Becoming Wilkinson

Send us a textThe last two weeks, I visited my middle son Dave, his wife Meredith and my two grandsons Henry and Jack at their home in Dartmouth MA.Dave is a good sport.  He agreed to be interviewed for my podcast.  After we were finished, he told me that it was now my turn and that he was going to interview ME for a podcast episode!I was surprised at what I was feeling at first.  I guess I was afraid of what he might ask.  After all, he IS an attorney and he's be putting me on the stand, so to speak.  LOL.But as I thought about it and mentioned to my friend and energy guru Mark Hollenstein, he encouraged me to do it.  He thought it would be good for both of us.Before this interview, I had a little time to reflect and one of the things thatI realized was that I knew virtually nothing about my own father (or his father).  What a gift it would have been to have been able to sit my own "Pop" down and ask him a bunch of questions.    So we did the interview.  I kind of figured that it would be a gift to each of us.I had no idea what Dave would ask me.  There were some interesting questions and I'm pretty sure that he got some interesting answers.  Like:  "Whoa.  No, I did not know that grandma used to be an underwear model before she met your Dad and then she became a radio preacher"!It's a light-hearted interview with a lot of interesting questions.  I appreciate the time Dave took in preparing to participate.Listen in to our bantering, interspersed with some great dialogue.  Photo by Meredith Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textIn this episode, I interview one of my favorite people in this world: my son David.  Two people can experience the exact same event and yet they can have two different perspectives on what happened.  So we discuss what I saw as an amazing turnabout in his life from a very average high school student, to his life now as an attorney with multiple law offices on both coasts.He talks about his current life as a married man and dad and we share some memories of his life growing up. Lastly, we discuss what it was like for him when I came out as a gay man in 1999.  I hope you enjoy this rather personal look into my life as a father to this amazing man.Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textRICHARD H JESSUPRichard has been Producing, Directing, Choreographing and Teaching Dance since 1982. He has focused his work in the genres of Musical Theatre and Concert Dance. Richard has directed and/or choreographed over 100 productions.Richard was the founding member of Against the Grain/MEN IN DANCE, and is the Producing President for the organizations Festival of MEN IN DANCE, now in its 26th year. Some of Richard’s other favorite things to do, include massage, hiking, travel, and eating coffee-flavored ice cream. He lives in Palm Springs, CA and would rather be nowhere else.Linkswebsite:  http://www.menindance.orgVirtual "watch" page:  http://www.watch.menindance.orgPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textAn Interview with Bar Bionic: A Non-Binary* Visual and Musical Artist.Pronouns: They/Their/Them*Bar and their friend came to visit Palm Springs over the 4th of July holiday weekend and they stayed at my Airbnb.  I found Bar's story, look and history to be fascinating.  In this interview, we chat about Bar's life in Israel, coming to the USA and landing in New York City where they experienced the brutal "Chew them up and spit them out" mentality found in parts of the entertainment industry.  We chat about their various struggles arriving in a large city - not knowing a single person.  The creative process, sources of inspiration and gaining a foothold  in the social media/entertainment universe are further explored and discussed.  Watching some of their videos and spending time over a couple days was a real treat for me!  I found their over-the-top creativity, professionalism, kind & gentle spirit (and chutzpah!) to be absolutely amazing. Check out some of their videos via the links below.*Non-Binary Defined"Some people don't identify with any gender. Some people's gender changes over time. People whose gender is not male or female use many different terms to describe themselves, with non-binary being one of the most common. Other terms include genderqueer, agender, bigender, and more". ( Reference: Google)Links (Copy and Paste where Required):TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@bar_bionic?lang=enFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Bar-Bionic-113834460168592Twitter:  http://twittter.com/barbionicSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/16H8BCBnedryC6Grw1hEQQInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bar_bionic/Listen On @applemusic: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1529841379Listen on Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1529841379?ls=1&app=itunesListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1lGoIbyX4YZ9HtWFQDQsDnListen on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/King-of-Downtown/dp/B08H5TWWVF/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=bar+bionic+king+of+downtown&qid=1599717097&sr=8-1...Listen on YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk8nbC2PNR7623_9bZuDUlABar Bionic's sample music video at the end of this podcast:  Bar Bionic - BiPAP Tempo (Official Music Video).Copyright Bar Bionic/2022. All rights reserved.  To watch the video version of this piece and to read the lyrics, go here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILZDfbG2YbAPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textAn Interview with Ben Miller. Searching: The Wanderlust of a 60-Year Old Gay Man from Pender to Pittsburgh, From Lincoln to LA, and Many Points in Between.Ben Miller and I discuss his interesting sixty year journey to where he is today.  He shares some of his spiritual practices which he uses to find peace and ground himself.  And he discusses a long term struggle with addiction and how he has managed to stay on the upper road in his journey for many, many years.I was introduced to Ben by our mutual friend Larendee Roos.  She talks about Ben in a transcript that she wrote many years ago, detailing her amazing story.  She wrote: "... My lifelong soul mate and friend, Ben flew in from LA to stay with my children and me. I will always think of him when I smell bacon. He loved my children and held me in his arms as I slowly unraveled and pulled myself back together again. To this day, he always knows just when I need him. Within a few hours he is on the phone calling or in my city to hold me..."After spending just a few hours with Ben, I get why she feels this way about him.  His gentle spirit and his heart are obvious in this short interview....Ben Miller has been an actor, director, writer, Alexander technique teacher and college professor.  Right now he's working on a screenplay that has been gurgling in his brain for years.  He strives to be kind. He's opinionated.  Contact Ben at: benjaminmillerla001@gmail.com. (323) 385-9537Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textLUI GERVAIS is the author of "The Nipple Whisperer and other erotic epiphanies". Here is the review that I wrote after reading his book:     "When Paul, my Seattle friend called and told me that he received Lui's new book, I immediately ordered a copy. I was familiar with Lui from some past experiences with him. Notably, he offered a portion of the material in this book to a group of men who gathered for a workshop at my place in Palm Springs pre-covid.     The workshop was only a few hours but I definitely "felt" what he was showing and teaching us at that time. I was excited to get the book because information from workshops (no matter how good they may have been) fades over time. And the book did not disappoint, because it fleshed out a lot more than he was able to present in those few hours, years ago.     I started reading and literally did not stop until I finished the book. To me, when I'm reading a book for the first time, I have to ask myself how many times I was prompted to grab my yellow pen and mark things that I wanted to remember. It's a good way to be able to go back and think a little deeper about something after that first "BAM"! as I'm reading the book. And trust me, I used a lot of yellow ink on this book!     A few of the lines in the book state "Nipple whispering itself is a form of intimate listening. It is a sensual communication of touch and sound born from the ecstasy of a thousand men". (Page 6). This book talks about a LOT more than merely how to connect and incorporate the nipples in one's intimate experiences. It encompasses the whole man, the whole couple and the whole experience. And as the lines quoted above reveal, it also connects the reader to the men who have lived and experienced their lives before us. Feeling grounded in that way felt really great!     As an English Literature major, I was constantly struck by the poetic beauty and flow in so many lines in this book. And I think that is also a reflection of what Lui is presenting here: As men, that we open up and let the poetic/energetic/spiritual flow happen IN US- in all aspects of the sexual-spiritual experience- connecting within ourselves and with any potential partner.     It's an easy read and I highly recommend it".FROM LUI IN HIS OWN WORDS: My Work"The Nipple Whisperer began as a blog more than ten years ago. Over the years of teaching and sharing sacred intimacy, I created and compiled these tools and exercises. As they piled up, it became clear I was writing a book but it took many years and the encouragement of friends and colleagues to bring it to life".  "I am not a prolific writer. I don’t really see myself as a writer at all but as a mover, lover and artist who feels occasionally compelled to capture his ideas in words. The real mastery of my work remains in the body. In movement, touch, sound. Intimacy, sensuality and sexuality. As these embodied pleasures are impossible to transfer through a digital format, these words will have to do until we can be together in person".LINKS:http://TheNippleWhisperer.comhttp://MenBodiedInstitute.orgBuy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nipple-Whisperer-other-erotic-epiphanies/dp/0578388715/Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textDr. Jallen Rix"Sex educator, author and activist Jallen Rix holds a Doctorate of Education in Sexology from Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, where he later taught as  a Professor. He maintains a private practice in Palm Springs CA, which includes personal consulting, sacred intimacy work, and surrogate-style partner experiences. He has appeared on talk shows, like Our America with Lisa Ling on Oprah’s OWN Channel, and ABC’s News Magazine 20/20.He is a leading expert on the damaging effects of ex-gay  ministries and so-call “reparative therapy.” His book, Ex-Gay No Way: Survival and Recovery from Religious Abuse, was nominated as best non-fiction books of 2010 by the Lambda Literary Foundation. His film, Lewd & Lascivious: The 1965 Police Raid on California Hall  premiered to sold out crowds at Frameline 2013, San Francisco’s LGBTQ film festival, and won the AASECT Media Award for 2014. During 2015 and 2016 his solo-performance piece touring up and down the US West Coast, called, Stake In The Ground: Celebrating the Intersection of Self-pleasuring and Self-compassion".Contact Jallen Rix:  https://doctorrix.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textFrom the Prologue to Jill's book:"In a million years I could not have predicted that I would become the Dancing Queen of Palm Springs.  I could never have foreseen my growth and evolution into someone who the Gay Community would come to love and respect.  I did not know that I had so much in common with gay men, yet I do. It still amazes me that it is through my Dancing that we have all come together.  It is my hope that by reading about my journey, you may gain some insights into your own lives and perhaps recognize some of your own patterns as well".Check out Jill's book How I Became the Dancing Queen of Palm Springs:https://www.amazon.com/became-Dancing-Queen-Palm-Springs/dp/1983540854/refFind Jill on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jill.langhamPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textBarry Schoenfeld is the creator of the California Community of Men.Barry Schoenfeld founded and runs Clear Vision Partners, an independent marketing consultancy, based in Palm Springs.  Before moving to Palm Springs in 2014, he held several executive roles in advertising agencies in New York and Los Angeles.In 2012, he founded The California Community of Men ("CalComMen"), a global mens' community of over 10,000 men-who-love-men, who goal is to provide drug, alcohol, smoke and electronics free spaces for men to engage & connect more genuinely and more authentically. In addition, he teaches online at seven universities across the country, on subjects ranging from opera to archeology to travel.He lives with his husband Ron, of 15 years."The California Community of Men is a unique community of heart-centered, passionate and caring men, 18-90+ of all colors of the rainbow, faith traditions, sizes, shapes & abilities, who create spiritual & social events, personal growth workshops, and our unique, joy-filled weekends we call "Community Camp," without formal committees, officers or bylaws. Our goal is to build a radically diverse & inclusive community of men-who-love-men, the likes of which is rarely seen in Southern California.  We align ourselves with some of the values, beliefs and consciousness of the Northern California Billys, and the Radical Faeries. CalComMen is the only mens community in SoCal that reachs out to, and warmly welcomes ALL men-who-love-men (gay, bi, trans, queer, cis & straight).  We are also the only men's community that is drug, alcohol, smoke and electronics-free, so that we can connect and engage in new and more meaningful ways, with far fewer distractions".CalComMen web site:  https://www.calcommen.comFacebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/CalComMenPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Send us a textShe's Iranian and she's opinionated.  After I interviewed Ideene for the last podcast episode, she insisted on switching mics and put me in the hot seat so she could interview me.  Here's the result.Here's the link to Wilkinson's Vacation room rentals for males at his "Palm Springs Interlude":  https://www.airbnb.com/users/251586484/listingsPhoto credit:  Selfie of us by Ideene DehdashtiOpening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com