Until recently, it hadn't occurred to me that it could be fraught to describe something as "gentle." But playwright Deneen Reynolds-Knott's lovely coming-of-age romance "Babes in Ho-lland," is just that; gentle.

In this current moment in history, K. Allison Hammer's new academic tome "Masculinity in Transition" provides, a "vision of gender justice in a time of selective care and empathy."

Gay writer and historian Martin Duberman is the very definition of a living legend. His latest book, "The Line of Dissent: Gay Outsiders and the Shaping of History," out this month, compiles a dozen essays with prominent and lesser-known LGBTQ people.

David Bowie introduced alternative sexuality and caught people's attention before many knew about Stonewall. But where and when did his exposure to queer culture happen? Two recent books explore the gay London music scene of the 1960s and '70s.

Cirque du Soleil's "Kooza," opening Jan. 17, features two characters: The Innocent, a naïve young man, and The Trickster, a magical mentor who escorts him on a journey of discovery. Dancer-acrobat Joey Vice shares his experience as the new Trickster.

Our new literary columnist shares a conversation between acclaimed poets Emanuel Xavier ("Love(ly) Child") and Cheryl Boyce Taylor ("The Limitless Heart: New and Selected Poems 1997-2022").

In late 2023, following the 2022 publication of "The Kingdom of Sand," Andrew Holleran's fifth work of fiction, his classic novel "Dancer From The Dance" was reissued in a new paperback edition.

Leo Delibes' "Lakme," Camille Saint-Saens' "Symphonic Poems" and "The Carnival of the Animals," and Francis Poulenc's "Stabat Mater" are among the new recordings of works by French composers.

As 2023 wraps up, there are a few notable books publishing at the tail end of the year, and a few more emerging just as the rainbow wrapping on 2024 is ripped away.

While many of our readers may be out of town for the holidays, we've still got plenty of local arts and nightlife events. Unwrap Going Out, our weekly listings, online this and every week.

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will perform at the Castro Theatre for its annual Christmas Eve show — the last time it will be at the venue before extensive renovations begin next year.

It's not too late to go to a local small business or jump online and order presents that will arrive in time for Christmas. Here's a selection of unique gifts that will provide memorable experiences at the table, on the town and even on your television.

Personal photos, clippings, ephemera and anecdotes from notable friends fill the expansive "Material Wealth: Mining the Personal Archive of Allen Ginsberg," compiled by Pat Thomas.

When the curtain rises on NCTC's camptastic, "Ruthless," even the most jaded audience members will find their outlook involuntarily brightened by the production's screaming unmellow zonker of color-coordinated design.