I'm in Chicago and San Francisco Libraries!

Well, not literally, but Bend in the Road is! If you live in Chicago you can find it on this page:
http://www.chipublib.org/search/details/cn/8426503/results/1/
In fact, the Chicago Library seems to be a darn good site for GLBT works. Check out this page:
http://www.chipublib.org/cplbooksmovies/poptopics/lgbthistory.php
I am very impressed.
Go, Chicago!And if you're visiting San Francisco, you can find it here:
http://sflib1.sfpl.org/search~S1/a?Barrack+Jeanne
Hooray for the city on the Bay!

Life Happens

Just a note to those of you who follow my blog. Right now, Steve and I are in a not so nice situation in our life. We're unsure where we're going to be in the very near future.
Any white light and or prayers available would be very appreciated.
Posting will be sporadic at best for a while.
Thanks
Jeanne

Where I'll Be in August

Although August is almost over, I'm going to be a busy bee over the next two weeks.
First up is The Romance Studio's new GLBT Blog The Rainbow Studio Blog on Monday, the 17th.
Next, on Tuesday, the 18th, I'll be over at Lena Matthew's yahoo group taking part in her book a day give away.
Thursday, the 20th, I'm visitng Jeanne St. James at her blog doing some ranting and raving
And then the following week, on Thursday, the 27th, I'll be creating some heat at the Fiction with Friction Blog (try saying that fast three times!)
The month ends up for me on Saturday, August 29th, at Love Romances and More's Blog for their M/M themed month and more romance theme

New Contract for sequel to The Sweet Flag

I am so happy to share that Aftershocks, the sequel that tells the story of Kazvan from The Sweet Flag, has been contracted by Loose Id!
I'm writing my butt off (don't I wish that could happen -- skinny butt d/t writing)to get his story out asap!
And, for those who've asked for it: there's going to be a menage!

Five Stars for Bend in the Road

Doing the happy dance because Bend in the Road received FIVE STARS from Bookwenches reviews!
Here's a snippet (or two ;~D) from Bobby's review:
"The setting and the characters feel as real and as colorful as they would be if they were standing right before us. Ms. Barrack has developed an entire host of personable characters in this novel that will both entertain and intrigue her readers. Not only do we grow to care about the four main heroes in these stories, but we get to know almost the entire theatre troupe. From Onkle Moyshe and Tante Rivkeh all the way to Yuval’s simple sister Ruteleh and the matchmaking Malkah, these are people who will steal your affection and grab your attention as they work, play and squabble together.
"Ms. Barrack has a polished writing style that draws the reader right into the heart of the story. As I read Bend in the Road, I felt completely immersed in the world of these characters. I was so captivated that I barely took a break as I read and definitely did not want to see the end. When I was finished, not only had I been royally entertained, but I also felt like I’d learned something. And that alone would make this novel more than worth the read. Excellent job, Ms. Barrack. Thank you for sharing these stories with us."

Here's a link to the full review
Thank you, Bobby!

I'm Guest Blogging at KZ Snow's Blog!

Tuesday, the 17th I'm over at KZ Snow's Blog, "Dreams Know No Bounds" baring my soul for her interview. Here's the link: http://kzsnow.blogspot.com/I hope you'll drop by.

Bend in the Road - Out today!!

So, my publisher informed me that Bend in the Road went live much sooner than planned!

So, here's the nitty gritty you need to know.

BEND in the ROAD by Jeanne Barrack

ISBN# 978-1-60820-002-3 (print)
ISBN# 978-1-60820-003-0 (e-book)
Released now from ManLoveRomance Press
A dual novella erotic, m/m historical romance anthology
BEND IN THE ROAD, set in Eastern Europe in the 1880s, introduces us to two couples that find safe havens in the insular world of a traveling Yiddish theater troupe. IN THE LION'S DEN brings us Daniel Bercovich, a young man in the first throes of finding his identity. Can the man he comes to love accept a new side to him? Yuval Smolenski finds more than the inspiration for his music, he finds something everlasting in FROM STAGE TO STAGE. These Jewish men in love must deal not only with the stigma of that love but also fear the rise of anti-Semitism. Can their love survive all the forces that surround them?

Available at ARe at: http://tinyurl.com/Bend-ARe

Available at MobiPocket at: http://tinyurl.com/Bend-Mobi

Available at Barnes & Noble at: http://tinyurl.com/Bend-BN

Available at Amazon at: http://tinyurl.com/Bend-Amazon

BEND IN THE ROAD, Guidepost Two ~ Purim

The Holiday of Purim and "In the Lion's Den"
Purim offers religious Jewish children an opportunity to dress up in funny clothes and as the people who are the main characters in the holiday in a manner similiar to Halloween, a holiday not celebrated by more orthodox Jews. After all, Haloween is associated with pagan themes, but Purim -- as joyous and free wheeling as Mardi Gras -- easily fills the need for fun. In fact, one is encouraged to drink until you can't tell the difference between Haman, the villain and Mordecai, the hero. The holiday also offers religious adults an unusual chance to indulge in atypical clothing choices as discussed below.
Here's a very brief description of the background of the holiday.

The Book of Esther or the Megilla of Esther, recounts how the Jews of Persia were saved from destruction. During the reign of the King Ahasuerus, one of his advisors, Haman, attempted to destroy the Jews in revenge for being ignored by Mordecai, a Jew who refused to bow down to him. Given the king's permission, Haman draws lots (purim) to determine the day when the king's soldiers will set upon the Jewish citizens. The date falls upon the 13th of the Hebrew month of Adar.
Mordecai finds out about the decree and approaches his cousin Esther, the king's new queen, to intercede with the king. Esther, who has kept her religion a secret, fasts for three days to gain courage to come before her husband. She speaks out against Haman at a banquet for the king and Haman. Haman is hanged and Mordecai assumes his position. Because a royal decree cannot be repealed, Mordecai sends another decree to all the provinces. This one empowers the Jews to protect themselves from their enemies. They do and overcome the soldiers. The days following this struggle with their enemies (the 14th and 15th of Adar) are declared days of feasting and festivity, and today are observed as Purim.

So, how does Purim relate to my story?
"In the Lion's Den", the first story in BEND IN THE ROAD, is set during the holiday of Purim. The story was submitted for MLR's cross-dressing anthology and the celebration of Purim has long been associated with cross-dressing and other unique issues. When I researched the holiday I found that parodies and entertainment that mocked established Judaism were a widespread component of Purim observances.
I learned that written records of the Purim shpiel (Yiddish for "Purim play") could be found in Europe from the 14th century on. Purim shpiels and entertainments at weddings (as in my second story, "From Stage to Stage") were the sole source of Jewish popular pursuits for centuries. The sarcastic content of Purim plays and the spoofing, cross-dressing, and drunken revelry surrounding them offered an opportunity to explore boundary-crossing matters of gender, sexuality, authority, and relations with the gentile world in a safe setting like the traveling Yiddish theater troupe where crossdressing was common during its early days.
Although there are laws that prohibit cross-dressing, these laws would most likely not prohibit cross-dressing in a private setting or for theatrical purposes. The cross-dressing that appears in "In the Lion's Den" then, would be acceptable. How Dani, the young hero in my story feels about feminine clothing...well...
So, did I surprise you about this holiday?

Bend in the Road ~ Cover Art!

Doing the Hora of joy! My cover is ready!!!

You see before you, Aryeh Nachman from In the Lion's Den. I had to make a decision which of my four lovely lads I would feature and Aryeh sprang to mind because, after all, he's had experience. In the story, Aryeh posed for the real life Simeon Solomon. Solomon was a well known Victorian painter. He was also admittedly gay and Jewish. Oscar Wilde quite admired his work.
I also have my very first front and spine art work! I can't wait to share Aryeh and the boys with the world.

Bend in the Road ~ First Guidepost

A Guide to a Different World...
My dual novella anthology, BEND IN THE ROAD, from MLR Press takes place in a world so foreign for most readers that it might as well be set in a 'galaxy far, far away...'
So, to help prepare you for your journey, I'll be offering guide posts. Each one focuses on a different part of the world of Aryeh, Dani, Yuval and Tsvi. I hope by the time you reach your destination, you'll want to find out what happened to these four young men in their 'different world'.
The Blurb:
BEND IN THE ROAD, set in Eastern Europe in the 1880s, introduces us to two couples that find safe havens in the insular world of a traveling Yiddish theater troupe.
IN THE LION'S DEN brings us Daniel Bercovich, a young man in the first throes of finding his identity. Can the man he comes to love accept a new side to him?
Yuval Smolenski finds more than the inspiration for his music, he finds something everlasting in FROM STAGE TO STAGE. These Jewish men in love must deal not only with the stigma of that love but also fear the rise of anti-Semitism. Can their love survive all the forces that surround them?
The Titles:
IN THE LION'S DEN
I had the names for Aryeh and Dani before the title for the story. I was looking for a strong name for my older hero and came up with Aryeh very quickly. Aryeh means 'lion' in Hebrew and I've always loved the name. Daniel, for my younger man, is also one of my favorite names. It means 'G-d is my judge'. This too seemed fitting since for these men, G-d is the only judge who matters. It was only after I put the two names together and then called Aryeh 'Lionel', an English version of his name, that I realized I had the perfect title for their story from the biblical tale of the Prophet Daniel.
FROM STAGE TO STAGE
Yuval and Tsvi's story took its inspiration from several sources, primarily folk songs, popular music, liturgical music, poems and fairy tales. Yuval's name appears in the Bible in Genesis where he is known as the 'ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe' - a sort of patron of musicians and yes, the name does have a shared root in the word 'jubilee'.
Tsvi's name also comes from the Bible, this time from the second book of Samuel that includes the beautiful lament of King David for the deaths of Jonathan and Saul. The word used to describe Jonathan is "ha-tsvi", translated as 'the beauty', but it also is the word for "gazelle". Tsvi is a very popular name in Israel.
To some scholars, the story of the love between David and Jonathan is something more than comradely, so the name, Tsvi, fit my character perfectly. I referred to this portion of scriptures and other passages in Yuval and Tsvi's story and the names of the pivotal characters revolve around their Biblical source.
The story's title is taken from a Yiddish folk tune my mother used to sing called, "The Singer". The verse says, "The singer travels from town to town and 'from stage to stage'" - perfect for members of a traveling Yiddish theater troupe.
BEND IN THE ROAD
I found my inspiration for the anthology's title from several sources.
One of my favorite poets is Robert Frost. I've always loved a poem of his called "The Road Not Taken". It came to mind immediately because these men made choices to travel down different paths not only in their relationships, but also the decisions they made about the direction their lives would take.
At the time I wrote IN THE LION'S DEN, I had just seen "The Bubble", a gay Israeli movie and in the film there's a scene in a theater where the play "Bent" is being performed in Hebrew. "Bent" takes place during WWII and refers to the gay community during the Holocaust. I had seen this play years ago and seeing it performed again in Hebrew in the film brought back the initial impact.
And last, and perhaps the most personal, I've found many blogs sharing the gay Jewish experience and a phrase from one of those blogs stayed with me. It referred to the bend in the road not being the end of the journey.
For Aryeh, Dani, Yuval and Tsvi the bend in the road was not the end of their journey.

The New Year - So much in store

I cannot believe how much is on my plate for the first quarter of 2009.
First, I'm part of a wonderful anthology, "I Do" in support of marriage equality, to raise funds for the Lambda Legal Fund. All the proceeds will go toward the organization. My story "Finally Forever" is very brief, but continues my goal to write about identifiable Jewish gays, this time in a contemporary setting. MLR Press has graciously and generously offered to provide the publishing and editing for this effort.
Speaking of MLR Press, my single author anthology, "Bend in the Road", will be out hopefully the end of February or early March. Along those lines, I'll be posting regularly during January and February, a guide to the world in BITR.
Also coming out in March, most likely, "A Perfect Symmetry", my sequel to "The Shimmering Flame" will be released by Liquid Silver Books. Several of the characters in this book are gay or bisexual and menages - perfect or imperfect play an integral part in the story. I'm very excited about this one since it continues the story of Brigid, Ethan and Gabe and introduces a new cast of Terrans.

That's just the the first part of the year. In the works are more historical gay fiction, some paranormal, m/f (or m/f/m), a sequel to "The Sweet Flag" and as much as my little fingers can write.

Stay tuned for regular monthly visits from MLR Press authors on the blog!

And the Winner is

Lori!
I'd like to thank all the authors and readers who participated in the Contest. I hope that you discovered some wonderful authors and stories and had some fun along the way.
May all of you have a Happy Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Soltice and just a good Winter!
Jeanne

Glowing Hanukah Lights Contest

Hanukah begins Sunday evening the 21st when we light the first of eight candles. In my story The Game, we meet Dave Harris during a very special Hanukah weekend visit.
The Game will be available on the 19th from Aspen Mountain Press at this link.
Here's the blurb:
Dave Harris is a NYPD vice detective. Single, handsome and straight, with a brand new sexy girlfriend, he shares an apartment with Frank Paterno, his best friend from High School, unaware of Frankie's feelings for him.

Shari Nelson, a freelance reporter is madly in love with Dave, her new boyfriend, but has some secrets that are driving her crazy. Only Marcie Kaplan, her roommate and a lady with a few secrets of her own, knows just how much Shari's little vices are eating at her.

When Dave invites Shari to share his grandfather's cabin in upstate New York for a Hanukah weekend, she spontaneously invites Marcie along for moral support forcing Dave to invite Frankie along as Marcie's date.

Snowbound in the cabin, with no way of getting help and a cupboard more empty than Old Mother Hubbard's, they divert the time playing "Strip Dreidle", a game that will force them to reveal their hidden secrets and desires.

If they're rescued, will they still feel the same?
EXCERPT:
Dave Harris had pulled more than a couple of strings to get off time from work to take this little four-day excursion. The Holiday season was always busy for the police, but somehow he’d managed to get that four-day back-vacation owed him.
He looked down at Shari’s sleeping form sitting in the front seat next to him. A strand of vivid auburn hair screened her face from view. His shoulder ached from keeping still for the past three hours so he wouldn’t wake her.

He sighed.

He’d planned on some alone time with Shari. After a month together, he still knew next to nothing about her other than that she was a reporter for the Brooklyn Bridge newspaper, a weekly rag that focused on news and human interest stories that affected the borough.

They’d met at a crime scene at a club in the Park Slope area. She’d been hanging around looking for a story and Dave had been instantly drawn to her flame-colored hair. He’d always been a sucker for redheads.

When she saw him eying her she boldly walked up to him, handed over her business card and simply said, “Call me”.

He had.

And for the past four weeks they’d gotten together whenever they had free time -- night or day. He smiled. ‘Get together’ was a pretty pallid way to describe what happened whenever they were in the same space.

Sex. Pure, hot, wet, quick, furious, sweaty fucking.

He met her once a week for lunch at Angelo’s, an Italian joint near the precinct. He’d never taken Angelo up on his offer to use the back room whenever he wanted, until Shari. The nooners had become a weekly ritual. His lips twitched as he realized that now whenever he smelled Italian food he got a hard on.

He’d taken her once, standing up against the wall in an alley in back of a snitch’s apartment near where she worked. On the spur of the moment, he’d text messaged her with the address and just one word -- “now”.

Ten minutes later, her skirt was up to her waist, her thong was down to her ankles and his cock was deep in her pussy. She’d come twice with his hand and once with his prick.

When they finished, she kicked off the thong and handed it to him.

“Think of me.”

And she walked back to work leaving him standing in the alley holding the scrap of black lace, her scent wafting from it, his cock hard and aching again.

The rest of his shift had been shot. His hand kept drifting to his pocket, fondling her gift and his mind kept drifting to the image of her walking around the rest of the day bare-assed. Finally, he’d gone into the men’s room and, locking the door behind him, jacked off.

He couldn’t remember the last time they’d had a full conversation. Hell, why talk? She was always wet and ready when he wanted her, no matter when he got off work. After the second week, she’d given him a key to her first floor apartment of the two-story brownstone she shared with her friend, Marcie. He’d crawl into her bed and she’d wake up instantly. They’d make love without saying a word, then fall asleep after. The next morning he’d leave after setting up coffee for her, a little thing that, but it was his way of making a connection outside of the bedroom.

He’d been like a kid given permission to indulge in his favorite wet dream.

But he wasn’t a kid and now he wanted more. More of the kind of relationship that comforted you when people got killed and you came home pissed and frustrated because you couldn’t do anything enough about it. He wanted more than just someone to go to bed with. Yeah, he wanted more.

But more Shari, not more people!

* * * *

Frank Paterno stared at the back of Dave’s neck and indulged in his favorite fantasy.

He was in the shower in the apartment he shared with him. The hot water pounded down on his aching muscles. Steam swirled around his body and his hair fell into his eyes as he rinsed off the shampoo. He squeezed his eyes shut to keep the lather from stinging, and when he opened them Dave stood there, naked, his cock hard and erect.

“Need some help washing your back?”

In his fantasy, he couldn’t speak, didn’t need to speak. He just nodded and Dave stepped inside the stall and shut the door.

He smiled, his hazel eyes crinkling at the corners. He wore his curly, dark brown hair short and it stood up in little swirls around his ears.

Frank wanted to caress those curls, nip his strong neck and feel Dave’s cock deep in his ass.

And in his dreams, he did.

“Turn around, Frankie. Let me get that spot you always miss.”

It was his dream and so he could observe the scene as though watching a movie. He saw himself turn around facing the tile wall, bracing himself for what he knew would come next.

Dave lathered up his hands and sank one lean finger deep inside his anus. Frank swore he could really feel it move within him, driving him straight over the edge.

He watched as he slid down to the slick, ceramic floor and heard Dave’s forceful command.

“Get on your knees and suck me. Now.”

He rushed to comply. Dave was so much more powerful than him. Even in high school, Dave was the one who earned a letter in basketball while he was the math whiz.

Dave’s folks loved to tease him.

“Maybe the stork figured wrong and left the athlete here with us by mistake. Duhvidle could use a little of your brains, boychik.”

Everyone would laugh and Dave’s mother would put another piece of noodle pudding on his plate.

God, he loved Dave’s family.

After high school, it seemed natural for them to share an apartment. Their natures balanced each other’s.

Dave never knew how much he’d agonized over being close to him on a daily basis and not being able to tell him how much he wanted him. He compensated by making sure to pick up Dave’s cleaning and keep the apartment neat. And he fantasized every time Dave shared the highlights of his latest female conquest. Dave had always kept his love affairs sweet and short, but even though he had only been with Shari a month, it was different this time. Dave had never stayed over night at a woman’s home. He had never wanted to get too close because of his job, but now things had changed. He agonized over how long it would be before Dave moved out completely.

He never brought over any of his gay friends, at least not the ones he was fucking. He had female friends who thought it a riot to cover for him. He’d actually once convinced Dave that he was engaged. When the so-called engagement ended, Dave consoled him with beer and pizza and season tickets to the Knicks. They’d sit next to each other at the games and each time Dave would grab him and scream in his face when the Knicks scored, he’d dream that the screams were ones of ecstasy.

He’d milked his broken heart for over a year so he didn’t need to bring home any females. But he’d finally run out of excuses.

He wondered though if he might have guessed how he felt. Every now and then he’d catch Dave eying him, especially after his so-called break-up. Probably not or he wouldn’t be sitting in the back seat of Dave’s car next to Shari’s friend, Marcie.

Time to get back to his dream and Dave’s hard cock waiting for him...

* * * *
And please check out my paranormal story, The Sweet Flag, an m/m historical paranormal romance with unique Jewish characters from Loose Id. And coming early in 2009 from ManLoveRomance Press, A Bend in the Road, about four Jewish gay men in 1880's Europe.

Remember to send an email to borntowrite@writeme.com with the name of my two Jewish characters to be part of a drawing to win a selection of holiday gifts! Your next stop on the Hanukah trail is EM Ben Shaul at this link.

A New Year's Greeting

Monday evening will begin the Holiday of Rosh HaShanah, the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Rosh HaShanah ushers in a ten day period of contemplation, reaffirmation and renewal ending with Yom Kippur.
The following brief opinion from Orthodox Rabbi, Meir Fund, expresses I feel, an appropriate message and reminder for this Holiday season.
"We never heard that a Jew is barred from a shul because he is a sinner. If that was the policy of the halacha, then I hate to tell you I doubt there would be a minyan in any shul. I have to believe that if someone is gay, that that's an assignment from HaShem and that HaShem is somehow also sharing with that person not just the strength to carry out the assignment as best as they can but ultimately it's part of the life purpose of that person to have struggled and worked with that particular issue, among others, to do the best they can. These are the secrets of the soul."
L' Shanah Tovah to all my readers and friends.

Changes

I'm really excited. I'm working with a new web designer for a brand new look for my website. There have been so many changes in my writing career this past year and upcoming changes in 2009.
As soon as the site is live, I'll post the new link!

8 Everyday Words with X-rated Origins

I just had to post this list and the link to the article.
Who knew we were talking dirty all this time? BTW, I urge you to follow the links imbedded in the list. You'll truly add to your enjoyment!
http://www.cracked.com/article_16539_8-everyday-words-with-x-rated-origins.html

"Hey, that plant there is kind of shaped like my balls," is something that you're really not allowed to say in polite society. It wasn't always that way, though.
As it turns out, many of the words you use every day were invented by people who had wieners, balls and asses on the brain. Yes, we're serious. For example:

#8. Hysteria

What It Means Now:
An over emotional reaction, chaos, a Def Leppard album.
The Dirty History:
The term comes from the Greek "Hystera," which means womb or ovary, which also gives us the term hysterectomy. Modern examples of hysteria are mostly riot related, but back in the Victorian era, it was considered a nervous condition for females, caused by their lady-parts. Which, like riots, was stopped with fucking fire hoses.

That image shows the so-called "water massage" that was used to treat the condition. For women who didn't like being shot in the crotch with a jet of high-pressure water, the doctor could use his fingers to create the same mysterious effect, which they referred to as "hysterical paroxysm" before someone explained to them what an orgasm was.

#7. Orchid
What It Means Now:
A type of flower.
The Dirty History:
At some point in history a botanist was looking at what is widely considered to be the most beautiful flower in existence when he noticed that the roots sort of looked like balls.

It's unknown if he held the flower next to his crotch, pointed and laughed, but the observation stuck, and the plant was named for a ball-joke.
The term orchid comes from the Greek, orkhis, which means testicle. This etymology of orchid makes the White Stripes lyrics, "You took a white orchid and turned it blue" make much, more sense.

#6. Seminar
What It Means Now:
A group of experts speaking to a usually bored audience, or a certain kind of intensive college course.
The Dirty History:
Seminar comes from the Latin term, "Seminis" which means semen. This is used figuratively because it is a spawning ground for ideas, although it can definitely be taken literally, according to this porno we saw one time.

Likewise if you ever hear some important person referring to a "seminal" moment or idea, same thing. It's the ejaculation that gave birth to something new.
OK, we admit it also means "seed" but the word comes from Old French. If it's the French we're talking about, which do you think they were referring to?

#5. Venus Flytrap
What It Means Now:
A carnivorous plant that eats flies.
The Dirty History:
The botanists that named it saw the flytrap and realized it looked like a vagina, which is why they added Venus (The Greek goddess of love and sex) to its name.
OK, on one hand, you can kind of see it. The plant is oval-shaped, has hair-like cilia, has a pink interior, and secretes mucilage, which is like plant lube, we guess.
Then, you add in the fact that it probably has mashed-up bugs in it, and has huge spiky fucking teeth, and we have to wonder if this dude didn't have some woman issues in his life.

Actually, the idea of a carnivorous snatch is not unique. Tales of fanged vaginas are so common in different cultures that they have a term for it (Vagina Dentata). They even made a movie about it.
So between the orchid thing and this, we're thinking the botanists need to get out more. What else did those people name after their genitals?

#4. Avocado
What It Means Now:
It's a fruit from Central and South America, and the main ingredient in guacamole.
The Dirty History:
Sure enough, the word for Avocado comes from the Nahuatl (The language of the Aztecs) "ahuacatl" which means testicle, because of its shape. OK, they were clearly stretching at this point.

By the way, the avocado was also introduced to America as the "Alligator pear," but the other name stuck so apparently at the time, balls were more popular than alligators. This is apparently not true now because there are no ads with Michael Jordan drinking "Testicalaide," which would have probably made the slogan "Is it in you?" far less popular.
Guacamole also derives from this origin, with its original definition in Nahuatl being "Avocado sauce." We're sure they were referring to the fruit this time, but we're also sure our next trip to Chipotle will involve imagining a money shot that looks like it came out of Ghostbusters.

#3. Mastodon
What It Means Now:
It's an ancestor of the elephant, like the wooly mammoth, except for one difference, and the reason for its sexy name
The Dirty History:
The difference? The tusks. The term "Mastodon" is Greek for "Nipple-tooth," which is a reference to the tit-like protrusions on the end of the tusks, and the ultimate example of nipples getting hard in the cold.

It really says something about the guy who coined that term. When faced with the enormous skeleton of this strange and wondrous beast, he actually took time to notice the very tip of the tusk looked a little like a titty and proceeded to name the entire creature after it.
On a completely unrelated note, Mastodon fossils have been found throughout Europe and the Americas, especially at Kentucky's Big Bone Lick State Park, which is presumably several miles away from Anal Sex Valley National Park.

#2. Manatee
What It Means Now:
A seal's fat cousin from the Caribbean.
The Dirty History:
The term "manatee" comes not only from the Spanish "manos" which alludes to the manatees' flippers looking like hands (of fate), but also, it comes from the term, "Manati," a Carib word for boobs.

This most likely is a result of the mermaid legends and their association with manatees. After centuries of searching for mermaids to fuck, ancient sailors, like many men today, realized they had to lower their standards, and simply referred to the manatees as mermaids, who as legend has it, have great tits.

#1. Fundamental
What It Means Now:
Basic, or pertaining to, the foundation.
The Dirty History:
Fundamental refers to the Latin, "Fundamentum," which meant ass, which is the body's foundation, since both the basement and the ass is where many people store their unwanted possessions (i.e. "Junk in the trunk"). Or something like that.
Fortunately, this is not well known, as the "Reading is Fundamental" organization would have to explain to children that their slogan does not mean that reading is for assholes.
Thanks to Cynnara Tregarth for sharing this!

The Whitman Excerpt

I couldn't resist putting Walt Whitman into The Sweet Flag. He was one of the most intriguing, enigmatic, conflicted souls of the period. Denying who he was, yet writing such exquiste poetry that can only be fully appreciated when viewed as an expression of homoerotic love.
Whitman appears twice in The Sweet Flag. In this excerpt, we finally find out who the mysterious 'M' was in his poetry.
SET UP: Ron continues to tantalize Brandon with Matthew and deMonde's story.
EXCERPT:
“I forgive you because of your ignorance, but I am growing tired of your attitude toward Matthew.” He paused. “Perhaps you are jealous of him? He was the embodiment of the heroic ideal of that time. In fact ‑‑ listen. One day, Matthew became the object of adoration of…well, I would not wish to bandy about his name.” He smiled slyly, knowing I’d take the bait.
“Don’t fucking pinch me, but you know damned well I want to know who you’re talking about.”
“Since it cannot be proved one way or the other, I’ll tell you what I know. Matthew caught the eye of the great Walt Whitman.”
“No shit?” The light slowly dawned. “Wait a minute. You’re not going to tell me that Matthew was the mysterious ‘M’ he wrote about?”
“So, you have heard of him? You know then that Whitman trolled for boys and young men. Usually, lower class types, but one day he spied Matthew as Matthew was leaving a neighborhood eatery and was struck by Matthew’s manliness. Whitman found out where Matthew lived and deluged him with gifts. Cuban cigars, liquors, fine linen handkerchiefs, cravats, and walking sticks all arrived at his door with impassioned notes of undying love. Whitman created a non-existent love affair. He hounded Matthew to the point that he could not leave the house for fear of running into him. At last, deMonde had had enough. He arranged to meet Whitman at a café in Manhattan in a part of town where neither man was known. He knew Whitman would be there, for he had signed the letter with Matthew’s initial and intimated that he had finally succumbed to Whitman’s ‘courtship.’
“Whitman arrived early, expecting Matthew’s arrival. Instead, deMonde sat down at the secluded table for two and introduced himself as Matthew’s lover. At first, Whitman was disbelieving. It wasn’t until deMonde described Matthew’s body in loving, intimate detail that he conceded defeat. DeMonde’s delineation could only come from one who had seen Matthew naked. His portrayal of Matthew’s physique exceeded the brief look Whitman glimpsed one morning from the sidewalk as he gazed up at Matthew’s bedroom window. That wasn’t good enough for deMonde. He demanded and received Whitman’s assurance in writing that he would never reveal the name of his fixation. When, the next year, a volume of Whitman’s poetry was published, they knew at once that Whitman had adhered to the agreement, but only marginally.”
I stared at Ron, convinced yet still somewhat incredulous. “The ‘Calamus’ poems.”
He nodded.
“You mean Hardesty was the guy who nearly pushed Whitman over the deep end?”
“If you mean Whitman’s melodramatic response to the ending of his imaginary relationship, then yes. Did you know that the calamus plant was often called “the sweet flag” and named after the river god Calamus who mourned for the drowning of his young male lover? Whitman did. Poor Walt always vacillated over his own nature. Why do you think he left the identity of “M” a mystery? It is ironic that he and deMonde met again in quite different circumstances several years later. But that is a story for another time.” He shifted so that we faced each other. “I would rather not speak any further.” He rubbed his cock against mine and smiled. “I would rather use my mouth in a far more enjoyable manner.” He stopped rubbing, holding still while we both hardened in anticipation. He cocked his head. “Silent, again, eh? You are an apt student and deserve a reward. What shall it be?”
I grabbed his hand and curved his fingers around my dick, gripping his shoulder with my other hand. “You know damn fucking well what I want. The same damn thing as you! Fuck me!”
And he chuckled softly. “Good answer. And I will not spare the rod for fear of spoiling the student.”
He crushed his fingers around me and squeezed.
And there was no more talking.