Hello ...
While I continue to await word on my second novel and work on my third novel, I did want to toss out a few shout-outs:
- Verse Daily. My poem "The Elegist," which comes from my book Mute, was chosen as today's poem. It's a huge honor because so many publishers have tried to get them to choose one poem a day. Needless to say, I'm very tickled pink!
- Wilde Oats. They published an old short story of mine called "They Come Crawling." Please enjoy!
- Out in Print. They gave my novel Men with Their Hands a rave review. Check it out!
- Lambda Literary. Mute scores a very thoughtful review. One of the best I've ever gotten for my work as a poet.
- Out in Perth. Over there in Australia, they gave Mute a lovely rave.
- We'll Never Have Paris. They've excerpted my poems "Marenisco Eyes" and "Pitch" for their sixth issue, which also features an interview with yours truly. Check out their cool zine!
- Minneapolis Observer Quarterly. Sharon Parker enjoyed my memoir Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life. While the review isn't posted online, I'll quote Ms. Parker in part: "Books often take us places we would not otherwise go and offer a glimpse of a life we would never experience⎯sometimes imaginary, sometimes real. Raymond Luczak shows us, through a series of vignettes and observations, his very real life, and what it’s like to be twice marginalized.
Luczak takes us through an awkward childhood; a series of awakenings as he realizes that his sexuality must be kept a secret; and the wonderful discoveries that there are others like him, with whom he can communicate more naturally.
Deafness is not just about the physical limitations of hearing loss, but a subculture as well. Luczak gets to know those who would as soon live apart from the society of the hearing, and those who feel compelled⎯as he does⎯to straddle both worlds. He shares some surprising insights on different ways of communicating. “When I translate from ASL to English, I am always struck by the baroqueness of our English language.”
- My web site. It's been slightly updated with a fresh header montage. Thanks again, Ron!
Even though it feels wet and nippy out there right now, I'm glad that spring is here. Let the groovy greenery begin!
Later,
Raymond
