Wednesday, March 4, 2009

My Diva - At a bookstore near you soon!


I'm terribly excited that my essay on The Marx Brother's comedienne Margaret Dumont is coming out this month! Check it out!

My Diva
65 Gay Men on the Women Who Inspire Them
Edited by Michael Montlack




“There is something about these larger-than-life stars that represents our yearnings for vindication, in which we see ourselves transcending the difficulties a gay man faces in this world.” —Edward Field, on Gloria Swanson



From Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Midler, and Diana Ross to Queen Elizabeth I, Julia Child, and Princess Leia, divas have been sister, alter ego, fairy godmother, or model for survival to gay men and the closeted boys they once were. And anyone —straight or gay, young or old, male or female —who ever needed a muse, or found one, will see their own longing mirrored here as well.


These witty and poignant short essays explore reasons for diva worship as diverse as the writers themselves. My Diva offers both depth and glamour as it pays tribute with joy, intelligence, and fierce, fierce love.



Michael Montlack is professor of English at Berkeley College in New York City. He has published two chapbooks of poetry, Girls, Girls, Girls and Cover Charge. This book was inspired by his love for Stevie Nicks.



A sampling of contributors and their divas include:

Virginia Woolf by Brian Teare

Margaret Dumont by Christopher Murray

Bessie Smith by Sam J. Miller

Lotta Lenya by David Bergman

Marlene Dietrich by Walter Holland

Grace Paley by Mark Doty
Eartha Kitt by D. A. Powell

Anna Moffo by Wayne Koestenbaum

Rocío Dúrcal by Rigoberto González

Liza Minnelli by Jason Schneiderman

Laura Nyro by Michael Klein

Ricky Lee Jones by Timothy Liu

Margaret Cho by Kenji Oshima

Princess Leia by Christopher Hennessy

For more information regarding publicity and reviews contact our publicity manager, Chris Caldwell, phone: (608) 263-0734, email: publicity@uwpress.wisc.edu

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