Artist explains gay experience By Meg Dedolph t >'d Reporter Basketball plovers, drag queans, jazz music ians and a great-grandmother, among nth its. dance through the pages of Is sex Hemphill's writing, through which he tries to ev plain tile exponent e of being a blac k gav man in Americ a Hemphill, the "Artist in Res idenoe'' for Martin I.other King )r week, will lie mart hmg in a ralh Saturday and appearing at the Hull Center at 7 It) p m Monday Hemphill's work — which, when dealing with sexuality, is sometimes graphic — is often stereotyped as "X-rated." he said Hemphill said stereotyp ing is a risk for any writer from the lesbian, gay or bisexual community, espec ially when the work is exposed to others outside the group. "When the work is beginning to be dealt with outside the community." Hemphill said. k those who ire uncomfortable with the community's existent e already are going to find strain gies to collapse the signifit am e of that work (iritii ism like tins does not affect Hemphill, who said he tries not to take it seriously for fear he would not accomplish the work fie wanted to tin "I tend to let commentary like that roll.” he said, he cause I know what I'm doing and that's what's the most im portant at the end of the day. that von lie dear about what the intents of your work are I think if I wasn't pigeon holed. or if people were not try mg to pigeonhole me he« ause of sex or sexuality, it would he because of r.u eHemphill said If tiie sexual references were removed from his works, lie said. We'd still have to con tend with the other issues the issues of race, the issues ot mi sogyny. sexism in six irty and some of the < lass issues that my J i 7 think if I wasn't pigeonholed, or if people were not trying to pigeonhole me because of sex or sexuality, it would be because of race.’ Essex Hemphill, pot'! oss.ivs .irf attonipting in il»»ul w it It t loin pH 11 i s.m! Ins writing .in' ...11\ appriM Kilcil m Ihi' s’«vv. kisbiau. bisi’vn.il .mil blink l onmiuiiilii's, btii iliai In' is always stirprisi'i! a! llii‘ i inn position of Ins niiiiinni os whim hi' ir.n i‘ls Turn to HEMPHILL, Pa.)*’ (i Advertising Deportment at 346-3712 Your Health Care, Oho Carer,??? (de ball! find mil more .il the Sjiionjl lli'jlth C jre forum on Tuev, |.m. IMih 7:30 p.m. I ML' l ir Room F»v It*»*tth i ithf ch