Giving Thanks: For Animal Caregivers

I am grateful for anyone who cares for animals, whether they be the pets in their homes,  homeless shelter animals, helpless farm animals subject to abuse, or even the wild creatures in their back yards.  You all know who you are.  And I think you are wonderful.

Mother Teresa once said, "We can't do great things...We can only do small things with great love."

I agree that each animal we care for is an accomplishment on a small scale.  However, I would say that each life we save, or make more comfortable, IS a great thing....

The world seems like an alien place to me sometimes.  Hearing about the political contention, pervasive corruption, injustice, cruelty and pain, seems that this world is not a place that I want to be a part of.  In darker moments, I wish I had the courage to find a way out of it.

But then, I spend time with some good people who love the dogs at the Buddy Foundation;  I have a new friend there, Lulu, a 5-month-old Beagle.  She will, no doubt, have a new home very soon.

Or I read a remarkable story about a woman in South Barrington Illinois who cares for abused and abandoned horses; She took in an emaciated 5-month old that was to be euthanized.  The foal had only one eye from being kicked by another horse.  With patient and gentle care, this foal is now the "princess of the sanctuary".

Or I visit the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton.  This is one of several working farms in the Chicago suburbs whose mission is to preserve wildlife and promote conservation and education about native creatures. 

Or I see an article about a sanctuary in Peoria that cares for cats, dogs, and any wild creature, like wounded robins or pigeons.  Oh, there are countless examples right here in Illinois, let alone around the country.

I realize then that there is great work being done, and yet to be done.  So, rather than despair about belonging to a world that is capable of hurting the innocent, I can, in a small, great way, be a part of the world that helps to alleviate suffering and makes life better. I can, along with so many caring, self-effacing and admirable people, find meaning in the care of these creatures.

A Great Time in the "Valley"

As expected, Saturday's special showing of 1967's "Valley of the Dolls" at the Music Box Theater was a wallow in shameless fun.  Among the fellowship of hundreds of others who share this guilty pleasure, this screening was a safe place to be.

Imagine a young Patty Duke belting out an impossibly circular tune called "Impossible", and as she swings her body in a most groovy fashion, her double-strand of beads loops around with her, one strand surrounding each of her sweater-clad breasts.  That image, and the howls of derisively approving laughter and applause, sums up the whole experience, for me.

A review of "Valley of the Dolls" is beside the point.  To quote a line from another 20th Century-Fox film, "To those who believe, no explanation is necessary; To those who do not believe, no explanation is possible."  (A special Honorary Mention will go to anyone who can guess where this line originated.  Big hint: the film was made in 1943.)

It is filled with unintentionally hilarious dialog, jaw-dropping set pieces, and shrill overacting only a drag queen could love.  So what?  it's why fans love it.

The best part of the event was the special appearance by Neely O'Hara herself, Patty Duke, who gave an emotional account of her time on the set at the age of just 20, and her relationships with Judy Garland, Sharon Tate, Susan Hayward, and the talentless director Mark Robson, who bullied Duke to give the shrill, over-the-top portrayal that haunts Duke still.

She is getting more comfortable with the camp factor of the whole affair, and graciously told the audience at the Music Box that she enjoyed OUR enjoyment of her dubious work.

Most poignant were Duke's recollections of Judy Garland's insecurities on the set before she was unceremoniously fired; and Sharon Tate's fragility and inner beauty.  Duke herself hammed it up with actors in the opening stage show, and led the crowd in a sing-along of some of the film's most memorable tunes.  Later, our friend Steve shared a brief personal exchange with Duke, and got a great photo of the still-youthful and attractive actress.

It was an unforgettable day, a prime example of how an originally horrible movie has been reinvented over the years into a strange and wonderfully nostalgic bonding experience, something we all survived, and looked back on lovingly and with laughter, and anyone who shared it is an instant friend.

"Ted Casablanca is NOT a fag....."

".....And I'm the dame who can prove it."


If you immediately laughed with recognition at this (in)famous line from the 1967 classic "Valley of the Dolls", congratulations! You are a true member of the fan club.


Today, this flamboyant and beloved cult soap opera will screen at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, followed by a Q and A with Neely O'Hara herself, Patty Duke in person.


You can be sure I will be there, along with a packed house of mostly gay fans, ready to laugh and cheer and gleefully recite lines like this and many others, and cheer affectionately at the misguided direction, scenery-chewing, and unintentionally funny set pieces fans have grown to love over the decades.


The movie was a sensational hit in 1967-68, mostly because it promised a hothouse of sex, nudity and drugs. It delivered that, along with some incredible dialogue, and mind-boggling performances (not to mention a few unforgettable musical interludes). It played like an inept "All About Eve" or a bad gay party in drag: faux-glamorous, bitchy, and hyper-dramatic.


Gay fans, and many of the stars of the film, have come to embrace this so-bad-it's good movie, that, in a curious way, works on its own terms, if you're in the right mood for melodrama. Good sports all of them, stars like Duke, Lee Grant, and Barbara Parkins have all given their blessing to this "best and funniest bad movie ever".
(Sadly, the appearance of another star, Sharon Tate, a victim of the Manson murders, lends an eerie glow to every scene she is in. Ironically, she probably comes off better than anyone else in the cast.)


I will be back with a report and a review later, along with a look at Patty Duke, a respected actress, mother of a Hobbit, and loving caretaker of a schnauzer, two dachshunds, two shih-tzus and an Irish wolfhound.

National Book Award Winners: A Long Shot and a Sentimental Favorite

Award Season continues with the announcement of The National Book Awards Tuesday of this week.

(Click here for coverage from NPR)

Awards like this help draw attention to literary works that would otherwise go unnoticed by the general reading public.  While an award is no guarantee of unimpeachable artistic quality, it helps define the cultural and artistic preferences of the moment, and I think literary awards like NBA and the Pulitzer (in April) at least attempt to recognize something lasting and universal. 

This year's winners in the Fiction and Non-Fiction categories are notable.

The Fiction Prize was awarded to Jaimy Gordon for her novel about the world of cheap horse racing, "Lord of Misrule."  Gordon was considered the darkest of dark-horses, so to speak.  She herself felt she was a long-shot from the start.  Gordon's publisher pushed her to finish her tale of lowlifes, losers, and one remarkable woman who loves horses, in time to be submitted for nomination for the Award.  Gordon thought he was crazy.  Finish she did, and was surprised to be among the five finalists...and the eventual winner.  The book is starting to gain a solid critical reputation. 

(Other Fiction finalists were: Peter Carey, "Parrot and Olivier in America"; Nicole Krauss, "Great House"; Lionel Shriver, "So Much for That"; and Karen Tei Yamashita, "I Hotel".)

The Non-Fiction Award went to artist, performer and punk icon Patti Smith for "Just Kids", the story of her friendship with gay photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.  The book has been widely praised, and is definitely on my short list of must-reads.

Smith gave a heartfelt, tearful thank-you to nearly 1300 attendees, as reported in the story on NPR:

"I have loved books all my life," she said, reminiscing about her time as a clerk at New York's Scribner bookstore. "I dreamed of having a book of my own, of writing one that I could put on a shelf."
Smith also...gave a teary defense of the book as a physical object. "There is nothing more beautiful than the book," she said. "Please don't abandon the book." The applause in the room after her speech was close to thunderous...and Smith seemed to win two awards at once: an NBA medal, and the room's heart.

(Other Non-Fiction finalists were: Barbara Demick, "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea"; John W. Dower, "Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, 9-11, Iraq"; Justin Spring, "Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward"; and Megan K. Stack, "Every Man in This Village Is a Liar: An Education in War".)

Gays Should Fight for their "Seat on the Bus"--Wednesday Journal

This week, the gay advocacy group Lambda Legal sent me a message, asking me to support Illinois' Civil Unions ballot measure.  At first, it appeared like a victory for committed gay couples seeking legal recognition and protection in Illinois.

But then I became impatient. Once again I had to ask:  Why throw so much energy into what amounts to a consolation prize when there is momentum for the real thing? Why not fight for the institution of marriage itself?

Why is it that gay people still have to compromise their most fundamental rights as human beings?  And how can America claim to be the world's moral watchdog on gay rights when we cannot reach a reasonable national consensus about our own gay citizens, one devoid of fear and misinformation?

 Yes, civil unions allow for some of the same legal protections as marriage. (The bill even allows for civil unions for heterosexual couples...Really?  That would be like choosing to sleep on the cold ground when a warm bed is available).  


But Civil Unions do not provide all of the rights that are entitled to married couples. Click here for a good summary of the differences between civil unions vs. marriage, including:

•Marriage: Over 1,049 federal and state level benefits (see list)
•Civil Unions: Over 300 state level benefits. *No federal protection (see benefit example)
•Marriage: Couples can file both federal and state tax returns jointly.
•Civil Unions: Couples can only file jointly in the state of civil registration.
•Marriage: Partners can make emergency medical decisions.
•Civil Unions: Partners can only make medical decisions in the registered state. Partners may not be able to make decisions out of state.

Rosa Parks, in 1955, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger and move to the back of the bus.  Had Civil Union proponents been around then, would they have told her, "Go to the back Rosa.. you are still on the bus, and you will still get the benefit of the ride."  --?

In Uganda, it is likely that the "kill the gays bill" will be voted into law.  Once it becomes law, it will provide for life imprisonment or execution, simply for being a homosexual.  Click here for a recent article about the origins of the bill and its current status. It was after March 2009 workshop organized by three American Evangelical Christians that the "kill the gays" movement began.

In the un-civil political climate we are in, it is not out of the question for a bill to be introduced here some day.....  Will we fight then?

Unless we wake up and do the reasonable and moral thing, and allow gays in America their basic rights to marry their partners (or to openly serve their country), we would seem to have no footing in our stance against oppression elsewhere.

So I reluctantly withhold my support of the Illinois Civil Unions Bill.  I can't compromise my very being any more. We can do better.