Culture Fiend

Fran Lebowitz. Dan Savage. One Stage.

But is that stage big enough?

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Sep 07, 2011 at 11:30AM 3 Comments

Fran Lebowitz on aging: “At a certain point, the worst picture taken of you when are 25 is better than the best picture taken of you when you’re 45."

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Fran Lebowitz on aging: “At a certain point, the worst picture taken of you when are 25 is better than the best picture taken of you when you’re 45."

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Dan Savage

Got word yesterday afternoon of an odd coupling at Benaroya Hall: Dan Savage and Fran Lebowitz will have a little unscripted chat on March 2, 2012 at 8pm, and tickets ($38–$47) are officially on sale at benaroyahall.org.

You can imagine what they might talk about: Fran was recently the subject of an HBO doc directed by Martin Scorsese, Public Speaking, and Dan has lots going on with the It Gets Better Project. But they could talk about Jane Austen and bedbugs for an hour and I’d be entertained. To wit: a few sample quotes from two endearing cranks (courtesy of a top-notch press release).

Fran on kids
Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he’s buying.
All God’s children are not beautiful. Most of God’s children are, in fact, barely presentable.

Dan on kids
Kids are like heroin, a little heroin addiction. When it’s bad, you’ve never been so miserable, but when it’s good you’ve never been so high.

Fran on “telling the truth”
Spilling your guts is exactly as charming as it sounds.

Dan on “telling the truth”
The truth is often a mixed message.

Fran on herself
Success didn’t spoil me, I’ve always been insufferable.
My favorite animal is steak.

Dan on himself
I waver between a cop-out agnostic and principled atheism.

Fran and Dan’s conversation concludes with a Q&A with the audience—start plotting your questions now.

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Tags: Books & Talks, Celebrities in Seattle, Dan Savage

Dan Savage, Terry Miller Take ‘It Gets Better’ On the Road

The book tour comes home to Seattle tonight.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Mar 29, 2011 at 11:30AM 1 Comments

I remember hearing the news about Rutgers student Tyler Clementi’s suicide last September—how he jumped from the George Washington Bridge after fellow students streamed video of him in bed with another man. I didn’t know his pain, but it still left me raw. He must have felt so alone.

But you don’t need to feel helpless, says Seattle’s Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller. That same month, they created a YouTube video titled, simply, “It Gets Better” (see below), in which they told their own stories about coming out and encouraged LGBT youth to stay true to themselves in the face of bullying—because life does indeed “get better.” The video got more than 1 million hits, and counting.

It spawned the It Gets Better Project, with 10,000 video messages of support coming from people around the world, celebrities gay and straight (Tim Gunn, Ellen DeGeneres, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Silverman), politicians, even President Obama. And on March 22, Savage and Miller kicked off a book tour in New York behind a new collection of essays, It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying and Creating a Life Worth Living. Watch the video below for highlights from the book, which is on sale now. Proceeds go to charities that support LGBT youth.

If you can’t make it to Town Hall tonight (March 29) to hear KUOW reporter Liz Jones interview Savage and Miller about the project, there’s a Portland event scheduled for April 21. Find out more on the Making it Better blog.

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Tags: Books & Authors, Seattle Writer, Dan Savage

Dan Savage to Film MTV Advice Show

He’s talking ’bout sex to college kids around the country.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Jan 25, 2011 at 10:00AM 1 Comments

Dan Savage: Man on a mission.

Dan Savage wants college kids to ask him anything about sex, love, and relationships. ANYTHING. And MTV plans to tape these conversations for a pilot that’s in the works, starring Seattle’s favorite sex columnist, EW.com reported yesterday. Savage already embarked on one college campus tour in 2009, and he’s on the road again right now, bringing his Savage Love suggestions to the University of Maryland on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the openly gay writer will continues his It Gets Better project and lecture series—encouraging teens struggling with their sexuality to persevere—with a talk at Carleton University in California on February 2. You can follow his upcoming schedule on Facebook (facebook.com/dansavage).

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Tags: Dan Savage