http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khat

A thanks to Jesse (you know who you are!) for this bit of fact-checking.

For more details… check out the book!

Tags: No Comments.

In addition to the book event, my Montreal sojourn was marked by another bit of rainbow-related news.

I came to Montreal with marriage on the brain: my youngest sister down in Southern California had gotten hitched recently – the last of my three siblings to tie the knot. At a barbecue hosted in one of my other sisters’ sprawling backyard, I learned this wasn’t the only marriage to be celebrated – and in this case officialized – retroactively.

My mother’s business partner, a realtor in Montreal, has been coupled for twenty-five years. Ron and Don (yes, those are their real names) had held a wedding ceremony some two decades back, long before gay marriage was even a glimmer of legislation practically anywhere. As with gay couples in America today, they drew up a lengthy, complex patchwork of documents that mostly – but still incompletely – acted as rough equivalent to what true marriage offers hetero couples by default. When gay marriage was made official in Canada in 2005, they shrugged – they’d already de facto done the deed all those years back – why bother with the paperwork now?

I guess there’s something about a milestone like a quarter-century that changes minds, because they decided they’d “get legal” this year. But who would do the deed? They reached out to one close friend authorized to perform weddings — but he was going to be out of town on the specified date. So they found an attorney, a close friend who’d never officiated at a wedding before, but with a modicum of preparation and licensure could be deputized to perform the act in compliance with the law. My jaw nearly hit the table when I learned who that was.

My father!

Leaving aside my wonderment at my parents’ openness and acceptance of gaydom, or how great it is of my Dad to be doing this for two close friends… was their attitude about the whole thing. All three parties – the gay couple and my father – were so nonplussed they’d neglected to mention it to me altogether! As I strolled through Montreal’s “gay village” with my coupled friends – the district’s main drag turns into a lively pedestrian mall during Montreal’s all-too-brief summer – they expressed amazement at my amazement: none of them realized what big news this would be if it were occurring south of their border.

It’s times like these I’m truly proud to be Canadian!

Tags: 5 Comments

After a very successful inaugural reading and launch party in San Francisco, it was time to take Wander the Rainbow on the road – and north of the border – to my native hometown, Montreal.

Following a weekend of family events, I paid a visit to Bibliophile, a compact indie bookstore tucked into Montreal’s West End, for a reading & signing event replete with white wine, San Pellegrino, and Belgian chocolates – most fitting considering the subject matter!

In addition to my entire immediate family – all together in town for the first time in years – the event was attended by a respectable number of Montreal’s English-speaking community… including, among others, a young local librarian who seemed most curious about this city’s native-son-turned-world-traveler-turned-indie-author.

I read some selections from the book that had been well received at previous events, but mixed it up a little for World Cup season by including portions of my chapter on Cape Town, South Africa. It’s been nice to see locales I’d visited almost two years back receiving their fifteen minutes of fame on the world’s airwaves these past days and weeks, and the crowd seemed to respond well to my take on these spots at the other corner of the globe.

This reading also offered a unique challenge care of some special guests of honor: two of my five nieces and nephews – to whom the book is dedicated – showed up. This meant some skirting of the more juicy parts of the book – no tales of Berlin sex clubs here – but it also, surprisingly, led to a lively question-and-answer session: both Jackson and Lola, now aged eight and seven, respectively, asked remarkably adult questions about their uncle’s wanderings and book-writing odyssey – happily none that involved explaining things they’re a bit too young to understand. Those bits will have to wait a few more years.

All in all, another stellar success – we filled the place up and sold almost as many copies as we did in San Francisco… no mean feat on a sultry post-holiday Monday in a city with an English readership barely larger than some U.S. college towns. To all Montrealers in attendance, a hearty thanks. And to those in other cities, hang in there: after some more San Francisco appearances, the Wander the Rainbow road show will continue!

Tags: 1 Comment

On the surface, independent bookstores would seem a natural fit for indie authors and publishers. Both operate outside the so-called “mainstream” of large retail chains, mass-market-targeted product, and exclusive agent/publisher arrangements.

And yet, barriers persist: the bookselling industry is a well oiled machine of large distributors, returnable and remaindered books, and hefty discounts designed for the massive print runs of the mainstream publishing business. Considering that most indie publishers operate on a print-on-demand model — with commensurately higher unit costs and an inability to offer returnable stock — it would appear that they are frozen out of the supply chain — a chain that even the smallest of independent bookstores relies on.

But these realities can be overcome, and once they are, the natural fit of independent players becomes apparent: print-on-demand may be more expensive per-unit than short-run offset printing (a 250-page book typically costs $3 to $4 to print on-demand, versus less than half that using a traditional printer)… but there’s also no issue with inventory, itself typically a euphemism for “piles of book boxes sitting unsold.” An independent publisher can arrange for shipments direct from printer to bookseller, and offer the bookstore the same consignment-basis, returnable-stock policy they’re accustomed to receiving from the majors. For the publisher, it’s a bit more work — on top of their grass-roots marketing efforts promoting their titles, they now take on the role of distribution middleman. But as with everything in the Internet age, this process is greatly simplified: software accounting programs such as QuickBooks allow small publishers to bill bookstores and handle returns easily. This process might not scale well to thousands of stores — but many dozens can be capably handled by even the smallest of indie publishing houses. In exchange, they receive real-life storefront exposure — essentially free advertising. Better yet, since most indie booksellers congregate around major centers or college towns, the opportunity to target an optimum clientele is unaparalleled.

Okay then… so what’s in it for the bookstore, in exchange for dealing with another book supplier and the added paperwork that implies? In addition to new and distinctive content, the real synergy comes from book events: indie authors and publishers are hungry to connect with readers. The immediate conclusion many jump to is “use the Internet” — with the implied focus on Amazon and e-book distribution that freezes out local booksellers. Yes, the online marketplace is here to stay and makes up a major sales channel for publishers of all stripes… but it’s also a vast netherworld of me-too websites, spam, and other assorted flotsam that makes it tough for small-scale book publishers to find their readership.

The book event — most commonly the reading & signing, though unconventional “themed” activities are also commonplace — is where indie publishers and indie bookstores can come together. Mainstream authors and publishers schedule book tours all the time — but for the less-well-known independents, this is a vital promotional opportunity as it enables readers to hear about new content for the first time. For booksellers, meanwhile, it brings traffic into the store that might not otherwise walk in: a successful book event can draw dozens of people, all of whom will likely purchase not only the book around which the event is centered, but also other works they may find interesting while browsing the shelves. For a large bookseller, this bump in traffic may be trivial — but for the nowadays-beleaguered indie bookseller, it represents a golden opportunity.

Just as TV didn’t displace theatrical first-run movies, it’s unlikely the online book marketplace and e-books will displace booksellers. The best way for indie booksellers to remain relevant is to provide “value-added” content — not merely by offering personalized service and hard-to-find titles, but by teaming up with publishers operating outside the mainstream who can organize events, draw in customers, and help build community.

Tags: 2 Comments

In between the bustle of the book launch party and the many events of San Francisco Gay Pride, I found some time to sit down and chat with Lyndon Evans and James Hipps, the hosts of BlogTalkRadio’s show The Gay Agenda.

Aside from being stricken with a mild-to-moderate case of wanderlust themselves, Lyndon and James had some revealing questions for me — from how I financed my round-the-world trip to the details of living liver donations to which hallucinogens I tried in Amsterdam and Cambodia.

But don’t take my word for it… check out the interview — available as a podcast — on the BlogTalkRadio site. A few juicy details about the book are revealed — but not too many!

Tags: 1 Comment

Today was Pride Sunday in San Francisco, New York, and a gaggle of other cities — commemorating the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969. Hard to believe how much has been accomplished in two generations; from a marginalized, hated group of outcasts, gays have been accepted into the mainstream in most Western nations, with equal rights and marriage rights on the agenda.

Being gay (an umbrella term I’m using for the entire LGBT community, fractured though it sometimes can be) is in many respects a different minoritarian experience than many others (as a Jew, a Canadian, and an anglophone Quebecer I can claim some expertise here): being a member of most minority groups means suffering persecution together with one’s family, one’s clan, one’s nation. A sense of solidarity is engendered from infancy. Not so for gays, who come to the realization of who they are around adolescence (some earlier, some later), and are frequently ostracized from the friends and kin. Perhaps that’s one reason I always found the Steven Spielberg film Close Encounters of the Third Kind captivating: the motif of unconnected people around the world being drawn to a certain spot, to a shared event, without initially understanding why or what it means… it’s about as good an allegory for the coming out experience as any.

I’m equally proud that Wander the Rainbow was able to be a part of San Francisco’s Pride week; its reception by the many folks who came to the reading at A Different Light Bookstore, checked out this site, snapped photos of our doings (including this one of me looking like the President of Queer Nation!) or looked intrigued when gazing at our postcards, is a hopeful sign not only for this book but for Pride everywhere. I’m happy to contribute to the conversation about gays everywhere, and the adventures and journeys on which they embark.

Wander on, everyone!

Tags: No Comments.

Last night Wander the Rainbow had its coming out affair — and what an event it was!

Any worry I may have had about “what if nobody shows up” was quickly dispelled as 7:30 rolled around; A Different Light Bookstore was PACKED. They actually started the event on time (instead of the usual 10-15 minutes late “gay standard time”) due to the full house.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit trepidatious — but by all accounts the crowd liked what I had to say and asked some intelligent questions about the writing process, the publishing process, liver donations, and the logistics of big-scale, round-the-world travel as a “flashpacker.”

Best of all, we sold out every copy we had — both those on hand at A Different Light and a bunch more we’d brought as backup. For those looking to buy it in the store or on their site, don’t despair: more are on their way today!

Afterward, we decamped to Blush! Wine Bar, where the stellar folks there hooked us up with appetizers and drinks (pink champagne, natch!)

As promised, a splendid time was had by one and all. So thanks to everyone who turned up and made this launch a success. For those who couldn’t make it, there will be other events in the San Francisco Bay Area soon, as well as events in other cities. Stay tuned for updates.

Wander on, everyone!

Tags: No Comments.

After all the planning and prepping, the big day is here at last: Wander the Rainbow‘s inaugural book reading & signing event right here in San Francisco.

It’s been quite a road to get here, obviously… culminating, last night, in a jam session with my intrepid publicity “maven,” Angela. She came over to my place to decide on after-party details, run through typical questions, and help me pick out which salient, colorful, emotionally impactful, or otherwise juicy portions to read. I can promise it’ll be interesting stuff!

Perhaps the biggest learning curve — for me at least — was grasping the at-times bewildering vagaries of the public stage, and what’s expected of a speaker, writer, public figure, or anyone who gets up there and communicates. I give points to President Obama and any other public figure for having mastered this communications forum — it’s tough up there!

I look forward to seeing you San Francisco Bay Area denizens tonight, and sharing my stories and insights (and assorted bits of debauchery) from my journey and my book… as the Beatles once put it, “a splendid time is guaranteed for all!”

Tags: No Comments.

Indie publishing poses a special challenge: how the heck do you let people know about your book?

In mainstream publishing, it’s all taken care of by the publishing house — for better or worse. At their best, they can turn an unknown author into a superstar — such as what happened to a certain young English gal living in Scotland with a tale of a young magician wizard. But obviously, that doesn’t happen to everyone.

To that end, I set out with my publicist, Angela “the maven,” on an adventure-filled tour of the Castro for some tried-and-true “guerrilla marketing.” No, this didn’t involve donning fatigues and tromping through the jungles of Nicaragua; rather, it meant having a whole bunch of promotional postcards printed up, then sticking them in visible shops, pubs, and other spots all around the Castro/Market/18th Street shopping district.

We began our quest where the book reading & signing is set to happen next Tuesday — at A Different Light Bookstore. I was nearly bowled over when I stumbled upon my book on the shelves — then saw it again on display in the window. Way to go for promoting a local author, guys!

To tell the truth, the whole experience was a bit overwhelming to a humble techie like myself, accustomed to driving a desk for the past decade-plus. If anything cements the notion that “you are an author,” this has to be it.

With these notions we set to test out the local market. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a very receptive crowd of local merchants and customers; one woman said she found the story fascinating, and planned to purchase an autographed copy for her brother; another shared with me her own mother’s travails waiting for a liver transplant, including the possibility that she herself would become a donor, just as I was to my partner a few years back.

This is the Castro, however, and the usual tropes were on display: one leather-daddy-centric store wasn’t sure the postcards would fit in with their theme — Country & Western only; another bar had a poster I simply had to pose in front of (at right); and a local wine bar catapulted into the ranks of contender for the “afterparty” we’re planning to host.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be San Francisco’s gay ‘hood without running into someone you know — in my case, my friend Steven, back from his own month-long odyssey in Buenos Aires on the heels of a recent breakup. Now that sounds familiar!

All in all, a very successful evening, capped off with a dinner meeting at Bisou. There we planned, plotted and strategized the impending event next week… and feasted on some tasty French appetizers and entrees that distantly evoked my time in Paris… right down to the visiting French family chatting away a couple of tables over.

For you local Bay Area-ites… it’s T-minus five days until the big shindig; I look forward to seeing you there!

Tags: 1 Comment

Now that Wander the Rainbow is out there, I’m officially retiring my old trip blog, The Wanderlust Chronicles. This blog saw me through thick and thin during the trip and its followers were most supportive in their encouragement to turn it into the book you see today.

Although more a demonstration project than an ultimate piece of production software, The Wanderlust Chronicles also broke new ground in that it was entirely written in Flex, Adobe’s platform for writing websites that run in Flash. Flash has been in the news of late, mostly for Apple’s steadfast — and borderline vindictive, in my opinion — refusal to support it on any of their ultra-portable devices, from iPhones to the new iPad. I think that’s too bad… if nothing else my blog demonstrated that Flash can be used to build engaging, richly interactive sites without the clutter and junk that’s so often associated with it.

The blog featured the ability to subscribe to it — users would get an e-mail every time an entry was published. To keep that experience alive I’ve rolled out that capability here — and added most of you original Wanderlusters to the list. If you find this in any way troubling feel free to unsubscribe yourselves — a simple one-button operation on the right-hand side of this page.

I look forward to hearing from you Wanderlusters (and others) on your reactions to the book you helped inspire.

Wander on!

Tags: No Comments.