Ficera, Kim (M.) 1959-

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FICERA, Kim (M.) 1959-

PERSONAL: Born August 6, 1959, in Stamford, CT; daughter of Pasquale (a carpenter) and Mary (a homemaker; maiden name, Alfano) Ficera; partner of Tracey Mason (a marketing director). Ethnicity: "Italian American." Education: Emerson College, B.F.A. (cum laude; creative writing and literature), 1982.

ADDRESSES: Agent—John Talbot, The John Talbot Agency, 540 West Boston Post Rd., Mamaroneck, NY 10543. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Freelance writer and consultant, 1982—; New Mass Media, Hartford, CT, developer, writer, and researcher, 1996-99, Web site production artist, 1999-2000, Web manager, 2000-03. Featured on Out Right Radio, 2001—.

MEMBER: National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, Out Professionals.

AWARDS, HONORS: Best Weekly Reporter/Writer, and Best Weekly Columnist designations, Westchester County Weekly, both 2001, both for column "From Hell to Breakfast."

WRITINGS:

Sex, Lies, and Stereotypes: An Unconventional Life Uncensored, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Also author of Gays of Our Lives (online soap opera), 1997-2001; author of syndicated column From Hell to Breakfast, 2000—. Contributor to periodicals, including Girlfriends and Out.

SIDELIGHTS: Author and columnist Kim Ficera uses humorous writing to focus on gender, family, sex, and social behavior as they pertain to pop culture. She works both as a freelance journalist and as a freelance writer/editor for business, professional, educational, and nonprofit organizations.

Sex, Lies, and Stereotypes: An Unconventional Life Uncensored is a collection of autobiographical essays and performances in which Ficera recounts her life and experiences as a lesbian. She includes childhood anecdotes—from family vacation traumas to learning there was no Easter bunny—and adult stories that mine the territory of her love life. Martha Miller, reviewing the book for Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, stated that Ficera "has a knack for homing in on the strange little things about being a lesbian that outsiders don't see (or don't believe)." She went on to call Sex, Lies, and Stereotypes "a good book for any lesbian who finds herself taking life a little too seriously." Lambda Book Report reviewer Julia Willis expressed a problem with Ficera's choice of pieces in the volume, observing that "I still must wonder why she would use a piece on weatherman Al Roker but leave out those nicely barbed columns on Dr. Laura or the Anne Heche space saga." Willis went on to admit, however, that Ficera has written on such a wide range of topics that everyone familiar with her writing was bound to miss some favorites. In a review for Booklist, Whitney Scott found no fault with Ficera's chosen columns when he remarked that the author "blithely manages to get a laugh out of every experience."