Sgl Contents

Editor’s Letter on page 2

The Sound of Tim Dillinger on page 3

Ask Nathan on page 8

Music on page 9

Movies on page 10

Editor’s Letter

Wow our 10 issue and it just keeps getting better and better. The numbersth

continue to rise more and more every week. Our ninth issue was our most readissue to date, more than 30,000 people have read the magazine and our pagecount has reached 100,000 people around the world. I continue to receivepositive feedback on a daily bases from people who read every issue andwanting to be featured or contribute to the magazine. Please keep them comingto sglweeklymag@gmail.com And also join our social site

www.sglliving.ning.com. In this issue we feature a man I have come to know and love Mr. TimDillinger on page 4. Then we have our fabulous columnist Nathan Seven Scott who continuesto take this journey with me every week and he just keeps getting better and better on page 10.We also have Music and Movies to take you into summer 09.Until next week peace love andGod Bless each and everyone of you.

Cordially,

Cleavester Brooks

Editor In Chief

P.S. Please go to www.cleavesterspace.ning.com and subscribe to the print home magazine

by yours truly Cleavester Brooks Home Magazine.

The Sound of Tim Dillinger A Cleavester Brooks Interview

I have known Tim for almost 3 years now, and I can say it is a pleasure to know this talentedman. He can write, teach, sing, and so much more. He interviewed me for his radio show andthen I interviewed him for 2 hours straight on my radio show US Radio with Cleavester aboutmusic, life, and the future. Tim has 2 CD’s to his name and The Muse his second cd is a truetestament to who he is and hope to be. Come go with me as we go into the life and times of myfriend Tim Dillinger.

What is Snapshots about?Snapshots is a collection of memories. Icollected some essays I'd written about myexperiences specifically pertaining to artistswho have inspired me and spiritualexperiences I've had, along with poetry,song lyrics and journal entries. Most of thejournal entries and poems come from thepast three or four years. The journal entriesare quasi-poems....so they're kind of thosestand still 'snapshots' in a very lyrical form.

Why did you decided to write a book?My producer, Dale Babb, has always feltthat I should collect some of my writingsinto one package. I had a hard timebelieving I had a book 'in me', but once Istarted collecting the pieces, I started to seeit a little more clearly. Blogging was a hugepiece of cultivating the craft and people whowere reading my blog started to ask for abook...so between the people in my personalspace and the fans who were relating to thework, I made the decision to complete thework.

How did you decide which book companyto go with?I definitely wanted to self-publish. At thetime, I talked with Tim'm West who haddone his work thru Lulu and I followed suit.

Who is Tim Dillinger?One of my mothers calls me her 'seekerson'...and I think that best defines me. Every single one of my heroes was/issomeone who asks the hard questions...whotakes the road less traveled...and I think Ifollow in their footsteps, sometimes much tomy own frustration...LOL. But I love thequestions...and I try to live them.

Where did you find the inspiration foryour CD The Muse?Through my frustration with the musicindustry!!! LOL I was watching BET oneday and I got really angry. I didn't seewhere my vision fit in the commercialworld. That combined with off lineconversations with industry heads who weretrying to get me to jump through all kinds ofhoops just took me over the top. it was the

first of two times in my career that I thoughtI would just stop and go be something else. I cancelled all of my upcoming dates andgot a job! I was Journaling alot and writingpoetry about my frustrations....I waslistening to an artist named Laura Nyro, who

definitely paved her ownroad as an artist. I wrotethe title poem one daywalking back from lunchin a bolt of inspiration andcalled my musical co-conspirator, Dale Babb,and I told him that I hadan album to make, but thatI wanted to make it forme...without any concernabout who might buy it. Ijust brought my journal tothe studio with me and webegan picking tracks andpairing them with thepoems, that I them took inthe vocal booth with meand shaped into songs. We started with core

tracks and then I wanted as much liveinstrumentation as I could afford, so thealbum has a very live feel. To this day,making that album is my favorite creativeexperience thus far. It was the first time Ihad a clear vision in my head of what Iwanted something to sound like and Iworked until I was able to deliver it. it gaveme a template to work from for everything Ido now. We took it to a few indie labels,who passed on it, and I put it out on myown...and it ended up surpassing the firstalbum in both sales and critical acclaim.

What turns you on?Poetry. Fall walks. The beach. Sincerity. Smiles. Vocabulary. Spirituality.

What turns you off?Arrogance. Selfishness. Ignorance. Pettiness. Clinginess.

Are you Single or Taken?Very single.

What do you look for in a guy?There has to be a spiritual connection...asimilarity in our paths. Even if our beliefsaren't the same, a common goal of seeking,and a common understanding of where eachother comes from. Emotionally, someonewho is strong, but isn't afraid to cry....andwho isn't afraid to talk about what they arefeeling. Physically, I don't have a long listof requirements. While I would prefersomeone taller than me and I'm a sucker forsexy eyes, it's really not that deep when it allboils down...I really am most entranced bythe heart and mind. Probably not the 'sexy'answer, but that's real. What celebrity would you like to turn outGay or Straight?Well, Cleavester, you know my celebritycrush is and will always be Keith HamiltonCobb....He's an intellectual...and insanelyattractive...a true artist....I could go on andon....(Note to Tim stay away from myhusband, I fight for mine “LOL”)

When is the Gospel CD coming out?When I raise the money to mix and masterit! (How's that for an honest answer!) Wespent alot of money in the production...and Ifeel like it's important to match that qualityin the post-production. I learned a long timeago that any project I take on has it's owntiming...and 'Dawning' has proven thattheory once again. I'm working on somefundraising concerts for the projectnow...and I would love nothing more than tohave it out at the top of next year...but we'llsee what happens. I also think I'm stillfiguring some things out in terms of where

the project is to be presented...and thatmaybe part of the subconscious delay...butthat conversation opens up a whole 'nothercan of worms about affirming ministry....

When did you know you could sing?It's the first thing I remember ever knowing. I tell that story in the book. I was threeyears old and I heard Reba Rambo on theradio and fell in love with her voice andwords. My grandparents bought me one ofher albums, and I knew I was an artist. Istarted singing in church immediately andhave never stopped.

When did you know you were SameGender Loving?That's honestly probably the second thing Iever knew. I had to be five or six. I amcontemplating talking about that in the nextbook. I had a crush on one of the other boysat thechurch and remember knowing, somehow,that it was something I needed to hide. Ittook me years to reconcile and make peacewith myself.

What advice would you give to someonethat is on the DL?To hide is to live a life of torment. I madehard decisions early on about separatingfrom those who could not accept my truthand that included immediate family. Andthose are decisions we all avoid making. Who wants to separate from family...fromthose that are most familiar to us? But Irealized one day that our love was onesided. I had to first give those around methe option to accept or reject me. And thenbased on those reactions, I got to understandthe truth of those relationships. And in allhonesty, the pain of hiding was far greaterthan the pain of separating when I needed to. There is a freedom that you experience inrealizing you can shape your ownfamily...your own circle of friends...your

own community....external of the one youwere born into.

It is especially hard for those of us whocome from communities of faith, that wereentrenched in the church and it's dogma. But there are communities of faith thataccept us...there are even communities offaith that we have created ourselves! Thereare more options than we realize. But itrequires courage...and everyone has theirown rhythm in finding their strength.For those with career concerns, let me beclear, there can be a price to pay. But thatprice is so worth it. I have paid dearly...butas time has gone on, it has gotten easier. Doors have opened. People begin to care alittle less. And in the bigpicture, if we don't payit...who will?

Why did you want tomove from Nashville toNew York?Well, I had reached theend of the road inNashville. I'd done allthat I could there as anartist in residence...and I needed to be ableto live in a place where I could have a largerhome base to work from. I'd been inNashville for eight years....and had a verysolid fan base and a very solid personalbase, but it was one of those instances whereI felt the call and had to have the courage toaccept it.

How are you adjusting to New York?I'm adjusting. What's funny though is thatI'm bi-coastal now. I also live in the BayArea with one of my sisters. I live in NewYork with my brothers. Both cities bringme an energy that I needed. New York wasa harder transition for me because it was thefirst transition. It was all new. It was bigand it was scary. But what New York

showed me was that I could go anywhereand do what I do. And within a few months,I came here to California and began workingto coordinate things out here as well. Istarted calling this the year of the gypsy....Idon't know if I"m meant to ever just be inone place...home is where the heart is...andthat's an internal thing.

Beyonce has a song, If I were a Boy, Iremixed it to "If you were a Girl" whowould you be and do?If I were a girl...hmm....I would probablywant to have a baby....and I would enjoyhaving the option to be legally married inany state. Who would I be? Angela Davisor Laura Nyro.

What do you know for sure?That we are Spirit...and that we are allconnected...

How can the people get in contactwith you?www.timdillinger.com to keep up withwhat's going on and I can be reacheddirectly at timdillinger@gmail.com

Do you have any final word orcomments?Thank you to the listeners and readers whohave been supporting my work for the pastfive years....They have loved me throughalot...and have helped spread the word aboutmy work in a way I never could have on myown. I'm embarking on a summer tour (TheSummer Soulkiss Tour) with my brothers,

Kare Alford & DavidSosa, with whom I haveformed SOULKISS, ourcollective of sorts. We'llbe hitting a minimum of12 cities....so I'm lookingforward to being able tomeet some of thesupporters that I've onlytalked to via email! Details on the tour will beon all of the pages. There's also a SOULKISSproject in the works...andit will be produced byStico von Drake.

Ask NathanDear Nathan, I host a nationally syndicated talkshow and every one isalways trying to honor me for this award and that charity.I am having restless nights over people wanting thingsfrom me. How do I tell them to go to hell in a nice way. Sincerely,Anonymous Billionaire

Dear Anonymous Billionaire:

Being in the spotlight will certainly get you attention from the masses. You are in the business of talk. So, people want to talk to you. Theywant to be a part of your experience.

Sometimes I find myself allowing other people to speak for me. It takesthe pressure off of me and doesn't make me look like I'm a mean person. So, I implore you to practice saying NO, politely.

Send your questions to Ask Nathan atsglweeklymag@gmail.com Attn: Ask Nathan

Music

Thy Kingdom Come has an Urban Gospel flavor and isstraight up Praise & Worship. Any given Sunday, anygiven church could just simply put this CD on and letthe congregation wail to God. It's a powerful projectwith some heavyweight production elements, namelyLuther "Mano" Hanes, Tommy Sims, Percy Bady, thedynamic duo of Vic and Ced Caldwell, ChristopherCapehart, Brannon Tunie and Cece's son, Alvin III. Ofthe beautifully produced 14 songs on this effort, Cecewrote and co-wrote 8 of them and the intimacy with herLord shines throughout. As did I, you too will probablyenjoy every selection. Thy Kingdom Come is wellproduced and engineered and speaks well of Cece'sministry as she speaks well of her Lord. This is Cece's8th solo project and she continues to sing with that

passion that has compelled so many to consider a walk with The Saviour. -C.B.

192008 debut album from the singer/songwriter. Citing herinfluences as diverse as Etta James, Jill Scott, Bjork,Dusty Springfield, Billy Bragg, Billie Holiday, JeffBuckley, The Cure and Peggy Lee, Adele is a trulyunique new artist. With her mix up of R&B and Soulserved up with a healthy dash of feisty London attitude,she spins beautiful dark stories of loves won and lost andsometimes just daydreamed about. 12 tracks. XL. ThisCD will have you Chasing Pavements, giving the ColdShoulder, Melting your heart to stone, Think of yourFirst Love, and Make you Feel My Love and that’s noteven the end of the CD. -C.B.

Movies

ReligulousIn this new comedy from director Larry Charles (Borat, "CurbYour Enthusiasm"), comedian and TV host Bill Maher ("RealTime with Bill Maher," "Politically Incorrect") takes apilgrimage across the globe on a mind-opening journey into theultimate taboo: questioning religion. Meeting the high and lowfrom different religions, Maher simply asks questions, like"Why is faith good?" "Why doesn't an all-powerful God speakto us directly?" and "How can otherwise rational people believein a talking snake?" For anyone who's even a little spirituallycurious, this divine entertainment will deepen your faith...incomedy!

Paul Blart: Mall Cop Kevin James plays a Segway-riding security officer who encounters realdanger when a gang takes over the mall. It actually turns into a surprisinglysharp parody of Die Hard about halfway through. Aimed at kids, from AdamSandler's Happy Madison productions.

Were the World MineTimothy (Tanner Cohen) is a gay boy stranded in a private boysschool obsessed with rugby. There’s just one thing about rugbyhe's obsessed with, the über-hot Jonathan (Nathaniel DavidBecker). Both boys are students in Ms. Tebbit's (Wendy Robie,who "Twin Peaks" fans will recognize as "Nadine") Englishclass. She's a teacher with a mission: to excite her students withthe literature of the ages. When she decides to cast these twoboys as the romantic leads in her production of Shakespeare's "AMidsummer Night's Dream" and to cast boys in girl's roles, youknow she’s just as mischievous as Puck himself. The rugbyCoach and townspeople are up in arms, and Timothy sendshimself off into musical gay fantasies that look as if they'redesigned by Pierre et Gilles. But Timothy just can't get thelanguage right and Ms. Tebbit advises the boy to let the wordswork their magic. They do just that as Timothy finds in the script

the recipe for a potion to make people gay! One spritz from Timothy's magic pansy and theperson goes totally queer. The entire town (filled with Christian fundamentalists) is whipped into

frenzy as the glorious production night approaches. This deliciously surreal confection of a filmis steered by first-time co-writer/director Thomas Gustafson, whose 2003 short Fairies inspiredthis bit of magic. The musical numbers are over-the-top, production values first-rate and theacting is as flawlessly beautiful as the boys. We know the Bard would appreciate this totallyqueer take on his immortal tale of mayhem, "If we shadows have offended, think but this, and allis mended." -Scott Cranin

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