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The Weekly Readlines April 12
From the Editor’s Desk: Not long ago, when people said, “It can’t happen here,” we believed it. But now it sounds like parents telling their children there’s nothing under the bed just before a claw reaches up and pulls them under. That sound you hear is the crunching of their bones. It can happen here, and it is happening here. The police state has arrived. The American Stasi now abducts people off the street for their ideas, and uses the labels of sympathizer, terrorist or just gang member to obliterate their Constitutional rights. Meanwhile, for most of us our daily lives look normal, as if none of this is happening to us. But it is. All it takes now is calling us gang members, and we will vanish. We will be herded into psychological detention centers, if not literal ones, relegated to pockets of passivity while the United States as a country we recognize is obliterated. Take your pictures now. – Mark
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S STOP STORIES
Trump Tanks World Economy, Cashes In, Tanks It Again
A child this destructive would be sent to a reformatoryCDC’s Cruise Ship Inspectors Laid Off Amid Bad Year For Outbreaks
Washy washy! Bonus points if you know what that meansState Dept Launches “Anti-Christian Bias” Snitch Line
Snitches and witches everywhere nowSocial Security Admin Will Only Communicate with the Public on X
The agency has been taken hostage and no witnesses will be left alive -
A New Goodreads Giveaway! ‘Night Flight to Murder Town: A Marshall James Thriller’, Runs April 9 – 30
For U.S. residents only, per Goodreads
Win 1 of 100 copies of ‘Night Flight to Murder Town: A Marshall James Thriller.’
Marshall James returns for one more walk down murder’s memory lane in ‘Night Flight to Murder Town, Book 4’. Marshall is thinking of leaving New York City with his husband for a new life away from the hectic pace of the nation’s largest city. But how did he get here in the first place? After three stories detailing his harrowing Hollywood past, where lovers, losers, and a serial killer or two nearly ended his life before he could make something of it, he finally tells us how and why he left LaLa Land for Gotham.
It was 1991 and a Christmas card showed up in the mail. An old flame was inviting him to make the move. L.A. had become a ghost town for Marshall and he was ready to get as far away as he could, as fast as a plane would take him. He caught a night flight to New York, and he soon found himself on a new and deadly path to a future he never saw coming.
Money laundering, drug dealing, murder, and high stakes crimes by high-profile people all welcome him with a lethal embrace. It’s an origin story like no How did he end up here? Why did he stay? And is love possible after all that death and destruction? Find out in Night Flight to Murder Town. You’ll need to fasten your seat belts for this one. -
New Workshop Coming in July: They’re Alive! Creating Characters With Lives of Their Own
Character Creation: They’re Alive!Join us on Wednesday, July 30 from 10:00 am – 11:30 am eastern via Zoom ($30)- Limit 6This 90 minute workshop focuses on creating characters with lives of their own, from the protagonist and antagonist to the casual passerby.
Writing is Listening
It Takes a Village
Motive, Means, and Opportunity: No Character Wasted
Who was that masked woman?
Without Conflict There Is No Drama
The Character Biography
AND MUCH MORE!Lean how to welcome a character into your mind and onto the page, with award-winning author and workshop instructor Mark McNease, from the comfort of your desk. This is an online workshop with a 6-person limit.
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Book Review: Poetry Picks for Poetry Month
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezPoetry Books by various authors
c.2025, Penguin $18.99 – $20 various page countsA, B, B, A.
That’s not only how you spell the name of a popular music group. That’s also how a poem might be structured, if it rhymes, or it might be created in other ways. That’s the thing about poetry: it’s all how you perceive it when creating it and reading it. So why not think about putting these great poetry books on your shelf this month…?
When you spend time with poetry, you expect a certain kind of relationship between author and reader. That’s only part of what you get in “The Space Between Men” by Mia S. Willis (Penguin Poets, $20). It might also change the way you feel.
Here, Willis – a poet, historian, and educator – explores culture, Black history, and what it’s like to be Black, Southern, and queer. When those various experiences come together in poetry here, it invites readers to consider the width and depth of the spaces, and their mere existence.
If short but image-fueled poetry appeals to you, this book is worth a good look.
Poetry can take your thoughts in many directions, including thoughts about yourself. If you’re hungry for soul-searching, then try “Is This My Final Form?” by Amy Gerstler (Penguin Poets, $20).
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The Weekly Readlines April 6
From the Editor’s Desk: I attended a ’50 in 50’ protest on Saturday in Frenchtown, NJ (small town, big voice), and a Zoom call on Sunday to revive ACT UP, spearheaded by the Stonewall National Museum and Archives in Ft. Lauderdale. It’s become very clear that we will have to save ourselves and salvage what we can of our many-cultured country as Project 2025 barrels ahead with its destruction. Mediocrity continues to triumph with the obliteration of so many things we care about (libraries, museums, diversity, inclusion, civil rights). It may not be our last stand, but it’s getting pretty close. However … do not despair! Our spirits will never be conquered. – Mark
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S STOP STORIES
Trump Torpedoed The American Economy Before Another Round of Golf
The patient is now in hospiceTrump Blew Off 4 Dead American Soldiers To Hang with the Saudis
He still considers them losersTrump Kills Institute of Museum and Library Services
Making America Illiterate AgainLGBTQ
Heartland Pride Behind On Sponsors Amid Midwest Decline, A Dozen Have Yet To Return
The Government Is Abandoning The Fight Against HIV
‘I Had No Choice’: Tennis Star Kasatkina Leaves Russia Over LGBTQ Rights and War Stance – MSN
Children Of American Service Members Defend Pentagon DEI Policies – Washington Blade
The Global Scientific Community Must Keep Studying LGBT+ Health – Nature
Russia Escalates Attacks On ‘Internal Enemy’ LGBT As It Expands War In Ukraine – Inews
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Hands Off Frenchtown, NJ: Small Town, Big Voice
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The Twist Podcast #290: Corey Kills It, Wisconsin Wins It, and the Fall of the Cadbury Egg
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we salute Corey Booker and the voters of Wisconsin for showing us the way, and grieve the loss of Cadbury Egg’s royal warrant after 170 years. Beyond sad.
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Meet the Members: Author Mark McNease (from the MWA-NY Website)
Mark McNease is the author of the Kyle Callahan Mysteries, three of which have been best sellers on Kindle. His Linda Sikorsky Mystery, Last Room at the Cliff’s Edge, was called a winner by Publishers Weekly. He has released four Marshall James Thrillers, two Maggie Dahl Mysteries, and three books in the horror/supernatural genre under the name M.A. McNease.
Mark has won two Emmys for Outstanding Children’s Program for Into the Outdoors, a television show he co-created that is now in its 23rd year.
Along with being a current MWA-NY board member, Mark is a Certified Guided Autobiography Instructor, guiding small-group participants through the process of thematic journaling. He also conducts workshops in fiction writing and self-publishing. He leads two adult writers’ groups at two libraries (NJ and PA), and a monthly journaling group for New Hope Celebrates, a local LGBTQ community organization
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Mark Goldstein Launches Unlonely LGBTQ Seniors, A Welcoming Community Space
If you haven’t listened to one of Mark Goldstein’s ‘Where Do Gays Retire?’ podcasts (YouTube / everywhere), fasten your headphones! He has a rich archive of conversations with LGBTQ people from around the world … and next door. Learn about the places we live, love and retire.
And now … Mark is launching an online community near and dear to our hearts here at LGBTSr. Community is more important than ever. Check it out, watch the introductory video, and sign up! You’ll also find me, your editor and LGBTSr founder Mark McNease, in the “Buy Curious” section where you’ll see my books and a link to my writing workshops. Mark reminds us we are not alone!
Discover a community where friendship, connection, and belonging come first. Unlonely LGBTQ Seniors is your safe, welcoming space to build meaningful relationships with like-minded LGBTQ+ individuals from around the world. Whether you’re looking for vibrant conversation or heartfelt support, you’ll find it here through our engaging discussion forums, private chat, and live Zoom events that bring our community together face-to-face. It’s more than just a website—it’s a place to share stories, make friends, and feel truly connected. Join us and rediscover the joy of community, every step of the way.
LGBTQSeniors
LGBTQ+ Seniors: You Are Not Alone
Our mission is simple—help LGBTQ+ seniors find companionship, support, and a sense of belonging. Through community forums, private chats, and engaging events, we make it easy to stay connected and thrive at every stage of life.
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Savvy Senior: Navigating Social Security As It Downsizes
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
My local Social Security office was recently shut down because of staff layoffs and large-scale downsizing by the Department of Government Efficiency. All this disruption makes me very nervous, as I’ll be applying for my Social Security retirement benefits later this year. My question is, how are we supposed to get help with our Social Security questions or problems now that our office is permanently closed? What can you tell me?
Anxious Aaron
Dear Aaron,
I’ve been getting a lot of questions on this very topic. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing massive budget cuts and layoffs under President Donald Trump’s administration, which is leading to dozens of office closures and a lot of angst across the country.
Led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), many Social Security experts believe these deep staff cuts could cause interruptions in monthly benefit payments, an increase in improper payments, delays in the processing of new benefit applications and disability claims, and longer wait times for Social Security help.
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Happiness is a New Workshop (Photos)
We just started a 5 week in-person autobiographical writing workshop in Lambertville, scheduled for every Wednesday in April. I love this space, and as a partner with the artists’ collective Soupcon I’m able to use the room whenever it’s available. Look for more in the coming months!
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Updated Workshop Schedule Includes Summer Sessions
All times are eastern (New Jersey) – 2 Hours in most cases
Register at the links belowIN-PERSON WORKSHOPS IN LAMBERTVILLE
NEW HOPE ADULT WRITERS GROUP
CLINTON ADULT WRITERS GROUP
LIBRARY WORKSHOPS IN MAY
SUMMER 2025 SESSIONS VIA ZOOM IN JULY
ADULT WRITERS GROUPS (ONGOING)EVERY 2ND AND 4TH TUESDAY
Adult Writers Group
6:00 – 7:00 pm
Location: New Hope Free Library
93 W. Ferry Street, New Hope, PA
RSVPLAST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH
Adult Writers Group
6:00 – 7:00 pm
65 Halstead St, Clinton, Clinton, NJ
REGISTER AT THE LIBRARY WEBSITEADDITIONAL LIBRARY WORKSHOPS IN MAY
CLINTON, NJ LIBRARY
Self-Publishing with KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
North County Branch Library
Thursday, May 22
6:00 – 8:00 PM
REGISTER AT THE LIBRARY WEBSITE
