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Mark S. King
September 24, 2008 My Fabulous Disease A Video Blog  Subscribe to Mark S. King's Blog or Learn About Blog Subscriptions11:34 a.m. I'm tempted to begin with, "I'm Mark, and I'm a drug addict," because so much of my life is caught up in repairing the damage of many years of addiction. If you don't have experience with addicts, never fear. I can easily convince you how functional I am and have been: Years of leading an AIDS agency; long term relationships with well adjusted, handsome men; and a fairly successful vocation as a writer and columnist. I wish I could tell you what to expect from this blog, but will guarantee only that it will be an honest account of my life living with HIV and as an addict in recovery. Beyond that, life is unpredictable so hopefully the blog will reflect that. As you may have noticed, I'll be video blogging as well, which I'm really excited about because so much can get lost in translation -- humor, sarcasm, and other such tools I often call upon -- in the written word. Check out the video blog if you are able. Episode One You may have seen my columns on The Body, archived here, or seen excerpts from my book A Place Like This or various interviews. I'm going to try and keep this blog much more casual than that, and definitely more up to date, so that my worries or rumination on life's ongoing wonders, jokes and ironies don't seem stale or overly written. But these days it's the addict side of my identity that I spend the most time both addressing and running from. It's my personal bit of irony. Everyone should have one. But addict or not, I'm susceptible to the same anxieties as everyone else. I'm worried, for instance, that Obama will implode and we'll wish we'd given Hillary "her chance." I'm worried crystal meth will bring all the same shameful baggage to gay men that AIDS once did. I'm scared of another relapse. Thank God I still can find balance in my emotions, because I'm also grateful. That the country is gripped with interest and excitement over the elections. That HIV disease continues to become manageable in a way I never dreamt possible when I was diagnosed 25 years ago. And that today I didn't have to use drugs to change the way I feel. So my feelings -- worry and gratitude -- are also fraught with contradictions, it would seem. Stick around. I'm filled with them. I believe just as certainly as Eliot Spitzer -- the heroic New York crime fighter -- banged a prostitute, that the light and the dark are drawn to one another. Maybe that's why dawn and dusk are the most beautiful times of day. In this blog I'll try and sort out my feelings on what's going on in the world. In the meantime, you can get a good background of who I am by taking a look at what's already available here on The Body. Meanwhile, please be well. To contact Mark, click here. |
VIDEO BLOG:
My Fabulous Disease Mark S. King has been an active AIDS activist, writer and community organization leader since the early 1980s in Los Angeles. He has been an outspoken advocate for prevention education and for issues important to those living with HIV. Diagnosed in 1985, Mark has held positions with the Los Angeles Shanti Foundation, AID Atlanta and AIDS Survival Project, and is an award-winning writer. He continues his volunteer work as an AIDS educator and speaker for conferences and events. Speaking engagements: Mark King is available to speak to groups. Click here to contact him. More About Mark: Subscribe to Mark's Blog: A Brief Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by TheBody.com's bloggers are entirely their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheBody.com itself. Recent Posts: February 2, 2010 - A Facial Wasting Update January 4, 2010 - Serosorting and Sex Clubs December 15, 2009 - Drag and Gratitude: A Holiday Video Blog December 2, 2009 - When My T Cells Are Old and Gray May 27, 2009 - My Search for Meaning April 22, 2009 - You Gotta Have Friends March 25, 2009 - Treating My Facial Wasting January 28, 2009 - Mark's R-rated S.E.X. Blog January 13, 2009 - The Drug Addict Takes A Holiday November 20, 2008 - Taking Care of Hal November 10, 2008 - Oprah Comes Calling October 2, 2008 - My Alter Ego: Anita Mann September 24, 2008 - My Fabulous Disease  View an excerpt of Mark's book Interviews With Mark:
Mark King Looks Back at the AIDS Epidemic's Darkest Hour in the U.S. (May 14, 2008) Articles by Mark:
Meth Burial (May 2008) |
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