Out in the Mountains Hugh Coyle BOSTON —— According to playwright Tony Kush- ner, one of the keynote speakers at the OutWrite conference held in Boston early in March, lasagna serves as a perfect metaphor for literature. All those luscious layers,‘ stacked with scrumptious in— . gredients, constantly struggling to maintain its . tenuous fonn —- this is the stuff of writing. It also serves as an appropriate metaphor for the , OutWrite conference itself, which offered up 3 workshops and. panels ranging from the practical ("What are the rules for book reviewing" and "Trends in gay and lesbian publishing") to the po- V litical ("Fact checking and the Far Right" and "Po— litical Writing in the Newt Era") to the personal 2 ("Which books helped me come out" and "The : world in there") to the purely pornographic ("Tum on, get off, get real" and "Hot, horny, and rarin' to ; writel"). In addition, attendees couldeavesdrop on i open conversations between established icons (the A Vermont contingent seemed most attracted to the dialogue between our resident cartoonist Alison Bechdel and Howard Cruse), check out a number of public readings, or browse through the many Attention! Men of the Kingdon ! ! Safer Sex Parties ! ! ! Our Safer Sex Parties are a fun way to learn about anf raise awareness of ways that men who have sex with men can help stop the spread of AIDS. Parties include feeebies, food, and a door prize. We are presently setting yp dates for the spring in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties. For more information, or to schedule a party, call Martin at 748-9264. ARE YOU ALONE? ‘ Make contact through ALTERNATIVE CONNECTIONS A new personal contact service for any lifestyle. To put you in touch with that someone special. For (friendships, Relationships and more). / ~ — , . For information ( ALTERNATIVE connacnons Wnte T0: Rul|Ind.B\;ILx.l,f’>:;02—0753 \\/@§%\ FLASH VIDEO — 88 Ma||ett’s Bay Ave., Winooski, VT 05404 ‘ 655-1861 Movies - Magazines 0 Novelties v Q“ 802/658-6800 “ "‘,'L>"_\ ~ New iiijfgavel Service WOODSIDE?/X ! \. Steven M. Rosmarin “ Travel Consultant ‘ * Hr The Old Stone Store Burlington, VT 05401 i‘ Walter I. Zeichner, MA, NCC, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Psychotherapy ~ Individual ~ Group ~ Couples BodyWork~ Massage Therapy ~ Energywork Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Positive ~ Gender Issues Educational Consulting ~ Workshops & Trainings Wellness Consultation 269 Pearl St., Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 863-0413 - G/UB Writers Band Together in Boston (Photoi Hugh Coyle) (l-r) OITM ’s Fred Kuhr with Gerry Kroll, Editor of The Advocate booths in the exhibition room (including Norwich's own New Vic- toria Publishers). Held at the Park Plaza Hotel, the conference celebrated its fifth an- niversary this year, having outlived its original sponsor, Out/Look magazine. The national gathering now operates with primary fi- nancial support from the Bromfield Street Educational Foundation and Gay Community News. Additional assistance this year came from wilde, a new gay magazine whose firstissue premiered at the conference. This year's plenary session featured Linda Villarosa, Executive Ed- itor of Essence magazine, and Tony Kushner, author of the award- winning Angels in America. Villarosa spoke on a number of topics including race relations, the rise of the right, and the place of writing in society. "We can do it with style," she said, "We can do it with true emotion, and we can do it with beauty." Her words contained a strong sense of urgency as she described the current sociopolitical climate and warned, "We have a fever; the bodyis trying to fight illness; the time to write is now." Kushner focused more on the place of his own writing and the no- tion of a gay aesthetic in his speech, which he delivered at such break—neck speed that the audience offered a special standing ova- (Photo: Hugh Coyle) The women of Norwich 's New Victoria Publishers tion to the exhausted ASL in- terpreter at its conclusion. Ac- cording to Kushner, as Amer- ican citizens we share the - birthright of pretentiousness and ought to make'a virtue of it, par- ticularly as gay and lesbian art- ists. His frequent ironic asides, coupled with his convoluted theoretical pontifications, made for an engaging overview of -the state of queer theory today. As though to prolong the in— tensity of both speakers‘ ad- dresses, a poetry slam session followed the plenary and kept the conference in high gear until two in the morning. A number of nationally—ranked "slam— mers" performed their work and incited the packed room to shout out their praise and en- couragement. Panels, workshops, and_ read- ings filled the second day's ac- tivities, and were followed by caucuses involving lesbian, gay, and bisexual librarians; Queer Jewish writers; Latina and Latino writers; children's writers; and others. As keynote speaker Cherrie Moraga found herself unable to attend, a spe- cial screening of the movie "A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Andre Lorde" was scheduled. Ada Gay Griffin, one of the film's creators, intro- duced ’ the film. The now- traditional "Out is In" benefit dance in the Ballroom capped off the day's activities. ,For those able to rouse them- selves after the previous night's partying and parleying (or for those who simply did not waste their time on sleep), two more rounds of panels followed on Sunday morning. After a break for lunch, the conference came to a close with a special per- formance by artist Luis Alfaro. A sense of sensory overload lin- gered in the air as the crowds dispersed. For this reporter at least, one all—encompassing message echoed up and down the interstate on the ride home. The voice was that of a fellow Vermonter, author Lisa Alther, who offered her observations on the panel for "Gay and Lesbian Fiction Writers: Before the Boom and After." Ac- knowledging the many ob- stacles faced by gay and lesbian writers in the past and those which continue to chase us into the present, she said "You just have to dodge all the pressures and continue to write what you know to be true." V HOWDEN COTTAGE 13;/ii G bi_cEkfast Continental 0 No Smoking - By Reservation Only 32 No. Champlain St. - Burlington, VT 05401 Bruce M. Howden - Proprietor - 802 864-7198