In honor of this website’s fifteenth anniversary, Skip suggested I do a ’15 Best Posts’ collection highlighting what I’ve created here. While the archives only go back to 2010 (I hated keeping extra posts around and would simply delete them all and start over every year for the first decade or so – oops!) there have been some decent and worthy entries in the last few years to make this compilation possible. I don’t know if I’d call them the best – ‘favorite’ might be a better term – but everyone loves a simple superlative, so for Skip’s sake here are the Top 15, in no particular order:
- Drowned World ~ It’s impossible for me to choose my favorite Madonna Timeline – how do you choose a favorite child? And among such sparkling jewels as ‘Vogue,’ ‘Like A Prayer,’ ‘Express Yourself,’ ‘Ray of Light,’ ‘Live to Tell,’ ‘Crazy For You,’ ‘Erotica,’ ‘Survival,’ ‘Music‘ and ‘Rebel Heart‘ it was difficult finding the one single emblematic song to represent my life-long love affair with Madonna. The entry for ‘Drowned World: Substitute for Love‘ may come closest.
- Twisted Sleighride ~ Since we’re in the season, this Christmas-tinged memory is a happy childhood memory, even with its undercurrent of winter mystery.
- Heart of Sequins ~ From a very young age I knew I was different. A few others saw it as well and celebrated who I was before I even realized it.
- Why I Get Naked Here ~ The title says it, even if I’ve toned down those skin-baring ways.(After years of indulgence and gym-avoidance, it’s better to let the male celebrities get naked and nude for the time being.)
- Moon and Fag ~ While matriculating at Brandeis, I thought I made a new friend. Until he said the f-word.
- The First Time I Kissed A Guy ~Bittersweet and brutal, you never forget your first.
- Straight Ally Profile: Skip Montross ~ Kicking off a limited-series of Straight Allies, this profile of my friend Skip marked my Reddit debut, portraying the many levels of a gay guy/straight guy friendship.
- Gay Couple Profile ~Two photographs taken years apart sparked this sweet telling of one fine romance.
- Lessons in Painting ~ Chronicling my first few days transforming the Boston condo with the help of my favorite Uncle.
- A Secret Kept for Two Decades ~ The secret I held in silence for too long.
- Saddle Shoes and Shame ~ Once upon a time I was not so brave in wearing whatever I wanted.
- Remembering the Art in a Hot Shower ~ Memories of a seventh grade art class come flooding back in the warmth of a hot shower.
- The End of My Delusions ~ The grand finale to ‘The Delusional Grandeur Tour,’ this relatively-simple post encapsulates that long-winding journey.
- A Summer Break ~ The first summer I took off from blogging began with this ending. Of course I came back as promised, but I definitely missed it.
- A New Year ~ Last but not least, this was the start of our 15th year of ALANILAGAN.com.
