Bliss: A Marriage Proposal for Charles Stephen Hughes

These are words Philip has written to Charles Stephen Hughes, his loving domestic companion, over the nearly fourteen years that they've been together as a couple. He offers them to Charles as evidence that they, along with all same-sex couples who wish to commit their lives to each other, are meant and deserve to be together in a state of lawfully wedded bliss.  By the way, Charles accepted the proposal.  A wedding is planned as soon as Illinois law permits.

From Particles and Disputations:  Writings for Jeff, a book of hours

Sometimes poetry, sometimes prose, sometimes playful, sometimes serious, but always intimate, cadid, revelatory and written for an audience of one, Philip's writings for his partner Jeff span from 1982, when they first met, through 1998, when he scattered Jeff's ashes.  Throughout their relationship Philip would mark both celebratory and difficult occasions that they faced with a piece of creative writing.  After Jeff's death from AIDS in 1994, Philip compiled these writings into a book which tells the story of the life they shared. 

Philip began writing short stories during the grammar school years of his childhood, which was spent in rural, northern Minnesota. He was the editor of both his high school yearbook and student newspaper. He attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where he earned a B.A. with a double major in Philosophy and Theater. While in college he served as the news editor and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. In college he discovered a talent for drawing and, at the invitation of the Art faculty, presented a senior thesis show. He has remained active as a visual artist ever since, concentrating on expressionistic abstract and figurative drawing.  These styles of visual art have often shown up in his creative writing as well.