The Rainbow Book Fair

This past Saturday, I overslept. This was not a good thing, as the rainbow Book Fair I've been telling everyone to come to was better than two hours away and I had two and a half hours to get there. I bolted from bed and ate a hasty breakfast, then hit the highway. I was smart enough to have loaded the books into the car trunk the night before. I still made it to the event in time, including picking up my friend and fellow author David Stein. A friend snapped this picture of the two of us.

Despite the minutes to midnight sort of arrival, we were set up well before patrons began arriving. In another break of luck, the table next to ours was a no-show, so I used it to spread more books out. Thanks to the Square device that turns a smartphone into a cash register, I did a brisk business, mostly on my new book. I was pleased. I got to see some old friends, and Thor stopped in for a visit, bearing bagels.

Now if you are wondering why I am wearing those groovy hippie glasses indoors, it was I forgot to change from driving with my sunglasses to my regular spectacles. Which was a mistake, as I left them on the passenger car seat. Which means that David, unwittingly, sat on them. Oh Snap was exactly what it meant in the literal sense. Driving home was a real trial, as I had to balance the frame on half of my head while adjusting the nose piece about every 5 to 10 miles. But I made it home safely, and my new book is already getting some very positive feedback. (Always good for the insecure author's ego.)

In less than two weeks I'll be headed for Cleveland's CLAW event, where I'll be moderating "Dirty Words: The Erotic Author's Forum." Everyone gets to do a reading, which is always fun, and the audience tends to be very responsive during Q&A time. With the new book to lead the vendor table, I am also hoping to do well sales-wise again.

I'm so pleased to have the new book out that I've started working on another. I've finally started the Amish Zombie novel I've been batting around in my head for a few years now. "Mennonite Of The Living Dead" is the working title (groan all you want to, but now you won't forget it, will you?).

If you're in New York City on Saturday...

Stop by and visit me at



I'll be promoting my new book...which is also now available for Kindle!

  

I join the Kindle Age!

I am joining the Kindle age with this new Collection: Brutality! It's a pun on that it's the totality of my work and the correct pronunciation of my last name, Brough,  Gor for it, Kindle readers. It's better than 50 Shades of Grey.

Click on the image for more info.

The 2012 CLAW Author's Forum

CLAW weekend was a total delight, but the highlight for me was being moderator to the Author's Panel. I nick-named it the "Black Leather Bookshelf" in the shameless plug division, at the same time, the panelists were like a who's who. The order was me at the end of the table, with Guy Baldwin, Gloria Brame, Jack Rinella and Race Bannon seated along with me.

Gloria I had never met before, and she promptly became a thrill to be with. She was funny, flirty and very smart, and her antics with Guy were all but show stealers. We all read from our works, and then took questions. The audience eagerly participated, filling almost 90 minutes as we each took turns responding. Guy was his usual irascible self, adding to the entertainment value.

I feel so damn lucky to have been a part of this. Joel took the pics, and there are more through the link.

My Amazon DVD Reviews: "Kink Crusaders"

"This is my family, this is my tribe"
5 Out of 5 Stars

For those unfamiliar with International Mr. Leather, it as an annual event where literally thousands of Leatherfolk gather every May in Chicago. The centerpiece of the weekend is the International Mister Leather contest, in which men from around the world compete for the chance to promote the Leather Lifestyle (among other activities).

But it wasn't always like this. In a DVD that is destined to take a place next to the book "25 Years Of Champions," "Kink Crusaders" chronicles the humble beginnings of IML in 1979 (12 contestants from 6 states) to the extravagant pageant that it is today. In 2008, documentarian Mike Skiff traveled to Chicago for the chance to capture the 30th year of IML as it unfolded. So as you would expect, this is the kind of film that is laden with imagery of Homomasculinity at its hottest, with pictures, interviews and event clips documenting every year of International Mr. Leather. (Including a brief but explanatory clip as a postlude from IML 2010.)

But once again, I have to repeat. "Kink Crusaders" is much more than a tableaux of hot men in leather. Perspective comes from a rare "Mr Gold Coast Leather" film clip to ongoing interviews with contestants and commentary from Guy Baldwin, founder Chuck Renslow and others (including the odd interlopers who found themselves inside the hotel as the contest was occurring). Mike Skiff and a host of contributors have created a grand history of this culture of leather in this magnificent 90 minute documentary. But if the thought of all those concepts and heavy thinking intimidates you, fear not. There are contest videos, and did I fail to mention that the pictures are hot? If you missed that earlier on, forgive me. I reiterate; the men are HOT. Get "Kink Crusaders" now. It's going to look great on your widescreen.

     

My Amazon Reviews: "The Slave Journals" Thom Magistar

Tales and Time Capsules
5 Out of 5 Stars

There was a time when there was no Facebook, AOL or even Drummer Classified. You couldn't pop on your I-Phone and do a locater for the closest hook-up, soul mate, or buddy. Not even a hankie-code. You had to depend on your instincts. The tell-tale clues. The direct questions posed to you by men who had learned through experience what to look for in you as you prowled the bars and streets, looking for something you just couldn't quite define, but felt burning in your heart.

"Sir, why was I brought here?
"You Willed it. It was yourself who brought you here, we merely took you in."

"The Slave Journals: And Other Tales of The Old Guard" is Thom Magistar's terrific collection of stories about The Centurions, a mythical leather club that has existed since the late 40's and continues recruitment into the present day. While the stories are fiction, it is easy to feel the heat of each coal of truth that the stories themselves contain. The seventeen Masters who recount their lives and times show how The Old Guard, as it were, began as men in need of a safe place to bond and be themselves. No pretense, no sense that they were doing something that would eventually become embellished legend. Just being the men they knew they were.

Self-awareness is key in many of these stories, even if The Centurions continuously emphasize honor, trust, dignity, loyalty and discipline. The integrity never changes, even as the years roll by and the world changes. The men, the club, they all change as well, but not that set of key elements. The stories are hot in the hard-handed reading division, yet a message that kinship can be a virtue that overrides lust is the message brought home throughout Magistar's writing. Seekers will always seek, it is what they find and ultimately keep - and then give back - that makes a club, group, tribe or family worth belonging to.


  

Pick Up David Stein's New Books!

Shameless Commerce Dept: The covers will link directly to my website for those who'd like to own a copy of these books. They were a hit at both the Folsom Street Fair and at The MsC in Washington DC.

In 1996, in the 14th issue of the long gone Magazine "International Leatherman," David Stein guest edited and produced a volume that was strictly about real life Master and slave couples. Oddly enough, it was not one of the magazine's better selling volumes (frankly, no jo stories...), but it soon became a highly sought collector's issue. It laid out, in detail, that these folks not only existed, but they were RARELY similar.

Over 10 years later, David revisits this idea on "Ask The Man Who Owns Him." While the criterion for inclusion in this book is similar (gay male couples identifying as M/s in relationships for at least 3 years), the couples profiled are anything but. There's polyamory, monogamy, strict protocols, deep spirituality, deep division. They live together, they're separated by state lines. They self identify in all manner of 'title.' Some came into their relationships naturally, others evolved, some were seeming thrust into them. These pairings are everything but interchangeable.

Yet for so many fetish fantasists, all M/s relationships are invariable. Even David's own highly recommended Carried Away: An S/M Romance is still fiction. Such assorted hogwash as "Mr. Benson," "The Story of O," et al give distorted views that can't sustain a real world challenge. "Ask The Man Who Owns Him" does a great deal to dispel the mythology that has too long lingered around true practitioners of this life, who invited David Stein and David Schachter into their homes and personal worlds. This book is NOT someone telling you they know what you want and how to get it. This book reclaims the fringe that - in some circles - would portray these folk as outlaw sexualists.

Even as the men (and in a few cases here, women) would probably snort at that 'outlaw' description, there is one thing that "Ask The Man Who Owns Him" does show as a common denominator. Each of the men that have bonded in these relationships truly care about each other. Be their references Master, slave, owner, property or however they refer to themselves, they are all couples. They're all for real. It's the reality portrayed by "Ask The Man That Owns Him" that makes the book invaluable.

 In "Boots, Bondage and Beatings," David turns his atention to short stories in this burning collection. Each of the stories centers on one of more of the B's in the book's title, be it an erotic tale or a psychologically compelling one. My personal favorite was the slave trainer showing his young charge that it's not all about hot sex and searing sessions, it is about service and the mindset. There's even a pair of stories that serve as adjuncts to "Carried Away." Solid, thoughtful and arousing, a good book for the black leather bookshelf. David was kind enough to request a foreword from me, which I was honored to contribute.

Clicking on the covers will take you to my website, where those inclined can purchase these (and other) kinky titles.

Folsom Pictures with Gallery Link

Sept 2009

More pics here- 35 MORE! - and really? Not Safe For Work

Thoughts on the Month

Back home from a rejuvenating MsC (a conference in the DC area for Dominant and submissive folk), manning the book tables with my friend Dr Robert Rubel. (If you're interested in such things, his Protocal books are top drawer material.) While I only did so-so for sales, what was terrific about the weekend was reconnecting with many men and women that I only see once per year, and this year to hear Laura Antoniou deliver a snarky but moving keynote address. There seemed to be an influx of writers this time around; the first time Master Taino invited me to offer books six years ago, it was just me, this year there were three authors' tables (myself, Dr Bob and Alfred Publications), with specific Author Roundtables with Guy Baldwin, David Stein, Jay Wiseman, Laura and a few others.

It's been almost 10 years since I've had an opportunity to sit and chat with Guy, so that was a most welcome conversation. So was getting to visit with David, whose new book "Ask The Man Who Owns Him" led my table for sales. David (also the author of the Leatherotica classic "Carried Away") traveled the country to interview real-life gay male Master/slave couples, and the new book chronicles their lives and relationships. Had I brought more than 20 copies, there would have been several additional happy readers. Another book that sold through was Alfred Publishing's Protocol Guide from the House of Jack McGeorge, the passing of whom was heavy on everyone's heart.

Jack's death was one of four to really affect the members of Master Taino's organization. "Bill'O" and Sir Steve (a brilliant accountant) were also friend of mine who left us in the last 12 months. In something of that regard, the MsC has become a place to recharge. August has, for the last three years, been a very cruel month to me. I have lost my original Master, an ex-lover/Daddy, a mentor, a confidant and an inspirational figure in the last three Augusts. Two years ago, when Master Gary Gordon Taylor died, I felt like someone had pulled a part of my center out with an apple corer. But when I went to the 2007 MsC and told people there that I'd lost my Master, they understood.

The following year, it was Larry Townsend, who had encouraged me to write and publish (even writing an endorsement for the back cover of my second collection of short stories). Master Taino invited me to light a memorial candle at the conference for both Larry and Master Gary, which I accepted. When I crossed the stage to do so, I wore a pair of leather pants that Master Gary had left me, a T-Shirt designed by Peter "Rubber Bear" Tolos and a vest made for me by Wayne Griffin, who taught me leathercraft, so that each of them was with me at that altar. Lighting the two candles was not just for Larry and Master Gary, it was for them, my confidant Rob Cole, my ex Ronnie Borders, my original mentor Paul "Papa Bear" Sehm and so many others. And this year, Jack's family (both of his house and his children) were there with us to commemorate their Dad's work.

The significance of how we see these kind of men in our lives was brought to me forcibly in mid-August. In 1994, I had just lost Paul to cancer, Master Gary had been arrested and I was feeling very lost. A piercer had set up a booth on the Faultline Bar patio, and I decided to give myself a reminder of pushing forward in adversity. It may sound silly, but I got my ear pierced that night for that reason. That little gold stud had been in my ear almost the entire time since, until it popped out at my work desk and vanished. I literally tore my desk apart trying to find that little stud, to no avail. I down spun into a depression for the next 24 hours, realizing that this tiny symbolic drop of gold metal that had lived in my earlobe for the last 15 odd years had disappeared.

I told myself that I would not put anything back in that space until I could find something relevant. About a week later, at the 50th anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival, one of the vendors had small, sterling silver Peace Symbols. (Hey, it's a folk festival. LOTS of old hippies abound! Also, I have a huge collection of Tie-dye shirts.) But that is what resonated. I am often restless and even more frequently knee-deep in the sadness pool, so the thought of a small symbol of peace going forward, inner or otherwise, would be just as important as the 15 year old reminder of strength in my past. I can see it in the morning and touch it in the day.

That reminder, like the wearing of leathers from past lovers and mentors, grounds me. I have a past that is very left of center. The MsC (and although it conflicted with it this year, my fellow Delta Club brothers) offers me the very physical reinforcement about our nature and our connections. In fact, I probably get more hugs and kisses from women during MsC weekend than I do for the rest of the year (and there's a very goofy picture that was taken of me that I may or may not post later...it will scare the mice from your basement), so the support I (and the other attendees) pick up during the weekend helps me hold on to my desire to create, to chronicle and to document. And to remember to love the living, to touch them, laugh and tell them what they mean to me now.

Purple Passion needs Your Help

Reposting from Lolitasir and Nice-n-evil.

Hilton and his crew are great folks and have supported me often though the years.

***

This is a repost from lolitasir 's live journal.  Please repost it to yours if you'd like.

It's about the possibility that Purple Passion might have to close! 
The owner, Hilton, is a BIG supporter of Leather/kink communities (in addition to other charities, such as holiday toy drives for needy children) and he has been for a long, long time - he is a big part of NYC's Leather History.  He has a great store with excellent staff, and he himself is a person of genuine and good character. 

If you have been thinking of buying any sort of sex toy, fetish garment or footwear, S/m implement, porn, BDSM-related book, etc., please do so NOW, and buy it from Hilton.  It would be a terrible loss for the Leather community - and for Hilton and his staff and their families - if there was no more Purple Passion.

Now here's the part I've copied from lolitasir 

Unfortunately, things are not great business-wise, so we are asking for your help. We’ve been very supportive of the community for many years and need to ask for your support now. We’re all aware of the economic situation, and it’s particularly hitting small businesses like ours very hard. We would like to continue to be part of the community, but frankly, things are very dire.

Please support us by shopping in our store and checking out our wonderful continually updated WEB Site.

We have finally resolved all our Google issues. Google has given our site a 100% secured rating meaning our site is 100% secure, safe and infection free.

Our prices are competitive and we have a great selection. Come see us or call us (212-807-0486) and we’ll have what you want or find it and have it at the right price. We REALLY need your business.

Check out our web site for an online discount shopping coupon at purplepassion.com

Special Sale !!
30% off all Men’s & Women’s leather clothing,
30% off leather corsets and Vanson Jackets.
20% off everything else.
In-store in stock only.

We appreciate your support and business
- Hilton
Purple Passion
211 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 807-0486
www.purplepassion.com
 

***

PS - look in the books and you'll find a few of mine.

Jack Rinella Runs for Office

Just Another Politician?

My good friend Jack Rinella is running for public office. While most of us know Jack by his writing of lifestlye books and his Chicago newspaper Columns, the name on his BirthCeritificate is Joe Laiacona. And he has decided to throw his Muir Cap into Chicago Politics.

This is, to me, nothing short of heroic. Jack is facing an uphill battle here. He has been a public figure in the kink community for a couple of decades, and you can be certain that this point will be hammered upon by his opponents over and over again. It will not be easy, and it will likely provoke some highly unpleasant commentary. Mud will be flung.

Jack has the cajones to put himself on the line. He deserves our support and backing.

The following is his press release:

Summer is coming to Illinois and it's time for some serious spring cleaning. Grab your brooms and join us as we sweep our government clean of cronyism, nepotism, graft and bribery. The business-as-usual practices of under the table money, back room deals and pay-to-play politics have robbed Illinois voters of their legitimate voice. Joe Laiacona is not just another politician, and he's running for Illinois House of Representatives, 40th District.

Joe Laiacona is an 18 year resident of Chicago's north side and a homeowner currently living in the Albany Park neighborhood. He has worked as an instructor at Columbia College while pursuing interests in writing, union organizing, computing and genealogy. He is the father of two daughters and grandfather to two grandsons. He is a former Catholic seminarian, an ordained minister, an avid gardener and amateur genealogist.

Joe's Platform:
. I favor transparency in all governmental activities, disclosure of all politically-related financial transactions, and limits on contributions to and among those involved in politics.

. We cannot legislate good ethics but we can institute curbs on the actions that make political corruption financially and socially rewarding.

. I support state-wide equality in educational funding so that every child has the benefit of excellence in education.

. Our health care systems and the insurance systems that largely pay for them must be made available to all citizens.

. I believe in progressive taxation so that those with the ability to pay do so fairly while a lesser burden falls on those who can least afford it. We need to reduce bureaucracy where we can and reward efficiency whenever we find it.

. Sound pension funds for state employees are a fundamental right and a wise investment. They attract the best and the brightest to our classrooms and our state services.

. Small businesses are the life-blood of our economy. State government can positively influence the success of our economic life but where meddling only deters economic growth, it ought to remain silent.

. We have a moral and ethical obligation to protect the environment and repair the earth of the effects of pollution and greed. I support a healthy state park system, controls on poisonous emissions, and incentives to develop sustainable sources of clean energy.

. I support immigration reform that creates respect for the law, recognizes the invaluable
contribution that immigrants bring to our state, and the rights of all legal immigrants to a fair method of attaining citizenship.

For more information, go to: www.FriendsforJoeLaiacona.org