Charles Alexander
Parting Glances: Memories of a Near-Forgotten Past Pt. 3
Detroit's imposing, massive, block-wide Masonic Temple was built in 1922, or, cornerstone dated 5022, following the Hebraic custom of noting the inception of ritual religious history. The impressive venue is once more hosting youth-oriented music [...]
Parting Glances: Memories of a Near-Forgotten Past Pt.2
At 19, I went to my first gay bar on Halloween: the Silver Slipper, a dyke bar on Grand River, near downtown Detroit. I used borrowed ID, was escorted authoritatively by two stone butch regulars, Speedy and Draino. Lesbians sat in an upstairs [...]
Pages Past Tense #1
Parting Glances I keep on my laptop desk a corner of chalky red brick. It's all that's left of Cassboro Apartments, 444 Peterboro, Detroit. I found this memento among broken boards, shattered glass of the recently razed building. It anchors [...]
Blue brainiacs by default
In a triangle whose sides are 23,145,789 yards, 5,642,732 yards and 54,965 yards, how many cubicle one-eighths of an inch exist? Good cocktail question for a lull in your yuletide party. Pass the mistletoe, Mary. I haven't a clue. But an adult [...]
Parting Glances: Porn Sunday, X-Men?
I irreverently begin this PG Mary-go-round with a caveat of charity, sprinkled with a modicum of glee. Charity for hypocritical factotums of the religious right who rarely extend that most Christian of virtues to others. And glee . . . Call it a [...]
Parting Glances: Hands up! (One arm bandits)
After picking up art pieces left at Metro Times — used to illustrate a review of my January Scarab Club show — extremely favorable, I'll modestly add — I wade through snow, slush, tooting traffic to stop across the street at the busy, busy Greek [...]
Parting Glances: Berries for a state visitor
It's not an up-tempo day. I awoke this morning only to discover that my pipes are frozen solid – no cold water to temper the hot water for my invigorating daily shower; no flush water to accommodate the liquid-blue ministrations of Princess Tidy [...]
Parting Glances: Book pages (Pt. 18)
Going to New York City in mid-July was a mistake. Temperature was in the 90s. Air conditioning was limited to offices and entertainment venues. Ten minutes onto the pavements, we perspired from our ducktail-combed heads to our spit-polish penny [...]
Parting Glances: President Ford: DA/DT?
OLIVER "BILLY" SIPPLE. Born, Detroit, Nov. 20, 1941. Died, San Francisco, Feb. 2, 1989. A reluctant hero, he strolled into history at a precise psychological moment but an inconvenient time. His year with destiny: 1975. Billy's favorite San [...]
Parting Glances: Snap-on garters
I'm attending my eighth gay wedding – Holy Union – in maybe 10 years. (Always a bridesmaid never a bride. Old tattered Top Hat that I am, I'll gladly wear any snap-on garters – or best men – that are tossed my way.) There are 90 guests present this [...]
Parting Glances: Pages from a book (Pt. 12)
During my out-and-about summer I learned from 'Gee Gee' (Gorgeous George) that Harper Hospital was training recent high school graduates to become operating room technicians. I wanted to party, party. My parents insisted I find work. (Even with my [...]
Parting Glances: Pages from a book (Pt. 4)
My mother took me Sundays to First Baptist Church from the time I was five until I turned 12. We rode with a Mrs. Williamson, her two sons, William and Robert. Detroit's First Baptist (now People's Community Church) was affiliated with the American [...]