[Staglevision] alumnus, pioneer

Dear friends and readers,

Last October, I flew up to Stanford to film an "It Gets Better" video for the LGBT alumni group, Stanford Pride. It was Reunion Weekend, and the group was hosting a reception to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stanford's Gay People's Union (GPU). Founded in 1971, the GPU was one of the first LGBT campus organizations in America.

I spent the weekend interviewing twenty LGBT alumni. I interviewed Maud Nerman, founder of the GPU, who wrote articles about being a lesbian in the campus newspaper in the early 70s. I interviewed Zoe Dunning, who fought courageously against DADT. I interviewed Carly Smolak and Claire Lussier, who recently bought a house and got engaged.

Recorder of stories, listener, documentarian: this is the role I'm most comfortable in. It's rare to be given someone's confidence like this, and I felt a tremendous respect for these early pioneers. They made progress with their courage. Their Stanford was not the Stanford they left behind. Opinions shifted because of their efforts. They made things better.

Stanford Pride: It Gets Better

http://vimeo.com/steventagle/itgetsbetter

Browse all 5 Stanford Pride videos
http://vimeo.com/album/1839967

Now that this project is finished, I've returned to work on my novel. The first few days were tough. Every time I sat down to write, I felt like I was hitting my head against the rubber surface of it, my words flying back in my face. But now I feel like I'm chipping away at it, and at least some of the words I jot down stick to the page. I've been writing every day.

I'm enjoying life at home, spending time with my parents and teachers, and making my own schedule.

Here are some photos of my Room/Library/Workspace

https://plus.google.com/photos/101290050225516519994/albums/5695026967304290753?authkey=COaxrtn7zKL2wgE

Till soon,
Steven

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[Staglevision] thank you, LA

Dear friends and readers,

It's official. In two weeks, I'm leaving my job, leaving my apartment, leaving LA...to move home and finally finish my novel. Living in LA has nurtured me creatively and helped me develop my voice to a point where I feel confident that I can write the book I set out to write. I'm excited for what next year will bring as I finish this draft, begin the submission process, and apply to fiction MFA programs.

Thank you all for encouraging me to follow my dreams, for challenging me, and for helping me grow as a writer and a human being.

And for those of you in LA, how about one more round of Sprites and ammo this Saturday, December 17 at the Arsenal?

Drinks @ The Arsenal
Saturday, December 17 at 8:00pm
The Arsenal
12012 W. Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
https://www.facebook.com/events/131667866945971

Hope to see you there,
Steven

P.S. A friend's house recently caught on fire. Then something miraculous happened.
Here's the video: http://vimeo.com/steventagle/koran

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[Staglevision] living in the tin house

Dear friends and readers,

It's been a week since I returned from the Tin House Summer Writer's Workshop, but sometimes I still catch myself wondering what afternoon lectures I'll be attending, what sugared treats await me on the dining hall dessert cart, what creative cuss words Dorothy Allison will scream out next.

Call it denial, but it feels more like a high that refuses to fade. That week in Portland, Oregon was a pure delight. Once my "ride friends" and I arrived at Reed College, it was easy to forget everything else. The green, wooded campus was a self-contained world. It was just us and the middle school math campers in their multicolored sarongs.

Our daily schedules were packed with events: morning lectures, two-hour workshops, afternoon panel discussions, agent and editor meetings (daunting at first, but surprise! they're human). Then, in the evening, we'd gather in Reed's outdoor amphitheater on the creek for cocktails and faculty readings (occasionally interrupted by intrepid joggers, and once, a saucer-eyed kid on X).

One night, a group of us explored downtown Portland. Another night, we held a guerrilla reading in our dorm's third-floor common room. At the end of the week, there was a dance party that lasted from 9pm until the airport shuttle picked us up at 4am...

My novel workshop with Jonathan Dee contained writers of diverse ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. I developed a reputation as a constant snacker, my messenger bag overflowing with napkin-wrapped baked goods. It was really productive to be in a group where everyone was working on a novel. We struggled with similar questions: Should you frame narratives set in the past? How much does a reader need to be 'grabbed' or 'hooked' on page one? What is the balance between lyricism and abstraction?

I workshopped 25 pages of my novel, beginning with the scene where Sy shapeshifts for the first time. The feedback I received was really encouraging and constructive; it not only resolved some of the stylistic doubts I had while writing those pages, but also explained why I'm having difficulty with the scene I'm currently writing. Ben's failure to react to Sy's initial transformation is, I think, what has made it so difficult to write the scene where they confront each other the next day. I've been writing backwards, trying to figure out exactly what Ben saw/heard/felt the night before.

I'm back in the real world now, fighting for time to write in a world that conspires to keep me from writing. At Jonathan's suggestion, I'm continuing my education by reading all the Paris Review interviews with famous writers from 1950 to the present. In one interview, Robert Stone said, "[Writing is] goddamn hard. Nobody really cares whether you do it or not. You have to make yourself do it." In that respect, Tin House was such a gift because everyone cared. Everyone understood how hard it was.

One important idea that our instructors reiterated throughout the week: good writing takes time. There are writers who have spent 10 to 20 years working on their novels. So take the time you need to get it right. Give yourself that permission, and don't beat yourself up about it. Don't rush the work. Agents and editors will still be interested one year, two years down the road.

I know I'll forget this later, so I wanted to say it here.

Till soon,
Steven

P.S. Here are some photos from the week!
https://picasaweb.google.com/steventagle/TinHouseWritersWorkshop?authuser=0&feat=directlink

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Morning Research: Jumbo Tex 60

Super Jumbo Tex 60 Minute is the industry's leading 60 Minute
weather-resistive building paper, with an unmatched track record of
performance in the field. It is a member of the Jumbo Tex product line
that has been chosen by builders and architects to protect over five
million homes and commercial buildings from the problems caused by water
intrusion and excessive moisture.

http://www.fortifiber.com/super_jumbo_tex.html#

Afternoon Research: Is My Kid Smoking Pot? (.com)

The essential site for concerned parents--

Introduction: Is my kid smoking pot?
Chances are, if you've found this website, you're already asking yourself, Is my kid smoking pot? Rummaging through their personal belongings without anything more than parent's intuition will immediately alienate you from your teenager. With a better understanding of the signs, paraphernalia, and activities of a typical pot-smoker, it may be easier to relate to your teenager about their use of marijuana and approach him or her for a discussion. Our website incorporates the experiences of former teenage marijuana users in an attempt to provide parents with enough current information to be credible. This website is dedicated to providing a realistic, up-to-date look at the signs, symptoms, and possible proof that may answer the question once and for all, is my kid smoking pot?

http://www.ismykidsmokingpot.com/

[Staglevision] on the land: the lambda literary writers' retreat

Dear friends and readers,

Like other fellows, I've had difficulty verbalizing how much the Lambda Literary Writers' Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices meant to me and to my writing.



I should start with a confession: before the retreat, I had my reservations about "Gay Writers' Camp." I've never really felt comfortable in mainstream gay culture. I don't parade my sexuality; I avoid West Hollywood clubs. I worried that the retreat would sacrifice craft for community, that celebrating queer identity would take precedence over the work itself. And I worried about putting myself out there. Would I be comfortable in an environment where my sexuality was such a salient issue? Would I fit in with the other queer writers? I'm a shapeshifter. Passing is my default, my defense.

Well, I quickly discovered that I didn't need to pass. Not here. As we went around the room sharing why we were here, so many of the writers' responses resonated with what I felt. They were here to reenergize their writing, to gift themselves time and space to write. They were looking for community to make the writing hours bearable and readers who wouldn't ask, "Now, by 'topping,' do you mean ice cream?" They wanted writing to be less painful. They wanted reassurance that they were "serious writers."

They knew me. They were like me. I felt so relieved and so grateful. For the first time, we were the majority. We queer writers defined the norm.



We were a diverse group. People of all ages, races, and genders united by a burning desire to write, to have our voices heard. We were DJs and academics, astrologists and former strippers. We were late bloomers. We had cool tattoos. We were fierce and spunky and hilarious and smart. The other fellows nudged me out of my shell. They asked me questions about my novel, teased me for lugging my tea stein to every class. Not only were the 32 other fellows extraordinarily talented, but they also amazed me with their sensitivity and understanding. For once, I could just be myself. And for someone who never felt quite at home in the queer community, this felt so supportive and safe. It was home.

That week in the hills of Bel Air was as thrilling and expansive as the first quarter of college. High above the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, I felt completely, refreshingly disconnected from my day-to-day concerns. Despite our packed schedule, the atmosphere was relaxed, everyone wagging their tails. We bonded in the dining hall over Raymond Carver and cold cuts, worked and laughed on the couches in the "Stud" Center. Friendships came easy: writing was our common language, authors our shared heroes and forebears. After readings, we drank beer (or tea) with our instructors and watched traffic twinkle up the 405. We danced in our dorm rooms. We giggled outside until 4 a.m. We shared anxieties about our work, composed impromptu poems in the computer cluster. Our conversations inevitably returned to writing. (And we took lots of photos!)



Our fiction workshop was rigorous. From 9 a.m. to noon, we sat in a windowless room around five tables that we dragged into a pentagon. Our instructor, Nicola Griffith, tailored the workshop to best serve our needs. Sacrifice craft for community? Not on her watch. On day one, she gave us a crash course in narrative grammar, point of view, dialogue, and story arcs. On day two, we began workshopping our writing samples. It wasn't always pretty; one by one, our samples were broken down so they could be built back up. Stopwatch in hand, Nicola kept us humble and succinct.

On the final day of class, she rallied us with these words:

You are the chosen few. The next generation of LGBT writers. The new queer fiction tradition starts right here, right now when you leave this room. You dozen are the Knights of the Pointy Table. You will lead the charge. Where will you take your people?

Being queer and being a writer are two identities that aren't easily disentangled. The retreat celebrated both. We wrote about our lives; we wrote to save lives. I left the retreat with a greater affinity to my community, and also a greater sense of responsibility.



As you all know, I've been working on my novel since graduating from Stanford. Four years now. And there are times when it's been murder. Times when I've sat in my room, unable to string words into a sentence, wondering, "How many more years?"

Not only did the Lambda retreat renew and empower me, but it reignited my passion for the novel. Nicola and the other fellows helped me remember what I loved about my book. What the novel could be, its possibility and promise. "Your characters haunted me," they said. They called my first chapter "evocative," "poetic," and "gutsy as hell." After I read Simon's transformation scene on Friday night, their excitement fueled me with a sense of urgency. This was a story that needed to be told, and only I could tell it. I left with a mission: Continue writing. Lead the charge.

Thank you to the Lambda Literary Foundation for this life-changing opportunity, and to the instructors and my fellow writers for giving me the tools, affirmation, and support I needed to keep going.

Love,
Steven



--
Video - Steven Tagle reads an excerpt from Encantado

Photos - 2010 Lambda Literary Writers' Retreat

Fiction instructor Nicola Griffith's recap

My reading is tonight!

Dear friends and readers,

The excerpt's been chosen, the restaurant reserved, and everything is ready for tonight. I can't wait to see all you guys for my first official reading since moving down to LA.

A few last minute notes:
--We'll be out on the patio, so bring a sweater.
--I'm reading last, so if you think you might be a little late, that's ok. Still come!

Reading Special:
Preorder Spork 9.1 and receive ENCANTADO, Chapter 1 at http://steventagle.com/store

After the reading, join me across the street for appetizers (sweet potato fritters, calamari, cheese and charcuterie) and drinks (Sprite or stronger!) at the charming Allston Yacht Club.

Homo-Centric Reading Series @ Stories Books and Cafe
Thursday, March 18 at 7:30pm
Stories Books and Cafe
1716 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
213-413-3733
http://storiesla.com

Afterparty @ Allston Yacht Club
Thursday, March 18 at 9:30pm
Allston Yacht Club
1320 Echo Park Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
213-481-0454
http://allstonyachtclub.com

Thank you everyone for your support. I can't wait for tonight!

Best,
Steven

Morning Research

search=man's boots

Open Fracture Produced by Missile

Stumbled upon these interesting diagrams while breaking Ben's leg.

Revision

The first draft is hacking a path through the jungle. The second draft is paving the road so that others can pass.

God Has Returned to Cerro Vista

After a year away, I've finally begun revising my novel again.
Nothing will stop me now.

Saturdays in the Office

What I like:

• setting my own hours
• wearing shorts and t-shirt, sunglasses until the elevator
• blasting Ratatat and dancing
  
• eating food from the kitchen without being judged
• telling my sister I'm in the office on a Saturday
  
• working on my novel
  

Life Updates

Dear friends,

Hope you are doing well! Here are a couple life updates and my new contact information:

1. Summer Recap: New York, NorCal, Maui / Photos
2. Book and Movie Recommendations
3. Living, Working, and Writing in LA
4. Blog Launch: blog.steventagle.com
5. New Contact Information

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Summer Recap: New York, NorCal, Maui / Photos

This summer, I spent lots of time traveling and hanging out with the people who meant the most to me. After graduating from Stanford in June, I spent a month in Saratoga Springs at the New York State Summer Writer’s Institute. I studied fiction under bestselling authors like Rick Moody and hung out with gifted Stanford writers Alicia Dennis, Annie Wyman, and Ly Chheng. Meanwhile, I lived in a charming apartment with Krystle Nowhitney, who introduced me to the pleasures of Saratogan life and helped me solve practical mysteries like how to shop for groceries, how to clean an apartment, and how to live on $100 a week. And, amazingly, Paco Torres came to visit!

After my writing program finished, I spent 10 days in New York City with Catherine Ho, Barrett Sheridan, and my parents. We checked out New York’s food offerings, its secret clubs, and best of all, Broadway! I saw a Broadway show every day I was in NY. My favorites were SPRING AWAKENING, LEGALLY BLONDE, and RENT. I also stopped at B&H Photo and Video so that I could make an important purchase: a new HD video camera, the Canon HV-20.

With my new camera in tow, I drove up to NorCal for a week-long roadtrip. Shamala Gallagher and I visited Professor Tallent and her family in Fort Bragg. We scoped out the dock for fresh albacore tuna, walked the pristine beaches, hiked up to a pygmy forest (a first for me!), and relaxed in the Mendocino Spaworks. Then I spent a couple days with friends and family in Stanford and San Francisco before driving to Yosemite to see Jack Loveridge. It was my first visit to a national park, but I wasn’t too impressed. The best thing about it was the clarity of the night sky, a surprise bowling upset, staying up late to talk in the car with the seats reclined.

The last trip I took was to Maui with my family. I’ve never felt so pampered. I was constantly eating tropical fish, reading poolside, and shopping at the wharf. I don’t think there’s anything more luxurious than reading by the pool while hotel attendants come around spooning cantaloupe slices into your open palm. I also became obsessed with spam sandwiches rolled with rice and seaweed. They were sold at the hotel gift shop, and I ate about 10 of them.

Photos:
01 – Krystle, Paco, and me at the world-famous Saratoga Racetrack

02 – Catherine and me in Times Square, NY

03 – Jack and me at Glacier Point, overlooking Half Dome

04 – Lisa Urbanic and me at the Long Beach Lobsterfest

2. Book and Movie Recommendations

This summer, I read 21 books and watched 46 films. Here are my top recommendations from that list:

Books: SPECIMEN DAYS by Michael Cunningham; DISGRACE by J.M. Coetzee; MUSEUM PIECES by Elizabeth Tallent

Movies: LUST, CAUTION; THE DARJEELING LIMITED; KING OF KONG

DVDs: THE SQUID AND THE WHALE; THE LIVES OF OTHERS; ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW

3. Living, Working, and Writing in LA

Since the end of August, I have been living and working in West LA. I am staying in a sweet two-bedroom apartment in the Westwood area with my friends Mike Wong and Katherine Felsburg. Our living situation has been quite harmonious. Mike often prepares delicious meals for us, and we sit around the table (more often the TV) and have meals like a family. Yesterday night we watched LUST, CAUTION at the ArcLight, then this morning we went to the Santa Monica farmer’s market for omelettes. My sister, Camille Tagle, is also back at UCLA for her second year, so the two of us are once more wreaking havoc in the same zip code.

For the past few months, I have been working at the Jim Preminger Agency, a boutique literary and talent agency five minutes from my apartment. I am the assistant to literary agent Dean Schramm. On a typical day, I answer phones, send out scripts, and file papers. When things aren’t too busy, I have time to do a little of my own writing as well. The office is closing on October 31, so I am in the process of looking for a new job.

My writing has been going pretty well. For the past month, I’ve been writing a new short film script called BEAR about a mother and son dealing with grief. Last week, I submitted this script to the BlueCat Screenwriting Lab. I am now working on a new short that links two of my favorite topics: sex and death. In the winter, I plan to finish revisions on ENCANTADO, and spring will hopefully see the first draft of a screenplay based on my novel.

4. Blog Launch: blog.steventagle.com

Welcome to Staglevision, my new blog. I plan to update frequently with film footage, photography, writing, character fragments, quotes, invitations, and random thoughts. This blog will remain operational while my website undergoes renovation. Check out the material I've posted so far. Leave comments on entries you like, entries that remind you of things you’ve experienced, entries you'd like to see more of.

5. New Contact Information

My Stanford email account is expiring, so please note my new Gmail address on the Facebook, effective immediately. My email signature always includes my most up-to-date contact information. Please send me packages, letters, emails, Facebook messages, and IMs, or call me to keep me updated on your life story. I am always happy to hear from you and will gladly reciprocate if you take the effort to contact me. And for those of you living in LA or visiting southern California, call me so we can get together and hang out.

Thanks for all your support. Let me know how you’ve been!

Sincerely,
Steven

A Theory on Writing

That the first draft is a grimy lens through which everything you see is blurry, obscured. In each subsequent draft, you strive for clarity, focusing and refocusing, wiping away the grime until the image is true.

ENCANTADO reading and art exhibition

On Tuesday, June 5 at 6:30 pm, I will be reading from my new novel in the Terrace Room in Margaret Jacks Hall (Bldg. 460, Room 426). The event will also feature an art exhibition by Robert Negrete, the artist who has been working with me to illustrate various moments from the novel. The reading will last approximately one hour, and then refreshments will be served.

ENCANTADO is a coming-of-age novel that I have written as my creative honors thesis in Feminist Studies. The novel follows the adventures of Simon Knight, a young man who develops the ability to shapeshift during his senior year of high school. By engaging feminist theory and the origin stories of mainstream superheroes like Superman and Batman, my novel explores the myths surrounding masculinity and male friendship.

Novel Reading / Exhibition: June 5

Dear friends,

I just wanted to let you know in advance that on Tuesday, June 5 at 6:30pm , I will be reading from my new novel in the Terrace Room in Margaret Jacks Hall (Bldg. 460, Room 426). The event will also feature an art exhibition by Robert Negrete, the artist who has been working with me to illustrate various moments from the novel. The reading will last approximately one hour, and then refreshments will be served.

You are all very special to me, so I would love to see you there.

Please stay tuned for more information as the date nears.

Thanks!
Steven
www.steventagle.com