The Journey Continues
Robert Davolt
Robert
Davolt has been writing and publishing since 1975 and holds awards and
honors from the Washington Press Association and others. His career has
included news writing, corporate communications, advertising, government,
and teaching journalism.
Moving to San Francisco, Davolt revived the International Drummer Contests
as Executive Producer and Coordinator, turning them into profitable events
while also serving as the last Publisher and Editor of Drummer magazine.
He has been the honored guest of communities across the U.S., Canada and
Europe. Now a free-lance writer and designer, his work has appeared in
the San Francisco Examiner, the San Francisco Chronicle, SF Frontiers,
OutNow, OutLook (Long Island), the Leather Journal, Blueboy, Numbers,
SuperMR, and the Official Folsom and Castro Street Fair Programs among
others. He writes a regular column for www.LeatherPage.com .
Davolt has been involved in several leather communities as a club founder
and officer, titleholder, radio commentator, judge and a panelist on various
subjects. He served last year as San Francisco Leather Daddy XIX and coordinated
the 2002 Leather Contingent in the SF Pride Parade.
Bio current
as of 4-1-03
2003 Presentations:
Me?! A Leader?! Now What?! - Fast and practical emergency leadership skills for those who suddenly find themselves as titleholder, committee chair, club officer or otherwise in charge. The basics of fundraising, event planning, activism, press releases and publicity. Crisis management, politics, community organization, diplomacy and dealing with the outside world.
Myths & Mysteries of Leather (Community History) - Unconventional, skeptical and distinctly irreverent look at Leather/SM community history, traditions and beliefs based on the popular series of articles “Myths & Mysteries of Leather.” Some of the questions we will explore are: What do we really know about our own history and traditions? What do we know about “Old Guard” protocols and how are they relevant today? Where did this history come from and what can we believe as true? How do we test our beliefs? How do we know what we know? How will we pass along traditions and history to the next generation?
The Politics of Identity and Community (How We Identify Ourselves) - Once upon a time, describing the leather community was easy: We were simply everyone that no one else wanted. We were the outcasts, the perverts, the left-overs. Today, as we apply for grants, participate in politics, demand recognition and fight intolerance, we have to define ourselves like never before. As our underground tribe emerges into the daylight, we must answer questions we never had to consider before: Who are we? What are our common interests and how do we identify as a community? How do we define who is “us” and who is “them?” How to we define ourselves to outsiders? To legal and health authorities? Why should we? Is “coming out” really necessary anymore? Scene names vs. real names? Individuality vs. accountability?
