Blog
How Did My Calendar Fill Up Again?
![How Did My Calendar Fill Up Again? How Did My Calendar Fill Up Again?](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/download_w140_h140/download_08150326.jpeg)
My Summer Reading List
![My Summer Reading List My Summer Reading List](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/summer-reading-book-list_w140_h140/summer-reading-book-list_06140110.jpg)
A Second Edition? Why?
![A Second Edition? Why? A Second Edition? Why?](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/61KDkA57cWL_w140_h140/61KDkA57cWL_05061253.jpg)
As I was finishing my latest book, What Our Friends Left Behind: Grief and Laughter in a Pandemic last summer, I began to consider the ever-present question: ‘what’s next?’ I had no lack of ideas: some that had been percolating for years, others that were new possibilities. But one kept nagging at me, in a good way.
I published F*g Hags, Divas and Moms: The Legacy of Straight Women in the AIDS Community in March, 2019. After writing for years about friend grief, it might have seemed a change of pace. I’d already written one book about the AIDS epidemic, but I knew that someday I’d do a deeper dive. A panel discussion in April, 2014 about the women of ACT UP/NY gave me that initial push: to tell stories of cisgender straight women around the world who changed the course of the epidemic. With the exception of a handful of memoirs, they were missing from the narrative of HIV/AIDS. I decided to write what one person described as ‘Hidden Figures for the AIDS epidemic’. And so I did.The Joy of Writing, Rediscovered
![The Joy of Writing, Rediscovered The Joy of Writing, Rediscovered](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/antoinedesaintexupery1-2x_w140_h140/antoinedesaintexupery1-2x_04230628.jpg)
You know the social media posts, the ones about grabbing all the joy you can find? About discovering joy in ordinary moments, not just big ones? I think they’re annoying. Full disclosure: it’s not easy for me to access joy. I know it when I see/feel it, but it seems to be avoiding me more than I’d like.
The last year or so, I’ve concentrated on looking for joy in other people and their accomplishments. I jump on posts announcing a new grandchild or a work accomplishment, on reels of photos of once-in-a-lifetime vacations. I can feel the joy in the posts and I celebrate it, even though it’s someone else’s. And for a while, that was enough.
'Send a Card to a Friend Day' is Every Day
!['Send a Card to a Friend Day' is Every Day 'Send a Card to a Friend Day' is Every Day](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/images%20(5)_w140_h140/images%20(5)_02161056.jpeg)
“My friends have overlooked my shortcomings, seen me through some dark days, and brightened up the rest of them. I'm glad to have them; I'm honored to have them; I'm lucky to have them.”
That’s a quote from one of my favorite movies, Murphy’s Romance. It’s from the speech given by Murphy, played by James Garner, at his surprise 60th birthday party. I was a lot younger than that when the movie came out in 1985. I’m older than that now. But I still feel the same way.
We just celebrated Valentine’s Day, which is preceded now by Galentine’s Day, to give friends their own day without the romantic pressure of February 14. Earlier this month, I promoted a holiday I found out about not long ago: 'Send A Card to a Friend Day' on February 7. The only requirement was that it be a physical card, sent via snail mail: emails or text messages don’t count.
Book Review: My Fabulous Disease: Chronicles of a Gay Survivor by Mark S. King
![Book Review: My Fabulous Disease: Chronicles of a Gay Survivor by Mark S. King Book Review: My Fabulous Disease: Chronicles of a Gay Survivor by Mark S. King](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/41DQkuy7jWL_w140_h140/41DQkuy7jWL_01190510.jpg)
I have friends who write in a variety of genres: romance, sci fi/fantasy, biography, horror, sports, children’s picture books; playwrights, too. They have poured their hearts and souls into their work, but they themselves are not obviously present on the page. The ones who write memoirs…that’s a whole different story.
When a friend of mine writes a memoir, I open the book already knowing a lot about them, but I am always, always surprised. Sometimes shocked and occasionally horrified, but in the end, always grateful that they found the courage to share their stories.
Now and then, strangers will admit to me that they want to write a book. I always do my best to be enthusiastic and supportive. Life’s hard enough without being criticized for being brave enough to be that vulnerable. The last few years, I’ve amended my advice if they say the book will be a memoir: I ask them if they’re in therapy. Writing can be therapeutic, but revisiting our past can be an unpredictable emotional journey. We need all the support around us we can gather.
"Do You Guys Ever Think About Dying?"
!["Do You Guys Ever Think About Dying?" "Do You Guys Ever Think About Dying?"](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/original-451-1685034048-2_w140_h140/original-451-1685034048-2_09290406.jpg)
"Do you guys ever think about dying?"
For many people, this was the most shocking line in the blockbuster movie, Barbie. Up until then, the movie was as frothy as an egg cream. But then, the movie took a turn. Part of the shock was that it was not a line you ever hear in a comedy. And part of the shock was that it stopped us in our tracks, maybe taking you out of the movie itself.
If COVID accomplished anything, other than killing over a million people just in the US, it forced us to confront death and dying. We are a society that is averse to discussing or facing the one constant in all of our lives - death. In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, over 54% of Americans admitted they did not have a will.
Book Review: "The Celebrants" by Steven Rowley
![Book Review: "The Celebrants" by Steven Rowley Book Review: "The Celebrants" by Steven Rowley](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/download%20(17)_w140_h140/download%20(17)_06300610.jpeg)
As a rule, I don’t pay a lot of attention to celebrity book clubs. I mean, I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to have one of my books featured, but it’s rare that they showcase a book that interests me. I also don’t read a lot of fiction, which certainly sets me apart from just about anyone. My research, my writing, my interests are centered in nonfiction.
So I was surprised to find myself buying the June choice of Jenna’s Book Club on the Today Show, The Celebrants. One of the first descriptions of the book compared it to one of my favorite movies, The Big Chill. I can understand the impulse: a group of college friends are forever shaped by the suicide of one member. But aside from the lack of an obvious musical soundtrack, I think that’s where the similarity ends. If it’s evocative of any movie for me, it’s Peter’s Friends.Friendship and Artificial Intelligence
![Friendship and Artificial Intelligence Friendship and Artificial Intelligence](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/shutterstock_13620997_w140_h140/shutterstock_13620997_05300738.jpg)
No, this isn’t a post about how robots are going to replace our friends, or why Siri is a good substitute for human contact (it’s not). This is something else.
I recently started to dabble in ChatGPT, so this is based on my new and admittedly limited experience. I’d spent a few weeks reading articles from writers who are using it for various tasks, as well as learning the copyright implications. I’m not going in with the intention of using it to write books or blog posts or essays; I’m limiting myself to investigating how I can use it for marketing, such as book descriptions. But the more I studied it, the more it seemed like entering prompts was similar to diagramming a sentence.
Four Books about COVID, Grief, and Friendship (That Aren't Mine)
![Four Books about COVID, Grief, and Friendship (That Aren't Mine) Four Books about COVID, Grief, and Friendship (That Aren't Mine)](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/243388273_10226897950859250_1370354684579079847_n%20(1)_w140_h140/243388273_10226897950859250_1370354684579079847_n%20(1)_04290735.jpg)
I was writing about something we were all still experiencing, so I prayed for inspiration, and was rewarded for my efforts. I've discovered stories that made me cry and occasionally made me laugh. All of them deserve to be shared. Here are a few books that have shaped my understanding of how we have grieved our friends during COVID:
My Favorite Resources for Indie Authors
![My Favorite Resources for Indie Authors My Favorite Resources for Indie Authors](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/Author-Badge-large-179x300_w140_h140/Author-Badge-large-179x300_02280326.jpg)
March marks ten years since my first book - Friend Grief and Anger: When Your Friend Dies and No One Gives a Damn - was published. It took years to get to that point, a lot longer than I imagined when I first had the idea for the book in the spring of 2006. That was understandable, though, because I knew absolutely nothing about publishing and almost nothing about writing. I was beyond fortunate that at my first writing conference in January, 2011, I stumbled into a makeshift group of other writers at a similar stage. They remain among my closest friends and confidants. Along the way, I’ve wasted time and money as we all have, but not nearly as much as I could have had I not been so lucky that weekend.
So, today I thought I’d share some of the resources that have helped me the most, in the hopes that writers reading this can also benefit.
And Then There Were Three: S, N and Y
![And Then There Were Three: S, N and Y And Then There Were Three: S, N and Y](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/image-21_w140_h140/image-21_01210900.png)
I had a blog post all ready, but then the news popped up in my Facebook feed. News that was both expected and a shock: David Crosby died.
From time to time over the years I’ve written about the experience of grieving a celebrity, someone you’ve admired and loved but never met. Some people are taken aback by the depth of the grief they feel, and that’s understandable. They’re grieving for someone they’ve only known from a distance. So they wonder why they feel that loss so deeply.
The easy answer is that the celebrity represented an important part of your life. Maybe their music was playing while you were in bed with someone you loved. Maybe their TV show was “must see TV” with your Mom. Maybe watching them perform in person was something you shared with your closest friends. All of that could be true for people now grieving David Crosby. But there’s a deeper reason for me.
My 2nd Annual 'Not an End of Year Review'
![My 2nd Annual 'Not an End of Year Review' My 2nd Annual 'Not an End of Year Review'](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/275071345_10226998696023043_710037687237981197_n%20(1)_w140_h140/275071345_10226998696023043_710037687237981197_n%20(1)_12110728.jpg)
I looked back at the end of year blog post I wrote last December. It was optimistic, bordering on delusional at times. But then, I had no idea what this year would bring.
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A few months ago I decided to put aside my work on turning Fag Hags into an online course. The idea came to me early in the pandemic, and made sense at the time. But as 2022 dragged on, it just felt like a burden. My enthusiasm was gone. I still think it’s a good idea; just not right now.
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I applied for a couple of opportunities that I did not get, but at least I tried. I also created a few opportunities that worked well.
Play Through the Suck: Writing Edition
![Play Through the Suck: Writing Edition Play Through the Suck: Writing Edition](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/Writers-Block_w140_h140/Writers-Block_07260744.jpg)
Last week I participated in another one of Martie McNabb’s wonderful Show & Tales events. I highly recommend them, whether you decide to participate or just observe. It’s storytelling for everyone.
One of the participants told a story about seeing a guitarist perform. He was surprised to find out that, at 65, the man had only been playing for five years. How did he get so good in only five years, when playing well had been a lifelong struggle for the man telling the story? The guitarist explained that when you start you’re bad, but the more you practice, the better you get. And he described it with this advice:
Play through the suck.Those Were the Days, My Friend
![Those Were the Days, My Friend Those Were the Days, My Friend](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/282470207_10228337844175683_2533477281753124648_n%20(1)_w140_h140/282470207_10228337844175683_2533477281753124648_n%20(1)_06200534.jpg)
I graduated from Nerinx Hall, a Catholic girls high school in Webster Groves, Missouri, run by the Sisters of Loretto, in 1970. That means my 50th reunion was in 2020. Except COVID-19 had other ideas. That first year, it seemed like a small sacrifice that was disappointing but not tragic. In an effort to support the seniors who had much better reasons to be disappointed - no prom or graduation ceremony - we wrote letters of encouragement to them. Heidi Keibler Stevens wrote about that project in the Chicago Tribune.
Last year, we were beginning to get vaccinated, but the school wasn’t hosting large gatherings, so we put off the reunion another year. At the beginning of this month, we finally met. And a song that came out when we were seniors kept popping into my head:
Those were the days, my friend,
We thought they’d never end.
We’d sing and dance forever and a day.
We’d live the life we choose,
We’d fight and never lose,
For we were young and sure to have our way.
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back (not a typo)
![Two Steps Forward, One Step Back (not a typo) Two Steps Forward, One Step Back (not a typo)](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/research-roadblocks-hero_w140_h140/research-roadblocks-hero_05240432.jpg)
My last book - Fag Hags, Divas and Moms: The Legacy of Straight Women in the AIDS Community - took a lot longer to write than I expected. It wasn’t because I had writer’s block, or that my research was hard to compile. I had two major setbacks that I could not have predicted.
I started on the book in earnest in the fall of 2015. The first year of working on it was a whirlwind: interviewing women, doing deep dives into little-known corners of the HIV/AIDS community, revisiting those dark early days of the epidemic. I had so much help, from two small crowdfunding campaigns and incredible leads from friends and strangers alike. People were excited about the book and I hadn’t written a word.
What's the Best That Could Happen?
![What's the Best That Could Happen? What's the Best That Could Happen?](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/detour-2496197_1280_w140_h140/detour-2496197_1280_04261257.jpg)
I was in New York City in February, on a bus headed down Broadway towards Columbus Circle. Up ahead, I could see a digital billboard on 59th Street; okay, a lot of them. But the words on one caught my eye:
What’s The Best That Could Happen?
I did a double-take, assuming I’d misread it. It must have read ‘Worst’ not ‘Best’.
I was wrong.
When we debate making an important decision, we often ask ourselves to imagine the worst-case scenario. But it got me wondering: do we ever ask ourselves to imagine the best-case scenario?
The Book That Keeps on Giving
![The Book That Keeps on Giving The Book That Keeps on Giving](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/54257899_1173408089509438_8369863585899216896_n%20(1)_w140_h140/54257899_1173408089509438_8369863585899216896_n%20(1)_02270726.png)
While I work on my next book (Friend Grief and COVID: Pandemic Stories) I continue to spend a significant amount of time on my last book. Fag Hags, Divas and Moms: The Legacy of Straight Women in the AIDS Community will be three years old in March. I expected the initial excitement about it to fade by the end of the first year; that’s pretty normal. But it didn’t. If anything, it has given me the opportunity to expand my business in unexpected ways.
That first year was full of book signings, feature articles, and respectable sales. The success of the book turned me into an expert on the topic. The second year, though, is when it really took off.
This is Not A Year-End Review of 2021
![This is Not A Year-End Review of 2021 This is Not A Year-End Review of 2021](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/medium_image_1277779304_w140_h140/medium_image_1277779304_12220732.jpg)
I’m kind of tired of those year-end review articles and blog posts.
I’ve always considered Labor Day the start of a new year. That’s when school starts, and in the performing arts, when the new season begins. Other than changing calendars and getting ready to do taxes, I guess living on a school year timeline still rules my life. That’s why I decided I wanted to take this opportunity to look forward to 2022, not back to 2021.
One skill I’ve improved the past two years is the willingness to pivot. I’m not perfect at this: there are still times I rage against changing plans. But flexibility is more important than ever, and that’s why I’ve made plans for 2022 (and beyond) that are fairly easy to adapt. What’s in the works, you ask?
Friend Grief and COVID: Pandemic Stories
![Friend Grief and COVID: Pandemic Stories Friend Grief and COVID: Pandemic Stories](images/victorianoe/cache/images/victorianoe/proportion/ijn1gkfpkumdmsz1v8tu_w140_h140/ijn1gkfpkumdmsz1v8tu_12040819.jpeg)
As I’ve posted before, I got the idea for this book a year ago. I’d decided to update and rework the six little books in the Friend Grief series into one book, which was my original plan ten years ago.
But I realized pretty quickly that those few stories would be insufficient. People faced new challenges, including the inability to grieve normally due to enforced isolation. They lost coworkers - and their jobs. They watched friends in high-risk demographics suffer the most. People who’d been in the HIV/AIDS community for decades, like me, were triggered by what was now their second pandemic - while the first one still raged.