Joel Perry

Joel Perry grew up heavy, hairy, and homo in North Carolina. He has lived in Florida, Washington DC, NYC, and LA as an actor, writer, comedian, producer, workshop leader, and spiritual director. He is the author of two collections of funny stories and essays ("Funny That Way" and the Lambda Literary Award-nominated "That's Why They're In Cages, People!"), two how-to books, and most recently "Stealing Arthur," his new wild novel based on the 2000 theft of 55 Academy Awards where only 52 were recovered. Hey, in a town where people would kill for a part, what would they do for an actual award?

"When I read I like my novels chunky," Joel says. "So for 'Stealing Arthur' I mixed in romance, mystery, intrigue, comedy, surprises, over-the-top craziness, Hollywood dish, violence, laughter, tears, a whole lot of heart, and of course sex. In a town like LA, you can get all that in a single afternoon and still have time for shopping."

After 28 years in Los Angeles, Joel has returned home to Wilmington, NC where he lives with his husband, Fred, and two cats that are so adorable and cuddly you just want to vomit.