This Queer Book Saved My Life!

The book that showed you what a positive queer future could be. And then literally came true.Today we meet Brendan Gillett and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: Uncle Bobby's Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen. And Sarah joins us for the conversation!Brendan is a high school English teacher in Brooklyn, New York. He works with English language learners to create poetry, picture books, cooking blogs, and literary analysis essays in every language they know. When he's not teaching, he's writing his own queer stories, poetry, and research essays about queer history. He lives with his illustrator husband and their cat, Pigeon.Sarah S. Brannen is the illustrator of the Robert F. Sibert Honor book Summertime Sleepers and the author of Uncle Bobby's Wedding, named one of the 100 best children's books of the last 100 years by Booktrust. Sarah has written and illustrated A Perfect Day, Madame Martine, and Madame Martine Breaks the Rules. Miles Comes Home, a companion book to Uncle Bobby's Wedding, came out last November. And her forthcoming book Lolly on the Ice is now available to pre-order.In Uncle Bobby's Wedding, when Uncle Bobby announces that he and "his friend" Jamie are getting married everyone is happy -- except Chloe. After a magical day with Uncle Bobby and his boyfriend, Jamie, Chloe realizes she's not losing an uncle, but gaining one.Connect with Brendan and Sarahinstagram: @mrbrendangillettwebsite: brendangillett.comwebsite: sarahbrannen.cominstagram: @sarahsbrannenbluesky: @sarahsbrannen.bsky.socialOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy Uncle Bobby's Wedding: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781499810080Buy Miles Comes Home: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781499814736Pre-order Lolly on the Ice: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780593711828Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John ParkerExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, Sofia Nerman, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: Join us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on June 24th! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which John hosts. The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ progressive news and talk radio show in the country airing in Minneapolis (AM950-KTNF) and Chicago (WCPT 820).In this episode, looking at your apartment, house, and condo have you thought to yourself: I've got to find a way to organize all of this? Did you know how you organize can be a reflection of how we're feeling about the world? We're talking about organizing with Jake Stepansky, who is also the co-founder and Board President of the Queer and Trans Library. Start reading here: https://www.qtlibrary.orgWatch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonJoin us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

This book sparked a five-year long career and life journey.In a first for us, we have two guests today! They are Arden Harris and Emily Autenrieth. We're talking about the queer book that saved their lives: The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon and she joins us for the conversation!Arden Harris is the buyer and lead bookseller for A Seat at the Table Books, an aspiring writer, and overall bookstore cryptid. They're often found hiding in the shelves or crafting with their partner and four cats.Emily Autenrieth is the founder and owner of A Seat at the Table Books. Emily saw a need in the community for a space where people of all ages and identities could be themselves and learn about others. With eir spouse Ryan's support, Emily opened a pop-up and online bookstore out of the family's home in January 2020. After getting a lease on a former float spa in April 2021, Emily and Ryan opened the brick-and-mortar store that November. They have been featured by ABC10 as business of the year for 2022!Samantha Shannon is an award-winning and bestselling fantasy author. She studied English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford. Her novel The Priory of the Orange Tree has sold over a million copies in English worldwide. At the age of 21, she published The Bone Season, the internationally bestselling first installment in a seven-book series of fantasy novels. The Dark Mirror, the fifth installment in the Bone Season series, just came out this past February.Special Limited SeriesThis episode is part of a special limited series of episodes featuring only guests who are owners or staff at LGBTQ bookstores. Airing April-June 2025, these episodes will feature six bookstores across the United States and United Kingdom.Today's bookstore A Seat at the Table Books is a family-owned bookstore in Elk Grove, CA, that fosters community through representation in our curated book selection, eco-friendly coffee, and mission-driven events. They strive to be a third space that is safe and affirming for all identities.Connect with Arden, Emily, and Samanthawebsite: aseatatthetablebooks.orgbluesky: @seatbooks.bsky.socialinstagram: @ASeatattheTableBooksinstagram: @bookstore.cryptidwebsite: samanthashannon.co.ukinstagram: @say_shannonBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonJoin us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

A new episode in our special limited series featuring owners/staff of LGBTQ bookstores drops next week on June 10th! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which John hosts. The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ progressive news and talk radio show in the country airing in Minneapolis (AM950-KTNF) and Chicago (WCPT 820).In this episode, our previous guest to This Queer Book Saved My Life, David Rephan, shares his area of professional legal expertise: Elder Law. As MAGA is cutting Medicaid, and threatening to roll back gay marriage and cut Medicare and Social Security, what laws and documents (medical power of attorney, wills, etc.) do we need as queer folks to protect us? David Rephan is a partner at Chestnut Cambronne. In his twenty-five years of practicing law, he has focused his practice primarily in the areas of elder law, disability law (including special needs trust law), government benefits law, and veterans law.Connect with David: https://www.chestnutcambronne.com/bio-drephan.htmlListen to David's episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life: https://thisqueerbook.com/metes-and-bounds/Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonJoin us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

I was hungry for language. And stories. And how to tell our stories. That's what this book gave me. But let's not make a Bible out of it.Today we meet Kris Kleindienst and we're talking about the queer book that saved her life: Diving Into The Wreck by Adrienne Rich.Kris is a 72-year old queer lesbian writer, bookseller, and activist. She owns Left Bank Books, a 56-year old progressive bookstore in St. Louis, Missouri. Kris edited a collection of activist essays titled This Is What Lesbian Looks Like: Dyke Activists Take on The 21st Century, published by Firebrand Press and winner of a Lambda Literary Award. She was a gold medal winning and 4-time participant in The Gay Games (also the co-founder of Team St. Louis). She has won multiple awards locally, regionally and nationally for my work with Left Bank Books. She is at work on a memoir about growing up in the 50s-60s with a Lesbian mother. Fun fact: She once got high with Armistead Maupin.Diving into the Wreck: Poems 1971–1972 was Adrienne Rich's seventh book of poetry, an anthology of poems described as provocative and which co-won the 1974 National Book Award for Poetry with Allen Ginsberg's The Fall of America. Adrienne Rich (1929-2012) was an award-winning poet and essayist.Special Limited SeriesThis episode is part of a special limited series of episodes featuring only guests who are owners or staff at LGBTQ bookstores. Airing April-June 2025, these episodes will feature six bookstores across the United States and United Kingdom.Today's guest owns Left Bank Books. Opened in 1969 by a group of graduate students at Washington University who wanted to create a place where one could find all kinds of literature, Left Bank Books is the oldest and largest independently-owned full-line bookstore in St. Louis, Missouri. Open seven days a week, Left Bank Books offers a full-line of new and used books, gifts, cards, toys and services. Learn more and get shopping: left-bank.comConnect with Kriswebsite: left-bank.comfacebook: facebook.com/kleindienstBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Join us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

A new episode in our special limited series featuring owners/staff of LGBTQ bookstores drops next week on May 27th! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which John hosts. The Gaily Show is the only daily LGBTQ news and talk shows in the country airing in Minneapolis (AM950-KTNF) and Chicago (WCPT 820).In this episode, two previous guests of This Queer Book Saved My Life and 7 Minutes in Book Heaven return to share their new novels! Blair Fell's just published Disco Witches of Fire Island on May 6. If you like spicy queer romances with a dash of fantasy, this is for you! And Mac Crane's A Sharp Endless Need came out last week! It's serving queer high-school basketball romance.Connect with Blair: blairfell.comListen to Blair's episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life: https://thisqueerbook.com/the-persian-boy/Buy Disco Witches of Fire Island: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798892420341Connect with Mac: marisacrane.orgListen to Mac's episode of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven: https://thisqueerbook.com/keep-my-exoskeletons/Buy A Sharp Endless Need: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780593733646Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonJoin us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

What would it feel like for other people to love me if they were to truly see me and truly know me as I am right now?Today we meet Esmé and we're talking about the queer book that saved their life: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. And Martha joins us for the conversation!Esmé has been slinging radical books at Firestorm since 2019. They wear multiple hats including communications, event facilitation, and offsite sales. When she doesn't have her nose in a gay book, Esmé sings in a doom metal band and snuggles with the shop dog, an ancient dachshund named Julius Caesar Salad, as much as caninely possible.Martha Wells has written many novels, including the bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series, which was adapted into an Apple Original TV series debuting May 16, 2025. She also authored Witch King, City of Bones, The Wizard Hunters, Wheel of the Infinite, and the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer, as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, and nonfiction.In All Systems Red, the first book in The Murderbot Diaries, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests on a distant planet, shadowed by their Company-supplied SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module. Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.Special Limited SeriesThis episode is part of a special limited series of episodes featuring only guests who are owners or staff at LGBTQ bookstores. Airing April-June 2025, these episodes will feature six bookstores across the United States and United Kingdom.Today's guest is a bookseller at Firestorm Books, a collectively-owned radical bookstore and not-for-profit event space in Asheville, North Carolina. Since 2008 Firestorm Books has supported grassroots movements in Southern Appalachia while developing a workplace on the basis of cooperation, empowerment and equity.Connect with Esmé and Marthawebsite: firestorm.coopinstagram: @angelicadoomwebsite: marthawells.combluesky: @marthawells.cominstagram: @marthawellswriterBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy tJoin us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

A new episode in our special limited series featuring owners/staff of LGBTQ bookstores drops next week on May 13th! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which John hosts. The Gaily Show is one of the only daily LGBTQ news and talk shows in the country airing in Minneapolis (AM950-KTNF) and Chicago (WCPT 820).Joining us today: Dr. Gwen Bass returns! We featured Gwen in an episode of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven a couple years back. Now, we had the chance to sit down for forty minutes to discuss her book Immaculate Misconception which charts how her lesbian parents found a doctor willing to perform an artificial insemination procedure in secret, using sperm from an anonymous donor. Her book explores: what happens when we're born into an identity we didn't choose?What does biology have to do with belonging? How do we all, in our own ways, suppress unique aspects of our identities in an effort to fit in and secure our safety? How do we unintentionally harm others by assuming they fit into our view of “normal”?Connect with Dr. Bass here: https://www.drgwenbass.com/meet-gwenBuy your copy of Immaculate Misconception here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798889269526Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonJoin us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

What would it happen if I allowed my thoughts about my gender become known to me?Today we meet Dr. Christina Neuwirth and we're talking about the queer book that saved their life: Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel M. Lavery. And Daniel joins us for the conversation!Dr. Christina Neuwirth is a writer, researcher and bookseller based in Edinburgh. Their 2018 novella Amphibian was shortlisted for Scotland's National Book Awards. Their writing has been published in Gutter Magazine and The Skinny. At Lighthouse Bookshop, Christina runs the Bread & Roses Prize for Radical Publishing.Daniel M. Lavery is the “Dear Prudence” advice columnist at Slate, the cofounder of The Toast, and the New York Times bestselling author of Texts From Jane Eyre and The Merry Spinster. In 2024, he published his debut novel Women's Hotel.From a thoughtful analysis of the beauty of William Shatner to a sinister reimagining of HGTV's House Hunters, and featuring figures as varied as Anne of Green Gables, Columbo, and the cast of Mean Girls, Something That May Shock and Discredit You is a hilarious and emotionally exhilarating compendium that combines personal history with cultural history to make you see yourself and those around you entirely anew.Special Limited SeriesThis episode is part of a special limited series of episodes featuring only guests who are owners or staff at LGBTQ bookstores. Airing April-June 2025, these episodes will feature six bookstores across the United States and United Kingdom.Today's guest is a bookseller at Lighthouse Bookshop, a queer-owned and woman-led independent community bookshop. It is an unapologetically activist, intersectional, feminist, antiracist, lgbtq+ community space. In 2020 it was nominated Scotland's Best Independent Bookshop.Connect with Christina and Danielwebsite: christinaneuwirth.comwebsite: danielmlavery.cominstagram: @daniel_m_laveryBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Join us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

A new episode in our special limited series featuring owners/staff of LGBTQ bookstores drops next week on April 29th! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which John hosts for AM950 Radio. The Gaily Show is one of the only daily LGBTQ news and talk shows in the country.Joining us today: Emmy winner Ross Mathews and Dr. Wellithon Garcia-Mathews' new book Tio and Tio: The Ring Bearers came out April 15! Inspired by their wedding and their nephews' role in the wedding, it's a sweet story about love, family, responsibilities, and culture. Order it here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780593752586Plus, Audie and Earphone award-winning narrator Natalie Naudus' debut novel Gay the Pray Away comes out May 20, 2025. Natalie shares with us the gripping queer YA romance of an Asian American teen who longs to break free of the conservative cult she was raised in. Pre-order it here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781683695110. Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonJoin us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

I was 8,000 miles from home asking is it ok to be gay? That's when I wandered into a shop found this book.Today we meet Stephanie Beardslee and we're talking about the queer book that saved her life: Dare Truth or Promise by Paula Boock. And Paula joins us for the conversation!Stephanie Beardslee is the owner of Wolf & Wyld's Queer Bookstore, an online and pop-up bookstore based in Manitou Springs, Colorado. She is a Front Range (of Colorado) native that is really hacked off that the Pikes Peak Region doesn't have a queer bookstore and is busy making the change she wants to see in the world. Her alter-ego slings books in the nearby Libraryland and has the pleasure of serving the county's patrons via the bookmobile.Paula Boock (she/her) is an award-winning New Zealand scriptwriter, producer and author. Her screen credits include story lining and writing on the The Strip, the internationally acclaimed drama series The Insiders Guide to Happiness and its 7-part prequel The Insiders Guide to Love. She won the 2003 AFTA Best Drama Script (with Kathryn Burnett) for The Strip. She has written five young adult novels and was a publisher and founding partner of Longacre Press.In Dare Truth or Promise, self-assured Louie is gearing up for another successful year in high school. In the meantime Willa, who was kicked out of her last school, wants to be left alone. But each girl unexpectedly finds that plans mean nothing when it comes to love. Louie discovers acceptance, faith, and identity are not what they had seemed. And Willa finds herself suddenly willing to take another chance.Special Limited SeriesThis episode is part of a special limited series of episodes featuring only guests who are owners or staff at LGBTQ bookstores. Airing April-June 2025, these episodes will feature six bookstores across the United States and United Kingdom.Today's guest owns Wolf and Wyld's Queer Bookstore an independent online & pop-up bookstore based in Manitou Springs, Colorado. Wolf and Wyld's specializes in LGBTQ+ books. You can shop online at: wolfandwyld.comBuy Paula's book at Wolf and Wyld's Queer BookstoreUse this link: https://wolfandwyld.com/products/dare-truth-or-promiseConnect with Stephanie and Paulawebsite: wolfandwyld.combluesky: @wolfandwyldbooks.comwebsite: lippypictures.com/paula-boockBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryIf you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: Join us in helping Lambda Literary raise $20k for The Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices to ensure all writers can attend. Donate here: http://bit.ly/3RjW51aSupport the show

A new episode in our special limited series featuring owners/staff of LGBTQ bookstores drops next week on April 15th! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which John hosts for AM950 Radio. The Gaily Show is one of the only daily LGBTQ news and talk shows in the country.In this Thinking Clearly, Thinking Queerly episode, attorney Dr. Tim Jon Semmerling joins us to share his experiences in GTMO as a gay-American: death-penalty-defense, working with al-Qaeda defendants charged with the crimes of 9/11, and confronting the one of the most powerful institutions in the world -- the U.S. Department of Defense. His writing shows that the Lavender Scare may not be entirely extinguished, but rather homophobia remains among the government's worst urges today.Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonJoin us April 10 at 6pm at Brooklyn Public Library! An evening of queer first loves, first queer heartbreaks, friendship, finding oneself through writing, and just a little bit of internet stalking with Mia Arias Tsang and Chloé Caldwell. Free and RSVP: bklynlib.org/this-queer-bookSupport the show

How was I going to reshape my life into something new after this fundamental part of me had been buried?Today we meet Casey Holland and we're talking about the queer book that saved her life: Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett. And Kristen joins us for the conversation!Casey is one of the owners of Wayfaring Booksellers, a queer bookstore in MI. She's worked in bookstores for the last six years and is a lover of all things spooky and weird. When she's not slinging books, you can find her spending time with her cat, Nemo, whose hobbies include hunting Casey for sport.Kristen Arnett is the queer Floridian author of With Teeth: A Novel which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and the bestselling novel Mostly Dead Things. She just published STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE, about a lesbian birthday party clown.Mostly Dead Things tells the story of Jessa-Lynn Morton. In the wake of her father's suicide, Jessa has stepped up to manage his failing taxidermy business while the rest of the Morton family crumbles.Special Limited SeriesThis episode is part of a special limited series of episodes featuring only guests who are owners or staff at LGBTQ bookstores. Airing April-June 2025, these episodes will feature six bookstores across the United States and United Kingdom.Today's guest owns Wayfaring Booksellers, a queer/women-owned bookstore in Lansing, MI. Their mission is to celebrate and amplify queer books and stories while uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community. Visit them at 1023 S. Washington Avenue inside the REO Town Marketplace and at wayfaringbooksellers.com. Bluesky: @wayfaringbooks.bsky.socialBuy Kristen's books at Wayfaring Booksellers Use this link: https://www.wayfaringbooksellers.com/s/search?q=Kristen%20ArnettConnect with Casey and Kristenwebsite: wayfaringbooksellers.combluesky: @caseyholland.bsky.socialwebsite: kristenarnettwriter.combluesky: @kristenarnett.bsky.socialinstagram: @kristen__arnettBecome an Associate Producer!A professionally recognized credit, gain access to Associate Producer meetings to guide our podcast into the future! patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonJoin us April 10 at 6pm at Brooklyn Public Library! An evening of queer first loves, first queer heartbreaks, friendship, finding oneself through writing, and just a little bit of internet stalking with Mia Arias Tsang and Chloé Caldwell. Free and RSVP: bklynlib.org/this-queer-bookSupport the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on April 1st! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which John hosts for AM950 Radio. The Gaily Show is one of the only daily LGBTQ news and talk shows in the country.In this episode, I'm talking with Ariel Gore about her new book Rehearsals for Dying: Digressions on Love and Cancer. It's a memoir of gay marriage and a searing critique of the for-profit breast cancer industry.Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonHey, so I'm going through a name change. If you've wondered what the JP in J.P. Der Boghossian stands for, well it's John Parker. And that is the name I'll be moving to over the next few weeks. Read more about it here: thisqueerbook.com/name-change.Save the date! We'll be hosting a live version of the podcast at Brooklyn Public Library - DeKalb branch on April 10 at 6pm with Mia Arias Tsang and Chloe Caldwell! Support the show

How do you get out of a spiral of shame and guilt and try to make the world a better place?Today we meet Max Yeshaye Brumberg-Kraus and we're talking about the queer book that saved their life: The Once and Future King by T.H. White.Max studied classics and theatre at Beloit College, received their MA in Theology and the Arts from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College. They are the author of The(y)ology: Mythopoetics for Queer/Trans Liberation with Punctum Press and the collection of poems Visions of Divine Love with AC Books, which brings together Julian of Norwich with Divine the Drag Queen. Their work explores memory, historiography, gender/sexuality, and myth through embodied practices.Terence Hanbury "Tim" White was an English writer. He is best known for his Arthurian novels, which were published together in 1958 as The Once and Future King. One of his best known is the first of the series, The Sword in the Stone, which was published as a stand-alone book in 1938. Despite leading a single and very private life, Sylvia Townsend Warner argued in her definitive 1967 biography of white that he was gay.The Once and Future King retells the saga of King Arthur, a fantasy classic as legendary as Excalibur and Camelot, and a poignant story of adventure, romance, and magic that has enchanted readers for generations.Connect with Maxwebsite: maxyeshaye.comfacebook: facebook.com/max.brumbergkrausinstagram: @cicadalamourFor ticket info for Incident at Peckerpah Ridge on March 21 and 22 head to: squirrelhausarts.com/eventsOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of The Once and Future King: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780441627400Buy The(y)ology: Mythopoetics for Queer/Trans Liberation: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781685710866Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonHey, so I'm going through a name change. If you've wondered what the JP in J.P. Der Boghossian stands for, well it's John Parker. And that is the name I'll be moving to over the next few weeks. Read more about it here: thisqueerbook.com/name-change.Save the date! We'll be hosting a live version of the podcast at Brooklyn Public Library - DeKalb branch on April 10 at 6pm with Mia Arias Tsang and Chloe Caldwell! Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on March 18! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which John hosts for AM950 Radio. The Gaily Show is one of the only daily LGBTQ news and talk shows in the country.In this episode, as we continue to assess and understand fascism in the United States, Dr. Laurie Marhoefer joins us to discuss his book Sex and the Weimar Republic: German Homosexual Emancipation and the Rise of the Nazis. One of the first LGBTQ liberation movements in the world: what can we learn and what pitfalls can we avoid repeating?Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: John Parker (learn more about my name change)Executive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonHey, so I'm going through a name change. If you've wondered what the JP in J.P. Der Boghossian stands for, well it's John Parker. And that is the name I'll be moving to over the next few weeks. Read more about it here: thisqueerbook.com/name-change.Save the date! We'll be hosting a live version of the podcast at Brooklyn Public Library - DeKalb branch on April 10 at 6pm with Mia Arias Tsang and Chloe Caldwell! Support the show

When a queer book elevates our own expectations of ourselves and moves us to honor ourselves by saying: we deserve something more.Today we meet Blair Fell and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: The Persian Boy by Mary Renault.Blair Fell's television work includes Queer as Folk, and the Emmy Award–winning California Connected. He's written dozens of plays including the award-winning plays Naked Will and the downtown cult miniseries Burning Habits. He's a two-time winner of the prestigious Doris Lippman Prize in Creative Writing from the City College of New York. His first novel The Sign For Home was long-listed by the Center For Fiction's First Book Award. His upcoming novel Disco Witches of Fire Island comes out May 6, 2025.Mary Renault was a British lesbian writer famed for her historically precise novels of the ancient world, including The Last of the Wine (1956), Fire From Heaven (1969), and The Persian Boy (1972). US publishers initially refused to publish her novel The Charioteer due to its positive portrayal of homosexuality and its happy ending. It was eventually published in 1959 and was a bestseller.The Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexander's life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. Abducted and gelded as a boy, Bagoas was sold as a courtesan to King Darius of Persia, but found freedom with Alexander after the Macedon army conquered his homeland. Their relationship sustains Alexander as he weathers assassination plots. After Alexander's mysterious death, we are left wondering if this Persian boy understood the great warrior better than anyone.Connect with Blairwebsite: blairfell.combluesky: @blairfell.bsky.socialinstagram: @blair.fellOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of The Persian Boy: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780394751016Pre-order Disco Witches of Fire Island (arrives May 6, 2025): https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798892420341Buy The Sign For Home: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781982175962Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: John ParkerExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., StepheHey, so I'm going through a name change. If you've wondered what the JP in J.P. Der Boghossian stands for, well it's John Parker. And that is the name I'll be moving to over the next few weeks. Read more about it here: thisqueerbook.com/name-change.Save the date! We'll be hosting a live version of the podcast at Brooklyn Public Library - DeKalb branch on April 10 at 6pm with Mia Arias Tsang and Chloe Caldwell! Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on March 5! In our off weeks, we air a recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio. The Gaily Show is one of the only daily LGBTQ news and talk shows in the country.In this episode, author and teacher Belo Miguel Cipriani brings students from his writing courses at Metro State University in St. Paul, MN to read their work and talk about that queer writing life. Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonHey, so I'm going through a name change. If you've wondered what the JP in J.P. Der Boghossian stands for, well it's John Parker. And that is the name I'll be moving to over the next few weeks. Read more about it here: thisqueerbook.com/name-change.Save the date! We'll be hosting a live version of the podcast at Brooklyn Public Library - DeKalb branch on April 10 at 7pm with Mia Arias Tsang and Chloe Caldwell! Support the show

Ok, I've started to embody my transness. Now what?Today we meet Seth Anderson-Matz and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You by S. Bear Bergman. And Bear joins us for the conversation!Seth Anderson-Matz is a queer & trans community organizer and minister. He has lived and worked in the Twin Cities area all his life, and currently resides in South Minneapolis with his wife (Jenn), one big dog (Roxie), one tiny dog (Saul), and one weird cat (Lucy).S. Bear Bergman is the author of nine books, founder of Flamingo Rampant press, and frequent consultant in equity and inclusion to business and government. Bear began his work in equity at the age of 15, as a founding member of the first ever Gay/Straight Alliance and has continued to help organizations and institutions move further along the pathways to justice ever since.Alternately unsettling and affirming, devastating and delicious, The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You is a collection of essays on gender and identity that is irrevocably honest and endlessly illuminating. With humor and grace, these essays deal with issues from women's spaces to the old boys' network, from gay male bathhouses to lesbian potlucks, from being a child to preparing to have one. It offers unique perspectives on issues that challenge, complicate, and confound the "official stories" about how gender and sexuality work.Connect with Seth and Bearinstagram: @s.andersonmatzwebsite: sbearbergman.cominstagram: @bearbergmanbluesky: @sbearbergman.bsky.socialOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781551522647Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1It's a new year, so we hope you enjoy our new format and theme song. Be sure to support us on Patreon, buy the books we feature on the show through our bookshop, or read them through Quatrefoil Library's free e-library. Links in the shows and on our website. Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on February 18! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.J.P. and Jim review the films: The Writer and What We Wrote Together. Plus Morgan Morgan joins us to discuss writing My Unleashing, Memoir of a Queer Dad.Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonIt's a new year, so we hope you enjoy our new format and theme song. Be sure to support us on Patreon, buy the books we feature on the show through our bookshop, or read them through Quatrefoil Library's free e-library. Links in the shows and on our website. Support the show

When you find the book that gives you the resilience, strength, and willingness to be yourself.Today we meet Louisa Hext and we're talking about the queer book that saved her life: Ruby Fruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown.Louisa is a transformational coach, speaker, and mediator with over 30 years of experience helping individuals and families navigate forgiveness, healing, and personal growth. Drawing from her research and nearly 13 years as the curator of a highly regarded traveling photographic exhibition on forgiveness, Louisa has been privileged to guide countless individuals through profound emotional healing. Her coaching practice is built on empathy, deep curiosity, and a non-judgmental approach, creating a safe space for her clients to explore their unique stories and unlock their potential for growth and transformation.Ruby Fruit Jungle is a ground-breaking coming-of-age novel from one of America's most distinctive voices. It is a transformative work which tells the story of Molly Bolt, an adopted daughter of a Southern couple who boldly forges her own queer path in America.Connect with LouisaWebsite: embraceforgiveness.comOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of Ruby Fruit Jungle: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781101965122Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1It's a new year, so we hope you enjoy our new format and theme song. Be sure to support us on Patreon, buy the books we feature on the show through our bookshop, or read them through Quatrefoil Library's free e-library. Links in the shows and on our website. Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on February 4! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.Dr. Kade Goepferd from Children's Minnesota joins us to discuss healthcare for transgender youth to clear up the lies and to show what compassionate and science-based care is and how we support it.Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonIt's a new year, so we hope you enjoy our new format and theme song. Be sure to support us on Patreon, buy the books we feature on the show through our bookshop, or read them through Quatrefoil Library's free e-library. Links in the shows and on our website. Support the show

How do I keep going when my one support person isn't there for me anymore?Today we meet Edwin Santos Lepiz and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera. And Adam joins us for the conversation!Edwin is a gay first-generation Mexican-American graduate student at the University of Utah College of Social Work. Edwin is pursuing a Master of Social Work degree to pursue work at the intersection of language justice and suicide prevention utilizing stories such as those found in today's book as a tool to meet this goal.Adam Silvera is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, The First to Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, History Is All You Left Me, the Infinity Cycle trilogy, and the What If It's Us duology with Becky Albertalli. His novels have received many starred reviews. He previously worked in children's publishing and bookselling.History Is All You Left Me is a novel in which Griffin's first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident. Even though Theo had moved to California for college, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he's been imagining for himself has gone far off course. The only person who truly understands his heartache is Theo's new boyfriend, Jackson. Griffin's losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he's been keeping are tearing him apart. If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.Connect with Edwin and Adamlinkedin: linkedin.com/in/edwinsantoslepiz/instagram: @esantoslepizwebsite: adamsilvera.comBluesky: bsky.app/profile/adamsilvera.bsky.socialinstagram: @adamsilveraOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of History Is All You Left Me: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781641293174Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: It's a new year, so we hope you enjoy our new format and theme song. Be sure to support us on Patreon, buy the books we feature on the show through our bookshop, or read them through Quatrefoil Library's free e-library. Links in the shows and on our website. Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on January 21! In our off weeks, we air the most recent entertainment episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.John Heimbuch is the artistic director of Walking Shadow Theater. He is here to discuss their upcoming season. Plus, JP and Jim review the films Conclave, High Tide, and Emilia Perez.Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonIt's a new year, so we hope you enjoy our new format and theme song. Be sure to support us on Patreon, buy the books we feature on the show through our bookshop, or read them through Quatrefoil Library's free e-library. Links in the shows and on our website. Support the show

Is the loss of innocence the beginning of compassion and wisdom?Today we meet Dean Backus and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh.Dean is a playwright, essayist, screenwriter, journalist, filmmaker, and high school English teacher. He is the author of Darts and Flowers and the forthcoming The Deep End of the Pool.Harriet the Spy is a timeless YA classic by queer author Louise Fitzhugh. In it, Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends up in the wrong hands. Before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she's written about each of them. Will Harriet find a way to put her life and her friendships back together?Connect with Deanwebsite: deanbackusauthor.cominstagram: @deanbackusauthorfacebook: facebook.com/deanbackusauthorOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of Harriet The Spy: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780440416791Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1It's a new year, so we hope you enjoy our new format and theme song. Be sure to support us on Patreon, buy the books we feature on the show through our bookshop, or read them through Quatrefoil Library's free e-library. Links in the shows and on our website. Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on January 7! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.Today is the literature episode from this year's first annual The Gaily Show Awards or The Gailies. A guest judge is invited to look back at the year that was in literature, film, TV, and poetry. Our guest judge for Literature is author Patrick Nathan. His new novel The Future Was Color was selected by the Los Angeles Book Review as their "Book of the Summer." He is also the author of Some Hell and Image Control: Art, Fascism, and the Right to Resist.You can find the full list of honorees (and some dishonorees) on The Gaily Show's social media. On Bluesky: @thegailyshow.org. On Instagram: @the_gailyshow. Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonWe've partnered with Once Upon a Crime Books on a holiday episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven. Located in Minneapolis, Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Listen to these 4 new episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven everywhere you stream your podcasts and visit Upon a Crime Books online at onceuponacrimebooks.com.Support the show

Happy Holidays from us to you! Whichever holiday you celebrate (or don't) we hope it's with your families of choice!Here's a holiday message from us to you as Executive Producer Jim Pounds and I look back at the year that was, our upcoming venture with The Gaily Show, and a sneak peak of This Queer Book Saved My Life in 2025. Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1We've partnered with Once Upon a Crime Books on a holiday episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven. Located in Minneapolis, Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Listen to these 4 new episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven everywhere you stream your podcasts and visit Upon a Crime Books online at onceuponacrimebooks.com.Support the show

We have a special Christmas episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life dropping next week! Today, Once Upon a Crime Books presents 7 Minutes in Book Heaven, the podcast where we interview LGBTQ authors about the new books they have coming out for us to love and cuddle up with.Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Located in Uptown Minneapolis, you can shop in their store Monday through Saturday 11am – 5:30pm. Or, visit their website! There, you can browse all of their books, from new releases to classic mysteries. Visit them online: onceuponacrimebooks.comIn this new episode, Once Upon a Crime Books introduces us to Lev AC Rosen and his new novel: Rough Pages which is available to buy in in-store or on their website.Lev Rosen writes books for people of all ages, including the Evander Mills series, which began with the Macavity Award winning Lavender House (Best Book of the Year from Buzzfeed, Library Journal, and others) and continues with The Bell in the Fog, (Publisher's Weekly Editor's Choice). The second Tennessee Russo adventure, the fourth Evander Mills mystery, and another YA rom-com will all be out in 2025. He lives in NYC with his husband and a very small cat. You can find him online at LevACRosen.com and @LevACRosenBuy Rough PagesVisit Once Upon a Crime Books in-person or buy online: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/book/9781250322449Connect with Lev AC Rosenwebsite: levacrosen.comfacebook: facebook.com/LevACRoseninstagram: @LevACRosenCreditsPresented by: Once Upon a Crime BooksHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsTheme music: Summer Mood by lesfmWe've partnered with Once Upon a Crime Books on a holiday episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven. Located in Minneapolis, Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Listen to these 4 new episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven everywhere you stream your podcasts and visit Upon a Crime Books online at onceuponacrimebooks.com.Support the show

How do you go on in life after losing a child who is still alive?Today, Chloé Caldwell returns to the podcast! But this time, we talk about the queer book that saved her life: Love Me Tender by Constance Debré.Chloé is the author of the national bestseller, Women (Harper Perennial, 2024). Chloé's next book, Trying, is forthcoming from Graywolf, on August 5th, 2025. She is also the author of the books I'll Tell You In Person (2016), The Red Zone (2022), and Legs Get Led Astray (2012).Love Me Tender is a novel of lesbian identity and motherhood, and the societal pressures that place them in opposition.The daughter of an illustrious French family whose members include a former Prime Minister, a model, and a journalist, Constance Debré abandoned her marriage and legal career in 2015 to write full-time and begin a relationship with a woman. In Love Me Tender, Debré goes on to further describe the consequences of that life-changing decision.Listen to our previous episode featuring Chloé, where guest Mia Arias Tsang discussed how Chloé's book Women saved her life: thisqueerbook.com/women/Connect with Chloéwebsite: chloesimonne.cominstagram: @chloeeeecaldwellwebsite: scrappyliterary.comOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of Love Me Tender: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781635901740Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1We've partnered with Once Upon a Crime Books on a holiday episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven. Located in Minneapolis, Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Listen to these 4 new episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven everywhere you stream your podcasts and visit Upon a Crime Books online at onceuponacrimebooks.com.Support the show

We have a new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life coming up December 10!Today, Once Upon a Crime Books presents 7 Minutes in Book Heaven, the podcast where we interview LGBTQ authors about the new books they have coming out for us to love and cuddle up with.Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Located in Uptown Minneapolis, you can shop in their store Monday through Saturday 11am – 5:30pm. Or, visit their website! There, you can browse all of their books, from new releases to classic mysteries.In this new episode, Once Upon a Crime Books introduces us to Leslie Karst and her new novel: Molten Death which is available to buy in paperback in-store, or on their website, and it is also available as a digital audio book.Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari culinary mysteries, as well as the memoir, Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. It was during her career as a research and appellate attorney in Santa Cruz, California, that she rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking, at which point she again returned to school to earn a culinary arts degree. Now retired from the law, in addition to writing, she and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Hilo, Hawai'i and Santa Cruz, California.Buy Molten DeathVisit Once Upon a Crime Books in-person or buy online: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/book/9781448312160Connect with Leslie Karstwebsite: lesliekarstauthor.comfacebook: facebook.com/lesliekarstauthorinstagram: @lesliekarstCreditsPresented by: Once Upon a Crime BooksHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsTheme music: Summer Mood by lesfmWe've partnered with Once Upon a Crime Books on a holiday episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven. Located in Minneapolis, Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Listen to these 4 new episodes of 7 Minutes in Book Heaven everywhere you stream your podcasts and visit Upon a Crime Books online at onceuponacrimebooks.com.Support the show

I don't know who I was fooling by bringing this book to school with me and being like, "I am not gay."Today we meet Haley Steinhilber and we're talking about the queer book that saved their life: Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden.Haley Steinhilber is a public historian and host of Q4Q: The Queer Personals Podcast.In Annie On My Mind, when Liza Winthrop meets Annie Kenyon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she knows there is something special between them. But Liza never knew falling in love could be so wonderful . . . or so confusing. The 25th Anniversary Edition features a full-length interview with the author. Ms. Garden answers such revealing questions as how she knew she was gay, why she wrote the book, censorship, and the book's impact on readers - then and now.Connect with HaleyListen to Q4Q: The Queer Personals PodcastBuy the Queer Seeking Queer Coloring Book: womenandchildrenfirst.com/product/queer-seeking-queerinstagram: @queerpersonalspodcastemail: q4qpodcast@gmail.comOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of Annie On My Mind here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780374400118Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1As we shield ourselves for the next four years, please consider attending the Creating Change conference. It will be in Las Vegas from January 22-26, 2025. It is the largest LGBTQ conference in the United States. Registration fees are sliding scale to keep it affordable, with free registration if you sign-up to volunteer. Learn more: thetaskforce.orgSupport the show

Today, Once Upon a Crime Books presents 7 Minutes in Book Heaven, the podcast where we interview LGBTQ authors about the new books they have coming out for us to love and cuddle up with. Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Located in Uptown Minneapolis, you can shop in their store Monday through Saturday 11am – 5:30pm. Or, visit their website! There, you can browse all of their books, from new releases to classic mysteries.In this new episode, Once Upon a Crime Books introduces us to John Copenhaver and his new novel: Hall of Mirrors which is available to buy in paperback in-store, or on their website, and it is also available as a digital audio book.John Copenhaver won the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery for Dodging and Burning and the Lambda Literary Award for Best Mystery for The Savage Kind. He is a co-founder of Queer Crime Writers, a board member of Mystery Writers of America, and co-hosts the House of Mystery Radio Show. He teaches in the University of Nebraska Omaha's Low-Residency MFA program and at VCU. His new novel, Hall of Mirrors, is the sequel to The Savage Kind.Buy Through Hall of MirrorsVisit Once Upon a Crime Books in-person or buy online: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/book/9781639366507Connect with John Copenhaverwebsite: johncopenhaver.comwebsite: queercrimewriters.comfacebook: johncopenhavenauthorinstagram & threads: @JohnCope74tiktok: @JohnCope74CreditsPresented by: Once Upon a Crime BooksHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsTheme music: Summer Mood by lesfmAs we shield ourselves for the next four years, please consider attending the Creating Change conference. It will be in Las Vegas from January 22-26, 2025. It is the largest LGBTQ conference in the United States. Registration fees are sliding scale to keep it affordable, with free registration if you sign-up to volunteer. Learn more: thetaskforce.orgSupport the show

This is a level of "relate" that I hadn't read in other books.Today we meet René Zadoorian and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: I Will Greet The Sun Again by Khashayar J. Khabushani. And Khashayar joins us for the conversation!René Zadoorian, is an Armenian writer with a degree in creative writing from California State University, Northridge. He was born in Tehran, Iran, and now resides in Los Angeles. He is a reader for Fahmidan and Orca, A Literary Journal. His short stories and film photography have been published in various magazines including WireWorm, Fruitslice, and elsewhere.Khashayar J. Khabushani spent time in Iran during his childhood before returning to Los Angeles. He studied philosophy at California State University, Northridge and completed his MFA at Columbia University. This is his first novel.A stunning, tender novel of identity and belonging, I Will Greet the Sun Again tells the story of a young man lost in his own family, his own country, and his own skin. Staring down the brutality of being a queer kid and a Muslim in America, Khashayar J. Khabushani transforms personal and national pain into an unforgettable and beautifully rendered exploration of youth, love, family--and the stories that make us who we are.Connect with Renéwebsite: rene-writes.cominstagram: @lammpshadeOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of I Will Greet The Sun Again here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780593243329Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1As we shield ourselves for the next four years, please consider attending the Creating Change conference. It will be in Las Vegas from January 22-26, 2025. It is the largest LGBTQ conference in the United States. Registration fees are sliding scale to keep it affordable, with free registration if you sign-up to volunteer. Learn more: thetaskforce.orgSupport the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on November 12! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.Jada Pulley is the co-founder of the Queer and Funny Improv fest running this weekend and they tell us all about it. Check out queerandfunny.com. Then, C. Ryan Shipley gives us all the news from Whoville and Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas at Children's Theatre. For tickets and more info: https://childrenstheatre.org/whats-on/the-grinch-24-25/Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonFind out how to vote at vote.orgHelp get out the vote by going to swingleft.org, voteforward.org, and with the National LGBTQ Taskforce: thetaskforce.orgSupport the show

This book gave me an understanding of the queer community that I hadn't found anywhere else.Today we meet David Reddish and we're talking about the queer book that saved his life: Angels in America by Tony Kushner.Self proclaimed uber-geek David Reddish is the award-winning author of Sex, Drugs & Superheroes trilogy. The third novel in the series, The Wrath of Comic-Con, came out earlier in 2024. His novel The Passion of St. Sergius & St. Bacchus celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. David is also a noted entertainment journalist having written for such publications as MovieWeb, ScreenRant, Queerty, and Playboy.One of the most honored American plays in history, Angels in America was awarded two Tony Awards for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was made into an Emmy Award-winning HBO film directed by Mike Nichols. This two-part epic, subtitled "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," has received hundreds of performances worldwide in more than twenty-six languages.Connect with Davidmuck rack: muckrack.com/david-reddish-5instagram: @thegaymagnetoBuy David's books here and at your local bookstores.Our BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBuy your own copy of Angels in America here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781559363846Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Find out how to vote at vote.orgHelp get out the vote by going to swingleft.org, voteforward.org, and with the National LGBTQ Taskforce: thetaskforce.orgSupport the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on October 29! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.On today's episode: Rae Leiner from the National LGBTQ Task Force and Matt Caffrey from Swing Left. Let's. Get. Out. The. Vote!Phone bank with the National LGBTQ Taskforce: thetaskforce.orgDoor knock with Swing Left: swingleft.orgWatch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonSupport the show

Who am I going to be and what is my life going to look like?Today we meet Samantha Mann and we're talking about the queer book that saved her life: The Hours by Michael Cunningham.Samantha writes essays & articles exploring culture, mental health, motherhood, & LGBTQ issues. Her work has been featured in The Cut, Vogue, Elle, TODAY, Romper, and more. Her forthcoming collection, Dyke Delusion, debuts June 2025.The Hours tells the story of three women: Virginia Woolf, beginning to write Mrs. Dalloway as she recuperates in a London suburb with her husband in 1923; Clarissa Vaughan, beloved friend of an acclaimed poet dying from AIDS, who in modern-day New York is planning a party in his honor; and Laura Brown, in a 1949 Los Angeles suburb, who slowly begins to feel the constraints of a perfect family and home. By the end of the novel, these three stories intertwine in remarkable ways, and finally come together in an act of subtle and haunting grace.Connect with Samanthawebsite: samantha-mann.cominstagram: @samantha.mann05Shout out to Alyy PatelFor more information about Alyy Patel and the Queer South Asian Women's Network visit: qsawnetwork.com.Our BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on October 15! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.On today's episode, Tony Vierling is starring in White Christmas at Chanhassen Dinner Theaters which opened this weekend (October 4). Get your tickets here: https://chanhassendt.com/whitechristmas.Plus, the author of Point and Shoot, Brett Edward Stout is here to discuss his novel and the upcoming election. Follow Brett on TikTok: @brettedwardstout and on Instagram: @brettestout. Check out his website for all of his books: brettedwardstout.comWatch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonSupport the show

Am I the only one who feels this crazy about what's happening to me right now?Today we meet Mia Arias Tsang and we're talking about the book that saved her life: Women by Chloé Caldwell. And Chloé joins us for the conversation!Mia is a writer, freelance editor, and former biologist based in Queens, NYC. She has conducted extensive research in evolutionary virology and epigenetics, and has studied with writers such as Chloé Caldwell, Sarah Stillman, Michael Cunningham, and Susan Choi.Chloé is the author of the national bestseller, Women (Harper Perennial, 2024). Chloé's next book, Trying, is forthcoming from Graywolf, on August 5th, 2025. She is also the author of the books I'll Tell You In Person (2016), The Red Zone (2022), and Legs Get Led Astray (2012).In Women, a young writer moves from the country to the city and falls in love with another woman for the very first time. With startling clarity and breathtaking tenderness, Chloé Caldwell writes the story of a love in reverse: of nights spent drunkenly hurling a phone against a brick wall; of early mornings hungover in bed, curled up together; of emails and poems exchanged at breakneck speed.Connect with Mia and ChloéMia's website: miatsang.cominstagram: @mia.arias.tsangChloé website: chloesimonne.cominstagram: @chloeeeecaldwellOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on October 1! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.Today, the author Joseph Lezza is here to discuss his book I'm Never Fine: Scenes & Spasms on Loss. Connect with Joseph at his website: josephlezza.com and on Instagram: @lezzdoothis.Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonSupport the show

Is it possible that my family, my mother, could ever accept me?Today we meet Eric Marcus and we're talking about the book that saved his life: Consenting Adult by Laura Z. Hobson.Eric Marcus is the author of a dozen books, including two editions of Making Gay History (the original 1992 edition is entitled Making History), Why Suicide?, and Breaking the Surface, the #1 New York Times bestselling autobiography of Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis. Eric is also the co-producer of Those Who Were There, a podcast drawn from the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. He is the founder and chair emeritus of the Stonewall 50 Consortium and is a founding board member of the American LGBTQ+ Museum.In Consenting Adult, Tessa Lynn considers herself independent and progressive, a liberated woman of the 1960s. And yet, when she receives a letter from her youngest son, Jeff, informing her that he is gay, Tessa is distraught. At a time when homosexuality is regarded as a mental illness, she struggles with how best to be a parent to a gay son—and how to protect her family from the prejudices of the era. Elegant and subtly drawn, Consenting Adult is a stunning tribute to familial bonds, and a sympathetic portrait of a mother whose best intentions are often clouded by the stereotypes of her time.Connect with EricMaking Gay History website: makinggayhistory.org/aboutinstagram: @makinggayhistorypodcastfacebook: facebook.com/makinggayhistoryFortunoff Video Archive podcast: fortunoff.library.yale.edu/education/podcastsListen to full episode with Damien Martin: makinggayhistory.org/podcast/damien-martinOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsPermission to use the theme to Making Gay History provided by Eric Marcus. The theme was composed by Fritz Meyers.Host/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the show

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on September 17! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.Today, the director of the new documentary Lover of Men: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln is here. Also joining me are two historical experts from the film. It debuted in theaters on September 6. Check your local listings for showtimes and or for when it is streaming.Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonSupport the show

Exile is not a choice that anyone wants to make. It's something we come to through necessity.Today we meet seeley quest and we're talking about the book that saved hir life: Exile and Pride by Eli Clare. And Eli joins us for the conversation!seeley quest is a trans disabled environmentalist, working in literary and body-based composition, curation and facilitation.Eli Clare: white, disabled, and genderqueer, Eli lives near Lake Champlain in unceded Abenaki territory (also known as Vermont) and is the author of Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure and Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation. His next book, a mixed genre volume titled Unfurl, will be released in July, 2025.In Exile and Pride, Eli Clare's revelatory writing about his experiences as a white disabled genderqueer activist/writer unspools the multiple histories from which our sense of self unfolds. His essays weave together memoir, history, and political thinking to explore meanings and experiences of home.Connect with seeley and Eliseeley's website and newsletter: questletters.netEli's website: eliclare.comOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookTo purchase Exile and Pride visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780822360315Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonMusic and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/musicQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the Show.

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on August 20! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.Today, David Saffert and Jillian Snow from the Liberace and Liza Show drop by to talk about the show and bringing these icons to life. Their next performances will be at Duluth Superior Pride Labor Day weekend.Watch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonSupport the Show.

This book isn't about celebrity. It's about queer heritage. And passing it on.Today we meet Brent Love and we're talking about the book that saved his life: Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile.Brent Love is the author of the memoir Leap which debuted in June 2024. He is also the host/producer of the podcasts Hope Works: A Surrogacy and You and Me and Everyone We Know. Brent currently resides in Hawaii with his family.In Broken Horses, Brandi Carlile takes readers through the events of her life that shaped her very raw art--from her start at a local singing competition where she performed Elton John's "Honky Cat" in a bedazzled white polyester suit, to her first break opening for Dave Matthews Band, to many sleepless tours over fifteen years and six studio albums, all while raising two children with her wife, Catherine Shepherd.Connect with Brentwebsite: heybrentlove.cominstagram: @heybrentlovelinkedin: @heybrentlovepodcast: Hope Works: A Surrogacy Podcastpodcast: You and Me and Everyone We KnowOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookTo purchase Broken Horses visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780593237267To purchase Leap visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798889260202Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonMusic and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/musicQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the Show.

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on August 20! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.Today, Minnesota-based queer musician and bard Carlisle Evans Peck joins J.P. to discuss their new tour Iconoclasm.Connect with Carlisle Evans Peckwebsite: carlisleevanspeck.cominstagram: @carlisleevanspeckmusicsoundcloud: soundcloud.com/lindelesseWatch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonSupport the Show.

No queer person is an island. Even if we start off that way.Today we meet Robin Jeffrey and we're talking about the book that saved her life: Stars In My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delaney.Robin Jeffrey is the author of the series of classic murder mysteries with scifi-twists, The Cadence Turing Mysteries and the paranormal romance series The Night. A former academic librarian, she holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Washington and a M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of Kentucky. Robin currently resides in the Pacific Northwest.Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand is a science fiction masterpiece, an essay on the inexplicability of sexual attractiveness, and an examination of interstellar politics among far-flung worlds. First published in 1984, the novel's central issues―technology, globalization, gender, sexuality, and multiculturalism―have only become more pressing with the passage of time.Connect with Robin Jeffreywebsite: robinjeffreyauthor.cominstagram: @thesidekick_igOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookTo purchase The Clothesline Swing visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780819567147To purchase .exe A Cadence Turing Mystery visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780578959344To purchase Hungry Is The Night visit: https://books2read.com/hungry-is-the-nightBecome an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Bob Bush, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Terry D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonMusic and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/musicQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the Show.

Today, Once Upon a Crime Books presents 7 Minutes in Book Heaven, the podcast where we interview LGBTQ authors about the new books they have coming out for us to love and cuddle up with. Visit them online: onceuponacrimebooks.comOnce Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Located in Uptown Minneapolis, you can shop in their store Monday through Saturday 11am – 5:30pm. Or, visit their website! There, you can browse all of their books, from new releases to classic mysteries.In this new episode, Once Upon a Crime Books introduces us to Katrina Monroe and her new novel: Through The Midnight Door which is available to buy in paperback in-store, or on their website, and it is also available as a digital audio book.Katrina Monroe is the author of They Drown Our Daughters, Graveyard of Lost Children, and Through the Midnight Door. She lives in Minnesota with her wife, two children, and Eddie, the ghost who haunts their bedroom closets.Buy Through The Midnight DoorVisit Once Upon a Crime Books in-person or buy online: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/book/9781728248264Buy Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister: https://onceuponacrimebooks.com/book/9781633048010Connect with KatrinaWebsite: katrinamonroe.comInstagram: @authorkatmonroeNewsletter: katrinamonroe.substack.comCreditsPresented by: Once Upon a Crime BooksHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsTheme music: Summer Mood by lesfmSupport the Show.

You love your parents because they're your parents. But would you if they weren't? This and other queer stories from the Middle East to Canada.Today we meet Mike Z. and we're talking about the book that saved his life: The Clothesline Swing by Danny Ramadan. And Danny joins us for the conversation!Mike Z. lives in Lebanon and works in art therapy. Danny Ramadan is a Lambda-award winning Syrian-Canadian author. His novels, The Clothesline Swing and The Foghorn Echoes continue to receive accolades. His is the author of the award-winning children's books The Salma Series. Ramadan has raised over $350,000 for LGBTQ+ refugees. His memoir, Crooked Teeth, came out May 2024. He lives in Vancouver with his husband and two dogs.The Clothesline Swing is a journey through the troublesome aftermath of the Arab Spring. A former Syrian refugee himself, Ramadan unveils an enthralling tale of courage that weaves through the mountains of Syria, the valleys of Lebanon, the encircling seas of Turkey, the heat of Egypt and finally, the hope of a new home in Canada.Connect with Danny Ramadanwebsite: dannyramadan.cominstagram: @thedannyramadanfacebook: facebook.com/dannyramadanOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookTo purchase The Clothesline Swing visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780889713321Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonMusic and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/musicQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the Show.

A new episode of This Queer Book Saved My Life drops next week on July 23rd! In our off weeks, we air the most recent episode of The Gaily Show which J.P. hosts for AM950 Radio.Today, Jennie Garner and Andrew Frisbie join us from North Liberty Library to talk about book bans, how to support public libraries, and libraries as spaces for belonging and connection.Connect with North Liberty Librarywebsite: northlibertylibrary.orginstagram: @nlibertylibraryblog: northlibertylibrary.org/blogWatch on YouTubeWe're in video too! You can watch this episode at youtube.com/@thegailyshowCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsProduction and Distribution Support: Brett Johnson, AM950Marketing/Advertising Support: Chad Larson, Laura Hedlund, Jennifer Ogren, AM950Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy EricksonSupport the Show.

When the adults in your life are this reckless and dangerous, what do you do? Today we meet Rex Ogle and we're talking about the book that saved his life: Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs.Rex Ogle is an award-winning author and the writer of nearly a hundred children's books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs—most notably Free Lunch, which won the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction. He has written under several pseudonyms, including Trey King and Honest Lee, but is currently focused on reimagining classic literature as modern or fantastical graphic novels as REY TERCIERO, under which he penned bestselling Meg, Jo, Beth, & Amy, as well as Northranger, nominated for both a Harvey and GLAAD Media Award.Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead-ringer for Santa and a lunatic in the bargain. Suddenly, at age twelve, Augusten Burroughs found himself living in a dilapidated Victorian in perfect squalor. The doctor's bizarre family, a few patients, and a pedophile living in the backyard shed completed the tableau. Here, there were no rules, there was no school. The Christmas tree stayed up until summer, and Valium was eaten like Pez. And when things got dull, there was always the vintage electroshock therapy machine under the stairs.Connect with Rexwebsite: rexogle.cominstagram: @thirdrexsubstack: substack.com/@thirdrexOur BookshopVisit our Bookshop for  new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbookTo purchase Running With Scissors visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780312422271To purchase Free Lunch visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781324016946Become an Associate Producer!Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbookCreditsHost/Founder: J.P. Der BoghossianExecutive Producer: Jim PoundsAssociate Producers: Archie Arnold, K Jason Bryan and David Rephan, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean SmithPatreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy EricksonMusic and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/musicQuatrefoil LibraryQuatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1Support the Show.