Charles Alexander
What would Woody do?
Parting Glances Woody Allen – who takes religion, God, get-saved theology with a grain of salt (Epsom, no doubt) – quips , "I don't believe in an afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear." (Woody adds, "I believe that there's [...]
Pages past tense #17
Parting Glances My first non-matriculated class at Wayne University in 1959 was English 101, held in a Quonset hut, one of several such make-dos behind what is now State Hall. The Quonset huts were processing centers for World War ll U. S. Army [...]
God bless gay waiters!
Parting Glances It almost goes without saying, but the second oldest profession in the world is that of the gay waiter. According to U.S. Census 2010 there are four million gay waiters. While this seems at first glance to be high as far as that [...]
Pages past tense #16
Parting Glances I was 23 when I started Wayne University – before it became WSU – as a trial, non-matriculated student. It took me eight years to earn my degree, at a time when tuition was $25 a credit hour. I had many incompletes, dropped courses [...]
Pages Past Tense #15
Parting Glances There's a gay/lesbian history story told about former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower when he was Commander-in-Chief of the European Theater during World War ll. It was brought to Ike's attention that dykes were serving in the [...]
Pages past tense #14
Parting Glances I celebrated my 21st birthday in 1957 with my first partner Ernie Gilbert at the Flame Show Baron Brush Street, in the heart of Detroit's thriving Negro community. The Flame was "a black and tan club," allowing for the mingling of [...]
No believe it or why not?
Parting Glances It's 5:30 Friday afternoon. Thinking of BTL co-publishers Jan and Susan in Washington, D.C., I iPhone text a simple message of sharing: "Hugs!" Seconds later Jan cellphone hugs me back. Jan's comment: "It's totally awesome!" Her [...]
Pages past tense #13
Parting Glances During my ride back from my first gay party – a closeted affair of mostly University of Michigan profs and grad students – Jack Jacobs (aka Miss Liberties) talks nonstop, ending his paragraphs of chit-chatty conversation with rapid [...]
Pages past tense #12
Parting Glances During my out-and-about first gay summer I learned from 'Gee Gee' (Gorgeous George) that Harper Hospital was training recent high school graduates to become operating room technicians. "You'd look great in scrub greens. You might [...]
Pages past tense #11
Parting Glances I was fortunate as a gay teenager. When I turned 18 my parents never asked me who I was dating, or if I had a girlfriend. I was on my own. Of age to make my own decisions. And mistakes. My only concession to being a dutiful son as [...]
Pages past tense #10
Parting Glances Two popular Rosemary Clooney hits of the late-1950s were "Come On-a My House" and "Sisters." Both took over the air waves, juke boxes and drag queen lip-synch stage routines. As a lark my friends Richard, a pharmacist assistant, [...]
Parting Glances: Pages past tense #9
At 19, I went to my first gay bar – the Silver Slipper, a dyke bar on Grand River, near downtown Detroit. I used borrowed ID, was escorted authoritatively by two regulars, Speedy and Draino. Lesbians sat in an upstairs balcony space. Gays and [...]