Saturday Night Was Alright

Oh boy. Well here’s my Saturday night in a few sentences:

DL Panel:

I can’t take being a public person seriously as I am laughing right now.

HILARIOUS. FACE OFF I - "The DL Phenomenon" program, sponsored by Black Pride NYC went off without a hitch. There were four guests on the panel, all of us interviewed separately by the effervescent Mark Fowler, and then folks asked questions. I enjoyed myself. Maybe a little too much. Plugged THINK AGAIN and you can see Donald’s blog for a picture of yours rudely. Loved meeting Kim Ford (again!) of the African Ancestral Lesbians United for Social Change. I felt Kim basically said what I said about DL culture, but she put it better and she was way warmer than me. All told I am a goof so most of the time I am laughing or telling jokes. The first panelist was Raul Abdul, an older gentlemen who was Langston Hughes’ secretary at one point. Nice enough chap but he had a hard time answering questions directly. Tangents were his specialty. Something like “Tell us about your experience with DL culture,” and he’s answer “First time I heard it I didn’t’ know what it meant. That was a few years ago when I was living in Harlem where folks are different now than they were back in my day. Oh that was a good time. I lived on a block where…” It’s like watching a man run off into the woods while you trail him—it may provide some adventure, but can get a little frustrating after a few minutes when you can’t find him.

UP!:
Then a bunch of us left headed uptown and lost Donald on the way (!) Heru, Dennis (a writerly type and all-around brainy guy who works at the New York State Black Gay Network) and me were in attendance at UP!, a party in Harlem from the makers of SPRUNG!, Nathan Scott and Nathan Williams. The score: we were early, I was bushed, Heru and Dennis lived in Brooklyn, the party was empty at that point—a combination of factors that led us to vacate the premises. I was at work until 5pm, and Heru and Dennis were at Other Countries early in the day, so we were beat. We put in one half hour (to the minute) at UP!, and then got UP and left just as the party was just getting hot. I heard some Rahsaan Patterson blasting when I first arrived (and I sang loudly to show my appreciation). That was the highlight of my evening at the party. As for the guys, and me they hopped on a train to BK and I went home to give my body a much needed rest.

Oh and there was a bunch of VIBE magazines lying on each table. Lucky us. Is it my imagination or is this magazine slowly becoming Ebony for those folk who think they are too hip to read Ebony? VIBE has no edge to speak of; it is all glossy pages of gumbo dumbo ya-ya, a much ado about nothing publication as a publication can get. My theory: dick-sucking celebrity hanger-oners run the magazine so there is no critique, no serious writing, no funk in the mix. Everybody’s great, fabulous. Nobody wants to alienate this or that guy or else they may not get invited to the afterparty which is where everyone who is someone will be with other dick-sucking celebrity hanger-oners. Worse case scenario, they risk being beat up by Foxy Brown. Even when there is critique it’s blanched and tweaked until its flavorless. VIBE, ya either need to shit or get off the pot! Or die a natural death. I’m not choosey.

Wednesday, October 15, 2003 @ 12:55 PM