Profiling the works of three gay and lesbian writers: Lorena L. Sikorski, Stephan Ferris and Waide Riddle
BY MARK ARIEL
LORENA L. SIKORSKI
Artists and Vagabonds: How I Escaped My Mother’s Narcissistic Personality Disorder
An amazing autobiographical work exploring family eccentricity and dysfunction. Sikorski records a long history of abuse, co-dependency, and mental illness that ran in her family’s structure, which ultimately exacerbated her mother’s narcissism. “As I became an adult, I realized I was a lesbian. That was when all hell broke loose!” reveals Sikorski.
“I was encouraged to write the book by therapists and priests who became aware of my background,” says Sikorski in an interview with THE FIGHT. “They were so amazed at the many facets of mental illness and homophobia present that they encouraged me to write it down. I felt that this story had to be told because it had been shrouded in a cloak of secrecy for years. The behavior was protected and denied if challenged. Its secrecy was the basis for abuse if there was even a hint of revelation. In the words of Tina Turner, “If you don’t address the wounds of the past, you will continue to bleed.”
The book received an Honorable Mention award at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in April. It is available at all major booksellers in both paperback and e-book form.
STEPHAN FERRIS
Blue Movie
Containing seventy-seven scenes from the life of a sexual outlaw “this book is a rare one. In fact, it is raw in every way… and will not disappoint. Truly riveting,” says author and community activist Race Bannon.
The author, Stephan Ferris, an LGBTQ attorney and scholar, tells THE FIGHT that “Blue Movie initially started as a collection of academic essays focusing on different queer subjects such as HIV stigma, porn, substance use, and recovery. I poured a lot of my own lived experiences into these essays, and in the editing process, I made the decision to change format from five essays into a collection of scenes. In switching from an academic to narrative voice, I tried to channel the vibe of the authors I enjoy reading, such as Brett Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk.”
Blue Movie has sold just about 2,500 copies, reveals Ferris, and is already moving into its fourth printing less than a year from its initial release. If you’d like a copy of the book, call your local bookstore and have them order it for you.
WAIDE RIDDLE
The Little Boy In The Little Red Dress
Meet Me At Third And Fairfax!
Author Waide Riddle’s two new paperbacks, Bronze Award-Winners The Little Boy In The Little Red Dress and Meet Me At Third And Fairfax are just two titles in a long list of over 50 titles on Amazon: poetry, short stories, novels and audiobooks.
The Little Boy In The Little Red Dress is a short memoir about the first 21 years of Riddle’s life. Introducing the reader to the main players of his immediate family, exposing the bullies in his life, and exposing the bully in himself.
Based on the award-winning screenplay, Meet Me At Third And Fairfax!, tells multiple stories of people living the dream and lifestyle of Southern California.
Riddle’s large body of work covers LGBT Horror, LGBT Romance, LGBT Drama, and LGBT Young Adult.
Check out his books online or at your favorite bookstore.
