Chad Frame: “This month marks the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Earlier this week, I was invited to read a poem at my county’s pride flag raising ceremony, and I felt the need to write something to commemorate the occasion. I live in a small town in suburban Pennsylvania, and growing up here as a gay man, I never thought I’d see the day when an event like this would be held, let alone be invited to participate. But when I was sent the prepared remarks of the Commissioners beforehand, and saw that there were repeated references to the ‘Stonewall Riots,’ I knew I needed to address it, even if it ruffled some bureaucratic feathers. Veterans of Stonewall have repeatedly stated that they prefer the term ‘uprising’ or ‘rebellion.’ And so, at the end of the ceremony, when it was my turn to speak, I read this poem. And later, when the local news reported on the event, they used the right terms. Every education and breakthrough is a victory, no matter how small.” (web)
Chad Frame: “I wanted to chronicle different aspects of the process of my father dying, from terminal diagnosis to paperwork to day-to-day feeding him in hospice. Writing about what was happening was honestly the only thing that got me through it, and I hope it can be helpful in some way to anyone going through something similar. It was an awkward time, yet beautiful in the way a relationship between an only child, introverted, gay poet son and a divorced, alcoholic, disabled Vietnam veteran father can be. When it was over, I was left with a pickup truck, two Purple Hearts, a box of ashes, a triangularly folded flag, and a stack of poems. I’m not sure which I treasure most.”
