Literary Coup

Some good writin' went down last night. But after I had said all I had to say on the topic, I spent some time reading back over some of the the 88 pages I have to date. ...and was instantly filled with self doubt. Am I a whacko? Is there anybody out there that would want to read this crap? Isn't me being held up for mockery and scorn as a result of unleashing this drivel on an unsuspecting world pretty much inevitable.

Oh Dear.

Then, this morning, before rushing off to work, I checked email. My fellow GMSMA Board member who publishes Newslink forwarded to me an email from one of the founders of GMSMA, and a published author whose work I very much enjoy. Founder and Author called my piece on single tails that appreared in the latest issue "one of the finest pieces that Newslink has ever published."

Oh My.

So possibly, as improbable as it is, perhaps, perchance, maybe, just maybe I could come out of this a writer. As in, a writer who is read. As in, a writer who is able to go part, most, or all of the way towards supporting himself through his writing.

I swear, if I could have one wish, it would be that.

Y'know, it occurs to me. This is something else I've found within the (awkwardly named) Leather-S/M-Kink Community. Namely, a collection of people who care about, share, and exchange ideas. It's like Chaos Theorists or the Biblical scholars or nutritionists or children's book illustrators. However, when we all get together, it's a lot more fun.

I wonder how viable it would be to do a journal? It's not something that hasn't been done in the past. And it's something that's done on-line to some degree at present. And I wonder if there's really a market out there for people who are interested not just in getting off, but in sharing their thoughts and ideas concerning... concerning... SMLK (pronounced so as to rhyme with 'whelk,' and standing for S/M-Leather-Kink).

The advice that I've long given to Baron von Philadelphia in his attempts to come out with a print publication has been, "Get with it! On-line is the way to go!" But as I think about this, I can see the reason for his resistance. There's something great about paper, that you can take with you and read on the subway.

Here's another concern. Is there sufficient depth and breadth to the topic? It's points of disagreement and fresh perspective that give longevity, or else you descend into a sinkhole of intellectual bankruptcy the way that Queer Theory has, and end up publishing articles on "An Analysis of Kink Subtexts in Kitchen Appliance Design."

I'm thinking suddenly of an old friend of mine, Irene Elizabeth Stroud, known familiarly as Beth. I met Beth through ACT UP. Beth though it was outrageous that with the exception of the Native, which was possibly the most embarrassing gay publication ever in its later years, and Homo Xtra, there was no gay newspaper in New York City. I argued at the time that in part, that was because the New York Times did such a good job of covering issues of interest to the LGBT community, there really wansn't much of a need for one. But Beth felt strongly that there was. She bought books on publishing a community newspaper and the like, and the result was LGNY, which has now become Gay City News.

Y'know, it seems to me that at this point in the life cycle of the SMLK community, there are enough people out there who would like to do more than get off, but who would be interested in a forum to exchange ideas.

Hmmm...

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