Mightier Than the Sword

She spoke for a
moment when everyone gathered in the living room for
speeches and, just as quickly as she appeared, turned and
walked away. “She promised she would speak if
it could be under 30 seconds,” Christopher
joked before speaking of the importance of Lambda, which is
the only organization dedicated to the preservation and
promotion of LGBT literature.

Patricia Neal
Warren, who wrote the '70s best-seller The Front
Runner, was also in attendance, talking at length
about the importance not only of gay books but also of
gay bookstores, a topic Christopher Rice also feels strongly
about.

“A big
part of our visibility is being visible in stores,”
said Christopher, who commented that ordering
anonymously from Amazon.com was a step
toward invisibility. Instead of asking for money at the end
of the evening -- though the foundation was
certainly not going to turn it down -- the
organization asked guests to buy a book from a selected
list at a book seller from another list. Admission to the
event was $65 (students were charged $40). 

Hosting the
evening, Bruce Vilanch kept the mood light and the
crowd laughing. He made jokes about everything from
Sarah Palin to one of the countless dolls that
surrounded guests in Ms. Rice’s house. The event
wrapped up fairly quickly after the speakers addressed the
crowd, and people filed out to find Warren personally
autographing their parting gift, a copy of
Harlan’s Race, the sequel to The
Front Runner.

To become a
member or to donate to the organization, go to www.lambdaliterary.org.