Gay poet vows to continue one poem until he dies, redefining endless love

A finite version of Alex Dimitrov’s poem “Love” appeared in the January/February issue of The American Poetry Review. But Dimitrov, a gay poet who also co-writes the popular Astro Poets Twitter account, wants to continue the poem for decades to come.

“Once I started, I never wanted to finish,” he recently told PinkNews. “Of course, I had to because it was going to be published. And then one night I thought to myself, well, isn’t that why we have Twitter? The poem could continue indefinitely.”

“So I made a pact with myself to tweet one line, one thing I love about the world, every day for the rest of however long I live,” he said. “In that way, the poem goes on. And I’d love to write many, many lines for when I’m dead, that I can just schedule to be tweeted out.”

Related: Black, queer poet describes ‘How to Come Out as Gay’ in incredible poem

With the Twitter account @apoemcalledlove, Dimitrov has been adding lines to the poem since the start of March.

Dimitrov explained to PinkNews that he was inspired to write the poem after an audience member at a 2017 reading asked him why poets frequently focus on death and despair.

“I’ve been asked this before but I took it very seriously this time, given the state of the world,” he said. “It occurred to me that the artist has a responsibility to elevate the public spirit, even as they reflect the brutality of the everyday. At least, I myself feel that responsibility.”

Related: Out poet Ocean Vuong awarded prestigious MacArthur “Genius Grant”

Dimitrov told the site that he wanted the reader of the ongoing poem to feel “glad to be alive no matter what,” even amid the current political climate.

”Queer people know how to survive trauma and disaster via love in very special ways — non-normative friendships, non-normative families (I mean culturally non-normative, they certainly are not non-normative to me). I am thinking of course of the AIDS crisis and all the things it taught us. Love for the world is the only way you survive. Otherwise, why hang on when there are so many things in the culture trying to kill you?”

“Like I say in the poem, quoting Tennessee Williams, life is important,” he added. “There’s nothing else to hold onto.”

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Tennis champ Margaret Court says ‘blood of Jesus’ will save her church from coronavirus

Amid the current coronavirus crisis, people around the world are taking precautions.

And then there’s Margaret Court, the tennis champion notorious for her homophobic views.

According to Australia’s 7 News, Court’s church believes the “blood of Jesus” will protect it from the pandemic.

Related: Antigay preacher sued for selling fake coronavirus cure

“We are in agreement that this Convid-19 [sic] will not come near our dwelling or our church family,” Victory Life Centre said in a statement posted to its website. “We are praying daily for you, knowing that we are all protected by the Blood of Jesus.”

(In a Facebook video posted on March 13, however, Victory Life Centre Pastor Marika Court, Magaret’s daughter, told parishioners that antibacterial gel would be available and asked parishioners to stay home if they exhibited flu-like symptoms.)

Related: Antigay lawmaker who mocked coronavirus self-quarantines after being exposed to the virus

Margaret Court, the founder and senior minister of the church, rose to fame as a tennis player in the 1960s and still holds the greatest number of women’s Grand Slam singles wins.

In recent years, she has made headlines for her homophobic views. In 2017, for example, she advocated for a boycott of Qantas because the airline had “become an active promoter for same sex.” And in 2012, she spoke out against “abominable sexual practices,” including homosexuality.

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Debi Mazar, Gavin Creel Say They Have COVID-19

Actress Debi Mazar and actor Gavin Creel say they have the coronavirus. Mazar has tested positive, and Creel has not been tested, but feels certain he has it after being in contact with a cast member who did test positive.

View this post on Instagram

I have just tested positive for Covid-19.I AM OK! About a month ago my entire home(husband and two teen daughters) got an odd bug- Low grade fever,headaches,sore throat,body aches,ears ringing and a dry cough.It cleared up quickly.Seasonal I thought?but it felt unusual/different… Two weeks later,March 15th,I woke up with all those same symptoms but super intense body aches,and 102.4 fever.I figured maybe I got the flu or..Corona? I had had cocktails the evening prior,and smoked a few cigarettes. I figured I had jacked my immune system from having a fun night with friends.I called a doctor/friend to ask if I could get the Covid-19 test on 3/16.He said NO,I didn’t meet the criteria.I hadn’t recently traveled out of the country&I hadnt been with someone who had actually tested positive.I found this kind of a CRAZY criteria for a NY’er as I had taken the subway,gone to the theater,the grocery store,the pharmacy,hair salon,etc.I was the Mom who was trying to prepare the home and get supplies&bleach wipes,dry goods.extra food etc. Because we have Italian family in Italy and we follow the news closely,my biggest panic was why were they not closing schools in NYC &forbidding movement outside the home without permission,like China and all of Europe? Prospect Park yesterday,i hear was jumpin’! A friend told me that CityMD/Urgent Care in my neighborhood had test kits,which appealed to me as I wanted to stay away from the hospital. I went on 3/17.First I was tested for the flu-which was negative.Then they tested me for Covid-19. I was sent home and told to quarantine myself until I had results,which would take 3-7 days(in S.Korea it takes two hours) Well..today is day 5 and I just found out.Im hoping I’ve been through the worst of it already.Its very “morphy”.One day I feel crappy and the next I’m normal.Today my lungs are heavy,but I’m tough. I can breath,and I’m going to heal here,in my own home!My family is under quarantine for 14 days.They have no symptoms.I think we all had it possibly already?Who knows. Anyhow,stay home people!Protect yourselves&your loved ones.Build up your immune systems.Good Luck&God Bless us all! #alonetogether #physicaldistancing #stayhome

A post shared by Debi Mazar (@debimazar) on Mar 21, 2020 at 1:01pm PDT

Wrote Mazar on Instagram:

“I have just tested positive for Covid-19. I AM OK! About a month ago my entire home (husband and two teen daughters) got an odd bug – Low grade fever, headaches, sore throat, body aches, ears ringing and a dry cough. It cleared up quickly. Seasonal I thought? but it felt unusual/different…”

“Two weeks later, March 15th, I woke up with all those same symptoms but super intense body aches, and 102.4 fever. I figured maybe I got the flu or..Corona? I had had cocktails the evening prior, and smoked a few cigarettes.”

“I figured I had jacked my immune system from having a fun night with friends. I called a doctor/friend to ask if I could get the Covid-19 test on 3/16. He said NO, I didn’t meet the criteria. I hadn’t recently traveled out of the country & I hadn’t been with someone who had actually tested positive. I found this kind of a CRAZY criteria for a NY’er as I had taken the subway, gone to the theater, the grocery store, the pharmacy, hair salon, etc. I was the Mom who was trying to prepare the home and get supplies & bleach wipes, dry goods, extra food, etc.”

“Because we have Italian family in Italy and we follow the news closely, my biggest panic was why were they not closing schools in NYC & forbidding movement outside the home without permission, like China and all of Europe? Prospect Park yesterday, i hear was jumpin’! A friend told me that CityMD/Urgent Care in my neighborhood had test kits, which appealed to me as I wanted to stay away from the hospital. I went on 3/17. First I was tested for the flu -which was negative. Then they tested me for Covid-19. I was sent home and told to quarantine myself until I had results, which would take 3-7 days (in S.Korea it takes two hours).”

“Well.. today is day 5 and I just found out. I’m hoping I’ve been through the worst of it already. Its very “morphy”. One day I feel crappy and the next I’m normal. Today my lungs are heavy, but I’m tough. I can breathe, and I’m going to heal here, in my own home! My family is under quarantine for 14 days. They have no symptoms. I think we all had it possibly already? Who knows. Anyhow, stay home people! Protect yourselves & your loved ones. Build up your immune systems. Good Luck & God Bless us all!”

Creel said he has not been tested but believes he is positive for COVID-19 and contracted it while starring in the musical Waitress as another cast member has tested positive.

Said Creel in a conversation with Audra McDonald and Will Swenson on a livestream organized to support The Actors Fund: “I’m feeling okay. I haven’t been tested, but I have coronavirus. I found out because one of my castmates from Waitress tested positive and I have every symptom, but I feel good. I’ve been staying inside. I’ll be inside for the duration.”

The post Debi Mazar, Gavin Creel Say They Have COVID-19 appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Debi Mazar, Gavin Creel Say They Have COVID-19

Nyle DiMarco Thinks He Has Coronavirus But He’s Skipping the Test Because Others Need it More Than He Does: WATCH

America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars champion Nyle DiMarco believes he has COVID-19 but says he has decided not to get tested because he’s on the mend and others need the test more than he does. DiMarco, who is deaf, signed on social media that for 48 hours starting Sunday night, he had a fever, body chills, a sore throat and a mild cough, all of which are symptomatic of COVID-19. Some with COVID-19 have reported not being able to taste or smell. That was his experience too.

DiMarco added that he knew he wasn’t a high risk so he stayed calm and communicated with his doctor and self-quarantined, watching for respiratory issues to worsen, but he is recovering and continuing to self-isolate.

Signed DiMarco: I’d really like to stress the importance of testing. Of course testing is critical and it’s been proven in some countries like South Korea to greatly help the efforts of combating Coronavirus. In a perfect world I would take that test. However, the U.S. lacks enough test kits for everyone. if you are healthy and if you have no respiratory issues I strongly encourage you to be mindful of sick patients and allow them to get tested if they need it more than you do. And please stay home. … We’re all in this together. Let’s do it.”

The post Nyle DiMarco Thinks He Has Coronavirus But He’s Skipping the Test Because Others Need it More Than He Does: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.

Nyle DiMarco Thinks He Has Coronavirus But He’s Skipping the Test Because Others Need it More Than He Does: WATCH