Joel Derfner at Books Inc. in the Castro May 22, 2008

Joel Derfner, author of Gay Haiku, will be at Books Inc. in the Castro reading from his new memoir, Swish: My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever.

Joel Derfner is gayer than you.
Don't feel too bad about it, though, because he has made being gayer than you his life's work. At summer day camp, when he was six, Derfner tried to sign up for needlepoint and flower arranging, but the camp counselors wouldn't let him, because, they said, those activities were for girls only. Derfner, just to be contrary, embarked that very day on a solemn and sacred quest: to become the gayest person ever. Along the way he has become a fierce knitter, an even fiercer musical theater composer, and so totally the fiercest step aerobics instructor (just ask him--he'll tell you himself).

In "Swish," Derfner takes his readers on a flamboyant adventure along the glitter-strewn road from fabulous to divine. Whether he's confronting the demons of his past at a GLBT summer camp, using the Internet to "meet" men--many, many men--or plunging headfirst (and nearly naked) into the shady world of go-go dancing, he reveals himself with every gayer-than-thou flourish to be not just a stylish explorer but also a fearless one. So fearless, in fact, that when he sneaks into a conference for people who want to cure themselves of their homosexuality, he turns the experience into one of the most fascinating, deeply moving chapters of the book. Derfner, like King Arthur, Christopher Columbus, and Indiana Jones--but with a better haircut and a much deeper commitment to fad diets--is a hero destined for legend.

Written with wicked humor and keen insight, "Swish" is at once a hilarious look at contemporary ideas about gay culture and a poignant exploration of identity that will speak to all readers--gay, straight, and in between.

About Joel Derfner:

Joel Derfner graduated from Harvard with a degree in linguistics. His work for the musical theater has been produced in London, New York, and various cities in between. He’s also the author of “Gay Haiku”. He lives in New York City.

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Books Inc. is a locally owned and operated independent bookseller with 10 locations in California. Books Inc.’s origin dates back to the Gold Rush Days of 1851 when Anton Roman struck it rich in Shasta City, California and set himself up in business selling books. That small bookstore was moved, bought, sold, burned, rebuilt, renamed and became Books Inc., as we know it today, in 1946.

Today, with 10 Stores and 200 employees, Books Inc. serves as a shining example that independent bookselling can survive and prosper, even if we must dance among the elephants.

This Event is Free at Books Inc. 2275 Market St. San Francisco 94114
For Questions: - 415.864.6777
on the web at www.booksinc.net and
www.myspace.com/booksinccastro

Official Website: http://booksinc.net/NASApp/store/IndexJsp?s=storeevents&eventId=374706