Carly Rae Jepsen - Talking to Yourself

Today, GRAMMY-, Juno- and Polaris Prize-nominated singer/songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen releases the infectious new single “Talking To Yourself” from her forthcoming album The Loneliest Time.  “Talking To Yourself” is available now at all digital retailers.  Watch the official visualizer for “Talking ToYourself”.

 Produced by Captain Cuts, and co-written by Jepsen, Ryan Rabin, Benjamin Berger, and Simon Wilcox, “Talking To Myself” follows the release of “Beach House” and “Western Wind.” All  three songs will be featured on Jepsen’s fifth studio album The Loneliest Time, set for release October 21 on  604/Schoolboy/Interscope Records. The Loneliest Time is available for pre-order.

 Jepsen will give fans a taste of the new album when she hits the road next week on The So Nice Tour, kicking off in Cleveland, OH.  For a complete list of tour dates, and to purchase tickets, visit  www.carlyraemusic.com/tour

20th Digital Studio’s BITE SIZE HALLOWEEN on Hulu Brings 20 Spooky Shorts from Diverse, Emerging Filmmakers

In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studio’s Bite Size Halloween series of spooky shorts is back for a third season! Twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers premiere October 1 on Hulu, blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more. 

Shot in seven different countries, this season takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity. SNATCHED (dir. Michael Schwartz) features Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law”) in her first on-screen role with husband Brendan Hines (“Locke & Key”). Misha Osherovich (“Freaky”) stars as their son.

Other shorts feature familiar faces like Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”), Lin Shaye (“Insidious”), David Costabile (“Breaking Bad”), and former “Glow” co-stars Rebekka Johnson and singer-songwriter Kate Nash who co-wrote/directed/star in a short featuring Nash’s original music. 

David Worthen Brooks, SVP 20th Digital Studio commented:  “As we launch the first feature films developed with our incredibly talented Bite Size Halloween filmmaker alums, we are thrilled to introduce the next wave of dynamic filmmaking talent and their ingenious short films. We take great pride in showcasing these vital, diverse voices and their very personal twists on horror, thriller and sci-fi.”

The goal of 20th Digital Studio’s short film programs is to continue to guide and finance the growth of these artists’ careers and to transition some of the shorts into longer features. The first two films developed in this way will premiere this month on Hulu: “Grimcutty” from John William Ross on Oct. 10 and “Matriarch” from Ben Steiner on Oct. 21. Shorts from past seasons have played at festivals such as SXSW, Sundance, Tribeca, Fantasia, and more.

20th Digital Studio’s focus on diversity and inclusion continues as prestigious filmmakers from the festival world are featured, including Nuhash Humayun (“Moshari,” SXSW Grand Jury Prize), Sam Max (“Chaperone,” Sundance), Michelle Krusiec (“Bite,” AFI DWW), Zoey Martinson (“Cupids,” Tribeca), and many more. 

Gay Help Wanted: One Colorado is Hiring!

One Colorado is hiring! Are you an expert in the field of Health Equity? Are you passionate about LGBTQ+ youth? Join the OneCO team! Check out the open positions, and apply by October 8th.

The Human Rights Campaign and One Colorado Host Event to Mobilize Voters for Pro-Equality Candidates in 2022 Midterm Elections

On Saturday, September 17 from 12-2 PM MDT at The Wardian in Lakewood, CO, the Human Rights Campaign and One Colorado – leading national and local LGBTQ+ organizations – will host a major campaign kick-off event to mobilize voters for pro-equality candidates in the 2022 midterm elections this November.

The event will include remarks from HRC-endorsed candidates U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, local nonprofit leaders and activists about extremist politicians’ escalated attacked on LGBTQ+ people and how Coloradans can support pro-equality, pro-choice, and pro-democracy candidates up and down the ballot through voter registration efforts in their communities, canvassing opportunities, and more.

Ellen Show’s Kalen Allen teams up with Ricki Lake for New Podcast Series "Raised By Ricki"

Kalen Allen, best known for his “Kalen Reacts” videos and role as correspondent on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, is teaming up with Ricki Lake for the all new podcast "Raised by Ricki," launching on 9/15.

On this series, Ricki and Kalen return to Ricki’s eponymous talk show for a cultural reexamination of the series, its guests, and topics – unpacking how these themes were covered in the 90s and what kind of impact they had on culture back then, with a fresh and modern lens.

Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted to Write About Denver's Gay Community

Are you a new or experienced writer or blogger? Do you want to be? Or maybe you're just some gay guy with something to say? Well, what better forum for you than MileHighGayGuy?

MileHighGayGuy is looking for regular and guest bloggers to write about local news and events, do music and movie reviews, or write opinion or feature pieces from a gay perspective.

These are unpaid positions but offer the opportunity to be published in Colorado's Best Gay Blog (2010, 2011, 2012 OUTstanding Awards, Denver 2012 #WebAwards), expand your audience and gain valuable experience. There's also swag available in the form of free movie and concert tickets, music, books and other cool stuff.

If interested, shoot an email over to Drew Wilson at drew@milehighgayguy.com. And if you've got column or story ideas to pitch, this is the place to do it.

New Poll: Two-Thirds of Likely Voters in Battleground States Support Marriage Equality

New polling released today by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — shows that about two-thirds (64%) of likely voters in 2022 battleground states – Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – support a law “protecting the national right to same-sex marriage.” The polling results are consistent with numbers seen throughout this year indicating that a strong majority of the public is in favor of allowing LGBTQ+ people to marry those they love.

Majority support for marriage equality was also seen across subgroups in the polling, including among men (58%), women (69%) and Christians (55%).

“Marriage equality has been nothing but positive, both for the LGBTQ+ community and for our society as a whole – and that’s reflected in this polling,” said Joni Madison, Human Rights Campaign Interim President. “Same-sex marriage has been legal nationally since 2015, and in many states for years before that. The joy that has emanated from thousands of weddings of couples who were previously denied the right to marry has melted many hearts. And the supposed harms that opponents of marriage equality predicted simply have not come to pass. Despite this, in the aftermath of the Dobbs ruling, many couples fear for the future of marriage equality. That’s why it is more important than ever to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, and reflect the voice of the 71% of Americans nationwide who support marriage equality..”

The poll showed no significant difference in support for marriage equality based on race and ethnicity. Its results are in line with previous polls conducted by other organizations this year, including a Gallup poll in June that showed that 71% of Americans support same-sex marriage, a new high-water mark.

As Gov. DeSantis and Extremist Politicians in FL Escalate Attacks on Equality, the HRC Endorses Rep. Charlie Crist for Governor of FL and Scales Efforts to Mobilize Voters

As millions of Americans across Florida are being targeted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and extremist anti-equality judges and politicians trying to strip away the rights of LGBTQ+ people, women, and people of color, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) PAC today announced its endorsement of former Rep. Charlie Crist for Governor of Florida at a rally in Wilton Manors. The HRC PAC also announced major efforts to mobilize millions of voters in support of pro-equality, pro-choice, and pro-democracy candidates across the state.

HRC PAC endorsed six LGBTQ+ candidates for the Florida state legislature: Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (HD-37), Rep. Michele Rayner (HD-62), Adam Gentle (HD-120), Eunic Ortiz (SD-18), Janelle Perez (SD-38), and Sen. Shevrin Jones (SD-34) last week. HRC PAC endorsed Val Demings of Florida for U.S. Senate earlier this year.

HRC’s election program will mobilize more than 2 million “Equality Voters” in Florida for whom LGBTQ+ equality is a make-or-break issue through volunteer canvassing, phone banking, and voter registration drives, among other efforts.

HBO’s mind-blowing drama series - EUPHORIA: SEASONS 1 & 2 - is coming to DVD on November 1st

HBO’s mind-blowing drama series is coming to DVD on November 1, 2022, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The 5-Disc set features all 16 one-hour episodes from Seasons 1 and 2, plus the 2 special episodes that bridge seasons 1 and 2. With over two hours of bonus content that goes behind the scenes of the series for the ultimate fan, Euphoria: Seasons 1-2 is priced to own at $39.99 SRP for the DVD ($44.98 in Canada). The series is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers and to stream on HBO Max.

 

Multimedia superstar Zendaya stars in this drama series that follows a group of high-school students as they navigate a mine field of drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship in today's increasingly unstable world.

 

The first season of Euphoria won three Emmy® Awards, and season two earned six Emmy® Awards. By winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for both seasons, Zendaya made history as the youngest two-time acting winner in Emmys history. Both seasons earned Emmy®  nominations for Outstanding Drama Series.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE: AN INCONCEIVABLE EVENING WITH CARY ELWES

Join Cary Elwes (Westley) for a behind-the-scenes look at life on and off the set of the classic film, The Princess Bride.

After a screening of the iconic movie, Elwes will engage in a moderated discussion revealing never before shared secrets and tales of inconceivable antics!

Journey back to the lands of Florin and Guilder in an adventure filled with fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, miracles, and of course, true love.

Elwes has been in a multitude of films and tv shows, including Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Saw, Twister, Liar, Liar, Stranger Things and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He recently starred in Guy Ritchie’s Five Eyes and just wrapped Mission Impossible 7 with Tom Cruise.

Now Elwes is hitting the road to share with fans the personal stories behind the making of this piece of cinematic history.

Comedy Works Entertainment proudly presents THE PRINCESS BRIDE: AN INCONCEIVABLE EVENING WITH CARY ELWES coming to Paramount Theatre in Denver on Saturday, December 10^th, 2022 at 7pm. Tickets are $29.50 - $49.50 plus applicable fees. A limited number of VIP packages are available for $149.50 plus applicable fees which includes premium seating, a meet and greet with photo opportunity, and a signed copy of Carey Elwes’ best-selling book, As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 16^th at 10:00am at ParamountDenver.com. 

Governor Polis Proclaims September 11-19 as Colorado Wine Week

On Sunday, September 11, 2022, a proclamation was issued by Governor Polis announcing that the period between September 11th and September 19th, 2022 be officially recognized as Colorado Wine Week. 

Colorado Wine Week is a celebration of the state's wine, wine producers, grape growers, and vineyards. With over 170 licensed wineries, Colorado has become a nationally recognized wine destination with mentions from USA Today, The Today Show, The Wine Enthusiast, Forbes, Vogue, The New York Times, and more. 

The Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology (CAVE), the state's only non-profit dedicated to the Colorado wine and grape growing industry, was thrilled about the news of the Proclamation. "We are very excited and honored that Governor Polis has recognized our state's incredible winemakers and grape growers during Colorado Wine Week," said CAVE Executive Director, Cassidee Shull. "Throughout Colorado Wine Week, we invite everyone to celebrate and support their local winemakers and grape growers! One way to do that is by participating in the numerous wine-themed events taking place across the state this week." Many Colorado Wine Week events are free to attend, however some do require tickets. For a full list of Wine Week events, please visit www.ColoradoWinefest.com. 

Colorado Wine Week culminates this weekend with Colorado Mountain Winefest presented by Fisher's Liquor Barn, which takes place in Palisade, CO on September 17th. Colorado Mountain Winefest is the state's largest wine festival with attendees coming from around the world to enjoy wine samples, live music, artisan vendors, chef demonstrations, educational seminars, and more. This year's festival is sold out. However, interested attendees can join a ticket waitlist by visiting www.ColoradoWinefest.com. 

Immerse Yourself in the Wonders of Winter in Colorado

Fall is in the air, which means that snow is around the corner. With the change of seasons comes a renewed excitement around winter travel, and Colorado’s breathtaking landscapes and snow-filled adventures are the ultimate way to immerse in winter.

Visitors to Colorado will be welcomed with exciting new travel offerings both on and off the slopes this winter from arts and cultural experiences like world premiere of David Byrne’s Theater of the Mind in Denver and the opening of the new Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies in Aspen to the celebration of snow with major anniversaries like the 50th anniversary of skiing at Telluride Ski Resort and Copper Mountain. Travelers can revel in their winter adventures over a meal or craft beverage at a variety of new and distinct food and drink establishments across the state followed by snow-filled dreams in a large array of new accommodations. They can also add a theme to their trips by exploring the Historic Hot Springs Loop, Historic Opera Houses Circuit, Black Heritage Trail and more. 

Visitors to the state are encouraged to “Do Colorado Right” and embrace the state’s interpretation of responsible tourism — showing care not only for destinations but for others, including the people who call Colorado home. Following is a sampling of what’s new in Colorado for the fall and winter seasons ahead. For more information and travel ideas, visit www.COLORADO.com.

Ski Resort News:

The winter 22/23 season welcomes exciting news from Colorado’s 26 ski areas and resorts. This season Telluride Ski Resort and Copper Mountain will celebrate their 50th anniversaries and Eldora Ski Area and Vail Mountain will celebrate their 60th anniversaries. Steamboat Resort continues to move Full Steam Ahead as it nears completion of the second phase of its $200 million, multi-year transformation of the base area and mountain. Updates completed for the 22/23 season include an ice-skating rink and a new food and drink hall in the base area, and a second out-of-base gondola servicing a new beginner learning area. Vail Mountain will unveil a transformative two-lift project. The beginner ski and snowboard school experience will be enhanced with the upgrade of Rip’s Ride at the Breckenridge Ski Resort. Buttermilk Mountain will unveil a transformed base area and World Cup downhill racing will return to Aspen Mountain this spring. Arapahoe Basin will re-open a completely renovated and expanded il Rifugio, a European-inspired full-service eatery that is North America’s highest-elevation restaurant.  Loveland Ski Area will launch a guided snowcat operation in Dry Gulch offering guided backcountry trips for intermediate level and above skiers and snowboarders expected to start in January of 2023. Howelsen Hill in Steamboat holds the honor of being Colorado’s oldest ski area in continuous use (it opened in 1915), and will open a new snow tubing area and lift to debut this December.

New Winter Lodging Offerings:

Sweet dreams are sure to be had after a day of winter adventuring with several unique and boutique lodging offerings. Slated to open in time for the 22/23 ski season, A-Frame Club is a lifestyle hotel consisting of 31 newly-constructed A-Frame cabins integrated into Winter Park's natural environment. The Western Hotel & Spa is an iconic Old West property located in the historic district of Ouray that is being restored with select modern, luxe touches. The historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs is in the midst of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar restoration. A-Lodge Lyons was fully completed in July 2022 and celebrates outdoor recreation, local music and small town charm. The historic Rochester Hotel in Durango underwent a complete renovation in time for ski season. Airstream, tiny home and campsite accommodations are debuting this fall at the new Camp Eddy in Grand Junction, and lodging in steelmaster sheds converted to luxury hotel suites debuted in August 2022 at the historic Frontier Drive-In/n in the San Luis Valley. The Carlin will open this winter in Breckenridge featuring four luxury hotel suites on the top floor, an open kitchen restaurant on the main floor and a subterranean tavern. The Aspen Meadows Resort is undergoing a multi-million-dollar refresh beginning this fall in a phased manner that will pay close homage to the resort's Bauhaus roots and its famous designer, Herbert Bayer, down to the original, reupholstered Knoll chairs. 

Trails and Tours:

The first-ever Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit is a joint promotion of five historic Colorado mountain opera houses and shares the performances, programs, history and stories of these historic venues. History Colorado recently launched the “Black Heritage Trail,” an interactive mobile app that maps sites and places of Black historical significance to explore throughout Colorado. The Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop expanded in 2022 adding three more destination partners to this loop that showcases the state’s premier hot springs destinations via self-guided itineraries to explore 23 unique hot springs soaking experiences. The Boulder County Farm Trail added five new farms for fall bringing the total to 20 farms on the trail, all with unique visitor experiences. Colorado has electrified ten of its Scenic and Historic Byways with Alpine Loop and Guanella Pass just added, and the state is committed to electrifying all 26 of its byways over the next several years.

Immersive Arts:

The new Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies recently opened in Aspen focusing on preserving and honoring Bayer’s Bauhaus art. New this fall, visitors to the Colorado Shoe School near Fort Collins can not only design and make their own shoes, but also create custom wallets and wool felt hats out of repurposed and recycled materials. The world premiere of David Byrne’s Theater of the Mind comes to Denver Sept. 13-Dec. 18, 2022. The inaugural woman and immigrant-owned Denver Walls international mural festival will take place Sept. 22-26, 2022. Denver’s Kirkland Museum welcomes “Frank Lloyd Wright Inside the Walls” exhibit on display through Jan. 8, 2023. Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace was selected as the permanent location of Grande Experiences’ second U.S. digital art gallery, dubbed LUME Colorado that will open with DALÍ ALIVE, an immersive look into Salvador Dalí’s life and work. These offerings come on the heels of the opening of MeowWolf’s Convergence Station, an immersive arts experience in Denver and the Denver Art Museum’s $150 million renovation that were both completed in late 2021.

Hot Springs Are Hot This Winter:

The Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa expansion continues with the addition of 12 hot spring pools, making a grand total of 38 pools in the newly renovated resort that also just finished crafting a Japanese inspired mediation garden with Japanese soaking tubs. The Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs takes a deep dive into wellness with a new Medical Director and Balneology expert as well as new activities such as a clay-infused water treatment, wild yoga class in the forest, sound baths and results-oriented soaking guides. Glenwood Springs’ Iron Mountain Hot Springs is working on Upriver, a new section that will be 21+ and feature eight new riverside pools, a cold plunge pool, large experience pool and a café to be completed by mid 2023.

Immerse in Colorado’s Natural and Cultural History:

Amache National Historic Site was named as America’s newest National Historic Site. This designation, the first in the National Park System during this Administration, will permanently protect the site for future generations and will help tell the history of Japanese American incarceration during World War II. Chimney Rock celebrates its 10th anniversary as a National Monument this fall and represents one of the largest Pueblo II (900-1150 AD) communities in southwestern Colorado. The inaugural Tarantula Fest will take place in La Junta this October when large numbers of tarantulas skitter across the landscape during a mating ritual on the Comanche National Grassland. The event will include guided tarantula tours, an educational pavilion and much more. 

Colorado For All:

Colorado strives to be a truly welcoming destination and offers experiences and access opportunities for everyone. The National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) selected Vail for their 2023 Golden 50^th Anniversary Summit (Feb. 4-11, 2023). During a week of winter sports fun, NBS will raise funds to support their mission—increasing participation in winter sports while developing and supporting athletes of color who will win international competitions. Aspen and Telluride roll out some of the liveliest gay ski weeks in the country. Girls rule winter in Colorado with ski areas across the state offering tailored programming to provide women skiers and riders the opportunity to take part in a welcoming, supportive and fun learning environment on the snow. Several ski areas across the state also offer adaptive sports programming including the Crested Butte Adaptive Sports Center and The National Sports Center for the Disabled based out of Winter Park Resort. Colorado is the place where kids become lifelong skiers and snowboarders with unparalleled learning programs and terrain and offerings like Keystone Resort’s Kids Ski Free program.

Offbeat Snowventures:

There has been an emergence of off-beat and dynamic non-ski adventures for visitors to enjoy Colorado's snowy terrain, both on and off the slopes including new mountain coasters, curling, fat biking, new Via Ferrata offerings across the state, winter Jeeping, heli skiing, dog sledding, winter fly-fishing, snow kiting and more. The City of Steamboat Springs awarded first-ever permits for this winter for fat biking and backcountry ski tours and instruction on the Emerald Mountain Trail Network by local outfitters. Femme Trek offers new guided snowshoeing adventures for women in Rocky Mountain National Park. The highest looping roller coaster in the U.S., Defiance just opened at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and features the steepest freefall drop in the Western U.S.

Apres Adventure Eats and Craft Libations:

After a day of adventures, refueling through apres snacks and craft libations is a must. The Great American Beer Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary and will be in person for the first time in three years in Denver Oct. 6-8, 2022. Bluebird Market Hall’s restaurants and eclectic mix of pop-up Colorado retailers in Silverthorne is an exciting new stop on the way to Summit County’s ski resorts. Ben Parsons, founder of Infinite Monkey Theorem, has introduced The Ordinary Fellow, a brand-new winery and tasting room on the site of the historic United Fruit Growers COOP peach packing shed in Palisade. Also in Palisade, the new Clark & Co. Distilling invites visitors to enjoy their famous specialty cocktails and food with one of the best orchard views in town. For those venturing into Rocky Mountain National Park, The Bird’s Nest Cafe in Estes Park offers Colorado cuisine and exclusive wine and bar selections against a gorgeous mountain backdrop. The iconic The Sink restaurant in Boulder turns 100 in 2023. The university town restaurant is known for its burgers, iconic art on every wall, employment of Robert Redford as a janitor and hosting former President Barack Obama who signed his name on the wall. 

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Speaks Out Against Serbian Pride Bans

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović (pictured), realeased a statement in response to the Serbian ban against Pride events.

Said Mijatovic, "It is highly regrettable that the Serbian authorities have decided to ban the Europride march scheduled for 17 September. Weeks of uncertainty concerning the holding of this march have sent a wrong message to the public and made space for hateful rhetoric and more threats against LGBTI people, including from religious leaders.

I welcome President’s Vucic recent statement on the importance of recognizing and respecting the human rights of LGBTI people and urge the Serbian authorities to ensure that those who will walk for equal human rights and dignity can do so safely. Serbia must respect its human rights obligations and uphold freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression for all, without discrimination."

Freedom of peaceful assembly and of expression stand at the core of a free, inclusive and pluralist democracy, where everyone can enjoy their human rights equally and safely, and societal issues are discussed through peaceful dialogue. As consistently repeated in the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, states have the obligation, to the greatest extent possible, to facilitate the holding of peaceful assemblies. "I find it highly concerning that the Europride march is facing such a level of obstruction from the authorities, while other events and massive gatherings are constantly taking place freely and safely in the streets of Belgrade."

In cases raising similar issues, the European Court of Human Rights, has ruled that states have the obligation to take preventive measures to neutralise risks of violence against an assembly and must ensure the security of participants. They must also ensure that that the time, place and manner of conduct of an assembly are such that allow the participants to convey their message within sight and hearing range of their intended target audience. "Instead of bowing to threats and hate by banning the Europride march, the Serbian authorities have the responsibility to ensure that everyone in society can exercise their right to enjoy the same freedoms and is equal in dignity."

"As I have stressed in my conversations with the Serbian authorities at the highest level over the past two weeks, the fact that Europride takes place in Serbia this week is also of great significance for the south-eastern European region, where much still needs to be done to combat discrimination and hate against LGBTI people. Hosting Europride sends the signal that the march toward equality is in progress. It is positive that Pride marches have taken place peacefully in recent years in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Tirana, Podgorica and Skopje and I call on the Serbian authorities to be on the right side of history by enabling a peaceful and safe Europride march next Saturday."

SACRIFICIO: A Cuban Literary Masterpiece About Queerness, Espionage, and Revolution

In his first two novels, Ernesto Mestre-Reed captivated critics as an original new voice in Cuban American literature with his “symphonic imagination” (The New York Times Book Review) and “dazzling word portraits” (Francisco Goldman). Now, in Sacrificio—a spellbinding novel that evinces its ten-year investment of artistry in stunning poeticism, intricate storytelling, and a discerning balance of intimacy and expansiveness—Mestre-Reed delivers a sensational moment in contemporary literary fiction on the level of Rebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers, cementing his place as an essential novelist of the Cuban diaspora.

 
Set in 1998 Cuba during an economic crisis known as the “Special Period,” Sacrificio is both a sweeping portrait of a nation in slow collapse and a profoundly moving story of a young man, Rafa, finding himself as he searches for his missing friend, Renato. The novel is as informative as it is marvelously imaginative, delving into a complex historic moment when the Cuban government forced HIV-positive citizens into lifetime quarantines in sanitariums, unintentionally creating a space for queer culture to thrive. As Rafa searches for Renato through various haunts in Havana—from a mostly abandoned AIDS sanitarium to a phantasmagorical slum on the outskirts of the capital—Sacrificio depicts Cuba’s underground queer culture in fascinating detail and, taking it one step further, makes it a birthplace of revolution. Through a group of young HIV-positive counterrevolutionaries planning to overthrow the Castro government, Mestre-Reed turns a deadly disease into a fount of community, power, and resistance against an oppressive government.

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