Books: 'Life at Hamilton' Brings the Lights Back Up on Broadway

Imagine being the bar manager at the biggest show on Broadway. The people who belly-up to the bar ... their stories ... their lives. Sometimes a stranger, sometimes a celebrity and sometimes — Barack Obama! 

Life at Hamilton details true stories of the interactions between Mike Anthony, the bar manager at Hamilton on Broadway, and the patrons who were witnessing history while seeing this record-breaking, life-changing show.

Anthony’s book pulls back the curtain on the blockbuster show Hamilton. In the book, he chronicles his touching, and often hilarious, interactions throughout his workday. His stories let us in on love, loss and finding your own story among the sometimes blinding lights and sometimes darkest hours of life.

"When I moved to New York City to become an actor, I imagined being under the bright lights of Broadway, living a life full of fame and fortune. Instead, I took a job not on stage for a Broadway show, but behind its bar, and found a life full of meaning," Anthony said.

Books: Sam Is My Sister

Former foster child turned New York Times and International Bestselling Author, Ashley Rhodes-Courter, LCSW has released her debut children's picture book, Sam Is My Sister, about her three children—one of whom is transgender. 

In the book, Evan loves being big brother to Sam and Finn. They do everything together―go fishing, climb trees, and play astronauts. But lately, Evan notices that he and Sam don't look like brothers anymore. Sam wants to have long hair, and even asks to wear a dress on the first day of school. As time goes by, Evan comes to understand why Sam wants to look like a girl―because Sam is a girl. Sam is transgender. And just like always, Sam loves to dream with Evan and Finn about going to the moon together. 

Based on one family's real-life experiences, this heartwarming story of a girl named Sam and the brothers who love and support her will resonate with readers everywhere.

Books: The Absolutist

This spring, Other Press publishes a new edition of The Absolutist, the gripping novel from John Boyne, the bestselling author of The Heart’s Invisible Furies and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Originally published to great acclaim in 2012, The Absolutist received a starred review from Library Journal and was named an Amazon “Best Book of the Month,” a Yahoo “Editor’s Pick of the Month,” and a Daily Beast “Hot Read.”

It is September 1919, and twenty-one-year-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver a package of letters to the sister of Will Bancroft, the man he fought alongside during the Great War.

But the letters are not the real reason for Tristan’s visit. He can no longer keep a secret and has finally found the courage to unburden himself of it. As he recounts the horrific details of what to him became a senseless war, he also speaks of his friendship with Will–from their first meeting on the training grounds at Aldershot to their farewell in the trenches of northern France. The intensity of their bond brought Tristan happiness and self-discovery as well as confusion and unbearable pain.

Books: Rock Covers. 40th Anniversary Edition

From legendary releases to ultra-rare records, Elvis Presley to Iron Maiden, discover the 750 album covers that made rock history in Rock Covers from Taschen. Fact sheets, insider interviews, and lists from leading collectors of their top 10 records guide us through the indelible markers of musical memory, complete with bonus info on 250 milestone records that became turning points for a band, an artist, or an entire genre.

James Beard Award winning cookbook author releases new e-cookbook: Thanksgiving for Two (or Four), perfect for downsized celebrations

James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Cynthia Graubart has created the perfect recipes for small celebrations with her latest book, Thanksgiving for Two (or Four): Downsized Recipes for Today’s New Thanksgiving Dinner. This e-book comes just in time as families are facing the new reality of being unable to gather in the traditional ways due to COVID-19 precautions. Released by Empire Press, the e-book is available for sale on Amazon. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Frontline Workers Fund, providing financial support to critical workers at the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis.

No one could picture back in March of 2020 what Thanksgiving would look like. The pandemic has influenced many family gatherings from birthdays, to weddings, funerals, and now the holiday season. This cookbook is for all of the families who are gathering differently this year. All the traditional favorites are here from comforting casseroles and side dishes, to elegant turkey breasts, homey skillet turkey thighs, and mini pies for dessert. Some of the turkey entrees are sized to yield those beloved leftovers for a second meal or sandwiches, but not so much that it is an eternity of repeats.

“Families are used to creating one dish that serves 16 to carry to Aunt Kathy’s for the big meal and have never had to make a small Thanksgiving dinner. I wanted to help those whose recipes served a crowd find a way to bring joy and right-sized recipes to their table,” says author Cynthia Graubart.

“Thanksgiving for Two (or Four) is your must-have handy how-to guide for celebrating Thanksgiving this November. It’s packed with expertly written recipes, mouth-watering photographs, and tons of tips and techniques for pulling off a smaller - but no less satisfying or soulful - family feast, ” says Chef Virginia Willis.

Books - Lovers: Ten Years On

Of his new book, Lovers: Ten Years On, Sunil Gupta says, "These photographs were made in London. The couples define themselves as such by various criteria; some live together, some don’t, some have been together a short time, some a very long time. I believe the relationship between gay men is an important but often neglected component central to their lives."

 In 1984 Sunil Gupta's first long term relationship broke down shortly after he arrived in London in 1984. He had met his lover in the early 1970’s when the impact of the gay movement upon the consciousness of gay men was just gaining ground.

Then, gay was good, and gay was proud. The laws against gay sex had been turned back. The definition of homosexuality as a psychiatric disorder was successfully challenged. The commercial scene and the visibility of gay men expanded to unprecedented levels. The arrival of HIV/AIDS changed all that. Gay men came under attack, from the state and its various channels. The media mounted a vicious campaign to label gay men as sick and irresponsible. Gay men were almost exclusively represented as ill. Patients of some incurable disease that had been equated with their sexuality.

Couples though had come into their own. Gay self-help groups encouraged a change in sexual behaviour and a reduction in the number of partners. However, still without legal recognition, with the new emphasis on monogamy, with social attitudes reverting to hostility and given the invisibility of day-to-day life for gay men within relationships, being a partner in the 1980s proved to be as difficult as it had been decades ago.  

Books: Voices of LGBTQ+

Voices of LGBTQ+ helps educate, dispel fears, and start positive conversations about what knowing, loving, or simply peacefully and positively coexisting with someone in the LGBTQ+ community truly means. 

Author Lynda Wolters knows firsthand: she has come to have a deep respect for the community through her son, who is gay. 

Books: The Virgin King

Everyone loves a royal romance, especially one between two men! Riverdale Avenue Books has just published John Michael Curlovich’s new M/M romance The Virgin King.

Something is rotten in Bulvania. When the old king dies mysteriously, a young monk named Raymond is called to take his place. On the other side of the world, Logan, a handsome photographer, is pulled away from his charmed life to assist his father--Bulvaria s newest American ambassador.

As Raymond struggles to balance the weight of his new crown and the dark past adorning it, he must also struggle with his new love for Logan, who may already have his hands full with a variety of strapping military men.

“This book is such a welcome distraction at a time like this,” said Publisher Lori Perkins. “Everyone loves a royal fairy tale.”

Books and downloads are available on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles Nook, iTunes, and Kobo.

Books: Rainbow Revolutions

Around one o'clock in the morning on June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York, sparking days of intense rioting. What happened at Stonewall sent shockwaves around the world, and became a defining moment for the LGBTQ+ community.

From the impassioned speeches of bold activists Karl Ulrichs and Audre Lorde to the birth of Pride and queer pop culture, Rainbow Revolutions — a middle grade children's book — charts the dramatic rise of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and celebrates the courageous individuals who stood up and demanded recognition. With bold and beautiful illustrations by pop artist Eve Lloyd Knight.

Books: What We Will Become: A Mother, A Son, And a Journey of Transformation

What We Will Become: A Mother, A Son, And a Journey of Transformation by Mimi Lemay  is an extraordinary tale of the endless bonds between families and the lengths they will go to protect the ones they love.

From the age of two-and-a-half, Jacob, born “Em,” adamantly told his family he was a boy. While his mother Mimi struggled to understand and come to terms with the fact that her child may be transgender, she experienced a sense of déjà vu—the journey to uncover the source of her child’s inner turmoil unearthed ghosts from Mimi’s past and her own struggle to live an authentic life.

Mimi was raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family, every aspect of her life dictated by ancient rules and her role as a woman largely preordained from cradle to grave. As a young woman, Mimi wrestled with the demands of her faith and eventually made the painful decision to leave her religious community and the strict gender roles it upheld.

Having risen from the ashes of her former life, Mimi was prepared to help her son forge a new one — at a time when there was little consensus on how best to help young transgender children. Dual narratives of faith and motherhood weave together to form a heartfelt portrait of an unforgettable family. Brimming with love and courage, What We Will Become is a powerful testament to how painful events from the past can be redeemed to give us hope for the future.

Mimi LemayI is an international advocate for transgender youth and the author of the viral essay “A Letter to My Son Jacob on His 5th Birthday.” Lemay and her family meet regularly with legislators, business leaders, educators, and clergy to share their vision of a more equitable world. She is a member of the Parents for Transgender Equality National Council at Human Rights Campaign and holds a master’s in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Jonathan Van Ness Writes Kids' Book About Gender Nonbinary Guinea Pig to 'Celebrate' Differences

Queer Eye‘s Jonathan Van Ness not only enjoys a good coif, he loves storytelling.

Today, the reality star announced his first picture book, Peanut Goes for the Gold, about a gender nonbinary guinea pig who dreams big.

“Growing up, the things that made me unique were not always celebrated, and I wanted to do something that would inspire kids to celebrate the things that make them special,” Van Ness, 32, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement. “With that being said, I’m so excited to announce my debut children’s book, Peanut Goes for the Gold, an inspiring story of a guinea pig rhythmic gymnastics prodigy.”

The guinea pig, Peanut, has a unique style. From doing cartwheels during basketball practice to devouring banana pancakes on their birthday, nothing stops Peanut from being Peanut. And when Peanut decides to become a rhythmic gymnast, they are determined to create a perfect routine, according to the book’s press release. Peanut Goes for the Gold will be published by HarperCollins Children’s Books on March 31, 2020. (See the cover art below.) “Having had the opportunity to work with Jonathan Van Ness on Peanut Goes for the Gold has truly been a dream come true,” said executive editor David Linker. “He’s an absolute inspiration. Just like Peanut, Jonathan embodies the idea that no dream is impossible when you put your whole heart into it, and I’m so thrilled to have had the opportunity to help Jonathan translate that spirit into his amazing first-ever book for kids.”

'Zane To The Rescue' - A Children's Book About a Shelter Dog That Rescued His Two Dads

For over 15 years, James Donio served as president of the Music Business Association, helping build the future of the music industry. While music has always been important in James's life, there was also another guiding force: his love of animals and the cocker spaniel, Zachary, that he shared with his husband, Larry. 

When Zachary passed away, James and Larry were heartbroken... leading them on a journey to rescue another dog from their local animal shelter.

Zane to the Rescue, currently available on Amazon, tells the true story of James and Larry and how by deciding to save a shelter pet, they found themselves getting saved in return. A story about healing after a pet loss, the importance of adopting shelter pets, and a look into a furry family with two dads, Zane to the Rescue is an inspiring tail... ahem! ...tale about the miracles that can happen when you open up your heart.

Books: Here Is What You Do

A yacht races to outrun a tsunami. A young man jailed on a drug charge forms a relationship with his cellmate that is both loving and savage. A teen raised by his out-and-proud father, a Turkish immigrant, is displaced after violence fractures his life, forever altering his sense of time and memory. A wistful mother escapes her reality and regret by losing herself in the miniature worlds she finds at the edge of the woods.

Perfect for readers of Carmen Maria Machado, Garth Greenwell, and A.M. Homes, Here Is What You Do is a powerful, timely short story collection by a vital new voice in queer fiction. Dennis’s debut is a bravura work of muscularly robust prose that captures the primal need, desire, cruelty, and promise of people trying to connect with, and consume, each other. The stories’ complex themes—trauma, addiction, the prison system, queer identity, isolation and crushing loneliness, validation, and everything in between—are tackled with an unfailing eye for human drives and frailties.

Dennis’s characters have immense psychological depth and each story drills toward their darkest emotional centers, resulting in moving prose that embraces vulnerability and grit. “In Motel Rooms” sees a fictionalized Coretta Scott King stalked and harassed by the FBI and considering the costs of her life with her husband, who is lifted up as a hero by the public, but still painfully human behind closed doors. In “Nettles,” a married couple moves out of the city and buys a rural slaughterhouse. But the strange, unnameable tension with their religious neighbors quickly escalates, and the couple struggles to retain their shaky facade of domesticity.

By turns heartrending and hopeful, Here Is What You Do refuses to shy away from the harsh realities of the flaws and saving graces that make us human.

Books: Shut Up, I'm Talking

Shut Up, I’m Talking chronicles the life and career of actor and comedian Jason Stuart. It's the funny, poignant story of a gay Jewish boy whose life changed after seeing Funny Girl at second-run movie theatre in Hollywood. It’s about surviving a crazy family who survived the Holocaust and clearing up the wreckage of one's past while learning how to become a man.

Jason has appeared in over 150 films and TV shows and has had a long and varied career, from my coming out in 1993 on the Geraldo Rivera Show to having a major supporting role in the historical drama The Birth of a Nation playing “Joseph Randall” a white, heterosexual, christian, slave owner in 1891 while being a gay liberal Jew!

Books: Fire Island Photographs

As summer crashes ashore with full abandon, New York’s most titillating island gets its time in the sun in FIRE ISLAND: PHOTOGRAPHS (Glitterati) by Alex Geana, who spent four years capturing its most intimate and indomitable moments. Ripe with seductive images of luminous locations and luscious lords, the 224-page book shows Fire Island in all its unrepressed glory. “Alex focuses his lens on the tribal spirit involved in poolside romping, … and is there to clock the ritualized exhibitionism, glamor and inclusion,” crows Michael Musto, the LGBT community’s most ubiquitous scribe.

FIRE ISLAND: PHOTOGRAPHS is a provocative, unabashed journey into the island’s psyche, filled with unexpected moments, famous and infamous figures and the celebration of youth, sex and beauty. Inspired by the works of legends like Slim Aarons and Herb Ritts, Geana’s images are at once supple and serene, bathed in carnal sunlight that is both impeccably simple and deeply complex. It’s that contradiction that makes every image its own story … left to the reader to imagine.

“Fire Island is not just a place, it’s a memory, escape, dream, haven. It represents so much to so many people, and capturing its essence was a labor of love,” said Geana. “The setting is unmistakable, but it’s the scenery that tells the story – the people, the places, the time of year, the friends you make, the connections you forge and the beauty of love, spontaneity and free -spirited recklessness. I was so awed by the trust, honesty and excitement I encountered when making this book. The final result is a photographic diary of the Fire Island experience through a sun-lit lens."

FIRE ISLAND: PHOTOGRAPHS is available in two versions: the 9x12” hardback retailing for $50.00, and a special 11x14” hardback version with a slipcase. The Collectors Edition, of which there are only 20 copies available, retail for $2,500. The book can be ordered on Amazon (NSFW) as well as purchased at the General Store in The Pines by calling 631-597-6500.

Books: Simply Gourmet

Simply Gourmet — the title says it all. Open this beautiful cookbook and prepare to be transported to the wonderful world of Rivky Kleiman’s SIMPLE to prepare yet GOURMET in taste recipes. Rivky is the co-author of the very popular Bais Yaakov Cookbook and is celebrated in the kosher culinary world for her passion in presenting recipes that really work.

Simply Gourmet features over 135 recipes from appetizers, salads, and brunch, lunch & beyond, to soups, fish, meat, poultry sides, and desserts. Each of Rivky’s recipes is beautiful to serve, delicious to eat, and, with its clear instructions and easily available ingredients, so simple to prepare!

“Life has become so fast paced that one aspect of my goal in creating this cookbook is to alleviate the stress of feeding families in record time,” Rivky says. “I wrote this cookbook after being urged by friends and readers for a complete cookbook with easy, doable recipes that simply work! My style and niche have always been traditional leanings with an updated twist. I tried very hard to develop recipes that will work with our very fast-paced society, where the average home cook has the desire to turn out nutritious and delicious meals but always is short on time.”

Books: Om the Enchanted

Author Mera Malik has released her first children’s book titled Om The Enchanted: Big World, Little Om.

When Om’s mother calls him in from playing in the yard one day he has no idea how his life is about to change! The eleven-year-old boy uses his vivid imagination to cope with, instead of running from, life’s challenges and he needs every ounce of imagination that he can muster to make the best of what comes up. A new friend and new family members help Om through in unexpected ways while he sees the reality of life for a school bully and finds courage and strength in himself that he didn’t even know was there. Om’s life goes from enchanted to exploded and back to enchanted in this profound book that thoughtfully explores diversity, compassion and love.

There remains a lack of positive representation for LGBTQ families and children. The team behind Om the Enchanted: Big World, Little Om wants to change that by showing children what it is like to live in an LGBTQ family or to be different than other children you go to school with.

“I was in a same sex relationship for nine beautiful years,” states Malik. “Our relationship ended not for any lack of love, but because she could no longer handle the discrimination she faced in her community or the disapproval of her family. Our child lost one of his moms and no doubt was confused by the whole situation. All he knew was the two of us and the love that was our family. I don’t want that to happen to any other family or child.”

Malik says that the world she wants to live in and raise children in doesn’t discriminate when it comes to love or family; a world where everyone’s story has power and importance, where hearts and character are more important than skin color and gender. She believes that begins through representation and community building. Om the Enchanted: Big World, Litte Om shows how wonderful –but sometimes challenging—the lives are for unique families. “It can be a child who has a disability, a refugee family,” she says, “I’m not excluding anyone. I want these kids to see themselves on media in a positive, uplifting way.”

Books: A Better World Starts Here

Today we live in a world of activism. From the Me Too movement to the environment, people everywhere are fighting to make their world better. In her new book, A Better World Starts Here: Activists and Their Work, author Stacy Russo presents the stories of activists contributing towards the common good.

“A Better World Starts Here: Activists and Their Work presents activists doing inspiring work in their communities and beyond through an inclusive and far-reaching examination,” Stacy explains. “It is a book of struggle, but also a book of hope, joy, and liberation. This unique and diverse collection provides an intersection of different forms of activism that are all committed to eradicating various types of injustice and oppression.”

Examples of the activism Stacy profiles include anti-racist action, feminist and women’s rights work, art activism, animal rights work, LGBTQ activism, environmental activism, food justice action, human rights work, and mindfulness practice within an activist context. The book includes interviews with the following inspiring individuals:

Carol J. Adams, Writer
Helene Aylon, Artist
Ruth Behar, Anthropologist
Steve Bell, Prison Library Project
Kameke Brown, Farm Sanctuary
Julia Feliz Brueck, Sanctuary Publishers/Vegans of Color Community Project
Michelle Carrera, Chilis on Wheels
Celeste Chan, Foglifter Journal and Press/Queer Ancestors Project
Yago S. Cura, Los Angeles Public Library/Hinchas de Poesia
Ardeth DeVries, Old Dog Haven
Sarah Rafael Garcia, Barrio Writers/LibroMobile
Marisela Gomez, Public Health Professional/Physician Scientist
Judy Grahn, Poet
Michelle Habell-Pallan, Women Who Rock
Janet Holmes, Photographer
Aquila Hope, Trans Activist/Certified Holistic Life Coach
Hilary Kinavey, Be Nourished
Lark Lo, Blk Grrrl Book Fair/Feminist Preschool/Black Kids in Outer Space
Beth Pickens, Consultant for Artists and Arts Organizations
Edwin Ramirez, Stand-up Comedian/Poet
Kate Jessica Raphael, UltraViolet/KPFA Women's Magazine
Bamby Salcedo, TransLatin@ Coalition
Sonya Renee Taylor, The Body is Not an Apology
Sandi Torkildson, Room of One's Own Bookstore
Sara Vander Zander, Facing Homelessness/BLOCK Project

A Better World Starts Here will inspire those who wish to feel more empowered in their activism; support current activists in their own important work through the stories of others; and ultimately provide promise for a better world for all readers.

Books: Heroes: A Tribute

Tra Publishing announces the June 2019 release of a new hardcover trade edition of HEROES: A Tribute by Doug Meyer. In 1981, conceptual artist and designer Doug Meyer lost a dear friend to a mysterious new disease we now know was AIDS. Over the next few years, Meyer went to 79 funerals. In HEROES: A Tribute (Tra Publishing, June 4, 2019) he pays homage by way of portraiture to some of the first victims of AIDS and AIDS-related diseases — brilliant creative figures such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring, Rudolph Nureyev, Freddie Mercury, Rock Hudson, John Duka, Tina Chow, Klaus Nomi, Halston, and Angelo Donghia, whose contributions may be unknown to a younger generation. Printed in multiple papers with pops of neon color and painted edges echoing the artist’s work, Doug Meyer’s HEROES is a gorgeous feast for the eyes and soul that not only honors the creative geniuses who died too soon, but immortalizes their work for generations to come.

“I find it so sad and horrifying that these 50 Heroes seem to have fallen out of contemporary cultural memory,” says Meyer. “My intent for both the Heroes Project and this book is to expose a younger generation to these Heroes whose contributions, talent and even existence have been forgotten or perhaps nearly lost in today’s digital world.”

Originally conceived as an installation for the annual DIFFA (Design Industry Foundation to Fight AIDS) dinner, Meyer’s Heroes Project went on to show in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. In creating each portrait, Meyer conducted extensive research, ploughing through books and newspaper archives to gain intimate knowledge of the men and women he was depicting. “I immersed myself in their lives,” he says. HEROES includes biographies of each figure based upon his research.

To create his 3D portraits, Meyer blended new and old techniques ranging from terracotta to eglomise to papier-mâché to computer-generated collage, to name only a few. He felt it important that the technique, materials and style of each work be as diverse as possible. He says, “I employed everything I could muster up, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography — all combined in various forms to create works that were uniquely different —to give the appearance that each object was made by different hands.”

The book is distributed worldwide by Simon & Schuster and is also available on amazon and through Tra Publishing’s website at www.trapublishing.com.  Collector’s and Art editions of the book are also available from the publisher.

Books: Dungeons and Drag Queens

If you like to read more than just your friends at brunch, why not check out Greg Scarnici's latest book on Amazon right here. Dungeons and Drag Queens is a collection of humorous essays set on Fire Island with lots of drugs, sex and drag that also weaves in some history about what makes Fire Island such an amazing destination for the queer community.