A little of the basics first:
Name: Jeff Cilione
Occupation: Owner/barber at Daddy’s Barbershop in San Francisco (in the heart of the Castro).
Business schpeel: If you’re lookin’ for a great haircut and some good conversation, as well as a great vibe in a cool barbershop, give me a shout. You can find me at Daddy’s — 4102 19th St (2 doors off of Castro). Even better, you can also book an appointment with me online at http://www.daddysbarbershop.com/jeff.html. Next my smilin’ mug, you’ll see the link to book an appointment. Thanx, and hope to be seein’ ya soon.
A lil’ about me: I’m originally from NYC (Brooklyn to be exact). I left that wonderful city in 1993 and have been searching for a home ever since. A couple of years in Albany, NY — to attend grad school — led to a 5 year stint in Provincetown, MA. I’ve been in San Francisco since 1999.
I am sober and have been a member of AA/NA since October 9, 1988. I still make at least one meeting a week. I have a sponsor who I barley use and a couple of sponsees (who do use me – thank god!). I am forever grateful to the program for giving me my life back and the tools for making that life a productive one (I miss you everyday John).
I met my husband Gustavo in April 2006. I was not looking to get involved with anyone, but he waited, patiently, for me to come around. We were married October 2008 in San Francisco’s City Hall. He is the love of my life. How do I know this? Because I can’t picture my life without him, even when I’m pissed off at him. We plan to move to Mexico City in a few years.
Why I’m here: I’ve toyed with the idea of having a blog, but not being a writer, I felt it to be a waste of your time and mine. And, what do I have to say anyway? Let me answer the latter first. Talkin’ with, and entertainin’ people every day (the second job of a barber) one needs to be a bit of a gabber. In addition, being an Aries and a Brooklyner makes me quite opinionated. So, I have stuff to say, but I’m still not a writer, although…
I was published, once, while in grad school. It was a simple research piece — “The Love that Dares Not Speak its Name: Oscar Wild, Modernity and the Dandy – the Emergence of ‘Gay’” (Journal of Graduate Liberal Studies, Fall 1995, vol. 1, no. 1 pp. 81-97). I was also published on a matchbook (see blog entry, Matchbook Horror, 5/5/09). Add 100s of papers that come out of attending undergrad and grad schools and half a doctoral dissertation, you end up with a substantial amount of writing for a non-writer. Still, blog writing is a horse of a different color. Research papers evolve over the long form. How do I write in the short form? Then I remembered in the early to mid nineties I was a big time Bulletin Board poster — BBs were how folk posted stuff in olden times — before the days of Instant Messaging, texting and Twitter (OMG! Does this make me an OG?). So, it appears I’ve been spreading my P.O.V. around electronically for a while (with a huge gap between spreads — about 18 years).
Now, with an inspired resurgence to put down my thoughts, rants and raves, and some F.Y.I.s taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area, here I am. Through daily discussions with others I hope to eventually compile current topics and observations which I will group into “conversations” between myself and a fictional character named _______ – a compilation of the many people passing through my chair.
All I can hope is that this endeavor will make me a better writer, and in the process someone in the great world-wide-web will find me informative, interesting, or at least a lil’ amusing. I’m keepin’ my fingers crossed.
