If I ever finish 'Closet', my thoughts will quickly turn to best-selling novel or memoir number two. Try this for size: the current frontrunner is a memoir called 'California Dreamin'...
After being swept off my feet by a stunner of a woman (now more commonly known as 'her indoors') I quit my glamorous job for Harpers Bazaar and moved to sunny California in 2001. And in order to get a visa I found myself doing a free internship for a bizarre liberal arts theater in San Francisco. Additionally, in order to earn some hard (under the table) cash I was the Assistant to the Peninsula Pet Person, not to mention Mary Poppins to a three year old devil child and his equally demonic puppy, called Panda. Obviously, there are more than a few stories there to eat out on, the things we do for love eh!
When not writing or selling ads, I love music, travelling, Chinese food (does anyone know why they don't make pot stickers in the UK?) and Tamara de Lempicka. Oh and on a more sinister note, I have unbridled hatred for Keira Knightley - nobody knows why, least of all me! It started in Love Actually and rose to fever pitch in that Pirates film with Johnny Depp. Sorry Keir, no offence intended.
Music
Tamar Zak-Collins - also known as my good wife or Mrs Aston to you, Josh Rouse, Beth Orton, Ryan Adams, Whiskytown, Wilco, Old 97's, Emmylou Harris, Caitlin Cary, Josh Pyke, Gillian Welch - anything alt-country, I obviously came from the deep South in a former life, or Dolly and I were separated at birth or something. I can also be found chucking a few moves on the dancefloor to the likes of Erasure, The Pet Shop Boys, old skool Madonna, The Cure, REM and all the other 80s and early 90s greats. And obviously, like any self-respecting gay man trapped in a lesbian's body, I just love the Scissor Sisters. Ta-Dah!
Movies
Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Garden State, Moulin Rouge, The Hours, Monster, All the 80s Brat Pack stuff, Footloose, Most Richard Curtis films and if he'd like to turn 'Closet' into a movie, then I'd be happy to chat, my busy schedule permitting of course.
Television
America's Next Top Model is my new favourite show, especially because I love watching Tyra's facial expressions. She could win a West Country gurning competition the way she goes on!
And dare I admit it...Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - it regularly has me in floods of tears, despite the fact that it's cheesier than a hunk of gorgonzola.
Books
Augusten Burroughs is a huge God, so anything by him and Once in a House on Fire by Andrea Ashworth is equally wonderful, poignant and so on.
As you might imagine, I have a rather large appetite for books in all shapes and sizes, so much so that I've just started up a gay book/writing group called Gaywrite. So if you're reading this, you're in Bristol and environs, and you want to join us, then please check out our myspace page: www.myspace.com/gaywrite (shameless plug there!)
Heroes
Augusten - I am not a sycophant, honest! He's a real inspiration.
alison aston's Details
Status:
In a Relationship
Here for:
Friends
Orientation:
Lesbian
Zodiac Sign:
Scorpio
Education:
College graduate
alison aston's Schools
University of East Anglia
Norwich, E
Graduated: 1997
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: European Studies and French
Left the big smoke and the glamour of working on women's magazines almost four years ago for a quieter life by the water in Bristol. It's been anything but quiet though - the pole in the Shilling will lay testament to that!
I've literally just finished the first edit of my novel, 'Closet,' (although am struggling to give it enough time - will I ever finish the bloody thing?!!!) but it will sound far more interesting if I tell you it's the 'Gay Bridget Jones,' mixed with a splice of 'The Devil Wears Prada' for good measure. It's a fictional account of my time as a gay woman on one of Britain's most loved style magazines and I hope that it's going to be huge.
I've also become quite the prolific blogger, so if you fancy checking out what goes on in my life from lesbian dinner parties (LDPs) to lesbiMAN flu, then feel free to have a look around by clicking on the link type things above.
And now that I've embraced my inner techie, you can check out my website and read an excerpt from 'Closet.' Let me know what you think...
Or, if you're feeling particularly adventurous and you fancy being transported from the daily grind to a world of champagne swigging sophisticates and some good old fashioned lesbian intrigue, then hot foot it over to the following link where you can hear me reading the whole of Chapter Eight for Her Circle ezine's International Women's Virtual Fesitval
Who I'd like to meet: Beth Orton because I've had a crush on her since she played a free gig at UEA 10 years ago and her music has been a bit of a soundtrack to my life ever since.
I'd also be just slightly ecstatic to meet an agent who thinks they can secure a six figure sum for my first novel!
And Augusten if you ever find yourself in Bristol, the kettle's always on...
Aside from that anyone who will have me - not in the biblical sense though people, I'm a married woman!
Your profile made me laugh, you know, in the parts where you intended it! Listened to your reading of chapter 8 also. Great stuff!! Is the book on the shelves at Barnes and Noble or Borders yet? :)
On January 11th I’m beginning another interactive blog story and would love people to come and play. To get involved (go on, you know you want to!), please visit my blog ( :
Of course our fine state won't let you get married in order to get working papers so perhaps I'm just dreamin'. But we're working on getting that changed, so bear with us!
