Larry Benjamin. Wordsmith. Writer. Author.

I was one of the judges for the 2023 Lambda Literary J. Michael Samuel Prize which Christopher Tradowsky won for his novel in progress, “ Midnight at the Cinema Palace ,” so I was beyond excited when his publicist offered to send me a copy of the now-completed book. I was anxious to see whether the novel lived up to its early promise. Cinema is one of those books—all too rare in my humble opinion—in which the journey—not the destination —is the point. Within its pages, there is no mystery to solve, no star-crossed lovers to root for, no battles to be won or lost. Instead, reading this novel is like taking a meandering train trip across a landscape that is at once known and unknown but undeniably beautiful, in one of those plush 1930s private coaches pulled by a stately gleaming steam engine: you feel relaxed, slightly outside of time. This novel is many things: a love letter to San Francisco and old movies, particularly film noir, and the magnificent palaces they were once shown i...

Today, my husband and I celebrate twenty-eight years of commitment, and eleven years of legal marriage. During our twenty-eight trips around the sun together, during which we witnessed and weathered The Great Recession and the pandemic and Trump's first reign of terror and incompetence. I look back on our journey with gratitude. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather walk through life with. It hasn’t been all champagne and roses—though in truth it has probably included way too much champagne, but I find popping a bottle to celebrate things big and small—even opening a bottle to toast being able to have Sunday morning breakfast together—helps balance the heavier side of life. We have helped and supported each other through the loss of his grandparents, my parents and four dogs. Together we have built a life and an art collection; we have bought—and renovated—two houses, seven cars, rescued six dogs, planted a dozen trees and countless shrubs and flowers; welcomed the birth of ...