Novelist and Storyteller
" When a fish swims, no matter how far it swims, it doesn't reach the end of the wayer. When a bird flies, no matter how high it fileis, it cannot reach the end of the sky. When a bird's need or the fish's need is great, the range is large. When the need is …
Continue reading "The Museum as Art: Tadeo Ando and Ryue Nishizawa"
The Art House Project in Homura on Naoshima took 6 houses many 100-200 years old and a Shinto Shrine and created art in each. I spent 5 hours walking around this small village in a state of awe. Most of the spaces don't allow photography, so my words are my memory. 1. Imagine a square …
Continue reading "My Words are My Memory: Transcendent Art on Naoshima"
Interview in My Queer Art ALAN LESSIK, SAN FRANCISCO WRITER, INTERVIEW What is your name? Alan Lessik Where are you from? San Francisco What kind of work do you create? Novels and commentaries What do you define yourself as? Or do you not? Why/Why not? Novelist, storyteller and alan of all trades How long have …
In 1996, I had the honor of interviewing the major players who engineered the inclusion of sexual orientation in the South African constitution. Simon Nkoli, Zackie Achmat, Edwin Cameroun and David Botha were among the leaders that I interviewed, each having their own crucial role to play. As I was pulling up the articles I …
Continue reading "Remembering Simon Nkoli: The White-washing of LGBT History in South Africa"
In 1995, I entered this essay in the "Greatest Moments of Pride" Contest in S.F. Frontiers Newsmagazine and was awarded 1st Place. Unfortunately, there are no on-line archives of the magazine from this period. The room fell silent as I slowly walked up to the podium. When I reached the front, I too fell silent …
Continue reading "Speaking Truth to Power–S.F. Frontiers Newsmagazine, June 8, 1995"
I wrote this article for the San Francisco Bay Guardian in 1996 after four trips to South Africa. I had the great fortune to interview the major players in the movement to include sexual orientation in the new constitution. Unfortunately, this article is not currently on-line. The Bay Guardian plans to open up archives of …
Continue reading "South Africa’s Gay Rights–San Francisco Bay Guardian, May 22, 1996"
I rediscovered this article I wrote in 1996 and sadly enough, its last paragraph is true again. "No person shall be unfairly discriminated against, directly or indirectly, and without derogating from the generality of this provision, on one or more of the following grounds in particular: race, gender, sex, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, …
This was one of the last pieces that Dave Robb wrote before his death in November 2016. He was a fantastic editor. A Conversation with Alan Lessik Interview by Dave Robb. On a foggy summer morning in San Francisco, Dave Robb sat down with Alan Lessik over a plate of homemade waffles. Lessik’s debut novel, …
We believe in forward progress, that all will incrementally get better in life. It's a very American belief. We see a straight line ahead moving upwards and cling to this notion. One more time this is an illusion of perfection. That there is only one direction. And when it appears that life does not conform …
Babalú Ayé and Apollo the gods of disease and its cure in The Troubleseeker.
Alan Lessik 