No 142 Summer 2010 $7.75W e’re all been reading about the coming climate catastrophe and how reducing our carbon footprint and ecological impact will help make a difference. Obviously, the folks at RFD have known that “Back to the Land” is the best way forward as we’ve been talking about back to the land movements since the 1970s. Everything from homesteading, alternative energy and building practices to organic gardening and communal living. Now we’re looking for your take on these issues in a political climate which is getting somewhat better about organic food and a vegetarian (or low meat diet), green energy, reducing our energy consumption and living lightly on the Earth. I deas or themes we’d love to hear about for this issue: • Organic gardening -- what’s worked for you? how do you store your produce for long term use? • Local foods–are you a localvore?, do you have a share in a local farm?, are you a local grower? • Diet -- have you gone organic, eating local produced food, or became a vegetarian / vegan? how has the experience been? • Recipes -- what cool recipes have you come up with? • Reducing your carbon footprint -- ride sharing, biking, buying local products (not just food), recycling, living communally • Reducing your energy use -- buying alternative energy, using solar or wind on your property • Alternative buildings - have you built a home with alternative materials (strawbale, mud, timber framing)? what suggestions would you share? • What have you done to better your immediate environment (attend an anti-nuke rally, started / joined a coop, planted trees)? • How do you think these issues tie into being part of the queer movement? How do you feel being gay identified informs the issue of sustainability? I f you are interested in helping guest edit this issue be in touch with Bambi at the email listed below. The deadline for this issue is July 18, 2010. Please try to have it in before the deadline if at all possible. Submissions can be sent to submissions@rfdmag.org– please title your piece within the attached file and if you are sending artwork or pictures please be sure they are at least 300 dpi and 1 megabyte in size. We encourage folks to send in photos, graphics for this and any issue. – RFD Collective Coming in the Fall 2010 Issue … Queer SustainabilityRFD 142 • Summer 2010 Retrofaeries From Dixie Between the Lines The Early Southern Faerie Issue Vol 36 No 4 #142 Summer 2010 I n many ways RFD often acts as a mirror; it re- flects our current experiences, our dreams, and often our past. In this issue, we spend some time reflecting on the experiences of our Southern brothers who worked so hard through the last three decades to create a vibrant rich queer (or as Dimid writes, “quear”) culture. RFD has an obligation to speak, to remember those moments as we create new ones. Some have said, “RFD is the journal of record of the radical fa- erie movement”. I hope we serve as more than that moniker, because the movement we represent in- cludes more than that but I think it also does justice to reflect that many a person associated with the making of RFD has ties to the Radical Faerie move- ment. So a while back we published remembrances of the first national faerie gathering in Benson, Ari- zona. We got a few polite, but piqued emails ask- ing, “Well, what about the early gatherings at Mikel Wilson’s farm, Running Water?” Or someone would drop an email suggesting we talk about how “more if you can, less if you can’t” became a dictum of many faerie as well as larger gay men’s events as a result of LaSIS prompting an early response to classism amongst gay organizers back in the 1970’s. So with a hat full of feathers, I started asking around for who might shed some light on this histo- ry. A number of folk immediately suggested I speak to Dimid Dearheart about LaSIS & through many wonderful phone calls (mostly while I was waiting for an Amtrak train to Saratoga Springs to see my boyfriend) and emails shuttling back and forth over a few months - Dimid collected his memories of La- SIS, Dennis Melba’son and his own early faerie expe- riences at Running Water, Short Mt. and beyond. He also provided us with some lovely poignant source materials from Dennis himself - I feel so privileged to be able to share with the RFD community words from Dennis, a man who touched so many men at gatherings through the Cernnous Shawl which he crocheted and gave to the Faerie community at the second national gathering in 1980. In my early inquiries about Running Water it- self, I learned that Mikel and his partner Doug now live in Georgia. I found Doug’s email and he began sending me scans of early Running Water gatherings as well as amazing reminiscences about Running Water and Gay Spirit Visions, the off- shoot from Running Water which just recently cel- ebrated its 20th anniversary. Doug did a wonderful job culling together interviews and articles about both. It’s wonderful to recount some of the magic of those early gatherings as well as reflecting the fruits that have come from the experience. Lastly, it’s worth thanking Gary for his photos of the stones from Running Water, many of them carved by Michael Mason as a memorial to men whose lives touched the community at Running Water. He took these photos before the stones were removed and relocated to Short Mountain Sanctuary where most of them remain. In amongst all of this the current RFD Col- lective is aware of how many of these men have helped shaped the faerie movement, the gay men’s spiritual community as well as shaped RFD itself. LaSIS members produced a few issues of RFD and Ron Lambe and a small crew at Running Wa- ter produced it until it passed to Short Mountain in the late 1980’s. And scores of the names men- tioned in this issue also have ties to the magazine through the years. It is so fitting that as the new collective starts shifting into it’s own after running the magazine for two years now that we turn, bow, and thank our sweet brothers who helped along the way. Bambi for the RFD Collective RFD 142 • Summer 2010 CONTENTS On the Covers Front: “Angel” by Rob Ordonez Back: “Dean” by Paul Specht Inside front cover: “Mud” by Matt Bucy Inside back cover: FaePosium Faerie by Pan Production Bambi Gauthier, Editor in Chief Myrlin, Prison Pages Editor Jason Schneider, Editor Eric Linton, Editor Rob Goodale, Editor Matt Bucy, Design & Typography Michel DuBois, Treasurer Image Credits Douglas Caulkins ....................6, 10 Edward S. Curtis ......................40 Frank Jackson ..........................9 Gary Briggs ...........................39 Gary Plouff ................2, 14-17, 22, 38 Jai Sheronda .......................32-33 Matt Bucy .............Inside Front Cover Michael Oglesby ..........18-20, 23-24, 28 Pan ............Inside Back Cover, 4, 36-37 Paul Specht ..........Back Cover 29, 34-35 Rob Ordonez .......Front Cover, 30-31, 41 Sigh Moon ............................ 42 Artist Links RFD appreciates the following artists whose work appears in this issue: Rob Ordonez www.redbubble.com/people/BOBBYBABE Wayne Bund / Pan waynebund.blogspot.com Paul Specht www.paulspecht.com RFD is a reader written journal for gay people which focus- es on country living and encourages alternative lifestyles. We foster community building and networking, explore the diverse expressions of our sexuality, care for the en- vironment, radical faerie consciousness, nature-centered spirituality, and share experiences of our lives. RFD is pro- duced by volunteers. We welcome your participation. The business and general production are coordinated by a col- lective. Features and entire issues are prepared by different groups in various places. We print in New England. RFD (ISSN# 0149-709X) is published quarterly for $25 a year by RFD Press, P.O. Box 302, Hadley MA 01035-0302. Post- master: Send address changes to RFD, P.O. Box 302, Had- ley MA 01035-0302 Non-profit tax exempt #62-1723644, a function of RFD Press with office of registration at 231 Ten Penny Rd., Woodbury, TN 37190. RFD Cover Price: $7.75. A regular subscription is the least expensive way to receive it four times a year. Copyright © 2010 RFD Press. The re- cords required by Title 18 U.S.D. Section 2257 and associ- ated with respect to this magazine (and all graphic material associated therewith on which this label appears) are kept by the custodian of records at the following location: RFD Press, 231 Ten Penny Road, Woodbury TN 37190. Mail for our Brothers Behind Bars project should continue to be sent to P.O. Box 68, Liberty TN 37095. Behind the Lines ..........................................................1 Annoucements / Gathering Guide ................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 This issue’s feature: Southern Faerie Roots Report from Faeposium II .........................Kwai ....................4 RFD & White Crane Awarded 2010 Monette-Horwitz Prize ....................Bambi ...................5 The Journey from Running Water Farm to Gay Spirit Visions .............................Douglas B. Caulkins .......7 Jesus and Nobody ................................Greg LeClair ............14 Memorial Stones at Running Water ................Gary Plouff ..............16 LaSIS, Dennis Melba’son and the Early Fey Days .....Dimid Hayes ............18 Dennis Melba’son’s Diary ..........................Dennis Melba’son ........21 Letters to Danny .................................Dennis Melba’son ........23 New Orleans Diary ...............................Dennis Melba’son ........28 The Pansy Test ...................................Lucius ..................29 Dress-Up ........................................Rob Ordonez ............30 Jai Drawing Circle ................................Bambi ..................32 Portraits ........................................Paul Specht .............34 Faeposium .......................................Pan ....................36 Becoming Faerie ..................................Franklin Abbott ..........38 Berdache Boy ....................................Griffin Payne ............40 Three Poems .....................................Glenn Allen Phillips ......41 Drawing .........................................Sigh Moon ...............42 Prison Pages .....................................Myrlin ..................43 The Pantry at Running Water. Photo by Gary PlouffRFD 142 • Summer 2010 ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS AND CONTACT INFO 21st Annual GSV Fall Conference September 30 - October 3, 2010 (Optional Early Arrival, Wednesday, September 29th) This event will be held at The Mountain Retreat & Learning Center near Highlands, North Carolina. For more information visit GSV’s website www.gayspiritvisions.org •••• Big Joy: Death Made Visible Special to RFD by BB Ha! James Broughton died a good death, which is one of many reasons The Big Joy Project is making a documentary film about this vibrant faerie elder. His death on May 17, 1999 is only one of the scenes from his life that will be recre- ated in the feature-length documentary being produced by Stephen Silha (BB Ha!) and directed by Eric Slade, with de- sign and music consultation from Javier Bryan Sanchez (Spiral). On May 17, 2010, Joel Singer, who was James’s soulmate and life partner for the last 24 years of his life, deposited the rest of Broughton’s ashes at his grave site in Port Townsend, Washington. Look for the James Broughton cinema channel on YouTube for details. In March, a number of faeries hosted a fundraiser for the Big Joy Project at the Q Center in Portland, OR. Over 60 people showed up, and raised over $3,000. So far, the Big Joy crew has completed 21 interviews and raised $60,000 of a $350,000 budget. You can help bring the life, joy and work of James Broughton to this ailing world by making a contribu- tion to the Big Joy Project. By Mail: Send checks to the Big Joy Proj- ect, P.O. Box 2003, Vashon, WA 98070. Online: Go to http://www.bigjoy.org and click on “Donate” If you want a tax deduction, make check (for $50 or more please) out to North- west Film Forum. You can also donate online at http://www.nwfilmforum.org/live/page/ donate and write “Big Joy” in the Gifts Membership field. You can also support Big Joy by going to the website http://bigjoy.org and enjoying its contents, downloading free bookmarks and cards, and purchasing Big Joy goodies. Also by hosting Big Joy salons where you read and write poetry, have fun, and “Follow your own weird”... You can get regular inspiration by join- ing the “James Broughton and Big Joy” Facebook page. And remember Broughton’s motto: “Adventure not predicament.” Gathering Guide This guide was written on the fly by visiting the various community websites but with especial thanks to www.radfae.org. These communities may have other gatherings and events not listed here. So please visit their individual websites or contact them directly. If you would like your community event listed here please send it in at least two to three months before the event. July Canada Day Gathering at Amber Fox, Jul 1-5 Faerie Spirit Gathering at Kawashaway, Jul 1-6, 2010 Governess Gathering, Faerie Camp Destiny, Jul 2-5. Midwest Men’s Festival July 20-29 www.midwestmensfestival.com Summer Gathering at Folleterre in France, Jul 22-Aug 2, 2010 23rd Annual High Summer Gathering at Amber Fox, Jul 28-Aug 1 Lammas Gathering, Faerie Camp Destiny, Jul 30-Aug 8. August Lammas Gathering at Kawashaway, Aug 6-15, 2010 Laurieston Gay Men’s Week at Laurieston Hall, Aug 9-16 (contact Edward Carpenter Community) Queer Shaman Gathering at Zuni Mountain, Aug 13-2 Grasmere Gay Men’s Week at Grasmere Youth Hostel, Aug 21-28 (contact Edward Carpenter Community) Berlin Wannsee Gathering in Germany, Aug 21-29, 2010 (Contact Folleterre) Summer Gathering at Breitenbush, Aug 18- 22, 2010 Blue Heron Farm Gathering, Aug 30-Sept 6 (set up Aug 28-29). thompsbs@tds.net September Autumn Equinox at Folleterre in France, Sep 17-22, 2010 21st Annual Gay Spirit Visions Fall Confer- ence Sept 30-Oct 3, Highlands, NC www. gayspiritvisions.org October Fall Foliage Gathering, Faerie Camp Destiny, Oct 6-11. Short Mountain Sanctuary, Oct 7-16, 2010. Los Angeles Faerie Gathering, Oct 7-11, 2010 Thanksgiving Gatherette at Amber Fox, Oct 8-11 LumberJanes Gathering at Folleterre in France,Oct 15-25, 2010 Autumn Gathering at Whaley Hall, Oct 22- 24 (contact Edward Carpenter Community) Faerie Sanctuaries and Faerie Friendly Organizations Amber Fox McDonald’s Corners, Ontario, Canada akaamberfox.blogspot.com Breitenbush (Cascadia Radical Faerie Re- source) www.radfae.org/breitenbush Edward Carpenter Community BM ECC London WC1N 3XX United Kingdom contactecc@edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org Faerie Camp Destiny P.O. Box 517 Chester, VT 04143-0517 info@faeriecampdestiny.org www.faeriecampdestiny.org Continued on page 42 Order Back Issues $5-25 each Plus shipping submissions@rfdmag.org email for prices and to order RFD 142 • Summer 2010 Report from FaePoisum II by Kwai The second, now annual FaePosium was held in San Francisco for three lovely days in October, 2009. We gath- ered at Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory and the Center for Sex and Culture. Perfor- mance, discussions, fabulous food and dancing…it was all there. Part urban gathering, part symposium, part con- ference, some 200 odd faeries of many genders and ages mingled, munched, cuddled, argued and brainstormed from Friday to Sunday. As we vision the third FaePosium, we pause to reflect on last years. Friday morning one of our foremothers Murray Edelman from New York shared the story of his latest project “Circle Vot- ing: From Faerie Fire to Facebook Application to World Change”. Arun focalized a delightfully nonlinear “Removing the Curse: Understanding Self-Destructive Programming Within Queer Culture”. We had the first of sev- eral rich panel/group discussions of “Diversifying The Faery Com- munity In Regard to Race, Class And Gender. Part I: Coming to Terms: What It Means to Talk About Race, Class And Gender in the Radical Faery Commu- nity” with W’Fang, Jombi Su- perstar, Mother-Sister, Markiss Sagee, Angie and Oberon at the table and many folks in the room. Pan (who is receiving his MFA as I write this), presented a truly ac- ademic Radical Faeries in the Ex- panded Field: Defining a Faerie Aesthetic. Hawthorn, last year’s FaePosium Organizer the Mostess, wel- comed us. Wow dished up a fabulous, subtle and tasty lunch, then we moved on to a Hulio’s “he New Language of the Heart,” W’Fang’s sweet and provocative “Sepa- ratism And Faerie. Why, How And What The Fuck?”, Joseph Kramer’s (yes, the founder of Body Electric!)“Negotiating Subject-SUBJECT SEX, ” and Haw- thorn’s “The Early Years of the Radical Faeries: Emergence”. MeadowDreamer challenged us (and used a PowerPoint presentation, yes, really) with “Green Faeries Unite! Sustainability, Spiritual- ity, and Community,” and Pippin, a par- ent, shared and seeded from the heart with “Children in the Faerie World.” We brought it all together with an Opening Ritual focalized by W’Fang. Scrumptuously Suppered by Shade, we mingled on for an evening of perfor- mances and transformation. The lucky first few got to experience Cayenne’s “Who wants to look pretty?”-A Sacred Drag Makeover Workshop”—while Pan took the photos that grace this article. We had some amazing performers…too many to list here and I don’t want to leave someone out. The hardy (and energetic) stayed for an afterparty, and some of us went home. (Unlike some urban gath- erings, the FaePosuim doesn’t have any central sleeping arrangement, alas). Satryday morning the Diversity dis- cussion continued, with “Part II: Speak- ing To Our Experience as Faeries of Col- or, Female-Bodied Faeries and Working Class.” Leeza Edwards offered “Quan- tum Healing,” Munk/Hitiris focalized “A Participatory Facilitated Discussion Entitled “Art and Mysticism as Tools for Transpersunal Transformation,” and Jesse Sanford initiated “Sanctuaries in the City.” Mykdeva and his collaborator Allen Page showed their beautiful slide- show from the 1979 Arizona Spiritual Conference for Radical Faeries. Mother Sister Daddy Queen served us a tasty lunch. Joey Cain presented a fascinating set of historical images and commentary “Roots of the Radical Fair- ies: Edward Carpenter and The Dear Love of Comrades” while Will Roscoe delighted our ears with “Desert Circle: A Celebration in Word and Sound of the First Gathering for Radical Faeries” in another room. Don Kilhefner, one of the writers of the call for the ’79 Confer- ence, presented “The First Radical Faerie Gathering: The Vision,” while Murray aka ‘Hypnodad’ offered “Erotic Hypnonsis. Heron Saline helped us learn how each of us thinks with “Personal Thinking Pat- terns Intro: A Guided Tour of Your Own Amazing Mind!” The Diversity exploration con- tinued with the third panel by Jomb et al, “Part III Developing Strategies to Diversify the Radical Faery Com- munity” while Stella Maris focalized a packed heart circle discussion (‘heart clump”?) “No Men Us: Voic- es of Female Faeries” (all welcome). Clayton Robins offered a work- shop “Mind-Body Connection 1, the basics of immune function and the bio-psycho-social cofactors that drive resilience and health.” Ka- leo and Chas Nol led us on “Body/ Mind/Spirit: Getting the Sex and Touch You Need.” Dinner was by Zuriel. We had another moving evening of per- formances, followed by a chillout, and then a Play Party. Wow. Thanks again to all the performers: we owe you a call out by name, but that will have to come anon. Sunday Grand Central (Zach and co) hosted a brunch, followed by a faerie procession through Cas- tro Street fair. Finally we came back to- gether for a drum circle, then heart circle and closing circle. Thanks to all for co-creating such a wonderful, provocative and yummy event. We (that’s this years collective) are excited to be continuing the work. Plen- ty of room to help: document, present, inspire, provoke. Kudos to Hawthorn and the other Radical Cross-pollinators for getting the ball rolling with the first FaePosium. Thanks to RFD Magazine for continuing to be our fiscal sponsor, mak- ing those big donations tax deductible. This year’s theme is “Our Next Fron- tiers.” See the call art here and check out our web site at www.FaePosium.org. FaePosium photos by PanRFD 142 • Summer 2010 RFD, along with sister queer culture journal, White Crane, have been given the distinct honor of being awarded the 2010 Monette-Horwitz Award, along with a number of other worthy honorees including Leslie Feinberg. It was a wel- comed surprise to hear from the award committee that we were co-winners and would each receive a lovely check for $1250 and a black onyx obelisk award. In these days of disappearing gay media, to have the Monette-Horwitz awarded to RFD, the oldest reader-pro- duced queer journal at 35 years and White Crane, produced since summer 1989 and entering its 21st year, is a time- ly recognition. We will be celebrating the award at Fa- erie Camp Destiny in southern Vermont on August 7, 2010 during the Lammas gathering. We’ll have a luncheon to cel- ebrate with the folks from White Crane around noon and then folks will enjoy the Destiny Player’s Lammas play “Big Top Circus and Freak Show”. Back issues of both magazines will be available. We hope you’ll be able to come help us cel- ebrate such a significant honor. Folks interested in attending the lun- cheon can RSVP to us at RFD and we’ll pass the word onto the crew at Destiny. RSVP by sending an email to submis- sions@rfdmag.org with “award lun- cheon” in the subject line. The award is named after Paul Monette and Roger Horwitz. Roger, like so many talented and beautiful gay men, died far too early. It is hard to know what more he may have contributed to the world. Paul Monette, who lived many years af- ter, came to write some of the most mov- ing books written about a lover’s death. For many gay men who suffered so many losses, his book, Borrowed Time, and subsequent books, helped bring together all of the feelings and emotions of grief and moving forward. Along with RFD and White Crane, the other 2010 awardees include: Leslie Feinberg, the oral history project, Im- pact Stories, Iraqi LGBT, Los Angeles Southern Christian Leadership presi- dent, Reverend Eric. P. Lee and the larg- est AIDS NGO in India, the Naz Foun- dation. The following information was pro- vided by the Monette-Horwitz Trust. You can learn more about the trust and it’s awardees a their website - www. monettehorwitz.org History of the Monette-Horwitz Trust Award Paul Monette and Roger Horwitz were committed to bringing about an end to homophobia both through their individual activities and through their union. Roger Hor- witz wrote po- etry in his stu- dent years and received his undergraduate degree from Brandeis Uni- versity, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. His first jobs were in France teaching English and then working for the publishers Larousse and Gallimard. He received his Ph.D in comparative literature from Harvard University in 1972, writing his disserta- tion on French novelist Henri Thomas as he also began Harvard Law School. He received his law degree in 1973. Paul Monette was an honors student at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA and re- ceived his undergraduate degree in Eng- lish from Yale in 1967, where he was Class Poet. Monette and Horwitz met Septem- ber 4, 1974 in Boston, during the middle years of gay liberation. As he described their introduction in Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story (1992), Paul Monette said to Roger Horwitz, “Say hello to the rest of your life.” Paul and Roger moved to Los Angeles in November 1977, and both men were associated strongly with the LGBT ac- tivities of that city until their deaths. Hor- witz worked as a corporate attorney, then founded his own practice with clients such as the Downtown Women’s Center. He succumbed to AIDS in 1986. After Roger’s death, Monette did the writing and activism for which he will remain known, capturing in his verse, fiction, non-fiction, fable, and public speaking appearances, the hopes, dreams, and rage of an entire generation. Before his own death from AIDS in 1995, Monette established the Monette- Horwitz Trust to ensure the continued fruits of their activism as well as the memory of their loving partnership. The Monette- Horwitz Trust provides an- nual awards to individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds, genders, and sexual orienta- tions who are, through their work, mak- ing significant contributions to eradicating homophobia. The Trust acknowledges the accomplishments of organizations and persons working in arenas ranging from academic research and creative expression to activism and community organizing. Following Monette’s instructions, there are no applications for the awards. Recommendations are given by an Advi- sory Committee to Monette’s appointed Trustee, his brother Robert L. Monette. RFD and White Crane Awarded 2010 Monette-Horwitz Prize by Bambi Paul Monette and Roger Horwitz RFD 142 • Summer 2010 The house at Running Water Farm. Photo by Doug Caulkins.RFD 142 • Summer 2010 Mikel Running Water O n Summer Solstice in 1973 a young man named Mikel Wilson turned 21 and came into a modest inheritance from his grandmother. That very day he met with a realtor in the mountains of North Carolina. He wanted to purchase some property with two conditions: it must be at the end of a road, and it must have water. The first property the realtor took him to was at the very end of a long muddy road in a remote mountain cove. The driveway to the old chestnut cabin was overgrown with briars and blackberries – nearly impassable. The cabin was ba- sic, planks nailed to a frame and a stone chimney, a wooden floor and a tin roof, a kitchen, living area and bedrooms. There were old rusty iron bed frames in the bedrooms and an ancient potbelly stove in the kitchen. One room was plastered with faded movie posters from the thir- ties and forties. The cabin was in the middle of sixteen acres of mostly wooded property on the southern slope of Roan Mountain, not far from the North Carolina/Tennessee line. Clear cold rocky streams rushed through the woods, fed by several springs and in- terrupted by occasional small waterfalls. Above the cabin was an abandoned field, ideal for a home garden. In front of the cabin was an overgrown grassy area. Be- low the cabin were several large apple trees, old mountain varieties. And be- yond the apple trees was the outhouse. Later that day Mikel bought the prop- erty, paying for it with cash. This was to be Running Water Farm, where many men of the southeast experienced their first Radical Faery Gathering and all that means: heart circles, acceptance, gay spirituality, fabulous outrageous drag, unconditional gentle love, vegetar- ian feasts, childlike playfulness, amazing performances, fey ritual, hot genuine sex, natural native beauty. A few days later Mikel loaded up all that he owned into his 1950 Ford woody station wagon and moved into the cabin. Later, while he was cleaning, he discov- ered that he wasn’t the only resident – a five foot black snake lived in a nook at the top of the kitchen cabinets. They were wary housemates for the rest of that Summer. He took a job in a small restaurant not too far away, cooking breakfast for the local mountain men starting at 5 am most days. And he began the long task of cleaning and repairing the cabin, till- ing and planting the garden space and in general tidying up. He cleared a small area in a nearby briar patch for growing herbs. This was the very first area to get irrigation and supplemented his income quite nicely for a couple of Autumns. Something of a milestone was when he finally ran a pipe from a spring into the cabin and no longer needed to carry buckets of water in. There was no faucet on the pipe, so water poured into the kitchen sink, a constant sound of run- ning water. This was how the place got its name, Running Water Farm. As the seasons went by, he became a part of the local community. His neigh- bors were all old mountain folk, reserved but kind, with thick accents and odd col- loquialisms that sounded more Scot- tish than American. They were pleased to have such an industrious young man nearby, even if he did have long hair. Mikel still remembers the old woman who taught him how to make biscuits the mountain way, directly on the top of her wooden table, without using a bowl. But he also became friends with local residents closer to his own age. In partic- ular, there was a hippy family that lived down the road from him. The husband ran the local VW shop while his wife, Carol Spunk, hosted a weekly discussion group. These discussions ran the gam- ut: feminism, environmentalism, radi- cal politics, community. It was at these group discussions that he came to terms with his sexuality and realized he was a gay man. In February 1976, he did what so many gay men do: he packed up his car and drove to San Francisco. He took a slight detour on his way out there, stop- ping by a remote cabin in rural Tennes- see where he spent a few days with Milo Pyne, the last remaining resident of the Short Mountain Collective. Milo had big plans to revive the community... In San Francisco he moved into an apartment on the corner of Haight and Ashbury. There was a rent strike, so he paid no rent for his entire time in San Franciso. He landed a job as the dish- washer at “The Elephant Walk”, a gay bar in the Castro. He cut quite a figure in San Francisco, hurtling down the steep streets on a large wooden skateboard while wearing a whirling dervish skirt, his long hair streaming behind him. But the following September saw him on the road again, in a Volkswagon squareback with a broken accelerator. He and his friend Soma ended up driv- ing straight through from San Francisco to Running Water with the accelerator wide open, coasting through gas stations to fill up the tank. Mikel resumed his life in the moun- tains of North Carolina. He took two semesters of weaving at the local techni- cal college, as much to spend time in the warm workshops instead of his drafty cold cabin as for the education. Mikel at- tended the occasional men’s conferences in the southeast when he could, meeting other gay men and participating in the workshops. These were the waning years of Gay Lib – progress had been made, but there was a realization that some- thing more needed to happen. In April 1978 Mikel drove down to Atlanta for the Southeast Conference The Journey from Running Water to Gay Spirit Visions by Douglas B. Caulkins That June thirty men showed up at his cabin for the longest days of the year. This was the first Running Water Farm gathering and it preceded Harry Hay’s first radical faery gathering by more than a year.Next >