Latest news with #Less
Associated Press
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
How groundbreaking gay author Edmund White paved the way for other writers
NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Sean Greer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, remembers the first time he read Edmund White. It was the summer of 1989, he was beginning his second year at Brown University and he had just come out. Having learned that White would be teaching at Brown, he found a copy of White's celebrated coming-of-age novel, 'A Boy's Own Story.' 'I'd never read anything like it — nobody had — and what strikes me looking back is the lack of shame or self-hatred or misery that imbued so many other gay male works of fiction of that time,' says Greer, whose 'Less' won the Pulitzer for fiction in 2018. 'I, of course, did not know then I was reading a truly important literary work. All I knew is I wanted to read more. 'Reading was all we had in those days — the private, unshared experience that could help you explore your private life,' he said. 'Ed invented so many of us.' White, a pioneer of contemporary gay literature, died this week at age 85. He left behind such widely read works as 'A Boy's Own Story' and 'The Beautiful Room Is Empty' and a gift to countless younger writers: Validation of their lives, the discovery of themselves through the stories of others. Greer and other authors speak of White's work as more than just an influence, but as a rite of passage: 'How a queer man might begin to question all of the deeply held, deeply religious, deeply American assumptions about desire, love, and sex — who is entitled to have it, how it must be had, what it looks like,' says Robert Jones Jr., whose novel above love between two enslaved men, ' The Prophets,' was a National Book Award finalist in 2021. Jones remembers being a teenager in the 1980s when he read 'A Boy's Own Story.' He found the book at a store in a gay neighborhood in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, 'the safest place for a person to be openly queer in New York City,' he said. 'It was a scary time for me because all the news stories about queer men revolved around AIDS and dying, and how the disease was the Christian god's vengeance against the 'sin of homosexuality,'' Jones added. 'It was the first time that I had come across any literature that confirmed that queer men have a childhood; that my own desires were not, in fact, some aberration, but were natural; and that any suffering and loneliness I was experiencing wasn't divine retribution, but was the intention of a human-made bigotry that could be, if I had the courage and the community, confronted and perhaps defeated,' he said. Starting in the 1970s, White published more than 25 books, including novels, memoirs, plays, biographies and 'The Joy of Gay Sex,' a response to the 1970s bestseller 'The Joy of Sex.' He held the rare stature for a living author of having a prize named for him, the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction, as presented by the Publishing Triangle. 'White was very supportive of young writers, encouraging them to explore and expand new and individual visions,' said Carol Rosenfeld, chair of the Triangle. The award was 'one way of honoring that support.' Winners such the prize was founded, in 2006, have included 'The Prophets,' Myriam Gurba 's 'Dahlia Season' and Joe Okonkwo's 'Jazz Moon.' Earlier this year, the award was given to Jiaming Tang's ' Cinema Love,' a story of gay men in rural China. Tang remembered reading 'A Boy's Own Story' in his early 20s, and said that both the book and White were 'essential touchpoints in my gay coming-of-age.' 'He writes with intimate specificity and humor, and no other writer has captured the electric excitement and crushing loneliness that gay men experience as they come of age,' Tang said. 'He's a towering figure. There'd be no gay literature in America without Edmund White.'
Scotsman
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Patrick Grant named as Queen Margaret University's new Chancellor
Patrick Grant, the designer, entrepreneur, writer, and advocate for sustainability and sustaining communities, is to be the next Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, (QMU) Edinburgh. The Chancellor is the ceremonial head of the University, presiding over graduation ceremonies and performing an ambassadorial role. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A prominent figure in the British fashion industry, Patrick has become a household name through his role as a judge on one of BBC One's favourite shows, 'The Great British Sewing Bee'. However, his TV success is based on extensive recognition of his dedication to traditional craftsmanship and sustainable practices. As founder of the social enterprise Community Clothing, Patrick is an advocate for sustainability and building strong communities through entrepreneurship. Brought up in Edinburgh, he has developed an international reputation as a champion of UK textile manufacturing, supporting local communities while producing high-quality, long-lasting garments. His book 'Less', which was published in 2024 and is a Sunday Times Bestseller, details his commitment to reducing consumption and embracing circular, regenerative fashion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Over the past two decades, Patrick has built a distinguished career in the fashion industry – working with global brands including Cartier, Rolls-Royce, BMW, Barbour, and Alexander McQueen, and always advocating for craftsmanship and quality. He revitalised Savile Row tailor Norton & Sons, relaunched men's tailoring brand E. Tautz - winning Menswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards - and led Debenhams' most successful designer collaboration with Hammond & Co. Patrick Grant His passion for British manufacturing took a new turn in 2015 when he rescued the historic Blackburn-based clothing factory Cookson & Clegg from closure. This experience inspired him to launch Community Clothing in 2016, a pioneering initiative that has earned him widespread recognition for revitalising the UK garment industry. Community Clothing's mission is to sell exceptional quality everyday clothing at a fraction of the price of other premium brands and, by making all its clothing in the UK, sustaining and creating jobs and helping to restore local economic prosperity and pride. Beyond fashion, Patrick is a familiar face on television. In addition to the 'The Great British Sewing Bee', which was nominated for a BAFTA in 2022, he has presented the award-winning documentary 'Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King'. He has appeared on BBC Radio 4's 'Desert Island Discs', won BBC One's 'Celebrity Mastermind', and written extensively for publications including The Financial Times, The Times, and GQ Magazine. Patrick has strong connections with Edinburgh, where he grew up and where Queen Margaret University is based. With family still living in the city, he continues to be a regular visitor to the Scottish capital. Having been educated in both Edinburgh and Barnard Castle, Patrick went on to study a degree in Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Leeds, followed later by an MBA from the University of Oxford. He holds honorary fellowships at a number of universities. He is an ambassador for The King's Foundation, which works globally to create sustainable communities through placemaking projects and practical education programmes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pamela Woodburn, Chair of the Court of Queen Margaret University said: 'Patrick's career and achievements resonate strongly with the University's strong social justice ethos, and with our commitment to building strong communities and acting as a force for good. He is someone who uses his intellect, skill and passion to solve problems, most notably in his work building community wealth through revitalising the UK garment industry, and in his promotion of sustainable consumption. Taking up his post during Queen Margaret University's 150th anniversary, his story mirrors that of our founders, who, to quote an old motto of our institution, acted 'with head, heart and hand' in creating our institution to deliver practical solutions tackling social and economic problems.' Patrick's example of combining entrepreneurialism, skill and people-focused thinking to build thriving communities aligns with QMU's purpose of shaping a better society through teaching and research in health and rehabilitation, education and social science, the creative industries, and sustainable business. Patrick will be installed as Chancellor at the first of QMU's 2025 graduations on 7 July 2025 at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
How you can help stop animal abuse
CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) — After a number of recent pet abuse cases have broken hearts across the Valley, local agencies are teaming up to host trainings that could help put a stop to the abuse and neglect. Angels for Animals and the Columbiana County Humane Society have come together to host an animal abuse investigation training. 'I don't know what it's going to take to stop it, but it just if every person involved in some small way, I think we could put a little more of a dent in it,' said Sarah Underwood, board president of the Columbiana County Humane Society. The training comes from a desire to bring animal authorities, law enforcement, and your everyday people together to better help the animals of Mahoning and Columbiana counties. The course will cover the standards for animal neglect and cruelty, common problems of investigating animal crimes, and understanding the mandatory probable cause hearing. 'Any time you see any sort of animal abuse, anything you don't like the look of, see something, say something,' said Diane Less, founder and president of Angels for Animals. 'It's a living and suffering being, it should not be subjected to cruelty or any kind of suffering. It's not fair to them and it's not right.' For law enforcement officers looking to attend, the training is OPOTA-certified. It will feature attorney Jeffrey Hollard, who has served as a special prosecutor for animal cruelty cases in the state for more than 50 years. He'd also hosted a training back in 2016 that Less said was very successful. 'The people that came really liked it, they really learned a lot,' Less said. The cost is $100 for attorneys and judges, or $25 per person for law enforcement officers or employees with a humane agency. Those who aren't looking for a certification can join for no cost, but you must still register by contacting Sarah Underwood at 330-853-5424. 'We appreciate everybody's support as we've been in our transition phase. We know not having a humane agent has put a tax on our dog pound, and Angels for Animals has taken some cases for us, and, you know, it's tough,' Underwood said. 'But we appreciate that everyone has stuck by us with our monetary donations. It has helped us with what we have in our shelter, and just, we appreciate it. Our community has been wonderful through all this.' 'This is an awesome community,' Less agreed. 'All of this exists through private donations. It's for, by, and with the community. That's what makes it a better place for animals, and people, too.' The training will be held at Angels for Animals Andrews Hall from 1-4 p.m. Friday, May 30, at 4750 W. South Range Road. To register, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Breakfast fundraiser goes toward controlling cat population
CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – Bacon was sizzling Saturday morning at Angels for Animals in Canfield for its Valentine's Day Pancake Breakfast. Those who attended also enjoyed pancakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes and pastries. There was a basket raffle and a 50/50 drawing. One of the shelter's founders, Diane Less, says the pancake breakfasts benefit their Feline Fix Fests. Less says those are important to have because of overpopulation. 'All year last year, we fixed 5,000 cats for $20. That's a remarkable amount of work, and a lot of cats that didn't have to be born just to suffer and die. There's 30 cats for every home still,' she said. Angels for Animals will be hosting another pancake breakfast on March 8. Tickets will be $12. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
