The 16th Second: The Wild Life and Crazy Times of Colt Michael-What Really Happened

Words matter . . . they live in our hearts and in our minds until we give them the strength to speak for us. Give them the power they were created to have. They deserve to be heard, and so do you. - Ted A Richard The 16th Second is the autobiography of a small-town gay boy from Deep South Louisiana who survived homophobia, alcohol and drug addiction, sexual abuse, rape, and HIV/AIDS to become somebody that no one, not even he, expected. The story winds through his childhood, where Ted had become accustomed to coming in second. Weaving a tale of drama, heartache, and failure to the path led him to figure out what it takes to come in first and why it mattered. His childhood recollection of "never being good enough" morphs into a world of delusions of grandeur as his search for fame seems never to materialize, which causes him to create his own definition of fame. It is a story of redemption and success after years of searching helped him realize that he had to let go of the fame of the past (which never existed) and begin living in the present in order to secure his future.

About the Author :
Ted A Richard was born and raised in Ossun, Louisiana, and graduated from Carencro High School in 1980. Shortly after graduation, he traveled all over the country working in retail management, later creating an alter-ego dance phenom named Colt Michael. He has lived in Austin, Boston, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Spokane, and San Francisco. He retired in 2007 after working more than thirty years in retail business management and currently resides near Carencro, Louisiana.He has been HIV + since 1987 and formerly served as president of Acadiana CARES, the Lafayette area HIV/AIDS service organization, as a consumer advocate. He has spoken on hundreds of occasions to schools and community organizations to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in the Acadiana area, and advocate for HIV prevention.He has also been a rarely outspoken advocate on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ and HIV+ communities for several years, having given speeches in the Louisiana Congress on pertinent issues regarding our rights as equal citizens.He was instrumental in organizing Lafayette's first-ever "Acadiana PRIDE Festival" as its vice-president in 2014 and president in 2015. "We want to be the beacon to the rest of the state and our country, to shine the light on what true family, togetherness, and diversity means in Cajun Country!" Ted is also an avid singer and was voted the 2016 Acadiana PRIDE Idol.Ted continuously strives to bring LGBT-relevant theatre to the Acadiana area. He has produced two plays for Acadiana PRIDE; Chez Gisele written by Dennis Ward, and UpStairs: The Musical written by Wayne Self. Both plays were performed at Cite des Arts (in 2014 and 2015, respectively), and both received high accolades from the theater and performing arts community. In 2016, Ted made his acting debut as the star of Dennis Ward's original comedy, Big Daddy's Last Dance (at the Stiff and Moody Funeral Home). He was nominated for a Rosie Award for his performance.

Review :
The gay community has few elders because of the AIDS epidemic, and with this memoir, Richard steps into that role. He provides an insider's social history of gay men in the American South during the 1980s and 1990s. Though there are many solemn and heartbreaking moments, Richard also writes with great humor and cheer. The most delightful part of this book is the author's conversational tone. It reads like oral history, with chatty (and sometimes catty) asides throughout the narrative that bring the reader into his world. Photographs and newspaper clippings provide context and further insight into Richard's tales. With important lessons that can appeal to all, this memoir is a celebration of a life fully lived. -Sarah Poulette, US Review of Books Richards' project is explicitly personal. He lived through the trauma of the onset of AIDS in America, and after receiving his own HIV diagnosis he had good reason to expect the same untimely end as too many of his lovers and friends. In this regard, the tone of THE 16th SECOND makes sense: this reflection on a fortunate life is told in a personal and personable way, with an almost conversational style - complete with winks and nods to the reader, historical side notes, and a few prickly airings of grievances.IR Verdict: THE 16TH SECOND is well worth reading for its portrayal of forty tumultuous years in LGBTQ history, as told by a funny, flawed, and human man. -IndieReader The 16th Second is the inspiring memoir of a stripper who became an activist. -Aimee Jodoin, Clarion Review for Foreword Reviews The 16th Second is a vulnerable, autobiographical account of Ted Richard's life-by turns raucous, debauched, joyous, isolated, and ultimately redeemed. Each reader will find something with which to identify in their own lives. -Jules Jernigan, Jewelry Designer