Logan Knight

Ed Madden

Beth Richards

Jeff Mann

James Villanueva

Elizabeth Craven

Thom Koch

Jack

Christina Holzhauser

B. Andrew Plant

Merril Mushroom

Suzanne Lea

Susan Benton

Stephanie Woolley-Larrea

Vickie Spray

Louie Crew

Crooked Letter i offers a collection of first-person nonfiction narratives that reflect the distinct 'coming out' experiences of a complex cross-section of gay, lesbian, and transgendered Southerners from all walks of life and at different stages in their lives. The experiences represented here pivot around a central theme -- finally finding language to understand one's identity, and then discovering we were never the only ones. Revealing a vibrant cross-section of Southerners, the writers of these narratives have in common the experience of being Southern and different, but determined against all odds.

Coming Out in the South

Crooked Letter i

Charles Muller

Beth Richards writes: "My poetry probably reflects the inside image of my thoughts-sometimes very deep thoughts. I write from the heart and sometimes when I'm in a reflective mood my poetry is serious and somewhat philosophical " This collection of poems is a result of Beth's suggestion to Charles Muller that they produce a book that combines their gifts. Beth says: "Charles and I have led two very different lives, and it shows in our writing-hence the title Worlds Apart. Apart from having been born in different hemispheres, we are two very different people, but we appear to be kindred spirits in many ways. (Both born under the star sign of Leo!)" The poems by Charles Muller are perhaps more startling, with jagged images and sentences that cut like broken glass, sometimes exposing the raw nerves of life. Many of these were composed in the context of Apartheid South Africa and recall the violence and injustices of those times. Beth and Charles are also artists, and the cover depicts a painting by each of the poet-paintings that highlight their contrasting worlds.

Poems of Contrast

Worlds Apart

Beth Richards

Books

Your next favorite book is out there