Podcasts about Lambda Literary Award

This week, we kick off our new exhibit and content initiative American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture with four writers of speculative fiction: N. K. Jemisin, Matthew J. Kirby, Nnedi Okorafor, and Nghi Vo. Moderated by Michi Trota, the panel of authors discuss religion in their writing, the importance of considering socio-spiritual systems when world-building, and how these influence the ways their characters move through the worlds they create.This conversation originally took place April 22, 2025 and was recorded live at the Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago. We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer.American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture opens November 2025 at the American Writers Museum in Chicago. Learn more about the exhibit and upcoming programming schedule here. American Prophets is supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOMEMore about the writers:N. K. JEMISIN is a fantasy author and 2020 MacArthur Fellow whose fiction has been recognized with multiple Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards. Most of her works have been optioned for television or film, and collectively her novels, including the Broken Earth trilogy — The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky — have sold over two million copies. Her speculative works range widely in theme, though with repeated motifs: resistance and oppression, loneliness and belonging, and Wouldn't It Be Cool If This One Ridiculous Thing Happened. In her spare time she's into tabletop and video games, biking, fanfiction, and urban gardening. She lives and writes in Brooklyn, with her son and two cats.MATTHEW J. KIRBY is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of numerous books for young readers, including The Clockwork Three, Icefall, The Lost Kingdom, the Dark Gravity Sequence, the Assassin's Creed series Last Descendants, A Taste for Monsters, and Star Splitter. He has also written adult titles for the Assassin's Creed and Diablo video game franchises. He has won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery, the PEN Center USA award for Children's Literature, and the Judy Lopez Memorial Award.NNEDI OKORAFOR is the author of multiple award-winning and New York Times bestsellers, including Death of the Author, the Binti trilogy, Who Fears Death, and Lagoon, currently in development at Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. She has won every major prize in speculative fiction, including the World Fantasy, Nebula, and Eisner Awards; multiple Hugo Awards; and the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa. Born in Cincinnati to Igbo Nigerian immigrant parents, she now resides in Phoenix, Arizona, with her daughter, Anyaugo.NGHI VO is the author of the novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. The series entries have been finalists for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Lambda Literary Award, and have won the Crawford Award, the Ignyte Award, and the Hugo Award. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind. Her latest release is Don't Sleep With the Dead.MICHI TROTA is a five-time Hugo Award-winning Filipino American writer, editor, and narrative expert. Her work explores how to use empowerment, representation, and storytelling to attain collective liberation and to dismantle oppressive institutions, not just survive them. She is the Executive Editor at the environmental justice and advocacy nonprofit Green America and her publications include the Wing Luke Museum 2018-19 exhibit Worlds Beyond Here: Expanding the Universe of APA Science Fiction and Chicago Magazine, and she's been featured in The Guardian, Chicago Tribune, and CNN: Philippines. She is also a member of the Filipino Young Leaders Program 2022 Immersion cohort and a fire performer with Raks Geek/Raks Inferno Fire+Bellydance.

Hall of Mirrors (Pegasus Crime 2025) was selected as a New York Times Crime Novel of the Year. It opens with a fire – it's May 1954 and Lionel Kane is watching his apartment go up in flames with his lover and writing partner Roger Raymond trapped inside. The police are sure that it's a suicide. A couple of months earlier, Judy and Philippa attend a lecture by Ray Kane, one of their favorite mystery authors, and help him when he starts to look unwell. He's a little off, newly fired from his State Department job because of Senator Joseph McCarthy's purge of communists and homosexuals. A few months earlier, with hopes that he'd write about it, Judy and Philippa sent Ray Kane an anonymous packet of details about Adrian Bogdan, the spy and serial killer they'd been hunting for years, but they don't know that Adrian was responsible for Ray Kane's firing. After the lecture, they learn that “Ray Kane” is the pen name for Roger and Lionel, and Roger is the author's public face because Lionel is Black. Lionel has two strikes against him; gay and Black, and Judy also has a few challenges; she's mixed race, also gay, she has a personal connection to the serial killer, and the FBI is trying to stop her from learning the truth. John Copenhaver's debut novel, Dodging and Burning, won the 2019 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery, and The Savage Kind earned the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Mystery. A passionate advocate for queer voices in crime fiction, Copenhaver is a founding member of Queer Crime Writers and currently serves on the board of International Thriller Writers. He mentors aspiring writers in the Low-Residency MFA program at the University of Nebraska and teaches creative writing and literature at Virginia Commonwealth University. He lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his husband, artist Jeffery Paul Herrity. When he's not writing or teaching, he's watching movies—and listening to them. Copenhaver has a passion for film scores and a collection of rare scores he's been curating since high school. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

On this very special episode of WellRED aka "The Drew Skeew!" Drew sits down one on one with Author L.A. Fields! L.A. Fields is the award-winning author of LGBT novels, short stories, and scholarship, including the Lambda Literary Award finalists My Dear Watson (a Sherlock Holmes pastiche) and Homo Superiors (a modern Leopold and Loeb retelling). Summary of their new book River Trash!: Singer-songwriter Whitney Thorn is a 50-year-old recovered crystal meth addict and the well-known son of country music royalty. Struggling comedian and former nurse Graham Morrow is down and out at 35, living back home with his mother. They meet at an unauthorized show in a Louisiana field and take a chance on shacking up together, creating art at leisure and exploring each other with curiosity and wonder. But with hurricanes ravaging other parts of the South and death tolls rising due to COVID-19, eventually trouble finds them. River Trash is a slice of Americana, a love story, and a bottle novel that takes place mainly indoors. Two men seek to know one another while a chaotic world swirls around them. Check out L.A.'s work at https://lafields.webflow.io/ TraeCrowder.com for tickets WeLoveCorey.com for Bonus Stuff DrewMorganComedy.com for all things Drew Sponsor links: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Download the Rocket Money app and enter my show name wellRED podcast in the survey so they know I sent you! Don’t wait! Download the Rocket Money app today and tell them you heard about them from my show! Get up to 10 FREE meals and a free high protein item for life at HelloFresh.com/wellred10fm One item per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan.

My guest on this episode is Eden Boudreau. Eden is an author whose work has appeared in the Globe & Mail, Flare, Today's Parent, and elsewhere. She is the host and creator of the podcast Dear Lonely Writer, which was aimed at destigmatizing mental health struggles during the writing process. Eden's most recent book is her debut, Crying Wolf: A Memoir, published by Book*hug Press in 2023 and shortlisted for a Lambda Literary Award. Author Erin Pepler called Crying Wolf “a vivid, searingly honest account of violence against women and the aftermath of an assault.” Eden and I talk about the difficult decision to pause her author podcast (which I had the honour of being a guest on), about her initial reluctance to include some darker truths about herself in her memoir, and why she's grateful she became a published writer a little later in life than she'd originally hoped.   This podcast is produced and hosted by Nathan Whitlock, in partnership with The Walrus. Music: "simple-hearted thing" by Alex Lukashevsky. Used with permission.

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

Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people and celebrate their lives and contributions. Our Guest Speaker will be J Mase III, a Black/Trans/queer poet & educator. He's the author of And Then I Got Fired: One Transqueer's Reflections on Grief, Unemployment & Inappropriate Jokes About Death as well as White Folks Be Trippin': An Ethnography Through Poetry & Prose. Winner of a Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Non-Fiction and a Creative Capital Award, he is co-director of the documentary, The Black Trans Prayer Book and is finishing Is Your God a Violent God? Finding a Theology for Survivors. Masks are required for the Workshop and will be provided.

Episode Notes Please join us for a flashback episode of Pride Connection from 2021, where guest host Tristan Snyder brings you an exclusive, in-depth interview with queer author TJ Klune! TJ Klune is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, The Extraordinaries, and more. Being queer himself, TJ believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories. Visit Klune online: tjklunebooks.com Twitter: @tjklune Instagram: tjklunebooks

Kristen Arnett, aka “America's Favorite Dad,” is the queer Floridian author of With Teeth, and the New York Times bestselling novel Mostly Dead Things, both of which were finalists for the Lambda Literary Award in fiction. She runs the substack “Dad Lessons,” and her latest novel, STOP ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE, is out now. On today's show, Annmarie and Kristen discuss clowning, lesbians, Orlando, Dad culture, and the joy of showing up for our art exactly as we are.  Episode Sponsors The Lynx – A new general-interest bookstore in Gainesville, Florida, with an emphasis on books that are currently challenged or banned in Florida. We especially seek to celebrate the voices of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors whose stories are among the most challenged titles, and to bring attention to the deep and radiant literary legacy of the Sunshine State. We believe in the power of books to build and foster communities, conversations, and change. A group of lynxes is a Watch. Please join our Watch today. And stop by or shop online at thelynxbooks.com. Tombolo Books – An independent bookstore dedicated to promoting the value and pleasure of reading throughout St. Petersburg, Florida, by offering thoughtful inventory curation, extensive literary knowledge, and excellent customer service. Tombolo is committed to carrying books by emerging and marginalized voices, books in translation, and books from small independent presses, as well as classics and outstanding popular titles. We support free expression and the right of every reader to determine their reading material. Stop by or shop online at tombolobooks.com. **Today's guest, Kristen Arnett, will be doing an event at Tombolo on April 1. If you're in Florida or St. Pete, or looking for a reason to be in Florida or St. Pete, you can RSVP for that event HERE. Authors and Titles Mentioned in This Episode: With Teeth, by Kristen Arnett Mostly Dead Things, by Kristen Arnett Stop Me If You've Heard This One, by Kristen Arnett In case you haven't seen one of the Blade movies, here's a trailer for the first one. Follow Kristen Arnett: Substack: @KristenArnett Instagram: @Kristen_Arnett Twitter: @Kristen_Arnett kristenarnettwriter.com Photo Credit: Maria Rada **Writing Workshops and Wish Fulfillment:  If you liked this conversation and are interested in writing abroad, consider joining Annmarie and co-leader Athena Dixon for a writing retreat in Italy in September, 2025. You can travel to a beautiful place, meet other wise women, and write your own stories. We'd love to help you make your wishes come true.  As of this moment, we only have 1 spot left. This will sell out. Act now and join us! Or for women interested in an online Saturday morning writing circle, message Annmarie to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryan Washington reads his story “Hatagaya Lore,” from the March 31, 2025, issue of the magazine. A winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, the International Dylan Thomas Prize, and the Lambda Literary Award, Washington is the author of three books of fiction, including “Memorial” and “Family Meal.” A new novel, “Palaver,” will be published later this year. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Notes and Links to Donna Minkowitz's Work         Donna Minkowitz is a writer of fiction and memoir who author Mary Gaitskill has celebrated as “original, energetic, witty, and meaty.” Andrew Solomon dubbed her “utterly entrancing… a writer with breathtakingly fluent language.” She is also the author of the fantasy-influenced memoir Growing Up Golem and the memoir Ferocious Romance, about being an openly lesbian reporter covering the Christian right undercover. Growing Up Golem was a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and for the Publishing Triangle's Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, and Ferocious Romance won a Lambda Literary Award. Donna, a former columnist for the Village Voice and The Advocate, has also written for the New York Times Book Review, The Nation, Salon, Slate, and New York magazine.    DONNAVILLE, her first novel and third book, was recently published by Indolent Books. Buy Donnaville   Donna's Website   Book Review for Donnaville from Kirkus Reviews   At about 2:05, Donna provides background on her formative reading and writing years  At about 3:40, Pete and Donna talk about the benefits of reading works a bit too old for them At about 5:05, Donna responds to Pete's questions about the Torah and how its stories affected her writing At about 6:30, Donna talks about formative and transformative writers, including poets and Greek mythology At about 8:05, Donna responds to Pete's questions about representation in discussing the significance of Sappho's work At about 10:25, Donna discusses the nuances of the word “queer” and generational usages  At about 14:00, Pete and Donna stan Honor Thy Father by Gay Talese, which receives a shout out in Donnaville At about 17:20, Donna expands on writers who inspired her as a high school and college student; she talks about the complicated legacy and work of Tolkien  At about 21:30, Pete asks Donna and how the detail shown in Donnaville connects to her work as an esteemed journalist  At about 23:40, Donna talks about her undercover journalism work, including a memorable white nationalism conference and purported former Olympic hopeful At about 26:40, Donna talks about the book's opening scene and connections to her real life, with regard to therapy and therapists and ways of finding growth At about 31:55, Pete describes the book's exposition and compliments Donna's  At about 34:05, Donna cites Denise Levertov's and Delmore Schwartz's (“Narcissus”) work as inspiration for her book featuring a city inside her mind; Pete cites another wonderful Schwartz text, “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” At about 36:40, Donna talks about Foucault and resistance in connection to an evocative line from her book At about 37:20, Donna expands upon how there are two characters in the book who are not pieces of her, and she explains the significance of Harlequin in the book At about 41:45, Donna responds to Pete's question about the lying nature of Harlequin  At about 44:15, Donna and Pete explore ideas of connection and confusion between abusers and their young victims At about 47:50, Donna talks about early “action” that Donna in the book is urged to take At about 49:40, Pete highlights a beautiful quote regarding the “sacred divine” and Donna talks about expectations of hurt At about 50:30, The two discuss the contradictions of the book's jailer, and Donna further discusses ideas of shame At about 53:25, Donna expands on how she sees parts of her life and family in certain characters in the book At about 54:40, Pete shouts out a story, William Carlos Willams' “The Use of Force,” that explores ideas of sadism in similar ways as Donnaville  At about 55:50, Donna muses over ideas of self-care, emotional regulation, and structure in our lives featured in the book At about 57:35, Pete gives details about the book's main focus, and Donna responds to his observations about Donnaville as “a happily queer book” as she also expands upon pleasures found in the book At about 1:02:05, Pete cites traumas alluded to in the book and a deep quote about traumas emerging in people's lives At about 1:04:10, Donna ponders Pete's question about a nurturing group of older people and connects the book to Joseph Campbell's “Hero's Journey” At about 1:07:30, Pete and Donna discuss a possible animated movie based on the book and possible voice actors At about 1:09:25, Donna shouts out as bookstores to buy her book, such as The Bureau of General Services, Queer Division, Stanza Books and Binnacle Books        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 277 with Jahmal Mayfield, who writes gritty crime novels that touch on large social issues. His stellar SMOKE KINGS was inspired by Kimberly Jones' passionate viral video, “How can we win?”    The episode airs on March 25.  

Host Jason Blitman talks with Kristen Arnett (Stop Me If You've Heard This One) about grief, art, optimism, and their shared Florida experience. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Torrey Peters, who discusses what she's been reading and shares insights into Stag Dance, her latest book following her breakout novel, Detransition, Baby.Kristen Arnett is the author of the New York Times-bestselling novel Mostly Dead Things and the award-winning collection Felt in the Jaw. A queer writer based in Florida, she has written for The New York Times, Guernica, McSweeney's, The Guardian, and elsewhere. She has been a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and a winner of the Ninth Letter Literary Award in Fiction and the Coil Book Award.Torrey Peters is the bestselling author of the novel Detransition, Baby, which won the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and was named one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times. It was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize, a finalist for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize, and longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. She has an MFA from the University of Iowa and an MA in comparative literature from Dartmouth. Peters rides a pink motorcycle and splits her time between Brooklyn and an off-grid cabin in Vermont.Buy Stop Me If You've Heard This OneBuy Stag DanceBOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.com SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Notes and Links to Deborah Taffa-Jackson's Work          Deborah Jackson Taffa is a citizen of the (Quatzahn) Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo. She earned her MFA at the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa and is the Director of the MFA in Creative Writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Named Top 10 Book of the Year by Atlantic Magazine, and Top 10 Nonfiction Book by Time Magazine. Buy Whiskey Tender   Deborah's Website   Book Review for Whiskey Tender from Washington Post   At about 1:30, Deborah reflects on and expands on her experience in being a finalist for The National Book Award  At about 5:30, Pete shares some laudatory feedback for her memoir and Deborah shouts out Birchbark Books, Collected Works, Left Bank Books, as some great places to buy her book  At about 7:30, Deborah shares some wonderful invitations she's received to discuss her book and her art At about 9:05, Deborah explains how she “reverse-engineered” the book with regard to research and personal stories  At about 10:20, Deborah responds to Pete's questions about her early reading and language life and how her formal and informal education was affected by her family's histories  At about 15:45, Deborah gives background on her “autodidactic,” transformative learning, study, reading, and traveling that helped her   At about 19:00, Deborah traces the throughlines of colonization in seemingly-disparate groups At about 22:20, Deborah discusses the significance of her epigraph on “ceremony” At about 26:25, Billy Ray Belcourt is cited as Pete and Deborah talk about the speculative and aspirational writing  At about 27:55, Pete and Deborah reflect on ideas of indigenous invisibility as evidenced in a memorable scene from Whiskey Tender At about 29:40, Deborah cites a “shocking” study n her college textbook that speaks to how many Americans view Native American women, and how it provided fodder and stimulus for her memoir At about 31:25, the two discuss a flashback scene that begins the book and the idea of “mirages” as discussed in the opening scene At about 35:20, Pete asks Deborah to expand upon a resonant line from her book about meaningful childhood experiences  At about 37:35, Deborah talks about historical silences in her family and in others  At about 39:40, Deborah talks about the intensive historical research done in the last year before the book was published At about 40:55, The two discuss similarities regarding generation gaps in indigenous groups and immigrant and traditionally-marginalized groups  At about 42:40, Deborah talks about the lore of Sarah Winnemucca in her family and “her savvi[ness] and revisionist history At about 46:25, Pete and Deborah talk about the “flattening” of American Indian stories and pivotal government treaties and reneging on deals by the American government   At about 48:00, Pete and Deborah reflect on contemporary connections to previous American policies At about 50:20, The two discuss a representative story about “lateral violence” and belonging and ostracism that affected Deborah at a young age At about 53:00, Counternarratives to myths about indigenous peoples and movement are discussed  At about 57:20,  At about 59:40, Pete is highly complimentary of Deborah's writing about her grandmother's genuine and wonderful nature, and Deborah expands on her grandmother's cancer diagnosis and outlook and lasting influence  At about 1:02:30, Pete highlights a wonderful closing scene about time and place and home      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!     This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 276 with Donna Minkowitz, a writer of fantasy, memoir, and journalism lauded by Lilith Magazine for her “fierce imagination and compelling prose.” Her first book, Ferocious Romance, won a Lambda Literary Award for Best Book On Religion/Spirituality, and her most recent memoir was Growing Up Golem, a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award. She is also the author of the novel DONNAVILLE, published in 2024.     The episode airs on March 18.  

Jackson Howard is an editor and writer from Los Angeles who lives in Brooklyn. He's Senior Editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and its imprints MCD and AUWA (headed by Questlove), where he acquires and edits a broad range of fiction and nonfiction. Writers he has published include Judith Butler, Brontez Purnell, Catherine Lacey, Bryan Washington, Laura van den Berg, Sarah Schulman, Jonathan Escoffery, Fernando A. Flores, Susan Straight, Imogen Binnie, Shon Faye, Henry Hoke, Thomas Grattan, Venita Blackburn, Missouri Williams, and many others. Books he has edited have won or been nominated for the Booker Prize, the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize, the Lambda Literary Award, the PEN Open Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the Los Angeles Times Award for First Fiction. A longtime Pitchfork contributor, his reviews, profiles, and essays have also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Cut, Rolling Stone, The Ringer, W., i-D, office, Document, and elsewhere. In 2023, he was featured in New York magazine's Power Issue and was named one of Harper's BAZAAR's 36 Voices of Now and part of Town & Country's Creative Aristocracy. In 2022, he was named a Star Watch Honoree by Publishers Weekly. _________________________________ The Critic and Her Publics Hosted by Merve Emre • Edited by Michele Moses • Music by Dani Lencioni • Art by Leanne Shapton • Sponsored by Alfred A. Knopf The Critic and Her Publics is a co-production between the Shapiro Center for Creative Writing and Criticism at Wesleyan University, New York Review of Books, and Lit Hub.

Dustin Brookshire has gathered an impressive array of poetic emulations in When I Was Straight: A Tribute to Maureen Seaton. They include free verse gestures, couplets, tercets, and prose poems. Maureen's influence shines, though is never blinding—each of the poets in this anthology takes her title and makes the poem that follows their own. (From the forward by Denise Duhamel)We read poems from: Kelli Russell Agodon, Sarah Cooper, Aaron DeLee, Caridad Moro-Gronlier, Diamond Forde, and Addie Tsai.Dustin Brookshire (he/him) is the author of the forthcoming chapbook Repeat As Needed (Harbor Editions, 2025) and the chapbooks Never Picked First For Playtime (Harbor Editions, 2023), Love Most Of You Too (Harbor Editions, 2021) and To T he One Who Raped Me (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2012). Love Most Of You Too and Never Picked First For Playtime were finalists in the Poetry Chapbook category of the American Book Fest's Best Book Awards in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Poet Maureen Seaton earned an MFA from Vermont College in 1996. She is the author of the poetry collections Fear of Subways (1991), winner of the Eighth Mountain Poetry Prize; The Sea Among the Cupboards (1992); Furious Cooking (1996), winner of both the Iowa Poetry Prize and a Lambda Literary Award; Little Ice Age (2001); Venus Examines Her Breast (2004), winner of the Publishing Triangle's Audre Lorde Award; and Cave of the Yellow Volkswagen (2009).Using collage techniques to create delight and dissonance, Seaton's poetry has been described as unusual, compressed, and surrealistic. Seaton has explored the possibilities of collaboration throughout her career, writing poetry with Denise Duhamel in such collections as Exquisite Politics (1997), Oyl (2000), and Little Novels (2002). She also collaborated with Samuel Ace on Stealth (2011) and with Neil de la Flor on Sinead O'Connor and Her Coat of a Thousand Bluebirds (2011). Seaton, Duhamel, and David Trinidad edited an anthology titled Saints of Hysteria: A Half-Century of Collaborative American Poetry (2007).Seaton is author of the Lambda Literary Award–winning memoir Sex Talks to Girls (2008), in which she addresses motherhood, sobriety, and sexuality. She teaches at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.(from the Poetry Foundation)

Bronx-born activist and poet Roya Marsh discusses her second collection of poems, titled savings time which tackles themes like police brutality, urban gentrification and queer identity. Marsh discusses her latest work, a follow up to her first collection, dayliGht, which was nominated for the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Poetry.

This week we are joined by TJ Klune! TJ Klune is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.This week, TJ Klune shares his journey from a challenging childhood in Oregon to becoming a successful author. He discusses the impact of his upbringing on his writing, the importance of finding one's voice, and the shift from contemporary to fantasy literature. Klune emphasizes the need for advocacy within the literary community, particularly in response to rising transphobia, and reflects on the moments that defined his success as an author. In this engaging conversation, TJ Klune shares his journey as an author, detailing the challenges and unexpected successes of releasing his book during the pandemic. Klune also discusses his writing process, the role of ADHD in his creativity, themes of alienation and belonging that permeate his work, and how finding solitude in nature has inspired his writing. Give this episode a listen!Recommendations From This Episode:The Bones Beneath My SkinPoseHeaven's Gate PodcastThe InstituteFollow TJ Klune: @tjklunebooksFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpodPlease rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! Email us: aloneatlunch@gmail.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special live recording we dive into The Seers, the mesmerising new novel by Sulaiman Addonia. In conversation with Adam Biles, Addonia shares the story behind his bold, unfiltered novel—written as a single, unbroken paragraph—through the voice of Hannah, an Eritrean refugee navigating love, loss, sexuality, and identity on the streets of London. Three powerful readings by Liya Kebede, bringing Hannah's world vividly to lifeThe Seers is a novel that defies definition—sensual, poetic, and politically charged. Addonia's reflections on storytelling, migration, and the search for home will stay with you long after you listen.Buy The Seers: https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/books/the-seers*Sulaiman Addonia is an Eritrean-Ethiopian-British novelist. He spent his early life in a refugee camp in Sudan, and his early teens in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He arrived in London as an underage unaccompanied refugee without a word of English and went on to earn an MA in Development Studies from SOAS and a BSc in Economics from UCL.His first novel, The Consequences of Love (Chatto & Windus, 2008), was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and translated into more than 20 languages. His second novel, Silence Is My Mother Tongue (Indigo Press, 2019; Graywolf Press, 2020), was a finalist for the 2021 Lambda Literary Awards. His essays appear in LitHub, Granta, Freeman's, The New York Times, De Standaard and Sulaiman Addonia is an Eritrean-Ethiopian-British novelist .Addonia currently lives in Brussels where he founded the Creative Writing Academy for Refugees & Asylum Seekers and the Asmara-Addis Literary Festival In Exile.Liya Kebede is a pioneering model, actress, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She has worked with top fashion brands like Chanel, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Estée Lauder, promoting inclusivity in the industry. In 2007, she launched lemlem, a sustainable fashion brand supporting Ethiopian Artisans. Kebede is also a WHO Goodwill Ambassador and founded the lemlem Foundation to improve healthcare and economic opportunities for African women. She promotes literature through her latest endeavour "Liyabraire" and introduced the BB Bookbags collection.Adam Biles is Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company. His latest novel, Beasts of England, a to Animal Farm, is available now. Buy a signed copy here: https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/books/beasts-of-englandListen to Alex Freiman's latest EP, In The Beginning: https://open.spotify.com/album/5iZYPMCUnG7xiCtsFCBlVa?si=h5x3FK1URq6SwH9Kb_SO3w Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, in celebration of Valentine's Day, three of America's leading romance writers—Xio Axelrod, Swan Huntley, and Claire Legrand—talk about how they write love stories and the love stories that inspired them. Moderated by author Pamala Knight.This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival. We hope you enjoy entering the Mind of a Writer.AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOMEBooks by these authors:A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand — A lush, sweeping, steamy, forbidden romance series starter that's perfect for fans of Bridgerton and A Court of Thorns and Roses.Girls with Bad Reputations by Xio Axelrod — All her life, Kayla heard the same refrain: Don't be so loud. Don't act so wild. Don't take up so much space. Now she's the beating heart of an up-and-coming rock band...and the whole world is going to know her name.I Want You More by Swan Huntley — A ghostwriting gig in the Hamptons becomes far more than a job in this sexy, atmospheric, and deliciously tense story.About the writers:XIO AXELROD [she/her] is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary fiction and romance. Growing up in the music industry, Xio began her recording career at a young age. Her experiences bring a lyrical quality to her writing and vibrancy to her characters, offering a unique perspective that adds depth and authenticity to the worlds she creates.SWAN HUNTLEY'S novels include I Want You More, Getting Clean with Stevie Green, The Goddesses, and We Could Be Beautiful. She's also the writer/illustrator of the darkly humorous The Bad Mood Book and You're Grounded: An Anti-Self-Help Book to Calm You the F*ck Down. Swan earned an MFA at Columbia University and has received fellowships from MacDowell and Yaddo. She lives in Los Angeles.PAMALA KNIGHT writes historical paranormal, regency romance and mystery. She's a member of the Regency Fiction Writers, Hearts through History and the Chicago-North Romance Writers where she's a past president and programs chair. She's the current co-chair of the biennial conference, Spring Fling.CLAIRE LEGRAND used to be a musician until she realized she couldn't stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now she is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels, most notably A Crown of Ivy and Glass and the Empirium Trilogy, as well as The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, the Edgar Award-nominated Some Kind of Happiness, and Sawkill Girls, which was nominated for both a Bram Stoker Award and a Lambda Literary Award. She is also one of the four authors behind The Cabinet of Curiosities, a critically acclaimed anthology of short stories for young readers. Her next book, A Song of Ash and Moonlight, came out in September 2024. When not writing, Claire enjoys tending to her many plants, learning about fashion and interior design, rooting for the Phillies, and quoting Star Trek to anyone who will listen.

You may be familiar with TJ KLUNE, the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more.His new book is THE BONES BENEATH MY SKIN, a spine-tingling sci-fi thriller for adults.  Klune includes a queer love story in the book as well.  Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.  http://tjlunebooks.com  The Douglas Coleman Show VE (Video Edition) offers video promotional packages for authors. Please see our website for complete details.https://www.douglascolemanmusic.com/vepromo/Please help us to continue to bring you quality content by showing your support for our show. https://fundrazr.com/e2CLX2?ref=ab_eCTqb8_ab_31eRtAh53pq31eRtAh53pq

Nicola Dinan grew up in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur and now lives in London. Bellies, her debut, won the Polari First Book Prize, was shortlisted for the Diverse Book Awards and Mo Siewcharran Prize, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award, and was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize. On this week's episode of Little Atoms she talks to Neil Denny about her latest novel Disappoint me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textSeason 5, Ep 555: Writing the Queer Experience: Mx Sinclair Sexsmith on Kink Storytelling, Erotica, and D/s Relationships.Meet the author!SINCLAIR SEXSMITH (they/them) is a queer butch writer focusing on sexualities, genders, kink, and relationships. Their short story collection, Sweet & Rough: Queer Kink Erotica, was a 2016 finalist for a Lambda Literary Award, and they are the editor of 5 editions of Best Lesbian Erotica. Find more of their work at sugarbutch.net. Books: Best Lesbian Erotica (affiliate links, podcast may receive commissions on sales through this link. Thank you!) https://amzn.to/3PurEo0"Your Year in Kink" Workbook https://amzn.to/3WdrOUH"The Harder She Comes: Butch Femme Erotica" https://amzn.to/424GWYbLinks: https://theoreads.com/https://dsplayground.com/http://writingspicy.com/Quotes from Sinclair Sexsmith: "I can't stop writing. Like, I need to write to understand myself and understand the world.""I think writer's block is a myth.""I love the inner world stuff and I think writing is one of the best places to express that.""I want to encourage more queers and trans folks, and like kinky folks, to write down their stories."In this episode, Ruan and Sinclair discuss their shared passion for writing, the challenges of titling works, and the complexities of self-publishing in the erotica genre. They explore the nuances of writing about sex and intimacy, the importance of queer representation in literature, and the creative process behind crafting compelling narratives.Sinclair shares their thoughts on the intersection of writing and sex work, the drive to create authentic queer stories and queer fiction, the writing process, publishing, and the transformative power of literature. They also discuss the upcoming platform Theo Reads, which promises to be a haven for erotica and romance writers and readers alike. Timeline:02:41 Do you like writing, teaching or creating08:14 I feel pretty strongly that writing about sex is non sex work10:09 There's still a lack of representation of queer sex in mainstream erotica16:38 How are you with titles? 18:53 Pretty much everything I write has D/s28:48 What are other are your favorite kinks to write 29:57 So when you're writing, do you start with your idea or do you40:22 What is too personal to share, what is too vulnerable to share43:39 Like separating the writing and publishing process is important49:12 reading out loud is probably his number one editing tool53:48 all about like your courses56:54 This workbook is about reflecting on someone's kink life01:01:42 What are you working on right now that you can share01:02:59 When my dad died I was like, why am I not writing more01:07:24 lgtbq and writing Coming out to your family can be tricky and painfulheadliner appSupport the showSubscribe for exclusive episodes: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1599808/subscribeSign up for Ruan's newsletters: https://subscribepage.io/ruanwillowhttps://linktr.ee/RuanWillowI Dare You book https://books.ruanwillowauthor.com/idareyouthesaturdaysexchallenge

This week on Live! with Fefe, I had the pleasure of chatting with Victor Yates, an award-winning writer, typewriter poet, and content creator whose work uplifts and celebrates queer voices. Victor shared the inspiration behind his debut novel, A Love Like Blood, which earned the 2016 Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction. We also discussed his creative process, his passion for storytelling, and his experiences as a member of Pride Poets, a queer typewriter collective. In addition to his literary achievements, Victor is a contestant on the gay dating reality show For the Love of DILFs, premiering November 26 on OUTtv. During our conversation, he gave us a behind-the-scenes look at his reality TV journey and offered insights into balancing creativity with the unique demands of the show. In This Episode: Victor's journey as an author and poet The creative process behind A Love Like Blood Exploring queer identity and storytelling Insights into his experience on For the Love of DILFs Upcoming appearances and projects Tune in to this engaging conversation about writing, advocacy, and the power of queer representation in storytelling. Watch Live Every Wednesday:Live! with Fefe streams live at 8 PM MST/Arizona time on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch. Follow Victor Yates: Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube: @writervicyates Support the Podcast: Join us on Patreon for exclusive content and merch at patreon.com/livewithfefeandfreddy.

Coming up on this episode, we're venturing into the world of asexuality, aromanticism, and demisexuality with guest, creator, educator and author, Cody Daigle-Orians! Please join us as we explore what each of these identities mean, how to figure out where you fit on the spectrum, and practical dating and flirting strategies! We also discuss the important topic of when and how to share this information with potential partners and talk about whether these identities can be fluid over time. We also speak to the stigma and the feeling of not fitting in that many people with these identities experience!  Finally, we provide valuable insights on how to communicate your needs and boundaries when dating, ensuring you can form meaningful connections while staying true to yourself. We venture in and out of grounding these identities in a "coming out" process, but you do not need to identify as queer to be ace, aro, or demi! Each of these identities exist outside of the queer specturm of identities. I hope you enjoy this conversation and learn a lot, just as I did! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Flirtations on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode to spread BFE - big flirt energy, all over the world! Enjoying the show and want to support my work? Buy the Flirt Coach a coffee! About our guest:  Cody Daigle-Orians (they/them) is a writer and asexuality educator living in Columbus, Ohio. They are the creator of Ace Dad Advice, a social media-based asexuality education project designed to support people exploring asexuality or questioning their sexual orientation. They are the author of the young adult books "I AM ACE: ADVICE ON LIVING YOUR BEST ASEXUAL LIFE" and "THE ACE AND ARO RELATIONSHIP GUIDE", and they are a contributor to the 2024 Lambda Literary Award finalist anthology BEING ACE. They were nominated for a 2023 British LGBTQ Award for Online Influencer. They are queer, ace, and agender. You can connect with Cody online at www.acedadadvice.com, as well as Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube @acedadadvice. Explore Cody's writing on substack at acedadadvice.substack.com! About your host:  Benjamin is a flirt and dating coach sharing his love of flirting and BFE - big flirt energy, with the world! A lifelong introvert and socially anxious member of society, Benjamin now helps singles and daters alike flirt with more confidence, clarity, and fun! As the flirt is all about connection, Benjamin helps the flirt community (the flirties!) date from a place that allows the value of connection in all forms - platonic, romantic, and with the self - to take center stage and transform lives for greater healing and deeper connections. You can connect with Benjamin on Instagram, TikTok, stream the Flirtations Flirtcast everywhere you listen to podcasts (like right here!), and find out more about working together 1:1 here.

A special encore presentation of our World AIDS Day episode from last year, featuring work by writers we've lost to AIDS.Please Support Breaking Form!Review the show on Apple Podcasts here.Pretty Please.....Buy our books:     Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series.     James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books.SHOW NOTES:According to the website for World AIDS Day, more than 38 million people are currently living with HIV. And, since 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS-related illnesses, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history. Donate here. Please consider buying the books of the poets we honor! We recommend Loyalty Bookstores, a DC-area Black-owned bookshop. We dedicated a Breaking Form Episode ("The Invisible Embrace") to Paul Monette (October 16, 1945--February 10, 1995). Monette was the author of 4 novels, 3 books of nonfiction, and 4 books of poems, including a New and Selected Poems  called West of Yesterday, East of Summer (1994). He died of complications due to AIDS on February 10, 1995.Read more about Essex Hemphill here, and  "American Wedding" (the poem Aaron reads during the show) here.  He published 2 chapbooks and 2 books of poetry, and edited the anthology Brother to Brother: New Writing by Black Gay Men, winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Hemphill died of complications from AIDS in 1995. Watch a short film written and performed by Hemphill called "From the Anacostia to the Potomac" here(~15 min)Dorothy Karen "Cookie" Mueller (March 2, 1949 – November 10, 1989) was an American actress and writer who starred in many of filmmaker John Waters's early films, including Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble.  Mueller wrote columns and criticism for magazines and papers, and released several books as well, including a memoir, Garden of Ashes. A short film of remembrances about Mueller can be seen here.  In April 2022, Semiotext(e) released Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black: Collected Stories.Iris de la Cruz inspired the foundation Iris House. You can read more about Iris and the foundation here. De la Cruz died in 1991, leaving a 15-year legacy of fighting for health rights for women/femmes living with HIV. Hear the entire essay James reads ("Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll, and AIDS”) in this video here.  (TW for anachronistic language regarding sex work.)David Michael Wojnarowicz (September 14, 1954 – July 22, 1992) was an American painter, photographer, writer, filmmaker, performance artist, songwriter/recording artist, and AIDS activist. He died in 1992, having written more than 10 books (including Close to the Knives, from which Aaron reads), exhibited his visual art all over the world, and directed at least two films. Melvin Dixon was born on May 29, 1950 and died October 26, 1992. He authored two poetry collections: Change of Territory and the posthumous Love's Instruments. His novels were Vanishin

Host Jason Blitman talks to Brit Barron (Do You Still Talk to Grandma?) about themes of family, cancel culture, and finding empathy despite differences. Jason is then joined by author and advice columnist, Guest Gay Reader R. Eric Thomas who brings his signature wit and charm, offering insightful advice for handling tricky family dynamics during the holidays. Brit Barron is a renowned speaker, teacher, and storyteller and the author of Worth It: Overcome Your Fears and Embrace the Life You Were Made For. Barron's ideas and accomplishments have garnered the attention of numerous prominent national publications, making her a highly sought-after speaker on the topics of sexuality, spirituality, race, and personal development. Brit Barron and her wife, Sami, live in Los Angeles with their dog Charles Barkley and numerous houseplants that they do their best to keep alive.R. Eric Thomas is the bestselling author of Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America, a Lambda Literary Award finalist; and the YA novel Kings of B'more, a Stonewall Honor book. Both books were also featured as Read with Jenna book club picks on Today. He is also a television writer (Apple TV+'s Dickinson, FX's Better Things), a Lambda Literary Award–winning playwright, and the long-running host of the Moth in Philadelphia. For four years, Thomas was a senior staff writer at Elle online, where he wrote the popular “Eric Reads the News” column.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreadingBOOKS!Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading MERCH!Purchase your Gays Reading podcast merchandise HERE! https://gaysreading.myspreadshop.com/ FOLLOW!@gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

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 week, we bring you a live interview with Garth Greenwell, conducted in October 2024 at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn. Garth talks about growing up in Kentucky assuming that he would die young, the teacher who gave him a path toward being an artist, and the doggedness with which he has pursued his aesthetic practices (in both music and literature) ever since. Mentioned: Garth's new novel, Small Rain (FSG 2024)Frank BidartBenjamin BrittenCosì Fan TutteThe HIV/AIDS crisisGarth Greenwell is the author of What Belongs to You, which won the British Book Award for Debut of the Year, was longlisted for the National Book Award, and was a finalist for six other awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His second book of fiction, Cleanness, was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and Cleanness was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2020, a New York Times Critics Top 10 book of the year, and a Best Book of the year by the New Yorker, TIME, NPR, the BBC, and over thirty other publications. A new novel, Small Rain, is now out from FSG. He is the recipient of many honors for his work, including a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship and the 2021 Vursell Award for prose style from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has taught at the Iowa Writers Workshop, Grinnell College, the University of Mississippi, Princeton, and NYU. He writes regularly about literature, film, art and music for his Substack, To a Green Thought. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellen Bass joins the Hive in anticipation of her appearance at UCSC for the Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Reading on November 7. Full details about the event can be found here. Poems by Ellen which she reads in this episode: Laundry, Because, Black Coffee, Any Common Desolation, and Bringing Flowers to Salinas Valley State Prison About Our Guest: Ellen Bass is a Chancellor Emerita of the Academy of American Poets. Her most recent book, Indigo, was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2020. Other poetry collections include Like a Beggar (Copper Canyon Press, 2014)—which was a finalist for The Paterson Poetry Prize, The Publishers Triangle Award, The Milt Kessler Poetry Award, The Lambda Literary Award, and the Northern California Book Award—The Human Line (Copper Canyon Press, 2007), and Mules of Love (BOA Editions, 2002), which won The Lambda Literary Award. She co-edited (with Florence Howe) the first major anthology of women's poetry, No More Masks! (Doubleday, 1973). Her poems have frequently appeared in The New Yorker and The American Poetry Review, as well as in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The American Poetry Review, The New Republic, The Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, The Sun and many other journals and anthologies. She was awarded Fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts and The California Arts Council and received the Elliston Book Award for Poetry from the University of Cincinnati, Nimrod/Hardman's Pablo Neruda Prize, The Missouri Review'sLarry Levis Award, the Greensboro Poetry Prize, the New Letters Poetry Prize, the Chautauqua Poetry Prize, and four Pushcart Prizes. Her non-fiction books include Free Your Mind: The Book for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Youth (HarperCollins, 1996), I Never Told Anyone: Writings by Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (HarperCollins, 1983), and The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse(Harper Collins, 1988, 2008), which has sold over a million copies and has been translated into twelve languages. Ellen founded poetry workshops at Salinas Valley State Prison and the Santa Cruz, CA jails. She currently teaches in the low residency MFA writing program at Pacific University. Maggie Paul is the author of Scrimshaw (Hummingbird Press 2020), Borrowed World, (Hummingbird Press 2011), and the chapbook, Stones from the Baskets of Others (Black Dirt Press 2000). Her poetry, reviews, and interviews have appeared in the Catamaran Literary Reader, Rattle, The Monterey Poetry Review, Porter Gulch Review, Red Wheelbarrow, and Phren-Z, SALT, and others. She is a poet and non-fiction writer in Santa Cruz, California. Maggie's print interview with Ellen Bass can be found here.

In this new series What's the TEA? host Jason Blitman gets the inside scoop on new books–authors are tasked with describing their books with 3 words using the letters T, E, and A.  This episode features Abdi Nazemian talking to Jason about his new book Desert Echoes. Abdi Nazemian is the author of Like a Love Story, a Stonewall Honor Book, Only This Beautiful Moment, The Chandler Legacies, and The Authentics. His novel The Walk-In Closet won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Debut Fiction. His screenwriting credits include the films The Artist's Wife, The Quiet, and Menendez: Blood Brothers and the television series Ordinary Joe and The Village. He has been an executive producer and associate producer on numerous films, including Call Me by Your Name, Little Woods, and The House of Tomorrow. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, their two children, and their dog, Disco. Find him online at abdinazemian.com.Gays Reading is sponsored by Audible. Get a FREE 30-day trial by visiting audibletrial.com/gaysreadingBOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreadingBOOKS!Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading MERCH!Purchase your Gays Reading podcast merchandise HERE! https://gaysreading.myspreadshop.com/ FOLLOW!@gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

E132 | When Novels Want To Be WrittenCyrus Cassells is a Poet. Translator. Cultural Critic. Actor. Professor. Cyrus is best known for his 9 poetry books, most recently “Is There Room For Another Horse On Your Horse Ranch.” His books have earned numerous accolades, including the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America, a Lambda Literary Award, and two Pulitzer Prize nominations.Cyrus has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, National Endowment of the Arts, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He is a Regents' Professor and University Distinguished Professor of English at Texas State University. From 2021 to 2022 he was appointed Poet Laureate of Texas. Rome, Paris, Montreal, Mexico City and Hawaii are just some of the places he loves - and places where he has lived.www.cyruscassells.com/

Garth Greenwell is the author of Cleanness. His novel What Belongs to You won the British Book Award for Debut of the Year, was longlisted for the National Book Award, and was a finalist for six other awards, including the James Tait Black Prize, the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, it was named a Best Book of 2016 by over fifty publications in nine countries, and is being translated into a dozen languages. His novella Mitko won the Miami University Press Novella Prize and was a finalist for the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and a Lambda Literary Award. His fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, the Paris Review, A Public Space, and VICE, and he has written criticism for the New Yorker, the London Review of Books, and the New York Times Book Review, among others. On this episode of Little Atoms he talks to Neil Denny about his latest novel Small Rain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Disinformation has a long history in the United States—often taking the form of storytelling. Best-selling author Annalee Newitz explains how stories have been weaponized—historically and today—and charts a path to a more peaceful future for all Americans. Newitz writes fiction and nonfiction about the intersection of science, technology and culture. Their first novel, “Autonomous,” won the Lambda Literary Award and was nominated for the Nebula and Locus Awards. Newitz' book, “Scatter, Adapt, and Remember” was nominated for the LA Times Book Award. They are currently a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times. Previously, they were the founding editor of io9, and served as the editor-in-chief of Gizmodo and as the tech culture editor at Ars Technica. They have also written for publications including Wired, Popular Science, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, Slate, Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, and more. Newitz is the co-host of the Hugo Award-winning podcast, “Our Opinions Are Correct.  They were the recipient of a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT, worked as a policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love kinky sex, but I need a break! Is faking an orgasm evil or generous? How do I get my libido back?  Author Brontez Purnell writes about sex and queerness. His book ‘100 Boyfriends’ was awarded the 2022 Lambda Literary Award in Gay Fiction. Brontez joins Myisha to talk kinky sex in midlife and if it’s ever okay to fake an orgasm. Plus, Brontez shares what he doesn’t tolerate in relationships. Need sex or relationship advice? Drop Myisha an email or voice memo at sexlife@kcrw.org. We might answer your question in a future episode. Follow Myisha: @myishabattle  Follow Brontez: @brontezpurnell For a transcript of this episode visit kcrw.com/sexlife

Host Jason Blitman talks to TJ Klune (Somewhere Beyond the Sea) about the highly-anticipated sequel to his bestselling novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea. TJ talks about his favorite character, feeling seen--especially by our teachers, and makes a statement that truly shocks Jason. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader James Scully (Broadway's Oh, Mary!) talking about what he's currently reading. TJ Klune is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.James Scully is thrilled to be making his Broadway Debut with Oh, Mary!. So much love for this company and immensely grateful to be alive at the same time as Cole Escola. Special Thanks and Love to Melissa, Sean, Kate, Conor, Lisa, Dana, Ben, Ashley, Charles, Andrew, Adam, Alice, Preston, Alex, Otters 2014, and Pico. Te quiero mi bichito. Previous Credits Include: "Heathers" (Paramount), Straight Up (James Sweeney), "YOU" (Netflix), Fire Island (Hulu), "Titans" (MAX), SMUTA (Jacob Wasson), Problemista (A24), "Fantasmas" (HBO). TO THEATRE!Gays Reading is sponsored by Audible. Get a FREE 30-day trial by visiting audibletrial.com/gaysreadingBOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreadingBOOKS!Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading MERCH!Purchase your Gays Reading podcast merchandise HERE! https://gaysreading.myspreadshop.com/ FOLLOW!@gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Richard Mirabella discusses his debut novel, Brother and Sister Enter the Forest, as well as sibling dynamics, the deft forward motion of the novel, the influence of Throwing Muses' album Purgatory/Paradise on the structure of the novel, writing “skeletal drafts,” fairy tales, Rachel Glaser fandom, and more! Richard Mirabella is a writer and civil servant living in Upstate New York. His stories have appeared in Story Magazine, American Short Fiction, Split Lip Magazine, and elsewhere. He's the author of the novel Brother & Sister Enter the Forest, a New York Times Editors' Choice and Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryan Washington reads his story “Last Coffeehouse on Travis,” from the September 16, 2024, issue of the magazine. A winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, the International Dylan Thomas Prize, and the Lambda Literary Award, Washington is the author of one story collection and two novels, “Memorial,” which came out in 2020, and “Family Meal,” which was published last year.

My guest today is TJ Klune. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea and its upcoming sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea. He is also a Lambda Literary Award winner and a queer advocate, who believes fiercely in writing the stories for his community that he didn't have growing up.Today we talk about:* what makes a breakout hit novel?* why he prefers writing standalone rather than series* the importance of reader word-of-mouth in helping a book succeed,* and TJ's important advice for finding and maintaining creative fulfillment.Enjoy the show!✍

Carl Phillips is the author of 17 books of poetry, most recently Scattered Snows, to the North and Then the War: And Selected Poems 2007-2020, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize. His other honors include the 2021 Jackson Prize, the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry, the Kingsley Tufts Award, a Lambda Literary Award, the PEN/USA Award for Poetry, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Library of Congress, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Academy of American Poets. Phillips has also written three prose books, most recently My Trade is Mystery: Seven Meditations from a Life in Writing; and he has translated the Philoctetes of Sophocles. He lives on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. We talked about how he puts a collection together, vulnerability and guardedness, To the Lighthouse, relationships, darkness, truth and revelation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Quakers Today, we ask, “What does Quakerism have to offer society?” Co-hosts Peterson Toscano (he/him) and Miche McCall (they/them) explore the concept of prefigurative practice within a Quaker classroom and beyond. What happens when students don't just learn about the future but begin to live it? They also feature queer Jewish poet Jessica Jacobs, who in her new book of poetry, interacts with the ancient book of Genesis.  Sam Thacker and Zoe Levenstein Sam Thacker is a history teacher at Germantown Friends School. Every January, GFS offers “mini-courses” that provide teachers and students a space for experimentation, investigation, and reflection. In his Friends Journal article “Let Your School Speak: The Power of Prefigurative Practice in Friends Education,” Sam wrote about his course, “Another World is Possible.” Through it, he invites students to engage deeply with hopeful and ambitious visions for social change. Sam and one of his students, Zoe Levenstein, explore how they brought prefigurative practice to life in their classroom.  Sam explains that prefigurative practice is about more than just learning about change; it's about living it. We don't have to wait to build the institutions that will bring about the change we seek. Instead, we can start creating those institutions and practices now, making sure they align with the inclusive, just, and loving world we envision for the future. Sam says, “If, for example, we are working toward a just, inclusive future, our institutions now should be just and inclusive. Prefigurative practice is proactive, courageous, and true to itself. In Quaker parlance, its life speaks.”  Sam reasons that prefigurative practice is nothing new for Quakers, “I see Quaker institutions as examples of prefigurative practice. By and large, I mean in my article, I discuss meetings for business. Quaker meetings are prefigurative, both in their organization and in the form of worship: Prefigurative practice is vital. Zoe shares her experiences of engaging with this radical educational approach. Through readings from influential thinkers like George Lakey, Joanna Macy, and Adrienne Maree Brown, the students were encouraged to reimagine the world and consider how they could contribute to creating it.  I imagine a world where everyone is engaged because I think what really dampers my hope a lot is that it seems like people don't care in 20 years, my hope would be that even on the street level, I see people actively working to help each other. I also kind of imagine a world where song and music is more incorporated and like groups singing because I think it just kind of boosts the mood. I imagine a world in which doing activities like that is more encouraged. Yeah, I think it all comes down to human connection, and that makes people care. Sam Thacker (he/him) teaches high school history at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, where he works with students on sustainability and climate action. He lives with his wife, Pam, and two young children; they are pursuing membership at Germantown Meeting in Philadelphia, Pa. He is a songwriter, musician, artist, and lover of nature. In this episode, you heard Sam singing Purple Dreams.  Hear more of his music on his BandCamp page: 2xtruck.bandcamp.com Zoe Levenstein is a rising junior at Germantown Friends School, a member of the Quaker Unity & Inclusivity Team (QUILT) at GFS, and helped to plan the 2024 Quaker Youth Leadership Conference in partnership with Penn Charter. Next year, Zoe will be the Environmental Action Club's student leader and participate in the community-wide Campus Climate Coalition. Zoe's passion is music—listening, singing, and playing the oboe. Jessica Jacobs  In the August 2024 issue of Friends Journal, Michael S. Glazier reviewed Jessica Jacobs' latest poetry collection, Unalone: Poems in Conversation with the Book of Genesis. Jessica Jacobs shares her journey as a writer, teacher, and editor, including founding Yetzerah, the first literary organization in the U.S. dedicated to supporting Jewish poets. Jessica reflects on her secular Jewish upbringing, her return to spirituality through studying the Torah, and the seven years she spent immersed in the Book of Genesis. She reads her poem  "Prayers from a Dark Room," where Jessica reimagines Gehenna—not as a place of torment but as a mirrored space of self-reflection and repentance.  Jessica Jacobs (she/her) is the author of “unalone, poems in conversation with Genesis” (Four Way Books, March 2024); Take Me with You, Wherever You're Going (Four Way Books, 2019), one of Library Journal's Best Poetry Books of the Year and winner of the Devil's Kitchen and Goldie Awards; and Pelvis with Distance (White Pine Press, 2015), winner of the New Mexico Book Award and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award; and is the co-author of Write It! 100 Poetry Prompts to Inspire (Spruce Books/Penguin RandomHouse, 2020). Jessica is the founder and executive director of Yetzirah: A Hearth for Jewish Poetry. Learn more about Jessica through her website, jessicalgjacobs.com, on X @jessicalgjacobs, Facebook, and Instagram @jlgjacobs You will find a complete transcript of this episode at www.quakerstoday.org  Question for next month Here are our questions for next month: What is a Quaker response to climate change? What is a queer Quaker response to climate change? ​​By looking at climate change-related issues through multiple lenses, like queerness and/or Quakerism, we can discover fresh ways of responding. Answer the question that calls to you, or both!  Leave a voice memo with your name and the town where you live. The number to call is 317-QUAKERS, that's 317-782-5377. +1 if calling from outside the U.S. Quakers Today is the companion podcast to Friends Journal and other Friends Publishing Corporation (FPC) content online. It is written, hosted, and produced by Peterson Toscano and Miche McCall. Season Three of Quakers Today is sponsored by American Friends Service Committee.  Do you want to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace? The American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC, works with communities worldwide to drive social change. Their website features meaningful steps you can take to make a difference. Through their Friends Liaison Program, you can connect your meeting or church with AFSC and their justice campaigns. Find out how you can become part of AFSC's global community of changemakers. Visit AFSC dot ORG.  Feel free to send comments, questions, and requests for our new show. Email us at podcast@friendsjournal.org. You can also call or text our listener voicemail line at 317-QUAKERS. This episode's music comes from Epidemic Sound. We also heard Purple Dreams from Sam Thacker and his band Double Truck.

RU305: GRIFFIN HANSBURY ON HIS BOOKS: SOME STRANGE MUSIC DRAWS ME IN, FERAL CITY & VANISHING NEW YORK http://www.renderingunconscious.org/psychoanalysis/ru305-griffin-hansbury-on-his-books-some-strange-music-draws-me-in-feral-city-vanishing-new-york/ Rendering Unconscious episode 305. Griffin Hansbury is an author and a psychoanalyst in private practice in NYC. https://griffinhansbury.com He's here to talk about his novel Some Strange Music Draws Me In (2024) https://amzn.to/4dJ9U2u as well as Feral City (a Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Transgender Nonfiction) https://amzn.to/3AmtBPf and Vanishing New York https://amzn.to/3SJfhqk (both written as Jeremiah Moss). His other books include: The Nostalgist (2012 ) https://amzn.to/3M5Ikkc Day for Night, a collection of poems spanning 1993-1999 https://amzn.to/3M8Xzsg He's also written numerous book chapters and journal articles. With Avgi Saketopoulou, he contributed a chapter entitled “Sissy Dance $1: The More and More of Gender” to the forthcoming collection The Queerness of Psychoanalysis: From Freud and Lacan to Laplanche and Beyond (Routledge, 2025) edited by Vanessa Sinclair, Elisabeth Punzi and Myriam Sauer. Visit his author website: https://griffinhansburywriter.com/about-me/ Follow him at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanishingny/ Rendering Unconscious Podcast received the 2023 Gradiva Award for Digital Media from the National Association for the Advancement for Psychoanalysis (NAAP). https://naap.org/2023-gradiva-award-winners/ Rendering Unconscious is also a book series! The first two volumes are now available: Rendering Unconscious: Psychoanalytic Perspectives vols. 1 & 2 (Trapart Books, 2024). https://amzn.to/4eKruV5 Support Rendering Unconscious Podcast: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/vanessa23carl Substack: https://vanessa23carl.substack.com Make a Donation: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=PV3EVEFT95HGU&no_recurring=0¤cy_code=USD Your support of Rendering Unconscious Podcast is greatly appreciated! Rendering Unconscious is a labor of love put together by Dr. Vanessa Sinclair with no support from outside sources. All support comes from the listeners, colleagues, and fans. THANK YOU for your support! Rendering Unconscious Podcast is hosted by Dr. Vanessa Sinclair, a psychoanalyst based in Sweden, who works with people internationally: http://www.drvanessasinclair.net Follow Dr. Vanessa Sinclair on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawsin_/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/rawsin_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@renderingunconscious Visit the main website for more information and links to everything: http://www.renderingunconscious.org Many thanks to Carl Abrahamsson, who created the intro and outro music for Rendering Unconscious podcast. https://www.carlabrahamsson.com His publishing company is Trapart Books, Films and Editions. https://www.bygge.trapart.net Check out his indie record label Highbrow Lowlife at Bandcamp: https://highbrowlowlife.bandcamp.com Follow Carl at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaAbrahamsson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carl.abrahamsson/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carlabrahamsson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@carlabrahamsson23 Substack: https://thefenriswolf.substack.com The song at the end of the episode is “Intertzúm” featuring Vanessa Sinclair and Carl Abrahamsson, from the album The Mauve Sessions by DIM∴TZUM. https://dimtzum.bandcamp.com/album/the-mauve-sessions Vanessa Sinclair's music is available at Bandcamp: https://highbrowlowlife.bandcamp.com Spotify and other streaming services: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3xKEE2NPGatImt46OgaemY?si=nqv_tOLtQd2I_3P_WHdKCQ Image: Griffin Hansbury

This book party was hosted on May 27, 2023, at Charis Books & More in Decatur, Georgia. It featured esteemed writer Sharon Bridgforth in conversation with ZAMI NOBLA creative director Angela Denise Davis in celebration of bull-jean & dem/dey back.   You can view the YouTube video of this event at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6EcaVl7dxo   The ZNP previous interview of Sharon Bridgforth: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/zaminobla/id/21629876   Bull-jean & dem/dey back is a collection that unites two performance/novels centered on the southern-Black-butch-heroine, bull-jean. The Lambda Literary Award-winning bull-jean stories was first published by RedBone Press in 1998 and follows the journey of love rekindling throughout the lifetimes of bull-dog-jean. After a twenty-two-year hiatus, bull-dog-jean triumphantly returns in bull-jean/we wake. As the Narrator grieves the loss of their elders and seeks healing, they summon bull-jean for guidance. Be sure not to miss this inspiring event!   A 2022 Winner of Yale's Windham Campbell Prize in Drama, Sharon Bridgforth is 2020-2023 Playwrights' Center Core Member, a 2022-2023 McKnight National Fellow and a New Dramatists alumnae. She has received support from The Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, Creative Capital, MAP Fund and the National Performance Network. Her work is featured in Teaching Black: The Craft of Teaching on Black Life and Literature, Mouths of Rain an Anthology of Black Lesbian Thought and Feminist Studies Vol 48  Number 1, honoring 40 years of This Bridge Called by Back and But Some of Us Are Brave! Sharon has had the privilege of benefiting from support from the ZAMI NOBLA and Charis Books communities since 1998, when she toured with the RedBone Press edition of the bull-jean stories. In her new book, bull-jean & dem/dey back (53rd State Press) bull-jean returns in two performance/novels - both will be produced as main stage productions at Pillsbury House + Theatre in Minneapolis, MN in 2023. More at: https://www.sharonbridgforth.com  

Today I interview Casey Plett. Plett is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the story collection A Dream of a Woman, the novel Little Fish, which was a winner of a Lambda Literary Award and the Amazon First Novel Award in Canada, and and the story-collection A Safe Girl to Love, also a winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Today, we talk about her new book, On Community (Biblioasis, 2023), which explores the idea of community as a word, a symbol, and a very messy, very human experience of which we're all, in one way or another, a part. Enjoy my conversation with Casey Plett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Today I interview Casey Plett. Plett is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the story collection A Dream of a Woman, the novel Little Fish, which was a winner of a Lambda Literary Award and the Amazon First Novel Award in Canada, and and the story-collection A Safe Girl to Love, also a winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Today, we talk about her new book, On Community (Biblioasis, 2023), which explores the idea of community as a word, a symbol, and a very messy, very human experience of which we're all, in one way or another, a part. Enjoy my conversation with Casey Plett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Caleb Crain reads his story “Clay,” from the August 12, 2024, issue of the magazine. Crain is the author of one book of nonfiction and two novels, “Necessary Errors,” which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, and “Overthrow,” which was published in 2019.

Jordan chats with Emma Copley Eisenberg (Housemates) about a ghostly encounter that led to her new novel, the opposing worldviews of Grace Paley and Ottessa Moshfegh, and the choice to make art in difficult times.MENTIONED:Jazz by Toni MorrisonFleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-AknerAmerican Pastoral by Philip RothTerrace Story by Hilary Leichter"Why I Write" by George OrwellEmma Copley Eisenberg is the author of the nationally bestselling novel Housemates and the narrative nonfiction book The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and was nominated for an Edgar Award, a Lambda Literary Award, and an Anthony Award, among other honors. Her fiction has appeared in Granta, McSweeney's, VQR, American Short Fiction, and other publications. Raised in New York City, she lives in Philadelphia, where she co-founded Blue Stoop, a community hub for the literary arts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Copley Eisenberg discusses her debut novel, Housemates, Philadelphia, BODIES, the spectrum of Ottessa Moshfegh to Grace Paley, structure, road trips, the historical figures who inspired the novel, and more! Emma Copley Eisenberg is the author of the novel Housemates and the narrative nonfiction book The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and was nominated for an Edgar Award, a Lambda Literary Award, and an Anthony Award, among other honors. Her fiction has appeared in Granta, McSweeney's, VQR, American Short Fiction, and other publications. Raised in New York City, she lives in Philadelphia, where she co-founded Blue Stoop, a community hub for the literary arts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we wind up Pride Season, why not think about your next beach read. Even more provocative, why not think about the importance of having LGBTQ+ representation in our fiction life. After all, art imitates life...right? Proving that point, author Christopher Rice, writing under the pen name of C. Travis Rice shares a sizzling romance between two gay men in a luxurious coastal beach setting that not only enables you to be taken away in your fantasies, and also reminds us that we are queer, we're here, and we are not going away. In this episode you'll Discover why C. Travis Rice believes that gay romance deserves a place on your book shelves Learn why gay mentors should still be a part of growth for any queer person Unlock how to embrace the challenges of shifting perspectives as you grow into a mature gay adult About C. Travis Rice CHRISTOPHER RICE is A New York Times bestselling author who writes under the pen name C. Travis Rice and delivers the fourth book in his Sapphire Cove series titled: SAPPHIRE DAWN. He is the recipient of the Lambda Literary Award. He is the Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of: A Density of Souls; Bone Music, Blood Echo, and Blood Victory in the Burning Girl series; and Bram Stoker Award finalists The Heavens Rise and The Vines. An executive producer for television, he also penned 2 novels with his mother, Anne Rice: Ramses the Damned: The Passion of Cleopatra and Ramses The Damned: The Reign of Osiris. Together with his best friend and producing partner, New York Times bestselling novelist Eric Shaw Quinn, Christopher runs the production company Dinner Partners. Among other projects, they produce the podcast and video network TDPS, which can be found at www.TheDinnerPartyShow.com. He lives in West Hollywood, California, and writes tales of romance between men under the pseudonym C. Travis Rice. Connect With C. Travis Rice Website Instagram X-Twitter

Jason and Brett continue PRIDE 2024 with celebrated authors. They're joined in conversation with Jen Silverman (There's Going to Be Trouble), David Levithan (Wide Awake Now), and Emma Copley Eisenberg (Housemates) talking about the cyclical nature of history, queer inheritance, intersectionality of arts and queerness, and much more. Jen Silverman is a New York-based writer, playwright, and screenwriter. Jen is the author of novel We Play Ourselves, which is short-listed for a Lambda Literary Award, the story collection The Island Dwellers, which was longlisted for a PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for debut fiction, and the poetry chapbook Bath, selected by Traci Brimhall for Driftwood Press. Additional work has appeared in Vogue, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, LitHub, The Yale Review, and elsewhere. Jen's plays have been produced across the United States and internationally. Jen is a three-time MacDowell fellow, a member of New Dramatists, and the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts grant, a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Fellowship, the Yale Drama Series Award, and a Playwrights of New York Fellowship. Jen is a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow for Prose and a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow for Drama. Jen also writes for TV and film.When not writing during spare hours on weekends, David Levithan is editorial director at Scholastic and the founding editor of the PUSH imprint, which is devoted to finding new voices and new authors in teen literature. His acclaimed novels Boy Meets Boy and The Realm of Possibility started as stories he wrote for his friends for Valentine's Day (something he's done for the past 22 years and counting) that turned themselves into teen novels. He's often asked if the book is a work of fantasy or a work of reality, and the answer is right down the middle—it's about where we're going, and where we should be.Emma Copley Eisenberg is a queer writer of fiction and nonfiction. Her first book, The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia, was named a New York Times Notable Book and was nominated for an Edgar Award, a Lambda Literary Award, and an Anthony Award, among other honors. Her fiction has appeared in Granta, McSweeney's, VQR, American Short Fiction, and other publications. Raised in New York City, she lives in Philadelphia, where she co-founded Blue Stoop, a community hub for the literary arts.**BOOKS!** Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page:https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading | By purchasing books through this Bookshop link, you can support both Gays Reading and an independent bookstore of your choice!Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus content! Purchase your Gays Reading podcast Merch! Follow us on Instagram @gaysreading | @bretts.book.stack | @jasonblitmanWhat are you reading? Send us an email or a voice memo at gaysreading@gmail.com

In today's flashback, an outtake from Episode 626, my conversation with author Garth Greenwell. The episode first aired on February 26, 2020. Greenwell is the author of What Belongs to You, which won the British Book Award for Debut of the Year, was longlisted for the National Book Award, and was a finalist for six other awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, it was named a Best Book of 2016 by over fifty publications in nine countries, and is being translated into fourteen languages. His second book of fiction, Cleanness, was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize, the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, the L.D. and LaVerne Harrell Clark Fiction Prize, and France's Prix Sade (Deuxième sélection). Cleanness was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2020, a New York Times Critics Top 10 book of the year, and a Best Book of the year by the New Yorker, TIME, NPR, the BBC, and over thirty other publications. It is being translated into eight languages. A new novel, Small Rain, is forthcoming from FSG in 2024. Greenwell is also the co-editor, with R.O. Kwon, of the anthology KINK, which appeared in February 2021, was named a New York Times Notable Book, won the inaugural Joy Award from the #MarginsBookstore Collective, and became a national bestseller. His fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, A Public Space, and VICE, and he has written nonfiction for The New Yorker, the London Review of Books, and Harper's, among others. He writes regularly about literature, film, art and music for his Substack, To a Green Thought. He is the recipient of many honors for his work, including a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship and the 2021 Vursell Award for prose style from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has taught at the Iowa Writers Workshop, Grinnell College, the University of Mississippi, and Princeton. Greenwell currently lives in New York, where he is a Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at NYU. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram  TikTok Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A horse race from the 1980s may not seem like the obvious inspiration for a poem that celebrates so many of the things that make our lives worth living — good company (human and animal), good books, good food, and honest work — and that is just part of the surprise, delight, and surging joy of Michael Klein's “Swale.” Michael Klein is a two-time winner of the Lambda Literary Award for poetry and is the author of five books of poetry and two memoirs. His work has appeared in many places, including Poetry, Tin House, The Paris Review, and Bennington Review. His newest book is The Early Minutes of Without: New & Selected Poems (Word Works, 2023). Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.We're pleased to offer Michael Klein's poem, and invite you to read Pádraig's weekly Poetry Unbound Substack, read the Poetry Unbound book, or listen back to all our episodes.