Poet, writer, Mad Men fan, House of Cards freak, lover of all things queer, Hepburn, Frank O'Hara and Lilly Tomlin/Jane Wagner. Disability culture aficionado.
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Articles by Kathi Wolfe
ELDERS | Episode 2 Travels With Corbett
Corbett O’Toole is 72 and lives in a van in the desert. But her life story embodies the strength of empowered disabled people who are agents of change, people who, like Corbett, have made history and continue to do so. “Travels With Corbett” was co-produced and co-reported by Julie Reynolds and Mara J. Reynolds with guest reporting by Brenda Zorn. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.
Reflecting on interactions with President Jimmy Carter
It’s September 1998, and I’m at lunch with several other journalists and a grandmother. As I sip my Coke, I hear a friendly male voice. You can tell he’s smiling. “Time to shake hands now,” he says. We’re at the Carter Center in Atlanta for a few days. The other reporters and I have received Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. The grandma sitting with us is former first lady Rosalynn Carter, and the man with the warm smile is former President Jimmy Carter.
Reflecting on interactions with President Jimmy Carter
LGBTQ Global originally published this commentary. The Washington Blade is republishing it with permission. On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he was stepping down as leader of the Liberal Party, and thus as prime minister as soon as the party chooses his replacement. There’s a lot to unpack about how we got here and what happens next, but it’s important to note exactly how transformative Justin Trudeau was on LGBTQ rights in Canada.
A travel memoir with a queer, Black sensibility
‘How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir’ By Shayla Lawson c.2024, Tiny Reparations Books $29/320 pages Joan Didion, one of the greatest writers and journalists of the 20th century and 2000s, wrote superbly crafted essays – telling engaging stories about the places she traveled to. Reading her, you sensed Didion reacting personally to her travels, and, as a writer, clocking it. To write in stories for her readers.
A travel memoir with a queer, Black sensibility
‘How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir’ By Shayla Lawson c.2024, Tiny Reparations Books $29/320 pages Joan Didion, one of the greatest writers and journalists of the 20th century and 2000s, wrote superbly crafted essays – telling engaging stories about the places she traveled to. Reading her, you sensed Didion reacting personally to her travels, and, as a writer, clocking it. To write in stories for her readers.
Watch ‘Feud,’ if you like glam and wit doused with betrayal and regret
Nothing is more of a pick-me-up in the doldrums of winter than a fabulously acted, incredibly stylish feud. Complete with Champagne flutes and a splendiferous mid-century ball at New York City’s Plaza Hotel. Especially, when it’s part of the ouevre of queer TV producer and creator Ryan Murphy, whose beloved shows include “American Horror Story,” “Glee” and the anthology series “Feud.” Season 2 of Feud, “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” which premiered on Jan. 31, will air weekly on FX through March 13.
‘Blindspot’ reveals stories of NYC AIDS patients that haven’t been told
“We said that people had The Monster, because they had that look,” activist Valerie Reyes-Jimenez, said, remembering how people in her New York neighborhood reacted when people first got AIDS. They didn’t know what to call it.
Watch ‘Feud,’ if you like glam and wit doused with betrayal and regret
Nothing is more of a pick-me-up in the doldrums of winter than a fabulously acted, incredibly stylish feud. Complete with Champagne flutes and a splendiferous mid-century ball at New York City’s Plaza Hotel. Especially, when it’s part of the ouevre of queer TV producer and creator Ryan Murphy, whose beloved shows include “American Horror Story,” “Glee” and the anthology series “Feud.” Season 2 of Feud, “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” which premiered on Jan. 31, will air weekly on FX through March 13.
‘Blindspot’ reveals stories of NYC AIDS patients that haven’t been told
“We said that people had The Monster, because they had that look,” activist Valerie Reyes-Jimenez, said, remembering how people in her New York neighborhood reacted when people first got AIDS. They didn’t know what to call it.
Still seeing red over Oscars’ pink snub
Hi, I’m Seeing Red Barbie. It’s awards season. The Oscar nominations are in. Once again, I and many other movie fans, are bemused — ticked off by the Academy of Motion Pictures’ nominations. Especially, its snubs of “Barbie,” one of the most fun, queer, and feminist movies, if not ever, at least, in recent memory. As others have pointed out, “Barbie” is, particularly for queers, women and others discovering themselves in the face of stigma and bigotry, “The Wizard of Oz” of the 2020s.
Daring to dream: New Year’s 2024
BY KELLEY ROBINSON | As a lifelong organizer and community advocate, I know how easy it is to ignore issues that aren’t in the news 24/7. There’s so much happening in the world right now — reading the latest headlines can quickly become overwhelming. Things that aren’t pushed out in news alerts or our social media feeds are understandably relegated to the sidelines, making it that much harder to share valuable information with the people who need it most.
Remembering those we lost in 2023
The many acclaimed LGBTQ people and allies who died in 2023 include: Frank Galati, an internationally acclaimed writer, director, and actor, known for directing “Ragtime” on Broadway and his Chicago theater work, which included his adaptation of “The Grapes of Wrath,” died on Jan. 2 in Sarasota, Fla. at 79 from complications of cancer. Lily Chavez, a beloved D.C. nightlife figure, died on Jan. 8 at age 35 from complications of Lupus.
Norman Lear’s legacy resonates among queer viewers
You know we all will die. Yet, every so often, someone dies who you thought would live forever. Even if they lived for more than a century, and you felt like they knew your family, though you and your family never knew them. That’s how I, along with so many others, felt when we heard that TV writer and producer Norman Lear, who transformed American media and culture, died at the age of 101 on Dec. 5 at his Los Angeles home.
Our favorite books for holiday gifts
When it gets dark early, it’s cold outside and you want to spice up your life, what’s more intriguing than a book? Here are some holiday gift ideas for book lovers of all ages. Who isn’t fascinated by the dark, twisty, sometimes, mordantly witty, movies of Alfred Hitchcock, or by Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren, Ingrid Bergman and the other actresses in his films?
Our favorite books for holiday gifts
When it gets dark early, it’s cold outside and you want to spice up your life, what’s more intriguing than a book? Here are some holiday gift ideas for book lovers of all ages. Who isn’t fascinated by the dark, twisty, sometimes, mordantly witty, movies of Alfred Hitchcock, or by Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren, Ingrid Bergman and the other actresses in his films?
Our favorite books for holiday gifts
When it gets dark early, it’s cold outside and you want to spice up your life, what’s more intriguing than a book? Here are some holiday gift ideas …
Cunningham’s ‘Day’ is one of the best books of the year
‘Day’ By Michael Cunningham c. 2023, Random House $28/273 pages “She always had the feeling that it was very, very dangerous to live even one day,” Virginia Woolf, the groundbreaking, queer, gender-bending, feminist, novelist and essayist, writes in “Mrs. Dalloway” of Clarissa, a society woman, wife of a Parliament member and mother, who’s giving a party on a June day in 1920s London.
Cunningham’s ‘Day’ is one of the best books of the year
‘Day’ By Michael Cunningham c. 2023, Random House $28/273 pages “She always had the feeling that it was very, very dangerous to live even one day,” Virginia Woolf, the groundbreaking, queer, gender-bending, feminist, novelist and essayist, writes in “Mrs. Dalloway” of Clarissa, a society woman, wife of a Parliament member and mother, who’s giving a party on a June day in 1920s London.
LGBTQ+ allyship figures prominently in Streisand memoir
Have you been told you’ll never amount to anything? That an angry rodent is better looking than you? If yes, don’t worry. Barbra Streisand (hello, Gorgeous!), the EGOT-winning (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), divine, queer icon has been told and called much worse.
Queer allyship figures prominently in Streisand memoir
‘My Name Is Barbra’ By Barbra Streisand c.2023, Viking $47/970 pages Have you been told you’ll never amount to anything? That an angry rodent is better looking than you? If yes, don’t worry. Barbra Streisand (hello, Gorgeous!), the EGOT-winning (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), divine, queer icon has been told and called much worse.
Queer allyship figures prominently in Streisand memoir
‘My Name Is Barbra’ By Barbra Streisand c.2023, Viking $47/970 pages Have you been told you’ll never amount to anything? That an angry rodent is better looking than you? If yes, don’t worry. Advertisement: Barbra Streisand (hello, Gorgeous!), the EGOT-winning (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), divine, queer icon has been told and called much worse.
Black Deafhood: A journey at the intersection of sexuality, disability, race
Editor’s note: One in four people in America has a disability, according to the CDC. Queer and Deaf/disabled people have long been a vibrant part of the LGBTQ community. Take two of the many queer history icons who were disabled: Michelangelo is believed to have been autistic. Marsha P. Johnson, a hero of the Stonewall Uprising, had physical and psychiatric disabilities.
Black Deafhood: A journey at the intersection of sexuality, disability, race
Robert Bartko distinctly remembers the first time he listened to Wham! at his friend’s house during his freshman year of high school. Bartko knocked on his friend’s door, and the friend opened the door, excitingly holding up the “Make It Big” record. Bartko looked exactly like George Michael. They went up to his friend’s bedroom, where there was a state-of-the-art stereo system. And when the needle hit the record, Bartko was captivated.
Graphic novel ‘Smahtguy’ offers timely bio of Barney Frank
When he was in high school, gay cartoonist Eric Orner, who makes his graphic novel debut with “Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank,” didn’t like the food in the school cafeteria. “The principal was always talking about how good we had it,” Orner told the Blade in a recent interview. “But the food was deep fried – inedible,” Orner added, “even for us [teens].” To protest the food, Orner called it out with humor in the comic strip he drew for the school newspaper.
Graphic novel ‘Smahtguy’ offers timely bio of Barney Frank
When he was in high school, gay cartoonist Eric Orner, who makes his graphic novel debut with “Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank,” didn’t …
Graphic novel ‘Smahtguy’ offers timely bio of Barney Frank
When he was in high school, gay cartoonist Eric Orner, who makes his graphic novel debut with “Smahtguy: The Life and Times of Barney Frank,” didn’t like the food in the school cafeteria. “The principal was always talking about how good we had it,” Orner told the Blade in a recent interview. “But the food was deep fried – inedible,” Orner added, “even for us [teens].” To protest the food, Orner called it out with humor in the comic strip he drew for the school newspaper.
Amy Schneider’s book short on ‘Jeopardy’ insights
‘In the Form of a Question’ By Amy Schneider c.2023, Avid Reader Press $28/272 pages Who hasn’t dreamed of being on “Jeopardy!”? Amy Schneider, the most successful woman to compete on “Jeopardy!,” as well as the only out trans person to compete in, and win, the show’s prestigious Tournament of Champions, has lived this dream. She won more than $1 million after winning 40 games on “Jeopardy!”, before competing in the Tournament of Champions.
Amy Schneider’s book short on ‘Jeopardy’ insights
‘Bayard Rustin: A Legacy of Protest and Politics’ Edited by Michael G. Long c.2023, NYU Press $27.95/256 pages You will never settle. And why should you? If it’s not right, you make it right. If it can be better, well, then get at it. You find the solution or you go on to the next thing because good enough is never good enough. As in the new book “Bayard Rustin,” essays edited by Michael G. Long, there’s always work to do and good trouble.
Jann Wenner’s racist, sexist take on musicians isn’t surprising
I enjoyed sharing my birthday with Bruce Springsteen, until I read the bigoted remarks made by his friend Jann Wenner in a recent New York Times interview. Then I wasn’t so glad to have the same b-day as Bruce. Springsteen didn’t make the comments. I’m a fan of his music. But, as I write this, Springsteen, as well as some of Wenner’s other friends, hasn’t spoken out against Wenner’s hurtful comments. As the saying goes: Some gifts keep on giving.
New book goes behind the scenes of ‘A League of Their Own’
‘No Crying in Baseball: The Inside Story of ‘A League of Their Own’ By Erin Carlson c.2023, Hachette Books $29/320 pages You don’t usually think of Madonna as complaining of being “dirty all day” from playing baseball. But that’s what the legendary diva did during the shooting of “A League of Their Own,” the 1992 movie, beloved by queers. “No Crying in Baseball,” the fascinating story behind “A League of Their Own,” has arrived in time for the World Series.
New book goes behind the scenes of ‘A League of Their Own’
‘No Crying in Baseball: The Inside Story of ‘A League of Their Own’ By Erin Carlson c.2023, Hachette Books $29/320 pages You don’t usually think of Madonna as complaining of being “dirty all day” from playing baseball. But that’s what the legendary diva did during the shooting of “A League of Their Own,” the 1992 movie, beloved by queers. “No Crying in Baseball,” the fascinating story behind “A League of Their Own,” has arrived in time for the World Series.
Intriguing historical novel based on the true story of 1800s lesbian couple
‘Learned by Heart’ By Emma Donoghue C. 2023, Little Brown $28/324 pages English landowner, diarist and businesswoman Anne Lister (1791-1840) married her last partner Ann Walker in a marriage ceremony at Holy Trinity Church in Goodramgate, York. This is considered by many to be the first lesbian marriage in England, and likely, the world. Lister, born in a landowning family at Shibden in Calderdale, West Riding of Yorkshire, who’s been called “the first modern lesbian,” is having a moment.
Intriguing historical novel based on the true story of 1800s lesbian couple
‘Learned by Heart’ By Emma Donoghue C. 2023, Little Brown $28/324 pages English landowner, diarist and businesswoman Anne Lister (1791-1840) married her last partner Ann Walker in a marriage ceremony at Holy Trinity Church in Goodramgate, York. This is considered by many to be the first lesbian marriage in England, and likely, the world. Lister, born in a landowning family at Shibden in Calderdale, West Riding of Yorkshire, who’s been called “the first modern lesbian,” is having a moment.
Charles Busch reflects on the paths he didn’t take in new book
“Charles, I’m telling you, I go to plays in rat-infested basements where I’m the only one who shows up,” the late queer icon Joan Rivers once told the queer, legendary playwright, actor, director, novelist, cabaret performer and drag icon, Charles Busch. “I can see the actors peeking through the curtain and groaning, ‘Oh God, that old bitch in the fur coat is here. Does that mean we’ve gotta go on?’” Busch reminded Rivers that she’d seen him perform in a rat-infested basement.
Charles Busch reflects on the paths he didn’t take in new book
“Charles, I’m telling you, I go to plays in rat-infested basements where I’m the only one who shows up,” the late queer icon Joan Rivers once told the queer, legendary playwright, actor, director, novelist, cabaret performer and drag icon, Charles Busch. “I can see the actors peeking through the curtain and groaning, ‘Oh God, that old bitch in the fur coat is here. Does that mean we’ve gotta go on?’” Busch reminded Rivers that she’d seen him perform in a rat-infested basement.
Meet ‘one of the most powerful disabled people on the planet’
(Editor’s Note: One in four people in America has a disability, according to CDC. Queer and disabled people have long been a vital part of the LGBTQ community. Take two of the many queer history icons who were disabled: Michelangelo is believed to have been autistic. Marsha P. Johnson had physical and psychiatric disabilities.
New sonnet collection inspired by queer love and chemistry
‘Periodic Boyfriends’ By Drew Pisarra c.2023, Capturing Fire Press $20/152 pages If you’d told me that I’d get as much of a kick out of sonnets inspired by the Periodic Table of Elements as Cole Porter got from Champagne, I would have thought you’d had too much bubbly. Until I read “Periodic Boyfriends,” queer poet and writer Drew Pisarra’s intriguing new poetry collection. With his sleight of hand, Pisarra puts all of us, chemistry lovers and naysayers, under his spell.
New sonnet collection inspired by queer love and chemistry
‘Periodic Boyfriends’ By Drew Pisarra c.2023, Capturing Fire Press $20/152 pages If you’d told me that I’d get as much of a kick out of sonnets inspired by the Periodic Table of Elements as Cole Porter got from Champagne, I would have thought you’d had too much bubbly. Until I read “Periodic Boyfriends,” queer poet and writer Drew Pisarra’s intriguing new poetry collection. With his sleight of hand, Pisarra puts all of us, chemistry lovers and naysayers, under his spell.
Oft banned gay author’s new kids’ book a fun treat
It’s the hottest party ever! A green, one-eyed, three-toothed fuzzy monster has invited a sea monster, a bat, a witch, and other guests to bring and eat mac and cheese. The witch favors “glow-in-the-dark mac with snakes and furballs.” The bat enjoys “mac ‘n’ bugs.” Whether you’re eight or 80, wouldn’t you like to crash this gathering? Thanks to bestselling, award-winning, gay children’s book author and artist Todd Parr, we can all join in the fun.
Oft banned gay author’s new kids’ book a fun treat
It’s the hottest party ever! A green, one-eyed, three-toothed fuzzy monster has invited a sea monster, a bat, a witch, and other guests to bring and eat mac and cheese. The witch favors “glow-in-the-dark mac with snakes and furballs.” The bat enjoys “mac ‘n’ bugs.” Whether you’re eight or 80, wouldn’t you like to crash this gathering? Thanks to bestselling, award-winning, gay children’s book author and artist Todd Parr, we can all join in the fun.
‘And Just Like That’ ditches preachiness to become addictive TV
“Do you know where your children are?” New York TV station WNYW asks the parents in its audience every night. This isn’t a worry for Charlotte York Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) or Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) two of the main characters featured on season two of “And Just Like That,” (AJLT), the “Sex and the City” reboot, airing weekly on Max through Aug. 24. Their children (from elementary school kids to teens) are safely ensconced at a posh summer camp.
Queer literary lion Edmund White not slowing down at age 83
“It’s remarkable,” Edmund White, the acclaimed queer novelist memoirist, playwright, biographer and essayist, told the Blade this summer in a telephone interview, “I’m 83 years old! A lot of people my age would give up.” “Not me,” he added, “I still feel sharp.” White, born in 1940, is more than as good as his word. At a time of life when many rest on their laurels, he has not only published his latest novel, “The Humble Lover,” (Bloomsbury), but is working on new literary projects.
Celebrating 40 years of ‘Dykes to Watch Out For’
“I like seeing queer people falling in love in Christmas movies,” a 70-something, hetero friend who’s a queer ally and a Hallmark movie aficionado told me recently. “We get to kiss, queers, should, too.” Forty years ago, in June 1983, when Alison Bechdel’s iconic comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For,” (DTWOF) was first published in the Pride issue of “Woman News,” this conversation would likely not have happened. Then, “Ellen” was only an ordinary person’s name.
‘Casa Susanna’ reveals 1950s underground safe haven for trans women
In the 1950s and 1960s, you could lose your job, scorned by your neighbors, arrested and/or institutionalized, if you were openly trans or cross-dressed in public. Yet, during this draconian – anti-queer time, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found a safe haven in a modest house in the Catskills in New York. For a few days, they could live in this house, known as Casa Susanna. There, they could fulfill their dreams and discover their true selves.
Celebrating 40 years of ‘Dykes to Watch Out For’
“I like seeing queer people falling in love in Christmas movies,” a 70-something, hetero friend who’s a queer ally and a Hallmark movie aficionado told me recently. “We get to kiss, queers, should, too.” Forty years ago, in June 1983, when Alison Bechdel’s iconic comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For,” (DTWOF) was first published in the Pride issue of “Woman News,” this conversation would likely not have happened. Then, “Ellen” was only an ordinary person’s name.
‘Casa Susanna’ reveals 1950s underground safe haven for trans women
In the 1950s and 1960s, you could lose your job, scorned by your neighbors, arrested and/or institutionalized, if you were openly trans or cross-dressed in public. Yet, during this draconian – anti-queer time, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found a safe haven in a modest house in the Catskills in New York. For a few days, they could live in this house, known as Casa Susanna. There, they could fulfill their dreams and discover their true selves.
A campus novel filled with the complex realities of our time
‘The Late Americans’ By Brandon Taylor c.2023, Riverbed $28/320 pages You likely wouldn’t want to hang out with cranky characters who obsess about money, bemoan the art they make and live in a place where the winter is brutal and even the elm trees are diseased. Yet, in “The Late Americans,” acclaimed Black, queer author Brandon Taylor, makes you care about a group of often unlikable, isolated, unhappy people.
A campus novel filled with the complex realities of our time
‘The Late Americans’ By Brandon Taylorc.2023, Riverbed $28/320 pages You likely wouldn’t want to hang out with cranky characters who obsess about money, bemoan the art they make and live in a place where the winter is brutal and even the elm trees are diseased. Yet, in “The Late Americans,” acclaimed Black, queer author Brandon Taylor, makes you care about a group of often unlikable, isolated, unhappy people.
‘Being Mary Tyler Moore’ a relevant, entertaining look at beloved icon
Movies Tour-de-force is the timeliest film out there this Pride month Pride is a celebration, but even in a Pride month filled with tangible triumph on the political front, it’s important to remember that hate and homophobia that seem to be ever-percolating under the surface of society, ready to bubble over as soon as things get hot enough – which is why UK filmmaker Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean” might just be timeliest piece of cinema out there this June, despite the fact that it takes place...
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