Former Member

Yeah, I've just been looking for more K. B.s, as she's now a stumbling block to getting deeper in the list. I'm also hopeless at sussing out who J. A. American poet could be . . .

Excellent insight! As for Hugh Laing's listing as an "American dancer", please note Cary Grant on the list is also mentioned as an "American actor." I think traditionally, one's citizenship was the determining factor of nationality and natal places only secondary to any consideration. If Bob Hope were on this list, Greif would have undoubtedly called him an "American comedian" too. Larry Fuller. Yes, what a sweetheart. I was lucky enough to have his life cross paths with mine for a while. I wish him the best!

Very good! He's someone not on my radar, as I guess I missed the Where the Wild Things Are book when a kid. But now even wiki can't hide the fact that Sendak was with his partner from the early 1950s until the partner's death in 2017

I couldn't find information about her. Do you know the approximate date of birth? It would have to be someone who'd "made it big" by the late 1970s for Martin Greif's readership to have known who was meant

Yes! Although the estate has kept anything from being published (as far as I know), people have spoken about G. G.'s queerness in other forms. I myself was ignorant of this topic until I heard Michael Feinstein on the radio. This was perhaps ten or fifteen years ago, and he was doing a San Francisco engagement. Naturally the live-broadcast conversation lingered on Fienstein's role as Ira Gershwin's professional assistant, which went on for about 10 years as he organized and catalogued all of the firsthand material on the Gebrüder Gershwin's careers to be handed over to the Smithsonian upon Ira's death. Michael Feinstein spoke freely about George's orientation in this interview, and did so as a matter of fact. Later, I heard Michael Tilson Thomas (also on Greif's list as of 1982, OMG, so funny!!!!) speak about this subject freely on local TV. At first I was a little puzzled, as I've read a lot about G. G., starting in college with Charles Schulz's highly detailed and well-cited biography, where needless to say, there is a total whitewashing of G. G. as a super ladies' man (the same whitewash applied to Walt Whitman and Volfie Goethe, by the way). However, with the knowledge of George as Gay, so many little episodes in his life come into total focus. Like the fact that Gershwin only ever associated with "safe" women; those who were already married. Gershwin had a string of these as his besties, and I always wondered why the husbands never broke them us: the answer, "But, honey, Georgie is a queer-bird. There's nothing to worry about." Yes, makes sense. There's another tale of the Gershwins' first trip to Paris, and his buddies taking him to a French "house of pleasure" to see his technique with women. They were in the room next door, watching through a peephole. What they saw, thy all admitted, opened their eyes, although they never said what they saw. If George did not have sex with her, but just sat down and chewed the fat, that would have been as shocking to his "buddies" as if he'd ripped her clothes off, he-man style. Yes, now this anecdote makes sense too. And, lol, if you're still reading, a much later story comes into focus as well. The one where Gershwin sat down at the piano, naked, and performed the entire score of "Pardon My English" because a "friend" had said the musical wasn't up to snuff. What the "friend" may have failed to mention is that he was naked too, and the chitchat leading up to this clothesless performance may have been in bed. Yes, total sense now.

The other American comedienne on the list is a real puzzler: K. B. Any ideas?

"With some gals, it takes a house afire before they get it!"

Yes, the first one is Cary Grant. He's been known, along with the love of his life, Randolph Scott, among the Community since the 1930s. You can check with Scotty Bowers on that. So, the list starts: Cary Grant Danny Kaye Randolph Scott Stephen Sondheim (not out in 1982?! Whaaaaat, lol. Shocking.) Salvador Dalí (Lorca's partner in the 1920s) and then "M. S. American children's writer"...has me totally stumpified. Any ideas...I guess I don't know many children's authors...person who write Stuart Little? No, that's E. B. White. So, I Don't know

Viva il dramma per musica! Maayan Licht reminds us gloriously that Alexander was a Great big queen This entire 4 hour production from last year of Leonardo Vinci's Alessandro nell'Indie is awesome, with plenty of Metastasio camp and queerness built right in!

Not so, like in the case of Thornton Wilder, whose sister got all the money and production income from his work. She had a team of vicious lawyers "protecting" her cash-cow's reputation as an assumed straight man. It was all about the money, as apparently it still today with the owner's of George Gershwin's incredibly lucrative artistic estate. Won't you guess on any of them? The UK-born ones particularly might be less obscure to you than they are to me

Yes, that's me - Aaron Copland Benus, lol (surprised he was not out by 1982) Actually, the G. G. American composer on this list is a much more intriguing name, as his family has denied hundreds of Gay claims about him (which they still do to this day)

@Zombie I bet the first person on this list jumps right out at you, doesn't it

If you’re humming an Arthur Sullivan number right about now, you’re getting the gist of this posting. For Greif’s “Gay Book of Days” is a must-have for any budding Queer library. Written with great aplomb, and a devilish sense of humor, the author lists each of the 365 days of the year with info on who from the LGBTI2S+ Community was born on that day. Typical entries run to 4 or 5 revealing biographies per day. Flaunting legal threats to sue, the author also provides a concluding list of those who cannot be named. He initialed them instead, lol, giving profession and nationality as further clues. What balls! I love it so much. I’ve had fun looking over the list and coming up with some names to go along with the bio information. So, let’s all play and post our answers here, preferably a few at a time to let everyone say what they think.

Marian Anderson performs "Es ist vollbracht" [This mournful night] from Bach's Johannespassion

At last! The title I've been looking for.

Was surprised to learn only a few days ago "angel trumpet" (trumpet flower) is part of the nightshade family too

Bach on guitar: Flute Sonata BWV 1034, Movement 3, Andante (Russell transcription for guitar): https://youtu.be/Qvg6B3qU55A Violin Sonata BWV 1003, Movement 3, Andante (transcribed for guitar): https://youtu.be/p7yJ7G05GRw Flute Sonata, BWV 1034, Movement 3, Andante (transcribed from flute and guitar): https://youtu.be/6tUnHDgB2ko

Salieri's gender-bending Il mondo alla roversia (The World in Reverse) caused a sensation when it hit the stage in 1795. Here's a truly theatrical rendering of its rollicking overture

There are some amazing concert artists out there, and youtube introduced me to the art of this instrument too. Bach sounds great on a powerful accordion, and there is so much artistry in the "breath control" to boot. The other instrument that opens up the true music-making abilities of Bach is the guitar. I'll look for some of the pieces I rolled into the final Secret Melville script. They're awesome

Savva Zihs performs Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in c minor

Joanne Polk performs "Autumn" from Amy Beach's Four Sketches

Actually, it can't be == the "i" is already on the board

"Hmm" **taps chin** "I wonder what the answer could be"

Emerald, one my mom's favorites https://geology.com/minerals/beryl.shtml

"Think thick tonight. Oh, my."