News and Views-June 25, 2006

[Tragic Rabbit]

News and Views-June 25, 2006

Hey, Guys and Dolls!

Yes, it?s Tragic Rabbit, here to update you on the Awesome Dude News and deliver my ?eccentric? Views for this next-to-last last week of Pride Month, June 2006. First off, I must apologize publicly and abjectly for failing The Dude, and all of you, last week in my new assignment, and not delivering N&V in time. Trust me, my punishment was harsh but well deserved. (?and if I enjoyed it, that?s my business.)

RusticMonk86 will have the Poetry N&V soon, he?s out recruiting a poet and awaiting some new material. That update will be appended to this thread here in N&V.

NOTE:

This week we have two new short stories, one linked to MailCrew, many great new chapters and a couple of things I?d like to make sure you?ve not overlooked.

Authors:

send your short story submissions to story-editor@awesomedude.com

Short Fiction:

Gay Prom ?06 by Gabriel Duncan is a semi-autobiographical story about a documentary filming of an American Gay Prom by a British film crew. As usual, from Gabe, we have memorable characters in realistic situations that aren?t always flattering, yet smack of Life. Read this story at http://www.themailcrew.com/gayprom.html

I Don?t Care by Josiah Jacobus-Parker is another of his recent brief prose pieces that read something like poetry. This story has striking imagery, poignant thoughts and, again, that dreamy feel. It?s linked on the front page of Awesome Dude, don?t miss it!

http://awesomedude.com/stories/short_stori...i_dont_care.htm

Novel Chapters:

Scrolls of Icaria by Jamie Book 2, Part 1, Chapter 7 is ONLINE! Wow! This epic tale of winged boys, love and war between opposing forces, chock-full of mysteries and magic is still going strong. Catch up on the fantastic and fabulous doings in Icaria with this new chapter!

From Scrolls Book 2, Part 1, Chapter 7:

As soon as I stepped through the mirror, I found myself falling through a long tunnel filled with brightly flashing lights, and suddenly the origin of one of my dreams was clear. The fall was swift, and before I knew it, I found myself hovering before a shimmering wall. Looking through it, I could see Brotus, L?dowik, and Seth standing on the other side. It appeared that they couldn?t see me. They were rubbing their heads, and seemed a bit dazed and disoriented. Stepping through the wall of light, I found myself standing next to them, although I didn?t seem to be feeling the same disorienting effects they?d experienced. L?dowik jumped when he saw me, but Brotus and Seth were quiet.

For a few seconds, I stood silently surveying my surroundings.

Heart of The Tree by Graeme is in Chapter 3 of its serialization. Now, I know this was up last week but this is a great project from Graeme and definitely a new flavor for him, so if you haven?t checked it out yet, click that link and give it a whirl. I think you?ll be glad you did! Heart of the Tree isn?t what you?d expect and is a wonderful read. Graeme is a dear friend and a talented author, don?t let this story slip by you!

From Heart #3:

?Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to celebrate the coming together of these two young people...?

Peter and Joanna were facing each other, with Peter slipping a ring onto Joanna?s finger, when things went horribly wrong.

With a sudden crack like a clap of thunder, a large branch fell off The Tree and smashed down onto the table?

?screams echoed through the park as the crowd erupted.

?Aunt Cynthia, are you okay??

Still staring upward, she shook her head. ?I was afraid of this. It?s happening again.?

Sealing Our Fate by Josh ? Chapter 7 has now been posted. This is another wonderful, completely new story from one of the best authors we know, Josh of The Least of These, and you just can?t miss this newest chapter. I love you, Josh, and your characters stay with me forever.

From SOF #7: I wondered what it would be like to love a girl because I knew that even if I did, I loved Kipper, and I wouldn?t love him less. Standing there that night, Kipper holding me in his arms, there wasn?t a doubt in my mind that I would always love Kipper.

Someday Out Of The Blue by LittleBuddhaTW now has Chapter 8 and 9 up! Please go post in the Forum for LittleBuddha, let him know that you?re enjoying his story! Authors thrive on feedback, questions and comments, please help all our starving artists by posting in the Forums and emailing them with your thoughts.

From Someday #8: "I ... I really need to get to class ... please let me go," I muttered, my gaze lowered at the cold, hard linoleum floor of the bathroom.

"Ha! You don't think I've noticed that you don't have your little boyfriend and his friends around to protect you anymore?" Trent Lomax laughed menacingly. "Now it's just you and me, white trash fag boy."

Professional Courtesy by Jack Scribe ? Chapter 10 has now been posted. This story is complete and being released weekly, in hopes that you?ll comment in the Forums for Jack. He has another great story up next, so keep reading and letting him know what you think! Our authors don?t get paid with money, they get paid with love and attention?so please don?t be stingy with either.

From Professional Courtesy#10: ?Is there anything better than waking up in the morning with a warm, sexy body snuggled next to you?? Eric thought as his body slowly moved in rhythm with Brian?s deep and steady breathing.

Love and Death in Venice by Jerry Miller ? Chapter 7 is up! Now, look, Jerry is one of our exclusive authors and yet he?s not received a single email on Love and Death in Venice, which I just can?t understand. It?s a fantastic story, romantic and beautiful. He?s one of my favorite authors and just an all-round wonderful guy. If you haven?t read any of Love and Death in Venice, start this week; if you?re keeping up, you?ll enjoy Chapter 7, I promise. The title refers to a movie, in case any of you had the idea it was a depressing read. It?s not, but it is filled with human frailties and loves, and things like a beautiful boy who can?t value the gift of a heart.

I, TR, will take it as a personal favor if readers of Jerry?s stories would take a moment to communicate their feelings to Jerry Miller; he?s a sweet guy, a great author and he?s working hard to entertain you. A moment of your time is such a small payment, for him and for all of our authors, that I think you can spare it. All authors? emails are linked on their story pages and also on a drop-down menu at AD?s front page.

If in doubt, email to story-editor@awesomedude.com and request that I forward it to the author in question.

From L&DiV#7: ?He doesn?t really know what he wants. He may never know. And you can?t have him.?

?Who said I wanted him like that??

?You did. When you told him you were in love with him.?

The Garden by Nevius (rhymes with ?devious?)? Chapter 8 is now online. Nevius is another of our exclusive and new authors, and he is also active in our Forums, so please take the time to post about The Garden there or email him directly.

From The Garden #8: When we were in the shower Jason saw the outline of Dan?s hand on my ass and said, ?Oh, I thought I heard something.?

Dan stared at Jason and said sarcastically, ?Yeah, and if you get out of line little boy they?ll be some for you too!?

?Oooooh, Daddy, I?ve been a bad boy,? Jason cooed back at Dan as he stuck his ass at him. We all started to laugh. The Three Musketeers were back together again ready to take on New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day!

If you haven?t yet read any of the three short stories by Josiah Jacobus-Parker on the front page, please do so, he?s a great author and a real cutie, too! Ecstasy is like a poem, for instance, lovely and somewhat sad. Faith is an interesting musing on what faith might mean to a gay man. A Study of Features is like a life-study from art class but in words rather than charcoal, a dreamy, lovely meditation on the face of a lover. All are quite short and won?t take you long to enjoy! Josiah is a fantastic writer and we?re proud to have him here with us at Awesome Dude. Did I mention that he?s cute, too?

That?s it for this week; do check out all the new chapters, new poems and Dude?s Picks on our front page at Awesome Dude. Current Story Picks are Falls Creek Lessons by Graeme (novel Pick) and King of Shreds and Patches by Tragic Rabbit (short story Pick). Visit our Forums and let authors know what you think of their work, or just enter into discussions with Editors, Authors, Poets and your fellow Readers.

Have a great week of reading and don?t forget to celebrate Pride in some way before June is over. Wear your rainbow boxers or donate money to Lambda Legal?whatever makes you remember to be proud of who and what you are. God does love you, he made you the way you are and don?t let any pseudo-Christians tell you otherwise! It?s sometimes tough to feel proud but this is the month in which to try, to let the world, your family, or maybe just you inside your own head, know that YOU are a good, worthy and beautiful human being. Who or how one loves can never diminish that absolute truth.

The two huge Pride flags waving in the wind outside my front door aren?t just there to tell the world that I?m not a heterosexual, they?re there to remind me that I?m a good person no matter whom I love or desire. Do something this week to remind yourself of the same.

Here at Awesome Dude, we know how hard that can be, but we also know that being different, being gay or bisexual in a world that devalues or demeans that orientation, can be a furnace that tempers our steel, makes us stronger and better people than we might have been. Overcoming adversity isn?t just a goal in itself but also a test that can result in a new and truer, more fantastic you blossoming into the world.

Be Proud, Be Kind, Be Happy?and have a wonderful week.

Kisses?

Tragic Rabbit tr@tragicrabbit.org

Contact Awesome Dude Admin for questions or submissions at:

Story Editor - Tragic Rabbit ? story-editor@awesomedude.com

Poetry Editor ? RusticMonk86 ? poetry-editor@awesomedude.com

The Great and Awesome Dude ? dude@awesomedude.com[/size]

[Josiah Jacobus-Parker]

Oh, and, for the record, "Gay Prom '06" is a true story.

Any idea when this show will be airing? I'm in Cambridge until early July, and would like to catch this. Channel 4 has produced some of the better documentaries in recent years--after the BBC of course.