I have been in Chicago, for the last week or so I think; keeping track of time has never been my strong point, the days run away from me like pistachio shells.

I left New York in rather a state of disarray, of course, and nervously flew to the Windy City for a the first stop on My U.S. Tour. The dashing Daniel Tovar, Chicago phD philosophy candidate, met me at the airport. It was snowing, and it has continued to do so. That very evening I brought my schoolboy striptease to Belmont Burlesque, where it was very well received by the audience. I am apparently the first instance of boylesque in Chicago for a decade or so; it seems likely that I would be ten years late doesn't it?

The following evening I saw the Neo-Futurist's incredible show "Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind" which is 30 plays in 60 minutes, 60 minutes of absurdity and fast paced innovation. Really, it was very inspiring, and you may well see a flourish or two from that show in "Notorious Beauty" when it comes to your town.

For the rest of my time in this snowy little town I have been drinking coffee and watching movies in Tovar's studio apartment. I say studio appartment, but really it is not much smaller than my pad in NY, and four of us live there. I rented "Salome's Last Dance" which is a Ken Russell version of Wilde's "Salome" play, with added biographical scenes which, I thought at least, were highly unnecessary. Glenda Jackson looked just like Annie Lennox, though and the art design and costuming were beautiful, coming off like a gruesome Pierre et Glles. Speaking of P+G I also saw "Ma Vie en Rose" which was fairly silly, although I did enjoy the ridiculousness of the P+G inspired 'Le Monde de Pam' scenes. Then I watched Hitchcock's "Notorious", which got me to thinking about notoriety (as I am often wont to do). To round it off, I finally watched "The Crying Game" which I think must be considered a Film Noir, although I haven't seen anybody writing on this which seems foolish. That really is an incredible, unpredictable film (and no I'm not talking about the entirely obvious trans plotline) and reminds me just what an odd place Britain really is.

So, no, I didn't go up the Sear's tower and I didn't go to the Art Institute or for a sociological field trip to the Loop whilst in Chicago. I did however get stranded in the mid-West when a snowstorm canceled my flight. To celebrate, Tovar and I drank whiskey all night and listened to his i-tunes playlist, by the light of a Virgin Mary candle. We talked endlessly, I mused on how good he smelled, we sang along with Boy George. Then I think we passed out or fell asleep because I woke up this morning still in the previous day's clothes, next to an ice cube tray full of cold water.

See you in Santa Fe! "Notorious Beauty" debuts tomorrow night. Yes, in less than 48 hours. In the meantime: