For the record

The Just Out article for which I was interviewed appeared today, written by Stephen Marc Beaudoin. My long interview is reduced to a paragraph, which is not unusual. In my own journalist days, I did the same thing many times myself. You always, always, get more than you need.

Here's what the article uses from me:

Several of the arts leaders who spoke at that Jan. 23 press conference suggested Adams’ sexual relationship with Beau Breedlove is exactly what has inspired poets, playwrights and artists throughout history. David Wagstaff, a Northwest Academy educator and filmmaker, said, “If there was no misbehavior in human sexuality, there’d be no Shakespeare.”

Charles Deemer, a Portland State University screenwriting professor and editor of Oregon Literary Review, finds Wagstaff’s argument laughable.

“Bad shit is more dramatic than good shit, granted,” he says. “It’s easier to write about assholes than about heroes. But we’re talking about an elected official, not a literary creation. We’re talking about a man who lied, manipulated others to lie and thereby created the fraud of his own election. Adams is almost Shakespearean in his own blindness to his fatal flaw—Richard III and Macbeth almost come to mind, but not quite. He reminds me more of the sleazy salesmen in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross.”

Read the article

For the record, here is my complete interview with the newspaper:

Here are a few questions for you...

1. In one of your recent blog posts, you say Mayor Sam Adams "gets an F." Why does Adams deserve this grade for his service to Portland, and why do you feel he should resign from office?

I'm not referring to his service to Portland. He gets an F for a specific "lesson": for saying he'd learned a lesson not to lie, then continuing to lie, according to Leonard. This was a contextual statement.

I think he needs to resign because he violated the city's Code of Ethics. This is the age of Obama!

2. You are an accomplished playwright and literary artist. Many artists and arts leaders in Portland have come to Adams' defense, saying his behavior and actions are just the sort of thing that has inspired artists for all of humankind. How is this a valid defense of Adams? And as a playwright yourself, are there any characters or plays that come to mind as similar to Adams' behavior and situation?

Bad shit is more dramatic than good shit, granted. It's easier to write about assholes than about heroes. But we're talking about an elected official, not a literary creation. We're talking about a man who lied, manipulated others to lie, and thereby created the fraud of his own election.

Adams is almost Shakespearean in his own blindness to his fatal flaw -- Richard III and Macbeth almost come to mind, but not quite. He reminds me more of the sleazy salesmen in Mamet's GLENGARY GLEN ROSS.

3. If Adams continues to stay in office, how can he begin to rebuild trust with people like you in the public?

I don't think he can do anything to make me trust him. I'm a Scorpio ha ha! I have no idea what other people need from him.

4. To those who defend Adams, saying that it is important to have openly gay elected officials in office whatever the cost, what is your response?

I think it's extremely important to have openly gay elected officials but not "at any cost." His supporters seem to me to be saying the ends justify the means. (You'd think, therefore, they'd support the torture of terrorists to get important informantion, which I'm sure they don't.) Many, probably most, of his supporters also support Obama but this strikes me as a huge contradiction since Obama clearly is not a "whatever the cost" kind of guy. The ends do not justify the means. Many of his defenders also try to turn the issue into a sexual one, which it is not. Frankly, in today's world, I think there's a good argument that the age of consent should be lowered to 16. This is not about sex. This is about conscious, manipulative lying in order to get elected. This is about fraud. I think your paper's editorial on this matter is right on.

5. Are you hearing a lot of rumblings and conversations about this amongst your students? What are, loosely, some of the things you're hearing?

I haven't heard a thing, and I don't encourage anyone to discuss this in class. I teach screenwriting. This has nothing to do with that -- well, until all the movies of the week start appearing. Then we can discuss it in class.

6. Did you vote for, volunteer or donate money to Sam Adams in his bid for mayor? Why or why not?

Yes, I voted for Sam Adams. I thought he was an honest progressive, not a lying progressive.

No, I did not volunteer or give money.

7. Who has suffered most from this whole Sam Adams debacle?

In the short run, the citizens of Portland, who have divided into angry pro and con camps, making the city divisive in what is supposed to be a new era of Obama-unifying-style politics. It's a tragedy and it dampens my elation about Obama's election.

In the long run, I think it will be Adams himself who suffers most. If recent allegations are true that he had sex when Breedlove was 17, he may end up in jail.

8. Do you identify as gay? And are you a Portland resident?

I'm straight, married, and a longtime Portland resident. For the record, I think all humans are probably born bi and the rest is culture and politics.