It’s been an incredible experience. I loved each one.

The last few have been hard. When Cheryl was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in November, we weren’t sure what would change. For a while, nothing did. Then she went into the hospital in April, and she spent three months there, missing the last three shows. They were hard—not just because it was a lot of work and effort, but also because she wasn’t there.

I can’t imagine doing Sideshow without her.

So July will be the last Sideshow. I’ve put the call out to all of those who were scheduled to read through the summer and fall, and if they can they are invited to read at the July event.

I don’t know if there will be more in the future. I do know I have edited an erotica anthology which comes out in the spring, so there will be events for that. I’ve learned a lot about event production, and I do want to continue doing readings, putting people together, bringing audiences to hear queers tell great stories. But I’m not sure I will be running another monthly reading series.

I loved doing Sideshow at the Phoenix. I love the seedy bar, I love that there are only bar stools and no actual folding chairs, I love that there are guys picking each other up in the background, I love the clink of glasses behind the bar, I love the seedyness. It’s different than reading in a bookstore or a queer arts performance space, and I like the differences. I will really miss having a place to read my work every month. And I will really miss Cheryl, especially every time the second Tuesday rolls around.

Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival
Tuesday, July 12th
at The Phoenix
447 East 13th Street at Avenue A
Free sex toy giveaway, 8pm. Reading, 8:30pm
Free! (We’ll pass the hat for the readers)
RSVP on Facebook

Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival
Hosted by Cheryl B. & Sinclair Sexsmith
Tuesday, June 14th
at The Phoenix
447 East 13th Street at Avenue A
Doors, 7:30pm. Reading, 8pm
Free! (We’ll pass the hat for the readers)
RSVP on Facebook

Performers include Kit Yan, Molly “Equality” Dykeman, Sinclair Sexsmith, and Jessica Halem, with special guests TBA. Celebrity guest judges include Shawn Hollenbach and Livia Scott. Hosted by Carolyn Castiglia, this special PvC features musical guest Leibya Rogers!

Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival: POETRY vs COMEDY
Hosted by Cheryl B. & Sinclair Sexsmith
Tuesday, May 10th
at The Phoenix
447 East 13th Street at Avenue A
Doors, 7:30pm. Reading, 8pm
Free! (We’ll pass the hat for the readers)

Read more about the performers on May 10th’s Sideshow.

Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival: Siblings
Hosted by Cheryl B. & Sinclair Sexsmith
Tuesday, April 12th @ The Phoenix
447 East 13th Street @ Avenue A
Doors, 7:30pm. Reading, 8pm
Free! (We’ll pass the hat for the readers)

Read full details about this month’s great readers

Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival – Spring Fever
Hosted by Cheryl B. & Sinclair Sexsmith
Tuesday, March 8th @ The Phoenix
447 East 13th Street @ Avenue A
Doors, 7:30pm. Reading, 8pm
Free! (We’ll pass the hat for the readers)
RSVP on Facebook
Find out more about the readers!

Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival – Achilles’ Heel
Hosted by Cheryl B. & Sinclair Sexsmith
Tuesday, February 8th @ The Phoenix
447 East 13th Street @ Avenue A
Doors, 7:30pm. Reading, 8pm
Free! (We’ll pass the hat for the readers)
Find out more about the readers!

Cheryl read first, but somehow I didn’t snap any shots of her (or of myself) this time. Cheryl did put some photos up on Facebook, though, so you can see more shots of this great night over there.

Casey Plett writes a column for McSweeney’s about transitioning to female, and read one of her pieces for us.

Next up was Shawn Stewart Ruff, who read a piece from his second novel.

I kicked off the beginning of the second set with my “I believe” poem, also known as “Me in a Nutshell”, which is part of my 2005 chapbook Fervor and published on the NPR website as part of the “This I Believe” project.

Najva Sol rocked gold tights and read from her chapbook.

Regie Cabico closed out the night with some of his rockus poetry. We even got to hear his Tina Turner impression!

Stay tuned for February’s lineup, and mark it on your calendar: Achilles’ Heel, February 8th.

I (Sinclair) was supposed to kick off the first set, but the piece about my mother that I’ve been wrestling with all month didn’t come together, so I just sulked in the corner and introduced the other readers instead.

Whitney Porter opened up the night with a short story.

Up next was Heather Gold, who told jokes off her phone and had the audience laughing.

The lovely and talented Cheryl B., my co-host and co-producer, kicked off the beginning of the second set with a piece form her memoir in progress about growing up in the New York area. She did the reading sans her wig and showed off her new bald ‘do.

Elizabeth Whitney and Lea Robinson read together pieces about their childhoods examining race growing up in suburban America.

Silas Howard finished the night with some tales of stealing a guitar in San Francisco.

And fun was had by all, as we ended 2010 with a bang! Thanks all, for reading and for being there.

Mark ‘em on the calendar. Full line-ups TBA soon!

Cheryl B. kicked off the show

Cheryl B.

Tania Katan read a hilarious piece about what it would like to be on the Bachelor.

Tania Katan

Next we were treated to the comic stylings of Jessica Halem, who finished off the set, cracking up the whole room.

Jessica Halem

We took a quick break, then I was up, reading my new butch poem tentatively titled “Advice To A New Butch.”

Sinclair Sexsmith

Finally, after the long intro, Bear and Ivan took the stage and read some of their most famous pieces, including Bear’s “I Know What Butch Is” and “The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You,” and Ivan’s “Butch Roadmap” and “Hats Off To Beautiful Femmes.”

S. Bear Bergman

Ivan E. Coyote

Good times were had by all!