J.K. ROWLING INTRODUCES POTTERMORE

What? I still don't know exactly what it is, but J.K. Rowling, the author of the beloved Harry Potter series, is starting a website that will be an online reading experience with "the same story with a few crucial additions. The most important one is YOU." Cool. Apparently there are details about the world of Harry Potter that Rowling has kept under her talking hat for years, and we're gonna find out about them. Watch below for more details.

IT'S DISCO THURSDAY!!!

So I have been reading a fascinating book about disco and how it was influenced by AND had influence on women, African Americans, and gays. Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture by Alice Echols is a great read if you are interested in how music can shape society. Very cool. Anyway, it's got me thinking about how much I love disco and hearing some of those songs when I was...um....as a thought of a gay-by waiting to be born into the universe. So here are some of my all-time fave disco songs. I love the 70s. So kitschy!!!

NEW BOOK: THE NEW CLEAN - JON SANDS

Jon Sands is a brilliant poet. Not only does Jon write, perform and teach, he also reaches out to his community in ways that most only talk about, like being the Director of Poetry Education Programming at the Positive Health Project. His new book, The New Clean, is a collection of his poems that touches on subjects from love to death to partying your junk off in NYC. Touching, brave, deep, funny and at times soul shattering, the collection is well worth the read. Go HERE to read more about Jon and go HERE to get your copy of this amazing collection. I was in lucky enough to be in attendance last night to watch Jon read from the book and be a part of his friends and family celebrating his success. It was magical, y'all. Oh, did I mention he's my brother-in-law to-be? Yes. But I think of him as my brother. BUY THE DAMN BOOK!!!!

OPRAH ADDRESSES HER KITTY KELLEY BIOGRAPHY

...and she ain't havin' it!! Winfrey addressed the scandalous Oprah: A Biography, written by Kitty Kelley, for the first time during The New York Women in Communications Matrix Awards on Monday, where she handed an award to her best friend Gayle King. The book alleges many things about O including drug use, overstating her poor upbringing, lesbian affairs and more. Oprah referred to the book as a "so-called biography" while addressing the crowd and mentioned that the book caused King quite a bit of distress. "Last week was a rough week for Gayle when a so-called biography came out. Every day she's getting herself more and more worked up about all of my new daddies that are now showing up. New daddies who are saying, 'Hello daughter, call me, I need a new roof.' Well, this too shall pass." Good attitude, Oprah. You have nothing to prove AT ALL! Kitty Kelley is such a hack making money off of other people based on gossip and hearsay. Oprah has done so much good for, not just people here in the U.S., but people around the world. She is truly someone to admire. Let Gayle get after Kitty!! [source]

KITTY KELLEY NOT HAVING AN EASY TIME PROMOTING HER OPRAH BIOGRAPHY

Kitty Kelley has written many revealing, controversial unauthorized biographies in her time including Jackie O., Elizabeth Taylor, Sinatra and Nancy Reagan. Now she has set her sights on Oprah with a (supposed) tell-all biography coming out alleging lesbian affairs with Diane Sawyer and others, that she lied about her poor upbringing, interviews with the man who raised her (not her biological father, whom she also claims to know the identity of) and other salacious details. Well, Kitty made it onto the Today Show and told Matt Lauer that she is not having an easy time promoting her book because other shows are afraid the wrath of Oprah will fall down upon their heads if they talk to her. She says Barbara Walters, Larry King and Rachael Ray have said hell-to-the-no to interviewing her about her book. DUH!! Who wants Oprah on their bad side if they can avoid it. I'm not sure I always believe everything in these UNauthorized bios, but they are certainly fun to read nonetheless. The book is available today. Ouch! I was just struck my lightening. [source]

CHRISTOPHER RICE TALKS ABOUT UPCOMING BOOK AND HIS MOM, ANNE RICE

Christopher Rice is the gay son of famed writer Anne Rice, but that doesn't mean he writes about the same things. Already a successful published author, his new book, The Moonlit Earth, hits stores today. Christopher says he gets a lot of requests to write a book about werewolves, since his mother wrote books about vampires (which, by the way, were G-A-Y and H-O-T!!), but he tries to explain that it doesn't quite work that way. He tells the Advocate.com, "It has to come from a place of inspiration." His latest book is a cat-and-mouse type thriller dealing with a girl who is trying to clear her gay brother's name when he is accused -- because his boyfriend, a mysterious Middle Easterner is also a suspect -- of helping with a terrorist bombing in Hong Kong and they have disappeared. Oooh, juicy! Christopher is well spoken, brilliant writer. Give his new book a shot. You'll like it I bet!!! [image]

AUTHOR J.D. SALINGER DEAD AT 91

J.D. Salinger, the author of the classic book Catcher in the Rye, has passed away at the age of 91 of natural causes. Salinger had lived in a remote, isolated house in Cornish, New Hampshire for the last decade. Catcher in the Rye was a controversial book of it's time and it's protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is among the most celebrated characters ever written. The novel has sold over 60 million copies worldwide. Though writing for adults, it was teenagers who really tuned into the writings of Salinger, themes of rebellion and refusing to be kept down by society. Catcher in the Rye became infamous in 1980 when Mark David Chapman shot down John Lennon, citing the book as in inspiration. Salinger was approached by everyone from Billy Wilder to Elia Kazan, Steven Speilberg to Harvey Weinstein to turn "Catcher" into a movie, but he never sold the rights. He later became famous for rejecting fame. Ironic, no? Salinger lived a long and interesting life and his work will live on forever. RIP J.D. Salinger. You will be missed. [source][image]

TEASER: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love HP and I JUST read The Deathly Hallows, so this movie is so exciting to me!! I cannot wait to see it and live it and love it and marry it. Watch the teaser below.

NATALIE PORTMAN TO STAR IN PRIDE AND PREJUDINCE AND ZOMBIES

This is an excellent choice!!! Natalie Portman is the perfect combo of great actress and sexy vixen fighter. Yea!! I am currently reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and was wondering who could pull of the classic Jane Austen text AND the martial arts required for the character of Elizabeth Bennett. The book is so fun and so great and I just know that the film will rock as well. Described as an expanded version of the Austen classic, the book tells the timeless story of a woman’s quest for love and independence amid the outbreak of a deadly virus that turns the undead into vicious killers.If you haven't read the book by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, you have to do so immediately. Portman is also producing. I cant' wait to hear the rest of the cast. [source]

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES!!

Love Jane Austen? Love zombies stories? THEN JACKPOT, YOU GOTTA READ THIS BOOK!! Now my motto has always been, "Honey, I don't read. I'm read to," just like Karen Walker, but Seth Grahame-Smith has taken the classic text by Jane Austen and added in enough gory, creepy, exciting zombie carnage to satisfy both the book snob in you AND the monster movie geek. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies came about when an editor at Quirk Books, Jason Rekulak, compared a list of fanboy characters like ninjas and monkeys and zombies with titles of public domain books like Wuthering Heights and War and Peace. PP&Z just stuck in his head. He called Grahame-Smith and told him about his title. Grahame-Smith thought it was brilliant and started on it straight away. (I am sounding like a Jane Austen character now) He found that the original story and text suited adding in some zombie elements because "You have this fiercely independent heroine, you have this dashing heroic gentleman, you have a militia camped out for seemingly no reason whatsoever nearby, and people are always walking here and there and taking carriage rides here and there . . . It was just ripe for gore and senseless violence. From my perspective anyway."[source] I am not yet through with the book, but I have to say it is a joy to read. I don't normally read books like Pride and Prejudice, but I was drawn to this idea of taking a classic and making it something entirely different while still using the original text. It's a fun read and it still makes you think. (beware Twilight fans, you will have to think and it may be painful at first. I kid, I kid!!) Anyhoooo, check it out. Did I mention it even made the New York Times Bestseller list. Well it did!! OH! ps...it's a GREAT book for Halloween!!

CARRIE FISHER; WISHFUL DRINKING. BRILLS!!

My supes sweet boyfriend got us house seats for my birthday to see Carrie Fisher's Broadway show Wishful Drinking. Now I am a big fan of Ms. Fisher and always have been, but never for Star Wars, funny enough. I actually never made it through that movie without falling asleep. I enjoy her writing and her performances in Soap Dish, Austin Powers, The Man with One Red Shoe, When Harry met Sally. This performance starts off with an announcement that "unfortunately the role of Carrie Fisher will NOT be played by Meryl Steep tonight" and the self-depricating humor continues throughout the show. Carrie's view of the world is understandably odd since she is the child of Hollywood royalty. HIGHLY DISFUNCTIONAL Hollywood royalty. She has stories that will make you laugh wildly and feel a little guilty about it. Stories of drugs, gay husbands, fillandering parents, more drugs. If you don't get a chance to see the show, you should read the book for sure. Even if you do see the show, you should read the book. Have a little culture! It won't kill you! All in all, Carrie is a super genius and this show is very, very funny.