Tom and I went shopping for a new outfit for my interview. I got a new pair of slacks, and so did Tom. After 6 months at a desk job, I can't wear my slacks on account of the growing bulge around my waist. Last time I went home, Tom could not put his slacks on because HE LOST TOO MUCH WEIGHT.

Bitch.

On a lighter note, my last couple of Publisher Meetings have been incredible. I met with the men who produce and distribute Colt Magazine. WOW. I got lots of goodies, and they were the NICEST guys ever.
I also met with DC Comics. Many of you know how much I adore a certain amazon with incredible accessories. I really fo adore my job, which I have to remind myself sometimes, cause it's very lonely without Tom here.

Time goes by so slowly...

I cannot decide which is worse, not being able to go to sleep, or waking up 2 hours before you need to and not going to sleep.
I woke up at 4am, and have not been able to get back to sleep at all. So I figured this is the best time to write. Hey, if Stevie can write hit songs in the dead of night...

Winter is here in the plains of Amarillo. It was in the 30's all day yesterday. I don't think I am going to be able to handle this cold weather. In Odessa, we had maybe a week of freezing temperatures in February. If it is already this cold in November, I am going to be one unhappy camper over the next few months. That is one thing about the desert southwest, mild temps all year.

Tom had a minor outpatient procedure a couple of weeks ago, and I went home to help care for him. It was not a big deal, but it was unexpected and he did need a few days to recuperate. The really bad part is that it came 2 days before we were to leave for Hawaii. We had to postpone the vacation until after the first of the year. At least we didn't have to cancel.

My first book review was published in the Amarillo Style magazine. It was a full page, all glossy and everything. It made my day.

Madonna's new cd is incredible. I really like it when she gets into dance music.

Office Drama

As I was working this morning, one of my fellow buyers passed along a book to me. Her face was puffy and red as if she had been crying.
'Read This,' she says,'It will only take 10 minutes.'
I looked at the book. It was a small red hardcover titled 'Mostly Bob,' by Tom Corwin.
I did read it, I did cry, I passed it along.

Everyone in the office read it, we all cried or teared up. This was one of the most moving love stories I have ever read. I am ready to scream unto the world about this book, but it will not be released until February. Mark you calenders and remember I said this, because it will be the sleeper hit of the Spring. Already the advanced copy has quotes from Morley Safer, Bonnie Raitt, Richard Pryor and his wife, and Joanne Woodward.

It is great to find a book like that, and be able to affect what happens to it. I want to say more, but that would ruin the incredible story for the rest of you.

Be on the lookout, you won't regret it...

Classic Dames

Which Classic Dame Are You?

I took this quiz, full of confidence that I would be Bette Davis. I am a huse fan and patterned a lot of my young gay life after her.

Imagine my surprise when I turned out to be Barbara Stanwyck. I am not upset at all, but rather intrigued. It always nice to get an outside perspective of youself, from your friends, family or even the occassional internet quiz.

Not that I am planning to get Fred MacMurray to knock of Tom...

Category Five

We've had a little bit of a casting shuffle at the office these last weeks. We lost one and gained two. In the transition, several duties and responsibilities were reassigned. I am happy to say that I made out like a bandit. I am now involved in the buying of Gay/Lesbian books for the entire chain, as well as the National and Regional Author Events coordinator. Yeah for me.

Yesterday, as Wilma tuned into a hurricane, was my first chaperone for an event. I accompanied two NYT bestselling authors to an event right by my apartment. Both authors were so gracious and fun to be around, they immediately put everyone at ease. Too at ease it seems.
The book manager and I were having a private conversation over the turnout vs. sales. The turnout was incredible. However, because of the number of people who had bought copies of the book already, or were bringing in backlist to get signed, sales were sluggish. The book manager told me she had a bet going with her boss: If she sold x number of copies, he would buy her soft drinks for a year. (I won't even tell you the number, because it was so embarrassingly small) We had a laugh and I thought that was it.

She mentioned the bet to the authors.

That was about the time Wilma was upgraded to a Category Three.

I am all for fun at work, and I am all for friendly competition, but that was just unprofessional. The authors did not take any offense, but I was mortified. At the end of the night, we tallied the sales, and Book Manager was 2 copies away from her 'goal' of free cokes. The authors BOUGHT TWO COPIES OF THEIR OWN BOOK so she could win.

Wilma skipped right past four and went to five.

I was humiliated and no amount of talking could get them to reconsider. They were gracious and didn't think anything of it.

By the time I got to the office this morning, I was furious. I had to give a report to my boss on how things went and when he heard, he went ballistic. So now I had to go back to the store and give a lecture on professional behavior, and move that store down on the list of stores to get signings.

I hate having to be the bad guy, especially when the mistake was unintentional. But if this had been another author of John Grisham popularity, it could jeopardize signings for the whole chain and make my job a living nightmare...