kenneth in the (212)

Tennis Tuesday: Blake Dawson

2026-06-09T00:05:00.000-04:00

Quench your thirst with three more pics BELOW.

Follow the Royal Marines commando HERE.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2026-06-08T13:41:00.000-04:00

Just back from a perfect birthday weekend on the North Fork, a place I’ve wanted to visit for years.

Today is the actual “big” day, and I’m spending it doing what makes me happiest of all -- in my chosen city with my husband, my cat and a biography of a fascinating woman from the past (Libby Holman).

The book happens to be a birthday gift I received from a dear friend some four decades ago, which I recently rediscovered in a box and am only now getting around to reading! xo

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kenneth M. Walsh (@kenneth_212)

Weekend Tennis Roundup

2026-06-08T11:48:38.603-04:00

As random as this year's French Open was, at least two known quantities -- Alexander Zverev and Mirra Andreeva -- wound up winning. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.

His ass is grass ...

Alexander Zverev defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 in a four-hour, 16-minute thriller to win the 2026 French Open men's singles title on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The victory marked the Slavic German second seed's first career Grand Slam title after three previous final defeats.

As a stranger put in so eloquently on Threads: Just goes to show you that if you never stop believing in yourself, and all the other top players are injured, old or beaten by someone else, and you didn't face any Top 10 players in the draw, you can finally eke out a major title

Mirra Andreeva defeated Maja Chwalińska 6–3, 6–2 to win the women’s singles title. The 19-year-old Andreeva captured her maiden Grand Slam trophy in her first major final, becoming the youngest woman to win the French Open since Monica Seles in 1992.

I was thrilled to see her capitalize on Aryna Sabalenka's shocking mental collapse, letting a set and double-break lead slip away by committing 57 unforced errors in a dramatic 3–6, 7–5, 6–0 loss to 25th seed Diana Shnaider -- who then got completely outfoxed by the unheralded Pole in the semis.

Top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos successfully defended their Roland Garros men's doubles title, defeating Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten 6-4, 6-2 in the final. The Spanish-Argentine pair won the 77-minute match in Paris without dropping a single set throughout the entire tournament.

Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Siniaková won the women's doubles title, defeating the second-seeded pairing of Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunić 6-2, 7-5 in the final.

And the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori won the mixed doubles final, defeating Gabriela Dabrowski and Evan King 4-6, 6-3, [10-4] on Court Philippe-Chatrier to successfully defend their crown.

Kind words from the GOAT

Although Henry Patten came up short in the men's doubles final, he and Harri Heliövaara rise to No. 1 in the rankings with their runner-up performance

Matteo Berrettini looked like his old self ... until he looked like his more recent self

Little did we know that Arnaldi would be next

Tattoo you

Arnaldi stretch

Elsewhere around the net

Christian Harrison is having more success at the barber than on the court lately

Adam Jones gives the MAGA pinup a run for his money ...

My favorite not-flat white

Vito Darderi

Two Tommys are better than one

The internet is losing it over Tommy Paul's square cut

Grigor manspread

Roland Garros semifinalist Jakub Mensik

Otto Virtanen

Hubert Hurkacz

Victorious Henrique Rocha

Dominic Thiem

Alexis Galarneau

Sebastian Baez

Ryan Seggerman and Theodore Winegar get silver in Perugia

But the former's looks are pure gold

Arthur Rinderknech is suddenly a Monsieur Pitchman

Watch HERE

Enzo Couacaud

Josh Paris and Ben Jones

Where do I sign up for a "lesson"?

Adam Walton in "sweaty Texas"

Did Tommy Haas get a (very good) hair transplant?

Mariano Kestelboim has a hot friend

... or two

Tom Fancutt is having a good year

Marton Fucsovics

Valentin Vacherot's got schwing

Feliciano Lopez

Sander Gillé and Sem Verbeek

Raphael Collignon and friend

Jack Draper

Carlos Alcaraz was missed in Paris and will be missed again at Wimbledon

But at least he's having fun

What's it all about, Alfie?

Jiri Lehecka

Vasek Pospisil has good taste ...

This man would make passes at Lloyd Glasspool

Matteo Arnaldi and Flavio Cobolli

Iga Swiatek and Maja Chwalińska

Luca Van Assche's "Come on Over" moment

Training with Fede Berruezo

Nicolas Moreno

Andrea Pellegrino

Cam Norrie

Something special in Chwalińska's box

Pepe Juarez and Alberto Barroso

Tomas Etcheverry

Everyone's bitching about Adam Lefkoe, but I can see the value in a stuffed suit

God bless Titouan Droguet

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Coach Edoardo Santonocito cools down

Felix Mischker is horny for grass

Every one of Tommy's friends is f**kable

Italians do it better

More shirtless Zlatan Dzumhur

Ivar "The Bod" Aramburu

ICYMI: Watch HERE

Studly Federico Bove

Karue Sell goes for it

John McEnroe knows how to pick 'em

Luka Mikrut and Emilio Nava

By the numbers

Remains of the Day (06/05)

2026-06-05T14:58:26.803-04:00

Adam Turner: I was the face of NY Magazine's controversial "Trophy Boys" cover story

Open Democracy: Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ bill passes amid chaos as law’s backers call for recall

Report: Despite mixed voting records, Nevada ranks among the most LGBTQ-friendly states and Tennessee is among the worst

SpinCycleNYC: Murray Hill celebrates Father's Day and Pride with drag king brunch

Boystack: The choreographer behind Madonna’s Blond Ambition tour and Michael Jackson’s "Smooth Criminal" looks back on creating some of pop culture’s most enduring moves

The Caftan Chronicles: Drew Sebastian has kinda left porn for other pursuits but is still justifiably proud of his key porn asset

PinkNews: "Gay walking speed" may have surprise health benefits, experts say

Instinct: Robbie G.K. is serving "Meatballs" next in the Bill Murray classic

Advocate: Appeals court clarifies that people living with HIV can join the military again

Beau: When you use anal to sell socks

Tennis Majors: This year's Roland Garros needs to be scrubbed from the record

Attitude: Porn star Drake Von claims domestic abuse allegations are false after his reported arrest

The Daily Beast: Antoni Porowski leaves "Queer Eye" behind for a globe-spanning travel series filled with food, culture and personal connections

Gallup: The percentage of Americans who identify as LGBTQ has doubled since the polling org first measured in 2012

Speedo Sunday: 100% pure sex

Hot Cat of the Day: At this point I follow Jan-Michael Gambill as much for his kitty content as for his body!

Proud Voice: Broadway stars Jenn Colella and Noah J. Ricketts join the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus for a Pride concert packed with showstoppers, pop classics and an afterparty with DJ Mike Borowski. We got our tickets HERE!

The Queerest of the Queer

2026-06-04T17:25:23.199-04:00

Holy trigger warning, Batman!

God help all gays of a certain age when a New York Times reporter could actually think someone would have told him that she'd moved to New York City to pursue a full life as "a queer in the arts." 🙄

Happy Pride, guys!

Read Nicholas Fandos's corrected piece HERE.

On the Rag, Vol. 910

2026-06-04T00:05:00.000-04:00

This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Michael Johnston, Tom Holland, Belmont Cameli, Stephen Kalyn, Anna Camp, Michael Urie and more BELOW.

Boylicious: Body by Mike

Follow Mike Young on Instagram HERE.

BTB: Belmont Cameli opens up about becoming "Off Campus" heartthrob Garrett, revisiting old wounds and finding himself along the way

Stephen Kalyn is scoring on and off the ice as the "Off Campus" breakout opens up about playing fan-favorite Dean and bringing his hockey roots full circle

Anthem: Michael Johnston on harnessing the power of his voice, his musicality and his leading role in Curry Barker’s "Obsession"

Lavender: The Minnesota Vikings' first male and openly gay cheerleaders, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn, open up about friendship, resilience and making history while refusing to be defined solely by it

GED: Anna Camp opens up about coming out later in life and finding happiness on her own terms with girlfriend Jade Whipkey

HATC: From "Ugly Betty" to "Shrinking," Michael Urie reflects on career breaks, imposter syndrome and finding new depth after two decades in the spotlight

Wiremag: Beautiful male artwork by David Vance

So Gay: La Cruz is setting himself free

Get Out!: Meet the Crowned Jewels of NYC

Between the Lines: Your 2026 Michigan LGBTQ+ Pride calendar

Rage: This is your Pride month

OutSmart: Meet Houston’s 2026 Pride marshals

The Perfect Man: On a secluded beach in Spain, Marin and Facu embrace the freedom of the open sea

Variety: Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow reunite for a heartfelt trip down "Friends" memory lane, sharing laughs, tears and talk of a possible new sitcom together

GQ: Tom Holland says working with Christopher Nolan on "The Odyssey" was the experience that reignited his love of acting

The Word: The San Diego LGBT Center's annual Luminaries Lunch honors the people helping shape and strengthen the community

Adelante: Queer Mercado brings LGBTQ artists, vendors and performers to Los Angeles' historic Olvera Street

Georgia Voice: Pride across the state

Flaunt: Manchester City star Ruben Dias talks football, fashion and life beyond the pitch

Seattle Gay News: Honoring a trans life taken too soon

Dallas Voice: Pride enough for everyone

MetroWeekly: Fresh off her "All Stars" win, Ginger Minj talks drag, resilience and her scene-stealing role in the campy comedy "Stop! That! Train!"

Unluck of the Draw

2026-06-03T23:41:11.041-04:00

As much as I've enjoyed some of the unpredictability at this year's Roland Garros, the problem with so many upsets is that you often wind up with lopsided endings -- and 2026 is no exception. A Mensik-Zverev final and a Kostyuk-Andreeva final would be just fine. But instead Arnaldi or Cobolli will be in the men's final and Shnaider or Chwalinska(!) will be in the women's -- and either of them could end up beating their more challenged opponent. While it's foolish to say anyone who wins a major didn't really deserve to do so, sometimes the luck of the draw is more egregious than others.

Thoughts?

Remains of the Day (06/03)

2026-06-03T14:37:10.120-04:00

The Advocate: Martina Navratilova wants Billie Jean King to explain her support for transgender athletes in light of the latter's comments about physical differences between men and women

Boystack: A look at this year’s Night of a Thousand Judys, the beloved New York fundraiser that celebrates Judy Garland’s legacy with music, memories and plenty of Pride-season spirit

Gallup: U.S. support for LGBTQ issues remains down from peak

Shoddy Goods: A look at the forgotten music that once filled Gap stores -- and how those carefully curated playlists helped introduce shoppers to everyone from Bill Withers to underground dance acts before the age of Spotify

Ass Wednesday: When your butt is so huge it's the star of "Family Feud"

Homes of Celebs: Debra Messing’s Upper East Side apartment lists for $6.5 million / David Sedaris has two apartments for his two Picassos

KALW: World’s first Chinese LGBTQ Museum opens in San Francisco

NYT: A newlywed Mary Trump talks romance, resilience and finding happiness with Ronda Cress

Billboard: The 100 greatest LGBTQ anthems of all time

Hello: Meet Warren Beatty and Annette Bening's four children -- including three who are actors

ICYMI: My tennis roundup has been fully fleshed out

NYT: The troubled legacy of “Cruising” (1980) is the subject of “Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders,” a documentary premiering at the Tribeca Festival

Instinct: Alan Cumming stars "Tip Toe," Russell T. Davies's new thriller exploring modern homophobia

Out: "Off Campus" star Stephen Kalyn wears just a towel in steamy viral clip

The Advocate: An Ohio teenager is accused of fatally stabbing his adoptive father and critically injuring his father's husband in a shocking case that has left everyone searching for answers

Hot Cat of the Day: They woke him up from a 17-hour nap and forced him to sell garden furniture

Killer Summer: My pal Frank Spinelli is back with "Precious Friends: Murder in Sag Harbor," a Hamptons-set psychological thriller packed with infidelity, murder and buried secrets. Order HERE.

RIP: Jay Daniel, a veteran television producer who helped broker peace behind the scenes on hit series including “Moonlighting” and “Roseanne,” and later worked on the Michael Keaton film “Clean and Sober” and Cybill Shepherd’s CBS sitcom, has died at 82

As You Like It ... or Not

2026-06-03T11:40:37.997-04:00

Last night I was a guest of my friend Tim at Shakespeare in the Park’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” at the newly renovated Delacorte Theater. Directed by Saheem Ali, the production is performed in English, but Romeo and Juliet -- played by Ra’Mya Latiah Aikens and Daniel Bravo Hernández -- speak to each other in Spanish, which I suppose was an inventive twist on the classic love story even if it prevented me from fully understanding most of what was said.

I might have been more receptive to the play’s urban reimagining had I not recently seen a similar approach to “Carmen” at the Met. And it didn’t help that the production was somehow simultaneously heavy-handed (with “ABOLISH ICE” painted on a giant wall) and baffling. (I'm still trying to figure out what any of it had to do with the Montagues and Capulets -- and don’t get me started on the nonbinary Mercutio.)

But Shakespeare is Shakespeare, and Central Park is Central Park. So it was hard not to get swept up in it all once the sun went down -- and my guard -- went down.

Love child's playground?

P.S. Cheers to the couple who got married on stage after the show ended!

Youthquake Hits Paris

2026-06-02T15:34:41.893-04:00

Loving every minute of today's French Open coverage -- did you catch the whole gang teasing Caroline Wozniacki about the time she cramped? -- especially this match between Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca, which was quite an eyeful before it even began.

"Old Man" Matteo Arnaldi is 25

Pride Is in the Air

2026-06-02T00:30:00.000-04:00

Things get better (again), right?

Tennis Tuesday

2026-06-02T00:05:00.000-04:00

Get yourself a "tennis boy" BELOW.

Watch HERE.

Sign Language

2026-06-01T19:41:10.637-04:00

We're heading to the North Fork this weekend for my birthday. Let's hope things are a little less constrictive than this!

Weekend Tennis Roundup

2026-06-01T14:02:58.482-04:00

Insane first week in Paris, guaranteeing a first-time Grand Slam champ on the men's side. Salacious photo highlights BELOW.

I'd be even more excited about this unusual turn of events if every one of the likely winners weren't in the bottom half of the draw. At least Matteo Arnaldi's adorable! I'm picking Flavio Cobolli to reach the final, even if he did "almost shit his pants" earlier today.

Three Italians into the quarters for the first time ever … and none of them is named Sinner!

Jakub Mensik flies into the quarterfinals

Giant killer Joao Fonseca

Italian Andrea Pellegrino may not be in the final 8. But he is trending in his wet boxer briefs ...

In motion

Stefanos Tsitsipas is crying out for OnlyFans

Emil Ruusuvuori in motion

Two Belgians, no Coupe

David O'Hare

Someone needs to send me naughty Orlando Luz content

Ditto for Pedro Martinez

I received Alexandre Mueller's and it did not disappoint(!)

The Great Brazilian Hope

From my sister-in-law(!)

John Isner looks like he can fit a lot in that mouth ...

If Carlos Alcaraz is upset about missing Roland Garros, you'd never guess it

Nathaniel "The Bod" Lammons

Thicc Marcus Willis

Tennis brother of the year: Zlatan Dzumhur

Big Ben Lock

Jack Draper is back at square one

Pretty boy Raphael Collignon

Lorenzo Musetti

Alejandro Tabilo feels the love

Daniel Masur goes to America

Thiago Tirante

Zachary Svajda makes a run

Stefan Latinovic and friend

Casper Ruud brings

... and feels the heat

Sex on a beach: Hady Habib

Luka Pavlovi's ass won't quit

This is for anyone who thinks I have Marat Safin ranked too high on my list of hottest men's tennis players

I still haven't heard from my estranged husband, who is having quite the run in Paris (third round in singles, still alive in the round of 16 of doubles)

But if we don't reconcile, I think this might be his brother. (How do you say "will do in a pinch" en français?)

Yes, I'm infatuated with Nicolas Moreno

Liam Broady

Nicolas Barrientos gets a leg up

Norway's Nicolai Budkov Kjær cleans up nicely

More HERE

Karen Khachanov and Marcelo Demoliner

Andy Mies

Cerrundolo brothers in Paris

Robert Cardenas

Daniel Altmaier

Fashionable Taylor Fritz

Compromised Valentin Vacherot

Tommy Paul in Lululemon undies

Still haven't recuperated from Enzo's padel spread

Arthur and Luca need to get a room here

Leggy Sebastian Ofner

Divorce and retirement sure seem to be working for Jamie Murray

Poland's Oskar Grzegorzewski

Joao Fonseca

Tomas Machac

Storytime with Matteo Berrettini

Those French boys came out to give Gael Monfils a nice sendoff

Always a treat to see big Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Extra! Extra! Alexis Galarneau

Thanasi Kokkinakis looked good enough to eat

Tom Fancutt

Camilo Ugo Carabelli

Short roi Hugo Gaston

Big Marcelo Melo

Stan says goodbye to Paris

Adam Jones

Gotta go: Home player Arthur Gea takes emergency bathroom break during French Open debut

Despite the incident, he's still worth a follow!

It might have helped if he'd apologized for the right thing …

It's 2026, right?

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina left stunned as coach quits by text message during French Open -- aka the least surprising news in tennis history lol

Larry King, Tennis Promoter and Billie Jean's Former Husband, Dies at 81

2026-05-29T18:34:30.253-04:00

Sad to hear about the death of Larry King, the dreamy All-American boy who helped build women's tennis during his 22-year marriage to Billie Jean King and then stood by her when her lesbian affair was revealed. He was 81 and died following an unspecified illness.

His tennis legend ex, who remained a lifelong friend and was godmother to his children from a second marriage, shared the news on social media, writing:

Larry was one of the unsung heroes in the establishment of women’s professional tennis in the early 1970s.

Larry and I met at Cal State LA, where Larry opened my eyes to feminism. We were married for 22 years and in business together for decades. He was involved behind the scenes when the Original 9 signed our one dollar contracts, and he and I co-owned several tournaments on the Virginia Slims Tour.

He was integral and did much of the important legal work to establish the Women’s Tennis Association and the historic Battle of the Sexes match in 1973; and the Women’s Sports Foundation and womenSports magazine in 1974. He also was a co-founder of World TeamTennis.

Larry’s intelligence, love, commitment, and humor helped me navigate my career for more than 20 years.

Ilana, my wife and business partner, and I are deeply saddened by Larry’s passing and we extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Nancy, and their children - our godchildren - Sky (his wife Caroline and daughter Athena) and Katie.

In the documentary "Give Me the Ball!," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival but still hasn't made its way to me, Larry revealed that he was unaware of Billie Jean’s relationship with Los Angeles hairdresser Marilyn Barnett until shortly before it became front-page news in 1981, when Barnett sued his wife for palimony and publicly outed her. At the time, Larry says he and Billie Jean had “an open kind of relationship.”

“I didn’t know that this was going on,” Larry says in the film. “Billie Jean never mentioned it to me until the day before it hit the press.”

Billie Jean, who married him in 1965, says her sexuality wasn’t something she understood at the time. “I didn’t have much experience with sex at all or anything. One girl kissed me in college. That was it,” she explains in the documentary.

“Everybody thinks I was hanging with girls. I wasn’t at all. We had a great time, fell in love. I thought he was the one.… Larry was different from other guys. He was a feminist.”

Larry, who says in the documentary that he “thought she was the cat’s meow” when he first met Billie Jean, says that while he supported her career, it ultimately took a toll on their relationship.

“Billie Jean changed women’s tennis. And she wanted to change the world,” he said. “I tried to fit into that plan, but it was more the life that Billie Jean wanted. It wasn’t the life I wanted.”

Billie Jean added: “He wanted us to have children and everything, but I started to realize something isn’t right.”

After an abortion that was made public by Larry -- “I wasn’t gonna tell anybody,” Billie Jean said -- the early '70s were “really bad” for the couple, eventually leading to discussions about divorce.

“I thought when we got married forever, it was forever,” Larry said. “I considered the divorce stuff to be more nonsense than reality.”

“It wasn’t right for Larry and I to stay married,” Billie Jean added. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I hadn’t figured out who I was, and he shouldn’t have been suffering through that either. I kept pleading with him to divorce me, and he wouldn’t do it. It was all about me; it wasn’t about him. I was the one having challenges. I was so confused.”

Despite having an open relationship by the time Billie Jean began her secret romance with Barnett, Larry said he didn’t view the hairdresser as a serious threat.

“I didn’t really look at Marilyn Barnett as a real threat,” he said. “It would have bothered me a lot more if she had male friends, but it didn’t bother me that she had female friends because I didn’t really look like I was competing with them.”

Larry stood by Billie Jean’s side during the infamous press conference where she admitted to the affair -- which was the moment I first figured out what I "was," listening in horror/amazement with my parents in the room -- and remained close after their divorce in 1987. (Larry has been married to Nancy King since 1990.)

Billie Jean -- who somehow managed to retreat deeper into the closet after being publicly outed and did not formally come out until a 1998 interview with The Advocate, later marrying former tennis player Ilana Kloss in 2018 -- says everyone involved eventually found happiness.

“Larry and I, we’re still friends,” she said. “[He and Nancy] have two children. We’re the godmothers. Ilana and I are so happy now.”

Marilyn Barnett, however, died by suicide on May 5, 1997, at the age of 49, having previously become paraplegic in October 1980 after "falling" 30 feet from the balcony of the Kings' Malibu beach house, which local fire department logs from the time noted as a "possible suicide attempt."

Now disabled and unable to work to support herself, Barnett filed her high-profile palimony lawsuit six months after the incident. Barnett’s legal move failed, resulting in no payout, no property rights and an immediate eviction order. The court rejected claims to the Malibu home, with the judge criticizing Barnett for attempting to extort money threatening to reveal private love letters. Billie Jean later agreed to a separate $125,000 settlement.

Here's hoping Larry is hitting on a multi-colored court in the sky!

January 30, 1945 - May 29, 2026

Remains of the Day (05/29)

2026-05-29T13:39:09.543-04:00

The List: My love of "The Pirate Movie" is well-documented -- and now I'm dying that the cast reunited in L.A. to celebrate the classic cult film

Literary Hub: A love letter to the music that shaped LGBTQ lives

Blobby's Blog: Gay man of a certain age nearly got into his first fistfight -- at a dog park

Washington Blade: Nine Russian LGBTQ groups deemed "extremist" are banned

Saturday 'Stache: Armie Hammer is welcome to eat me up

People: Chelsea Handler saved a horse, rode a cowboy

Out: California city that banned the Pride flag poised to get powerful gay congressman in Robert Garcia

AP: Good to know that you can allegedly rape and murder your teenage stepsister but still stay out of jail awaiting trial if you look like this

CSUF: Nursing professor shares his HIV survival story for LGBTQ archive

Speedo Sunday: Anyone notice how hot guys just swim in their underwear?

L.A. Inquisitor: What ever happened to William McNamara, who broke our hearts in "Doing Time on Maple Drive"? He was my Morning Wood in 2006!

NPR: LGBTQ community faces high eviction rates, now housing advocates speak out

Out: "Off Campus" star Khobe Clarke goes viral in resurfaced underwear pics

PinkNews: Stephen Colbert's long record of standing up for LGBTQ people

Just Jared: I wouldn't have recognized former Calvin Klein model Michael Bergin on the set of the new "Baywatch," but I don't say that in a bad way

Hot Cats of the Day: Two of Harvey's cousins are now cohabitating and it looks like they're taking it in stride!

Fight Back: You've got another chance to experience David Wise's theatrical ACT UP experiment on June 15 in NYC. Details HERE.

Chicago, Cher and the Crawfords

2026-05-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, page turners!

Since I last wrote, I did indeed complete Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City," which I received as a gift in 2007. I hadn't peeked at any reviews, but since finishing I concur with a lot of readers that the "b" plot -- the titular devil of a serial killer -- was unnecessary given that the main story about the World's Columbian Exposition (aka the 1893 Chicago World's Fair) was utterly fascinating and had nothing to do with the sicko.

My guess is Larson didn't think anyone would read a book solely about the fair, so wove in the murder stuff to get people to pay attention. (Spoiler: It worked. The book spent years on the New York Times Bestseller list and became a defining work in popularizing modern narrative nonfiction.)

Kudos to my friend Marc for suspecting I would enjoy it, even if I was too stubborn to appreciate it for nearly 20 years!

At the same time, I've been revisiting my brother Bill's second book, "The Elephants of Style," because I miss his wit.

And then I dug into the first part of Cher's memoir and nearly sobbed when it abruptly ended even before "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean."

I thought I was a superfan of the Emmy-, Grammy- and Oscar-winning star, but I must say I was stunned by how much I didn't know. (Add Ms. Sarkisian to the list of people whose lives no one will ever live again, with the rags to riches and back again existence dating back to her girlhood.) She's a fantastic storyteller and doesn't shy away from uncomfortable topics. Part II can't arrive quickly enough.

Right now I'm listening to the 40th anniversary edition of "Mommie Dearest" -- which must have come out in 2018 -- and getting a real wake-up call about audiobooks.

I loved hearing Jeff Hiller tell his story and thought Will Patton brought "On the Road" to life. And I wish to God my brother had recorded audio versions of his three books. But I find Tavia Gilbert, who apparently is actually an award-winning narrator, incredibly annoying and it's making me root for Joan. (Having the right person on board is obviously more important than I realized.)

I'm just starting Chapter 13, but at the rate I'm going, I'm not sure I'll be happy unless Christina's dead. What is up with this woman's intonations and why isn't someone slapping her?

Still hoping for more connections on Goodreads -- does anyone still use that besides me? -- and tell me what you're reading in the comments.

On the Rag, Vol. 909

2026-05-28T00:05:00.000-04:00

This week's rag 'n' mag roundup features Christopher Cote, Bruno Miranda, Michols Peña, Alan Cumming and more BELOW.

DNA: Spain is having a major moment -- from progressive civil rights and rich LGBTQ history to sexy locals and an irresistible cultural vibe

Hot Take: Romance cover hunk Christopher Cote finally gets his leading man moment

So Gay: Michols Peña is making Bravo gayer -- and more vulnerable -- one “Southern Hospitality” meltdown at a time

Attitude: Alan Cumming says trans creatives are “tiptoeing” around their own stories out of fear

TM Style: British model Oliver Orlandini strips fashion down to pure attitude

Philadelphia Gay News: 2026 Stonewall Awards to honor LGBTQ leaders, allies and institutions

Boylicious: A brief encounter

Between the Lines: Alise King on performing at Pride and finding her voice

The Perfect Man: Rafa Noah in black & white

San Francisco Bay Times: Bay Area AAPI LGBTQ women leaders to be honored at LGBT Center event featuring Margaret Cho

Dallas Voice: MetroBall returns for its 19th incarnation, featuring Cheyenne Jackson and more

Gay City News: NewFest Pride's 2026 lineup includes "The Dads," "Leviticus" and opening-night romp "Stop! That! Train!"

Man About Town: Corey Mylchreest steps beyond "Queen Charlotte"

MetroWeekly: Chris Pappas could become the first out gay man elected in the U.S. Senate

Remains of the Day (05/27)

2026-05-27T16:13:04.521-04:00

NYT: For one night only, my friend Tim Teeman became the star of "Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody"

Queerty: Yesterday I mentioned I had become a fan of Netflix's "Alpha Males" and had no idea one of the main characters was actually acting straight 4 pay

Edge: Josh Cavallo says gay footballers are still hiding in plain sight

Page Six: "Emily in Paris" star Pierre Deny dead at 69 after "sudden and severe" ALS battle

Wrestle Wednesday. Yikes -- you'd better like hair pulling

KIT212: "Brave" Homer Gere goes shirtless on "Euphoria"

PinkNews: Over 25% of LGBTQ people feel excluded or underrepresented by Pride Month

Out: Theo James and Aaron Taylor-Johnson flex their sexy abs in new film "Fuze"

Advocate: Democrats have a messaging problem. Adam Mockler has solutions

Attitude: Inside the shocking rise of OnlyFans sex stunts -- and why Drake Von is serious about 1,000-man marathon

West Side Rag: "We’re Having a Blast": UWS roving grammarian goes on the road with award-winning film, "Rebel With a Clause"

CIC News: LGBTQ Americans are getting expedited Canadian citizenship certificates

GLAAD: Meta, X and YouTube’s scores hit new lows in sixth annual LGBTQ social media safety index

Washington Blade: China’s top court acknowledges anti-LGBTQ discrimination

Boystack: Tony-nominated institution Charles Busch went off-script while accepting a Judy Icon Award, reflecting on the loss of his dear friend and collaborator Andy Halliday

Hot Cat of the Day: Here's hoping he knows his limit

Pet Rock 2.0: Robby Hoffman has something to tell the nonbinary community, erstwhile or otherwise

The 'West Side' Mangler

2026-05-26T18:18:24.704-04:00

While I applaud my favorite local sandwich shop, Giacomo Fine Foods, for getting new and clearer signage, there's no way a business on the Upper West Side of Manhattan can allow this to stand in good conscience. While I'm tempted to start picketing to get it re-made, I don't dare say a thing given my turbulent relationship with the establishment.

Still, such protests have been known to work before in this neck of the woods. :-)

The Upper West Side's Grammar Table weighs in!

Remains of the Day (05/26)

2026-05-26T15:17:00.044-04:00

The Caftan Chronicles: Mark Beard's elegantly homoerotic paintings often begin with weekly sessions sketching nude men

Roro Subs: Rosie O'Donnell writes about having a facelift in January

EW: Broadway vet recalls dancing with Kim Cattrall in "Sex and the City 2": "How gay can this get? And then it only got gayer"

History 1000: The "horror" of coming out in 1977. (Yet "the kids" still don't understand how gays of a certain age are the way we are -- SMH.)

My Queer Cinema: A handsome drifter and a horny laundromat owner collide in this scrappy 2012 indie full of nudity, flirting and bad decisions

ICYMI: After a slow start, my weekend tennis roundup has been fully fleshed out

LGBTQ Nation: Spain displaces Malta as Europe's No. 1 country for LGBTQ rights

Out: "Heartstopper Forever" new photos tease bittersweet ending for Nick and Charlie

Al Jazeera: Senegal PM slams West’s "homosexual tyranny," defends LGBTQ crackdown

Socialite Life: Male Model Monday with Trey Mitcham, Alex Viera, Guilherme Breves and more

EW: Another look at the "Heated Rivalry" musical parody

PinkNews: Russian boy, 13, charged under "LGBT propaganda" law over video with "extremist" symbol

People: Brazilian bodybuilding influencer Gabriel Ganley found dead in apartment at 22

THR: Julia Louis-Dreyfus to make Broadway debut alongside Ed Harris and Allison Janney in "Other Desert Cities"

NBC News: California woman dead in murder-suicide may have given thousands to a scammer claiming to be Tom Selleck. BTW: I recently found out a much older cousin whom I barely know lost everything in a romance scam whose tentacles reached my brother in Maryland.

Hot Cat of the Day: Are you looking for something fiction or nonfiction?

TV Queen: In case you're looking for shows, I've been watching "Alpha Males" (Netflix), finished "Envious" (Netflix), and recently discovered that what appeared to be a tired heteronormative sitcom, "Rules of Engagement," is actually smart, incredibly funny and has adorable Oliver Hudson and hunky Patrick Warburton, who is constantly stripping. (The women leads are brilliant, too!) Also, the Richard Simmons doc absolutely destroyed me.

Legends Only: History's 250 greatest gay-porn stars?

Lipstick & Lies: For my Detroit readers -- my friend Frank Anthony Polito has an event for his new book, "Dragged to Death," coming up on June 17 at the Hazel Park Library. Details HERE.

Tennis Tuesday: Johnny Donovan

2026-05-26T00:10:00.000-04:00

Things quickly turn NC-17 when he teaches a hunky friend a "lesson" or two BELOW.

Hottest instructor since THIS GUY.

And then turn XXX over HERE.

Memorial Day in the (212)

2026-05-25T21:09:41.376-04:00

Hope you had a nice holiday weekend wherever you are.

Weekend Tennis Roundup

2026-05-25T00:43:21.783-04:00

Titles for Ignacio Buse, Learner Tien, Emma Navarro and Petra Marcinko. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.

Peruvian qualifier Ignacio Buse pulled off a major upset by defeating the sixth seed Tommy Paul in three sets to win his first ATP Tour title at the Hamburg Open on Saturday, 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3.

Ranked outside the top 50 before his breakthrough, Buse had to advance through the qualifying rounds before stringing together a seven-match winning streak. His tournament run included upsets over Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik, and Ugo Humbert. Following this breakthrough ATP 500 victory, he reached a career-high PIF ATP singles ranking of World No. 31 on Monday, making him the top-ranked singles player from Peru.

Learner Tien won the Geneva Open men's singles title, by rallying from a set down to defeat Argentina's Mariano Navone 3–6, 6–3, 7–5, earning the 20-year-old American lefty his first career tour-level clay-court title.

A lot to smile about

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz defeated Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in the final, 6–3, 4–6, [10–8] to win the men's doubles crown at the 2026 Hamburg Open

Romain Arneodo and Marc Polmans won the Geneva men's doubles title by defeating third seeds Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus 3–6, 7–6(2), [10–7] in the final.

American Emma Navarro returned to the WTA winner’s circle in style on Saturday, capturing the Strasbourg clay-court title -- her first in 15 months and the joint-biggest of her career -- with a 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Victoria Mboko for her first Top 10 win of the year.

Croatia’s Petra Marcinko captured her maiden WTA title in Rabat after defeating Anhelina Kalinina 6-1, 2-0 retired in the final, a victory that also lifted the 20-year-old to a career-high ranking.

Ignacio's moment in the sun

Follow the rising star HERE.

Tommy seemed to enjoy this just a bit too much

Andrea Pellegrino's sugar tits

Bart Stevens's dump truck

Lorenzo Musetti

Still no word from Quentin Halys

Daddy-son vibes: Borna Coric and Marin Cilic

Novak "Spike" Djokovic

Mick Assaf cannonball

Neal Skupski breakfast spread

Miomir Kecmanović won the Valencia Challenger, defeating Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the final.

Leggy Joao Fonseca

Rubbing Federico Bove the right way

Bernard Tomic lost in the second round of qualies

Seems he's a new dad

Handsome Francesco Passaro pays tribute to his late father

Arthur Fils

Joe Salisbury

Luciano Darderi

Camilo Ugo Carabelli

Tommy Paul

Nikoloz Basilashvili

How can I wear the Brazilian beefcake's clothes?

Andy Mies has good taste

Backup hubby David Vega Hernández and his partner Santiago Rodríguez Taverna finished as runners-up at the ATP Challenger event in Cervia, Italy, after losing the doubles final in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4 to Francesco Forti and Filippo Romano on Saturday

Is this a psych ward?

At this rate, Alexis Galarneau is going to need his own Tennis Tuesday post

Goffin says goodbye to Roland Garros: 'It's pure joy, nothing but emotions'

Even a cranky clock ...

Great to hear 'cause I've been saving up

Recently retired Enzo Couacaud is now a padel sex god

Alex Rybakov: Oh, my!

New coach, who dis?

Here's Toby

Deliciano on a beach

Iga spitroast with Alexander and Daniil

Sharp-dressed Dane

Aziz "The Bod" Dougaz

Facundo Diaz Acosta

Belgian beefcake

Nole was told he needed more crunches

Ivar Aramburu

Bottom heavy Jan Zielinski

Raphael Collignon

Novak in Paris

Arthur Rinderknech cools off

Heartbreaker Tomas Etcheverry

Jakub Mensik for adidas

A Czech in Paris

Colton Smith

How it started ...

how it ended

30 candles for Karen Khachanov

Fun boy three: Guido Justo, Martin Rondi and Franco Roncadelli

Tommy treasure trail

Good to know he's so flexible ...

Marcos "High Beams" Giron

Luka Pavlovic

Matteo Arnaldi

Arthur does as he pleases

Robert Cardenas

Hubi Hurkacz

Alexander Blockx

Leggy Fran Cerundolo

Serious Fran

Jaime Faria

31-year-old David Jorda Sanchis claimed his maiden ATP Challenger title by defeating Andrej Nedic 6-4, 6-4 in Istanbul

With his secret weapon

Silver: Filip Duda and Stefan Latinović reached the doubles final in Istanbul, losing to George Goldhoff and Theodore Winegar 7–5, 6–2

Josh Paris

Romain Arneodo and Marc Polmans bask in Switzerland

Lacoste party in Paris

Guido Justo

J.J. Wolf

Humbert hump

Juan Manuel Cerundolo secured his 12th career Challenger title and 11th on clay by defeating Raphael Collignon 5–7, 6–1, 7–6(4) in the final of the ATP Challenger 175 event in Bordeaux.

Hot for Nicolas Barrientos

Stan in Paris

Sam Verbeek deserves to be recognized

6-5 Russian Petr Bar Biryukov

Jan-Mike has still got it

All smiles for Tom Fancutt

Ilya Ivashka and his two prizes -- yowza

Casper Ruud tries to cool down

Yannick Hanfmann strikes a pose

Marton Fucsovics looks good enough to eat

Sporty Santiago Franchini

Peak-a-belly: Taylor Fritz

Henrique Rocha x Philippe Chatrier

X marks the spot

Otto Virtanen tight and hairy

6-3 Frenchman Titouan Droguet

Still recovering from THIS

What would you call Mariano Kestelboim and Fran Cerundolo?

I'm thinking "adorable"

A little uncomfortable with the junk in Nole's trunk

I think I know what Valerie Cherish would say about Brad Gilbert's "Carlos" moment

Movers and shakers

Ivy Brings ‘Traces’ of Adam Schlesinger to Sony Hall

2026-05-24T00:05:29.864-04:00

Damian and I had the pleasure of seeing onetime indie pop darlings Ivy on Thursday at Sony Hall, something that once seemed highly improbable given the band's travails.

The trio (unofficially) broke up (officially) acrimoniously around 2011 -- with Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger closing their recording studio and becoming estranged for many years -- but had discussed making a new album after reconnecting in February 2020, only for Schlesinger to die of Covid-19 six weeks later.

Devastated by his death, Chase and Dominique Durand reconnected with former Ivy champion Mark Lipsitz -- now CEO of Bar/None Records -- to give the band the proper sendoff it deserved. The plan was to reissue Ivy’s first three albums with unreleased bonus material, but while combing through the archives in 2021, the pair uncovered a treasure trove of unfinished songs spanning the band’s entire career.

With the blessing of Schlesinger’s family and estate, Chase and Durand enlisted longtime touring keyboardist Bruce Driscoll to help complete the material. The result was last year’s “Traces of You,” featuring contributions from Schlesinger drawn from demos and fragments recorded between 1995 and 2012. The album included 10 newly finished songs, with the remaining tracks set to arrive on a second collection later this year.

Which brings us to Thursday, the second date (after Chicago) following a 15-year hiatus. And rather than awkwardly trying to replace Schlesinger, Ivy built the show around him, using his pre-recorded bass tracks throughout the performance while projecting playful archival videos during songs like “Worry About You” and dedicating “I Think of You” to their late bandmate. (Durand also got emotional noting that Lipsitz, who had "discovered" the band even though she had refused to ever perform live, died before the album's release. He was just 61.)

The low-key, emotional set mixed classics from across the band’s catalog (“I’ve Got a Feeling,” “Edge of the Ocean,” “Get Enough”) with four songs from “Traces of You,” with Chase and Driscoll handling backing vocals and a trumpet player popping in for a couple of numbers, while Durand charmed the crowd with intimate banter in her trademark accent, singing as if a day hadn’t passed.

Dominique Durand

Ex-husband Andy Chase

Bruce Driscoll

Catholic priest on drums?

Before the show began, Damian and I met up with our friends Brian and Toby -- whom we'd run into at the Beacon Theatre last November just as news circulated that Ivy would perform live again. Brian mentioned he’d peeked at the setlist and noticed it covered a lot of ground -- though notably absent were any songs from the “breakup” album, “All Night,” which Chase hated because he didn't like the electronic direction Schlesinger was going in. I was perfectly fine with that, having always felt it and its predecessor, “In the Clear,” were weaker than the band’s earlier work.

Later, while autopsying the show with Brian via Messenger in the days that followed, I mentioned this and he responded that he "came in" with "Long Distance" (the band's third album) and felt each album since "had its moments" -- and that, in fact, he actually knew the first two albums the least.

It got me thinking about how the point at which one "comes in" with an artist can have such an oversized effect, remembering that my husband "came in" with “Bedtime Stories,” so to me his view of Madonna is completely warped. (And don't get me started about his relationship with Blondie and “No Exit”!)

Given that I'm actually an Ivy-come-lately, having only discovered the mid-90s band in the early aughts through a New York Times colleague, the irony is not lost on me that I'm hardly in a position to be a purist about their "early good" stuff. But then I remembered that once I found out about them, I made a point of learning the albums in chronological order, so maybe the whole "came in" theory still holds.

With this in mind, I proceeded to play "In the Clear" and "All Night" over and over and it wasn't long before I was asking myself: what's my fucking problem? These albums are incredible and fully on par with everything else Ivy has done -- the former is refreshing and the latter’s dance groove is pure joy and proof that Andy was out of his mind to be angry with Adam for wanting to experiment with that genre. (I believe Chase has since gotten sober, but not enough to perform songs from it!)

So, it was an incredible evening buoyed by the fact that my go-to Ivy catalog just increased by 40 percent or so -- with more TK -- even if I still think "Wish It All Away" is by far their best song. 😀

Watch: Ivy: A Tribute to Adam Schlesinger

Read: My "Adam" moment back in 2016

Adam Schlesinger: Not Just The Guy On The Right

Listen: Both releases by Paco -- Andy and Dominique's Ivy-esque side project -- are available to stream. Hear their 2001 self-titled extended play HERE and 2004 album, "This Is Where We Live," HERE.