Last year we were fortunate to capture a video of Maurice as he presented the story of his life at A Colorful Life series. Those of you who were in the audience will fondly remember his vitality and how excited he was to be in the spotlight and share some of the fascinating adventures he’d had in his 81 years.

With Maurice’s unexpected passing last week that video is even more precious because now we have another way of remembering him and his accomplishments.  You can see some of it on YouTube.  Goodbye, Maurice, you will be missed!

When I was the Senior Programs Coordinator at Wingspan, Southern Arizona’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community Center, a member of Senior Pride suggested that we start the Colorful Life project in order to preserve our LGBT history and the stories of our elders.  With the help of some wonderful volunteers and camerawoman Luanne Withee using Pan Left equipment, we were able to make six videos that are available at Wingspan’s library.  Our storytellers were – Richard Zelens, Alta Fly, Hannah Blue Herron, Shellie Lynn, Maurice Grossman and Deitrich Benjamin.

Now this important work will continue under the auspices of StoryArts Group, Inc. an Arizona non-profit (disclaimer, I’m one of the organizers).  Our big project, The Adobeland Project, will be a film documentary of the life of Joan “Adobe” Pepper and telling the story of Adobeland, women’s land west of Tucson.

LGBT elders tend to become even more invisible than their straight counterparts.  Some are not out, some don’t think that their stories are important, some don’t want to relive painful memories, some are estranged from their families.

Arden Eversmeyer and Margaret Purcell are working on  remedying this by writing A Gift of Age: Old Lesbian Life Stories through the Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project (OLOHP).

The Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project seeks to find and document the lives of old lesbians who were born in the early years of the last century. The lives that they led were difficult and in many way difficult for us, today, to understand. There were no lgbt publications, institutions or even personal examples to help guide their lives. They had to make it up as they went along. We seek to record their oral histories, known here as their herstories, to preserve what will soon be lost when they are all gone.

Let’s keep the stories alive!  Please contact me if you or someone you know would be a good candidate for the next Colorful Life.

This is the second year Oscar Jimenez is organizing a naughty fundraiser for Pan Left Productions collective.  Last year’s event attracted more than 100 people to the courtyard at the Citizen’s Studio, 520 N. 9th St (corner of 9^th Ave & 6^th St) and they expect double that number this year.

Artists will challenge taboos and oppressive cultural norms through video, live performance, spoken word, music and painting. Featured performers are Cirqu du Sin, Cabaret Boheme, Marc Pedraza and Parasol Project. Local celebrity Bunny Fu Fu will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies and will guide attendees through this sensual and visually stimulating festival.

For last years installation art piece, seven artists created a peep show.  This year the collaboration has grown to at least 20 artists contributing to a giant group art project, “Confessional”, about sharing secrets and the elimination of sexual shame.

Free Sex celebrates sexual diversity, expression and non-conformity. Misogyny, homophobia, and sexual violence will be challenged by thoughtful and mindful art.    All profits go to support progressive and radical media produced by Pan Left.   The festival is intended for those that are ages 18 and up.

So mark you calendar for Saturday, September 12 from 7 to 11 p.m.; you wont want to miss this.  $6 suggested donation at the door.

In addition to founding and coordinating this event, Oscar Jimenez is a fashion designer, organizer of the Wingspan sponsored Tucson Latin Gay Pride 2009 festival, and writer and director of the soon to be released short film, “Esmeralda Del Desierto”.  You can reach him at miparaiso@hotmail.com.

There are lots of opportunities for kids to tell their stories in Tucson.  Here are a few:

This is the 4^th year that Pima County Public Library presents the award-winning That’s My Take film project, where teens learn from professional filmmakers and work with mentors to write, direct and produce two-minute long cinematic adaptations of famous works of fiction.  Pan Left gave workshops to the participants and librarians in filmmaking for this project. This summer fifty teens were in the program and you can see eleven of the trailers and a short documentary about the project at The Loft on Saturday, September 12 at 10 a.m.

VOICES is now recruiting youth ages 14 to 21 to participate in their fall documentary arts programs. Youth can learn how to take photographs, write stories, and be on the radio.  For more information check out the VOICES website, or call 520-622-7458.

Kore Press is looking for young women or female-identified or trans individuals, ages 14-19 for the Grrls Literary Activism Workshop to be held Sept 9 – Dec 16. To apply now call 327-2127 or email lisa@korepress.org.

Girls Making Media teaches teenage women digital media skills as they produce media segments about issues affecting women and girls in their community. The skills learned are used by program participants to educate, inform and influence public opinion about issues they have identified as affecting women and that call for action for social change.  Beginners sessions start on October 10.  This project is a collaboration between the WomanKraft Digital Arts Studio, and the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission. For details about how you can participate, contact Quynn Elizabeth, earthtribetv@yahoo.com, 520-954-2004.

Pima Community College is offering Words Play: Creative Writing, a class taught by Elena Acoba for 8- to 12 year-olds, inspiring young wordsmiths to write creatively. Exercises will guide writing about real people and places and imaginary worlds. At the end of the course each child will have written at least five pieces of work.  The class takes place Saturdays, October 3-24 from 9 to 11 a.m. You can register at Pima for Kids program at Pima Community College.

“Stories That Soar! is a literacy and performing arts program which merges the talents of professional adult performers and children’s original stories to create innovative and insightful theatre productions for schools and community events.” Our programs appeal to a wide range of children, regardless of race, culture, gender, ability and socio-economic status. We believe everyone has wonderful stories to tell; we are here to help those stories be heard in the most creative ways possible.” To find out more visit their website.