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Gays Reading

Gays Reading

238 episodes — Page 4 of 5

S3 Ep 18Brit Barron (Do You Still Talk to Grandma?) feat. R. Eric Thomas, Guest Gay Reader

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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.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 26, 20241h 1m

S3 Ep 17Gregory Maguire (Wicked) feat. Eric Williams and Eden Espinosa

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In this special episode, host Jason Blitman dives into the world of Wicked. Joined by legendary author Gregory Maguire, Guest Gay Reader is comedian and host of That’s a Gay Ass Podcast, Eric Williams, and Gays Reading’s first Guest Gay Icon, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa, they discuss the impact and legacy of this iconic story. From insider stories and unforgettable riffs to deep conversations about identity, friendship, and self-acceptance, this episode is a celebration of all things Wicked. Perfect for fans of the musical, lovers of literature, and anyone who has ever felt like an outsider finding their place in the world.Gregory Maguire has written quite a few books for adults, including Wicked, which inspired the Broadway play and the two-part movie. He’s also written several dozen books for children, the more recent titles being What-the-Dickens, Egg & Spoon, and Cress Watercress, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book.Eric Williams is an actor, comedian, and podcast host based in Los Angeles. His podcast “That’s A Gay Ass Podcast” was recently named “One of the Best Podcasts To Listen To” by Glamour Magazine. Guests include Dan Savage (‘Savage Love’), Bowen Yang (‘SNL’), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (‘Modern Family’), Jinkx Monsoon (‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’), Joel Kim Booster (‘Fire Island’), and more. Listen here. Eric also hosts the popular “That’s A Gay Ass Live Show,” a variety competition show that has been featured in the Netflix Is A Joke Fest, New York Comedy Festival, and multiple sold out engagements in New York and LA. You can read more about the podcast and live show in Variety (brag).Eden Espinosa is most recognized for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway and in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Other credits: originating the title character in Brooklyn the Musical, Flora in Flora the Red Menace, and Maureen in the closing company of Rent on Broadway. She also originated Sadie Thompson in Rain at the Old Globe Theater and portrayed Eva Peron in Evita at TPAC and Studio Tenn. Recently, she originated Tamara De Lempicka in Lempicka, earning her a Tony Award nomination. @edenespinosaSupport the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 20, 20241h 32m

S3 Ep 16What's the TEA? with Sarah Leavitt (Something, Not Nothing)

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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 Sarah Leavitt talking to Jason about her new book, Something, Not Nothing. Sarah Leavitt is the author of the graphic memoir Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother, and Me (Freehand Books, 2010), which is currently in production as a feature-length animation, and the award-winning historical fiction comic Agnes, Murderess (Freehand Books, 2019). She is an assistant professor in the School of Creative Writing at UBC in Vancouver, BC, where she has developed and taught undergraduate and graduate comics classes since 2012.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 14, 202418 min

S3 Ep 15Oliver Radclyffe (Frighten the Horses) feat. Roxane Gay, Guest Gay Reader

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Host Jason Blitman talks to author Oliver Radclyffe (Frighten the Horses) about his journey of self-discovery and the transformative power of being true to oneself, Henry Higgins, and his dating life. Jason is joined by Guest Gay Reader Roxane Gay, who discusses her role in bringing Oliver's memoir to life through her imprint, Roxane Gay Books, what she's currently reading, the pros of cable, and woes of peeling garlic. Oliver Radclyffe is part of the new wave of transgender writers unafraid to address the complex nuances of transition, examining the places where gender identity, sexual orientation, feminist allegiance, social class, and family history overlap. His work has appeared in The New York Times and Electric Literature, and he recently published Adult Human Male, a monograph with Unbound Edition Press on the trans experience under the cisgender gaze. He currently lives on the Connecticut coast, where he is raising his four children.Roxane Gay’s writing appears in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, A Public Space, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, Virginia Quarterly Review, and many others. She is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. She is the author of the books Ayiti, An Untamed State, the New York Times bestselling Bad Feminist, the nationally bestselling Difficult Women and the New York Times bestselling Hunger. She is also the author of World of Wakanda for Marvel. She has several books forthcoming and is also at work on television and film projects. She also has a newsletter, The Audacity and once had a podcast, The Roxane Gay Agenda. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 12, 20241h 15m

S3 Ep 14Lester Fabian Brathwaite (Rage) feat. Brian Derrick, Guest Gay Reader

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Host Jason Blitman talks to author Lester Fabian Brathwaite (Rage: On Being Black, Queer, Brilliant, and Completely Over It) about musicals and masculinity, drag queens, their introductions to Rosalind Russell, and seeing humanity in villains. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Brian Derrick to talk about what he's reading as well as a timely discussion on the importance of political engagement and how to harness your rage constructively. Lester Fabian Brathwaite is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly and, for some sadistic reason known only to him and his therapist, has been a professional writer for almost fifteen years. He has contributed to The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and The Advocate, among other publications, and has also served as senior editor for Out magazine. Rage is his first book.Brian Derrick is a political strategist, activist, and the Founder and CEO of Oath, a tech platform that has raised millions for candidates nationwide. Known for his concise breakdowns of news and politics, Derrick has built a large online following. Under his leadership, Oath expanded from a small advising firm to a national force in politics, with clients in Hollywood and Big Tech. Previously, Derrick worked as a consultant and staffer for candidates from City Council to Presidential campaigns, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. His finance and communications expertise has driven campaigns to victory across the U.S.Learn more about Brian and Oath HERE. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 5, 20241h 0m

S3 Ep 13Lyndsay Rush (A Bit Much) feat. Cody Rigsby, Guest Gay Reader

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Host Jason Blitman chats with accidental poet Lyndsay Rush (A Bit Much) about the unique flavors of snacks, traumatic school memories, and the importance of embracing one's "bit much" personality. This episode’s Guest Gay Reader is Cody Rigsby (Peloton and Dancing with the Stars), who shares with Jason what he’s currently reading—and what he might ask if he submitted a question to his popular advice segment, XOXO, Cody.Lyndsay Rush is a comedy writer, cofounder of the branding agency Obedient, and the poet behind the popular Instagram account @maryoliversdrunkcousin. Her debut book of poems, A Bit Much was an instant USA Today Bestseller and her writing has been featured in Reductress, McSweeney’s, New York magazine, and The New York Times. Lyndsay spent most of her adult life freezing in Chicago, but currently swelters in Nashville with her husband and young son.Adored fitness instructor Cody Rigsby is the cycling director at Peloton. Rigsby is known for his witty humor, engaging storytelling, and pop-culture hot takes as well as his insight into relationships and his advocacy for self-love. He was the second runner-up on the thirtieth season of Dancing with the Stars, and he cohosted the GLAAD Media Awards. Rigsby has been the face of numerous brands, including Adidas, Capital One, Chobani, Therabody, Chipotle, and Gatorade, and he has been profiled in the Los Angeles Times, People, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ, Forbes, Vox, Us Weekly, and Time, and on Good Morning America. Rigsby lives in Brooklyn, New York.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 29, 20241h 3m

S3 Ep 12What's the TEA? with Jeremy Salamon (Second Generation)

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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 chef and restaurateur Jeremy Salamon talking to Jason about his cookbook, Second Generation.Jeremy Salamon is the James Beard–nominated chef and owner of the beloved Agi’s Counter in Brooklyn, a 2022 pick for Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurants list and a 2023 Michelin Bib Gourmand award recipient. He began his career working under celebrated chefs in restaurants such as Locanda Verde, Prune, Buvette, and Via Carota, before becoming the executive chef of Manhattan restaurants the Eddy and Wallflower. He’s been recognized by publications such as the New York Times, Food & Wine, Forbes, The New Yorker, Eater, Travel + Leisure, the Infatuation, and more. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his partner, Michael, and their cat, Sage. This is his first cookbook.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 24, 202413 min

S3 Ep 11Nicole Maines (It Gets Better...) feat. Sammy Rae, Guest Gay Reader

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Host Jason Blitman is joined by trans icon and Supergirl star Nicole Maines talking about her new book It Gets Better… Except When It Gets Worse, Disney movies, and the transformative power of storytelling. Guest Gay Reader Sammy Rae shares her unique reading interests and shares more about the exciting release of her band Sammy Rae and the Friends’ first full-length album.Nicole Maines is an award-winning actress, writer, and transgender rights activist. She was the anonymous plaintiff in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court case Doe v. Regional School Unit 26, in which she argued her school district could not deny her access to the female bathroom for being transgender and won, the first such ruling by a state court. That case and her family’s story was the focus of Amy Ellis Nutt’s bestseller Becoming Nicole. As an actress, Maines played Nia Nal/Dreamer on the CW’s hit series Supergirl and Lisa in Showtime’s Yellowjackets.For as much as Sammy Rae & The Friends may be a band, this collective of dreamers and artists considers themselves a family first. That all-for-one and one-for-all camaraderie ignites their unforgettable and can’t-miss live shows, which serve as a catharsis for both the musicians and their fervent audience. Fronted by singer/songwriter Sammy Rae and honed through years of touring, the group is capable of flourishing in any spotlight thanks to its signature blend of palpable chemistry, deft virtuosity, and vocal fireworks. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 22, 202456 min

S3 Ep 10Eliot Schrefer (The Brightness Between Us) feat. Arielle Egozi, Guest Gay Reader

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Host Jason Blitman talks to Eliot Schrefer (The Brightness Between Us) about the challenges and joys of writing, the nuances of sci-fi, and how personal experiences shape storytelling. Later, guest gay reader Arielle Egozi (BEing Bad) joins to chat about self-acceptance, societal expectations, and her latest read. Eliot Schrefer is the New York Times bestselling author of many books for kids and teens, including The Darkness Outside Us and its sequel, The Brightness Between Us, as well as Charming Young Man, Endangered, and Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality. His books have twice been named finalists for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature and have garnered a Printz Honor, a Stonewall Honor, and the Green Earth Book Award. He is on the faculty of the creative writing MFA programs at Hamline University and Fairleigh Dickinson University and lives with his husband in New York City. Visit him online at eliotschrefer.com.Arielle Egozi (she/they) is a writer and creative director. Their work is centered on the destigmatization (and celebration) of all bodies, brains, and identities and has been featured globally across major publications like the Washington Post, Business Insider, and Vice. She shares a bed with her two perrhijos and partner.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 15, 20241h 4m

S3 Ep 9What's the TEA? with Chad Beguelin (Showmance)

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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 Chad Beguelin talking to Jason about his debut gay romcom, Showmance. Chad Beguelin is a six-time Tony Award nominee. His Broadway works include The Prom, Disney’s Aladdin, Elf and The Wedding Singer. Chad also co-wrote the screenplay for The Prom, currently available on Netflix. Chad is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Dramatic Writing Program. He currently lives in Bridgehampton with his husband Tom and their dog, Tucker.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 10, 202416 min

S3 Ep 8Rivers Solomon (Model Home) feat. Margaret Cho, Guest Gay Reader

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Host Jason Blitman talks to Rivers Solomon about their latest book, Model Home, discussing its unique spin on the haunted house genre and the layers of personal and family dynamics within. Guest Gay Reader Margaret Cho shares anecdotes from her eclectic career and childhood experiences growing up in a gay bookstore, all while reflecting on her love for reading. Rivers Solomon writes about life in the margins, where they are much at home. In addition to appearing on the Stonewall Honor List and winning a Firecracker Award, Solomon's debut novel, An Unkindness of Ghosts, was a finalist for Lambda, Hurston/Wright, Otherwise (formerly Tiptree), and Locus Awards. Solomon's second book, The Deep, based on the Hugo-nominated song by the Daveed Diggs–fronted hip-hop group clipping, was the winner of the 2020 Lambda Award and was short-listed for the Nebula, Locus, Hugo, Ignyte, Brooklyn Library Literary, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy Awards. Their work appears in Black Warrior Review, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Guernica, Best American Short Stories, Tor.com, Best American Horror and Dark Fantasy, and elsewhere. A refugee of the transatlantic slave trade, Solomon was born on Turtle Island but currently resides on an isle in an archipelago off the western coast of the Eurasian continent.Margaret Cho Comedian. Actor. Musician. Advocate. Entrepreneur. Five-time Grammy and Emmy nominee. Margaret Cho’s strong voice has been lighting the path for other women, other members of underrepresented groups, other performers, to follow. Her recent television appearances – guest star on Season 2 of The Flight Attendant (HBO Max), guest star on Season 2 of Hacks (HBO Max) and two Netflix is a Joke comedy specials: Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration and Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin: Ladies Night Live – have expanded an already wide-ranging career, and her role as the ‘mother hen’ in the well-reviewed movie Fire Island solidifies why we all love Margaret in the first place. As a comedian Margaret has been named one of Rolling Stone magazine's 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time, one of Vogue magazine’s Top 9 Female Comedians of all time, while CNN chose her as one of the 50 People Who Changed American Comedy. Thankfully, Margaret has more stories to tell, and her production company, Animal Family Productions, has multiple scripted shows in development for 2022 and beyond.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 8, 202450 min

S3 Ep 7George M. Johnson (Flamboyants) feat. Rasheed Newson, Guest Gay Reader

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Host Jason Blitman is joined by one of the most banned authors in the country, George M. Johnson, to talk about their new book, Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known. They discuss the significance of LGBTQIA+ history, challenges faced by past queer icons of the Harlem Renaissance, and the connection between George's previous work, All Boys Aren't Blue, and Flamboyants. Guest Gay Reader Rasheed Newson joins Jason to talk about his reading list, the interconnectedness of queer history, and insights from his own book, My Government Means to Kill Me. George M. Johnson (they/them) is an Emmy nominated, award-winning, and bestselling Black nonbinary author and activist. They have written on race, gender, sex, and culture for Essence, the Advocate, BuzzFeed News, Teen Vogue, and more than forty other national publications. George has appeared on BuzzFeed’s AM2DM as well as on MSNBC. They are also a proud HBCU alum twice over and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Their debut memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue, was a New York Times bestseller and garnered many accolades. It was the second-most banned book of 2022 in the United States, according to the American Library Association. For their work fighting book bans and challenges, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) honored George with its Free Speech Defender Award, and TIME Magazine named them one of the “100 Next Most Influential People in the World.” While writing their memoir, George used he/him pronouns. Originally from Plainfield, New Jersey, they now live in Los Angeles, California.Rasheed Newson is a writer and producer of Bel-Air, The Chi, and Narcos. He currently resides in Pasadena, California with his husband and two children. My Government Means to Kill Me is his debut novel.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 1, 202457 min

S3 Ep 6What's the TEA? with Abdi Nazemian (Desert Echoes)

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.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 26, 202418 min

S3 Ep 5Rumaan Alam (Entitlement) feat. Lea DeLaria, Guest Gay Reader

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Host Jason Blitman talks to Rumaan Alam (Entitlement) about the intricate themes of his novel, focusing on class, money, and societal values. They also delve into the significance of the book's title and how it reflects broader societal issues. Featured in this episode is Guest Gay Reader, Lea DeLaria, who discusses her work in theater, her desire to play iconic Shakespearean clowns, and her passion for classic literature. Learn more about Lea DeLaria's BRUNCH IS GAY at 54 Below here. Rumaan Alam is the author of the New York Timesbestselling novel Leave the World Behind, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and adapted into a major motion picture, as well as two other novels. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn.Lea DeLaria was the first openly gay comic on television in America, and is an accomplished Jazz performer who has performed in concert venues all over the world. She is best known as ‘Big Boo’ from Orange is the New Black (3 SAG Awards). Lea can currently be seen in the indie feature film Potato Dreams of America, and in the Indigo Girls jukebox feature film, Glitter & Doom. Lea recently starred in the Off-Broadway Revival of Tennessee Williams' play, The Night of the Iguana, directed by Emily Mann. TV credits include Girls5Eva, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, East New York,The Blacklist, Physical, Reprisal, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Shameless, and Broad City. Film credits include Cars 3, Support The Girls, and First Wives Club. Broadway credits, POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive (Bernadette), The Rocky Horror Show (Eddie/Dr. Scott) and On The Town (Hildy), Obie and Theatre World Awards. @realleadelaria www.leadelaria.comSupport the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 24, 20241h 7m

S3 Ep 4TJ Klune (Somewhere Beyond the Sea) feat. James Scully, Guest Gay Reader

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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!Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 17, 20241h 4m

S3 Ep 3What's the TEA? with Shannon Bowring (Where the Forest Meets the River)

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 first episode features Shannon Bowring talking to Jason about her new book Where the Forest Meets the River. Shannon Bowring has been nominated for a Pushcart and a Best of the Net, and was recently selected in Best Small Fictions. She holds an MFA from University of Southern Maine Stonecoast and currently resides in Maine. The Road to Dalton is her first novel. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 12, 202417 min

S3 Ep 2Danzy Senna (Colored Television) feat. Jonathan Adler, Guest Gay Reader

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Danzy Senna whose new book Colored Television is the latest Good Morning America Book Club pick. They talk about psychics, the Cult of California, author personas, and her writing process. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, designer Jonathan Adler who shares what he’s reading as well as tips to best curate your bookshelf. Check out the Colored Television Spotify PlaylistDanzy Senna is the author of five previous books, including the bestselling Caucasia and, most recently, New People, as well as a memoir. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, she teaches writing at the University of Southern California.Theme song performed by Kyle Sherman Sign up to learn more about OUTspoken at www.weareoutspoken.org Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 10, 20241h 0m

S3 Ep 1Elif Shafak (There are Rivers in the Sky) feat. Franklin Cappadora, Guest Gay Reader

In the season premiere of Gays Reading, host Jason Blitman talks to acclaimed author Elif Shafak (There are Rivers in the Sky) about the importance of storytelling and information vs. knowledge vs. wisdom. They also engage in a unique conversation about religion and so much more. This episode features Guest Gay Reader Franklin Cappadora aka Jason’s husband.Elif Shafak is an award-winning British-Turkish author of a dozen novels, including The Island of Missing Trees, which was short-listed for the Costa Novel Award, and 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize. Her work has been translated into fifty-six languages. She holds a PhD in political science and has taught at universities in Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom. She lives in London and is an honorary fellow at Oxford University.Theme song performed by Kyle ShermanSign up to learn more about OUTspoken.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 3, 20241h 0m

S2 Ep 68BONUS Read-Along: Abraham Verghese (The Covenant of Water)

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In this BONUS episode, Jason and author Amy Jo Burns (Mercury) talk to Abraham Verghese about his book The Covenant of Water. Jason and Amy did a summer-long read-along with fellow listeners and readers and this is their culminating conversation with Abraham. Note: There WILL be spoilers! The Covenant of Water was a 2023 Oprah's Book Club selection. Abraham Verghese is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the author of books including the NBCC Award finalist My Own Country and the New York Times Notable Book The Tennis Partner. His most recent book, Cutting for Stone, spent 107 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and sold more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone. It was translated into more than twenty languages and is being adapted for film by Anonymous Content. Verghese was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2016, has received five honorary degrees, and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He lives and practices medicine in Stanford, California where he is the Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. A decade in the making, The Covenant of Water is his first book since Cutting for Stone. Amy Jo Burns is the author of the memoir Cinderland and the novel Shiner, which was a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, NPR Best Book of the year, and “told in language as incandescent as smoldering coal,” according to The New York Times. Her latest novel, Mercury, is a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick, a Book of the Month Pick, a People Magazine Book of the Week, and an Editor’s Choice selection in The New York Times. Amy Jo’s writing has appeared in The Paris Review Daily, Elle, Good Housekeeping, and the anthology Not That Bad. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 13, 20241h 8m

S2 Ep 67Season Finale: Books We're Excited About Second Half of '24 and a Message

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In this Season Finale, Jason and Brett take it back to the beginning--two friends talking about books. They shout out 8 different books releasing in the second half of 2024 that they're excited about as well as share some Gays Reading updates.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 1, 202411 min

S2 Ep 66Upcoming/Up & Coming feat. Alana S. Portero, Komail Aijazuddin, and Gina María Balibrera

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Jason and Brett are joined by debut authors Alana S. Portero (Bad Habig), Komail Aijazuddin (Manboobs), and Gina María Balibrera (The Volcano Daughters). They talk about how the city of Madrid is like a drag queen, cheesecake and carbs, and reclaiming your culture's narrative. Alana S. Portero is a medieval historian, writer, playwright, LGBTQIA+ activist, and cofounder of the theatre company STRIGA. Her writings on feminism and LGBTQIA+ activism from the perspective of a trans woman have been featured in a number of international publications, including Agente provocador, elDiario.es, El Salto Diario, S Moda, and Vogue. She lives in Madrid.Komail Aijazuddin is a visual artist and writer. He holds degrees in Art & Art History from New York University and an MFA from the Pratt Institute, NY. His debut book Manboobs: A memoir of Musicals, Visas, Hope & Cake is coming Fall 2024, published by Abrams Press (US) and Transworld/DoubleDay Books (Internationally). He lives and works in New York City.Gina María Balibrera earned an MFA in Prose from the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program. She’s been awarded grants from Aspen Words, Tin House, the Rackham Foundation, and the Periplus Collective, as well as a Tyson Award, the Aura Estrada Prize, and the Under the Volcano Sandra Cisneros Fellowship.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 30, 202453 min

S2 Ep 65Lev Grossman (The Bright Sword)

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Jason and Brett talk to Lev Grossman (The Bright Sword) about the difference between an adventure and a quest, being the hero of your own story, the trials of putting on armor, and what makes a king. Lev Grossman is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy—The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land—which has been published in thirty countries and adapted as a TV show that ran for five seasons on SYFY. He is also a screenwriter and the author of two children’s books, The Golden Swift and The Silver Arrow, and his journalism has appeared in Time, Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, among many other places. He lives with his wife and children in New York City.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 23, 202446 min

S2 Ep 64Peng Shepherd (All This and More)

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Jason and Brett talk to Peng Shepherd (All This and More) about what it means to be real, the repercussions of the choices that we make, the many versions of our lives, and get the scoop on her very first published book. Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York, and Mexico City. Her second novel, The Cartographers, became a national bestseller, was named a Best Book of 2022 by The Washington Post, and received a 2020 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her debut, The Book of M, won the 2019 Neukom Institute for Literary Arts Award for Debut Speculative Fiction, and was chosen as a best book of the year by Amazon, Elle, Refinery29, and The Verge, as well as a best book of the summer by the Today show and NPR’s On Point.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 16, 202447 min

S2 Ep 63Julia Phillips (Bear)

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Jason and Brett talk to Julia Phillips (Bear) about different sibling dynamics, the "bear" knocking on her door, and why she's wearing a snake in her wedding photos. Julia Phillips is the bestselling author of the novel Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year. A 2024 Guggenheim fellow, she lives with her family in Brooklyn.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 9, 202447 min

S2 Ep 62Upcoming/Up & Coming feat. Solomon J. Brager, Oisín McKenna, and August Thompson

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Jason and Brett talk to debut authors Solomon J. Brager (Heavyweight), Oisín McKenna (Evenings & Weekends), and August Thompson (Anyone's Ghost). They explore themes like inherited trauma and family history, queer identity, and the complexities of growing up. And they talk about some favorite snacks and date stories. Solomon J. Brager is a cartoonist and writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Their comics and research have appeared in The Nib, Jewish Currents, ArtForum, World War III Illustrated, Pinko Magazine, Refract Journal, and The New Inquiry, among other publications. They hold a PhD from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and teach as adjunct faculty in history, media, and gender studies.Oisín McKenna was born in Dublin and lives in London. He was awarded the Next Generation Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland to write Evenings and Weekends and it was developed with further funding from Arts Council England. Evenings and Weekends has been awarded a 2022 London Writers Award, and in 2017, Oisín was named in the Irish Times as one of the best-spoken word artists in the country. He has written and performed four theatre shows, including ADMIN, an award-winning production at Dublin Fringe 2019, and has written for outlets including the Irish Times on issues such as gentrification and the alienation of Dublin’s youth. August Thompson was born and raised in the middle of nowhere, New Hampshire, before he attended middle school in West LA. After surviving California optimism, he moved to NYC for his bachelor’s, studied in Berlin, and taught English in Spain for two years. He recently received his MFA at New York University’s creative writing program as a Goldwater Fellow.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 2, 202455 min

S2 Ep 61Catherine Newman (Sandwich)

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Jason and Brett talk to Catherine Newman (Sandwich) about ailments, weighted blankets, reproductive mayhem, peanut butter, queerness, and of course… sandwiches. Catherine Newman has written numerous columns, articles, and canned-bean recipes for magazines and newspapers, and her essays have been widely anthologized. She is the author of the novel We All Want Impossible Things; the memoirs Waiting for Birdy and Catastrophic Happiness; the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night; and the bestselling kids’ life-skills books How to Be a Person and What Can I Say? She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 27, 20241h 0m

S2 Ep 60Chris Whitaker (All the Colors of the Dark)

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Jason and Brett talked to Chris Whitaker (All the Color of the Dark) about what keeps friends in your life, horror stories from his time working in a library, what it means to have faith and hope, and Danny Zuko. Chris Whitaker is the award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls, and the New York Times bestseller We Begin at the End. Chris lives in the UK. All the Colors of the Dark was recently announced as the July 2024 Read with Jenna Book Club selection. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 202447 min

S2 Ep 59Claire Lombardo (Same As It Ever Was)

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Jason and Brett are joined by Claire Lombardo (Same As It Ever Was), last month's Reese's Book Club pick for her novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had. They talk to Claire about secrets in relationships, favorite children, Boo Radleyism, and debate Joni Mitchell. What Guys & Dolls reference is Jason talking about in the intro? Listen here. More info about Claire & Jason in conversation at Warwick's HERE. Claire Lombardo is the author of The Most Fun We Ever Had, which has been optioned for television by Reese Witherspoon. She lives in Iowa City, where she has taught at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Grinnell College and works part-time as a bookseller at Prairie Lights Books.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 20, 202444 min

S2 Ep 58PRIDE Upcoming/Up & Coming feat. Kimberly King Parsons, KB Brookins, and Santiago Jose Sanchez

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In the final PRIDE installment of Upcoming/Up & Coming, Jason and Brett talk to debut* authors Kimberly King Parsons (We Were the Universe), KB Brookins (Pretty), and Santiago Jose Sanchez (Hombrecito). They talk about the theatre of parenthood, queer representation in books and media, and using writing to better understand your own story. *Debut-ish! Kimberly’s debut novel and KB’s debut memoir.Kimberly King Parsons is the author of Black Light, a collection of stories that was long-listed for the National Book Award and the Story Prize. In 2020, she received the National Magazine Award for fiction. Born in Lubbock, Texas, she lives in Portland, Oregon, with her partner and children. We Were the Universe is her first novel.KB Brookins is a Black, queer, and trans writer and cultural worker from Texas. They are the author of Freedom House and How to Identify Yourself with a Wound. Brookins has poems, essays, and installation art published in Academy of American Poets, Teen Vogue, Poetry Magazine, Prizer Arts & Letters, Okayplayer, Poetry Society of America, Autostraddle, and other venues. They have earned fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN America, Equality Texas, and others.Santiago Jose Sanchez (they/them), a Grinnell College assistant professor of English and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, is a queer Colombian American writer. Santiago’s writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, ZYZZYVA, Subtropics, and Joyland and been distinguished in Best American Short Stories. They are the recipient of a Truman Capote Fellowship from the University of Iowa and an Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship from Lambda Literary.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 18, 202457 min

S2 Ep 57Rufi Thorpe (Margo's Got Money Troubles)

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Jason and Brett talk to Rufi Thorpe (Margo’s Got Money Troubles) about her obsession with wrestling (and how learning about it was like an all-cereal buffet), having a public persona and the chaos of the modern internet, falling in love with strangers, and of course, @tooturnttony. Rufi Thorpe is the author of The Knockout Queen, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner award; Dear Fang, with Love; and The Girls from Corona del Mar, which was long-listed for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. A native of California, she currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 13, 202449 min

S2 Ep 56PRIDE '24 feat. Jen Silverman, David Levithan, and Emma Copley Eisenberg

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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.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 11, 20241h 3m

S2 Ep 55Pride Upcoming/Up & Coming feat. Justinian Huang, KT Hoffman, and Myriam Lacroix

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In this Pride edition of Upcoming/Up & Coming, Jason and Brett talk to Justinian Huang (The Emperor and the Endless Palace) about living life romantically, KT Hoffman (The Prospects) about how anyone can play baseball, and Myriam Lacroix (How it Works Out) about a twist on autofiction. Born to immigrants in Monterey Park, California, Justinian Huang studied English at Pomona College and screenwriting at the University of Oxford. He is now based in Los Angeles with Swagger, a Shanghainese rescue dog he adopted during his five years living in China. The Emperor and the Endless Palace is his debut novel.KT Hoffman is originally from Beaverton, Oregon and currently lives in Brooklyn. He received his bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University. If he isn’t writing about trans hope and gay kissing, he’s probably white-knuckling his way through the ninth inning of a Seattle Mariners game. The Prospects is his debut novel.Myriam Lacroix was born in Montreal to a Québécois mother and a Moroccan father, and currently lives in Vancouver. She has a BFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and an MFA from Syracuse University, where she was editor in chief of Salt Hill Journal and received the New York Public Humanities Fellowship for creating Out-Front, an LGBTQ+ writing group whose goal was to expand the possibilities of queer writing.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 6, 202451 min

S2 Ep 54PRIDE '24 feat. Carvell Wallace, R.O. Kwon, and Byron Lane

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Jason and Brett kick off PRIDE 2024 with some incredible queer authors! They talk to Carvell Wallace (Another Word for Love) about the key to your ability to fight for what's right, R.O. Kwon (Exhibit) about art and how taking a choreography workshop got her in the body of her characters, and Byron Lane (Big Gay Wedding) about why he thinks he'd thrive in prison. Carvell Wallace grew up between Southwestern PA, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. He attended Tisch School for the Arts and worked as a stage actor before spending fifteen years in direct service youth non-profits. He has covered arts, entertainment, music, culture, race, sports, and parenting for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Slate, GQ, Pitchfork, MTV News and others. As a podcast host, he has been nominated for a Peabody and won a Kaleidoscope Award and was the Slate parenting advice columnist. He is the co-author of the New York Times best-selling basketball memoir The Sixth Man with Andre Iguodala. He lives in Oakland and has two adult children, a comfortable couch, and a lot of plants.R. O. Kwon is the author of the nationally bestselling novel The Incendiaries, which was named a best book of the year by more than forty publications and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award. With Garth Greenwell, Kwon coedited the bestselling Kink, a New York Times Notable Book. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Yaddo, and MacDowell. Born in Seoul, Kwon has lived most of her life in the United States.Byron Lane is the author of A Star Is Bored, hailed by the New York Times Book Review as “wildly funny and irreverent.” He’s a playwright, screenwriter, Emmy Award–winning journalist, and former assistant to actress Carrie Fisher. He’s originally from New Orleans and lives in Palm Springs, California, with his husband, author Steven Rowley, and their rescue dogs, Raindrop and Shirley.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 4, 20241h 4m

S2 Ep 53Upcoming/Up & Coming feat. Zoë Bossiere, Alan Murrin, and Essie Chambers

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In the fourth installment of their debut novelists series UPCOMING / UP & COMING, Jason and Brett talk to three new writers about their recently and soon-to-be released books. Zoë Bossiere (Cactus Country, May 21) talks about navigating identity growing up in a trailer park; Alan Murrin (The Coast Road, June 4) shares how short stories transformed into a novel; and Essie Chambers (Swift River, June 4) talks about how ancestral inheritance shaped her book, and also learns about the cootie shot. Zoë Bossiere (they/she) is writer from Tucson, Arizona. They are the managing editor of Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction. as well as the coeditor of two anthologies: The Best of Brevity (Rose Metal Press, 2020) and The Lyric Essay as Resistance: Truth from the Margins (Wayne State UP, 2023). Bossiere's debut, Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir, chronicles their experiences growing up as a trans boy in a Tucson, Arizona trailer park.Alan Murrin is an Irish writer based in Berlin. His short story, “The Wake,” won the 2021 Bournemouth Writing Prize and was shortlisted for short story of the year at the Irish Book Awards. The Coast Road was shortlisted for the PFD Queer Fiction prize. Murrin is also the recipient of an Irish Arts Council Agility Award and an Arts Council Literature Bursary. He is a graduate of the prose fiction masters at the University of East Anglia, and writes for the Irish Times and the Times Literary Supplement, as well as Art Review and e-flux.Essie Chambers earned her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and has received fellowships from the MacDowell Vermont Studio Center, and Baldwin for the Arts. A former film and television executive, she was a producer on the documentary Descendant, which was released by the Obamas’ Higher Ground production company and Netflix in 2022. Swift River is her debut novel. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 202453 min

S2 Ep 52Steven Rowley (The Guncle Abroad)

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Jason and Brett talk to Steven Rowley (The Guncle Abroad) about sea cave adventures in Capri, Varla Jean Merman's rendition of "Ring Them Bells," the best Wang Chung song, and obviously: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Grease 2.Steven Rowley is the bestselling author of five novels including, Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book; The Editor, an NPR Best Book of the Year; The Guncle, winner of the 22nd Thurber Prize for American Humor and Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Novel of the Year; and The Celebrants. His fiction has been translated in twenty languages. He resides in Palm Springs, California.Truffle hunt in Rome: https://matteo-truffles.com/Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 21, 202448 min

S2 Ep 52Kaliane Bradley (The Ministry of Time)

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Jason and Brett talk to Kaliane Bradley (The Ministry of Time) about transforming her once-serious novel about Cambodia and being mixed-race into the latest genre-defying Good Morning America book club pick. They learn how Kaliane was able to experience the 21st century as an adventure, gush over the only photo of a footnote of a historical figure, and debate about chilled red wine.Kaliane Bradley is a British-Cambodian writer and editor based in London. Her short fiction has appeared in Somesuch Stories, The Willowherb Review, Electric Literature, Catapult, and Extra Teeth, among others. She was the winner of the 2022 Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize and the 2022 V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 14, 202446 min

S2 Ep 51Great Queer Coffee Table Books feat. Ryan Fitzgibbon, Billie Winter, & Hannah Murphy Winter

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Jason and Brett talk to Hannah Murphy Winter and Billie Winter, the couple behind Queer Power Couples, as they delve into the essence of queer power partnerships, offering intimate insights into documenting this untapped element of queer history. They then talk to Ryan Fitzgibbon (A Great Gay Book, on sale May 21) about his curation of a time capsule featuring essays, poems, and photographs, immortalizing layers of queer history and rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ experiences.Hannah Murphy Winter (she/they) is a journalist who writes about queerness and policies that impact LGBTQ+ lives. Her work frequently appears in Rolling Stone. She lives in Seattle with her wife, Billie Winter, three cats they found in their shed, and their rescue dog, Pippin. The first person she ever recognized as queer was Spinelli from Recess.Billie Winter (she/her) is a photographer and videographer. She grew up in Queens, NY, and worked at Rolling Stone as a photo editor for fifteen years until she moved to Seattle and became an organic, regenerative farmer. She still has a crush on Cheetara from ThunderCats. Ryan Fitzgibbon is an artist and publisher. After beginning as a communication designer at IDEO in San Francisco, California, he founded Hello Mr. in 2012. Fitzgibbon self-published the magazine from Brooklyn, New York, before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma in January of 2020. In addition to organizing to protect LGBTQ+ rights and expanding HIV/AIDS care and prevention in Oklahoma, his work includes supporting the Black Wall Street Times through the production of multiple print publications, and the opening of their newsroom and storefront in Greenwood. Fitzgibbon is a 2021-2023 awardee of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 7, 202447 min

S2 Ep 50Rachel Khong (Real Americans)

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In their 50th episode, Jason and Brett talk to Rachel Khong (Real Americans) about cooking eggs, mugwort baths, growing into the person who could write this book, and how friction allows for change. Rachel Khong is the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, winner of the California Book Award for First Fiction, and named a Best Book of the Year by NPR; O, The Oprah Magazine; Vogue; and Esquire. Her work has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Cut, The Guardian, The Paris Review, and Tin House. In 2018, she founded The Ruby, a work and event space for women and nonbinary writers and artists in San Francisco’s Mission District. She lives in California.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 30, 202442 min

S2 Ep 49Upcoming / Up & Coming feat. Jiaming Tang, Melissa Mogollon, Yael van der Wouden

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In the April episode of their debut novelists series UPCOMING / UP & COMING, Jason and Brett talk to three new writers about their soon-to-be released books. Jiaming Tang (Cinema Love, May 7) talks about explaining his "accent" to people in Alabama; Melissa Mogollon (Oye, May 14) expresses her love of Rainforest Cafe; and Yael van der Wouden (The Safekeep, May 28) shares the secrets of erotic writing. Jiaming Tang is a queer immigrant writer. He holds an MFA from the University of Alabama, and his writing has appeared in such publications as AGNI, Lit Hub, Joyland Magazine, and elsewhere. He is a 2022-23 Center for Fiction Emerging Writer Fellow and lives in Brooklyn, New York. Cinema Love is his first novel.Melissa Mogollon holds an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a BA from the George Washington University. Originally from Colombia and raised in Florida, she now teaches at a boarding school in Rhode Island, where she lives with her partner and dog. Oye is her first novel.Yael van der Wouden is a writer and a teacher. She lives in Utrecht, Netherlands, and The Safekeep is her first novel.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 23, 202448 min

S2 Ep 48Yulin Kuang (How to End a Love Story)

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Jason and Brett talk to Yulin Kuang (How to End a Love Story) about Lisa Frank fan fiction, underrated 90s rom coms, the struggles of watching cooking shows on TV, how she came to adapt two Emily Henry novels, and much more. Yulin Kuang is a screenwriter and director, whose credits include The CW’s I Ship It and Hulu’s Dollface. She was once fired from a Hallmark movie for being ‘too hip for Hallmark’ and is the adapting screenwriter of Emily Henry’s People We Meet On Vacation, as well as the writer/director of the forthcoming Beach Read film for 20th Century Studios. She lives in Pasadena with her husband Zack and their orange cat, Eloise.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 16, 202456 min

S2 Ep 47Holly Gramazio (The Husbands)

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Jason and Brett talk to Holly Gramazio (The Husbands) about how her life was changed by a misfiled library book, her strong convictions about jewelry, five finger shoes, and High School Musical 3. The Husbands is April's Read with Jenna book club pick. Holly Gramazio is a writer, game designer and curator from Adelaide, currently based in London. She founded the experimental games festival Now Play This, and wrote the script for the award-winning indie video game Dicey Dungeons. Her recent projects include New Rules, a zine collecting essays about play during the pandemic, and a collaboration with artist Lawrence Lek on a game for his exhibition NOX. She’s particularly interested in rules, play, cities, gardens, games that get people acting creatively, stories that buy into a ridiculous premise and then really commit to it, and art that gets people interacting with their surroundings in new ways. The Husbands is her first novel.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 9, 202454 min

S2 Ep 46Douglas Westerbeke (A Short Walk Through a Wide World)

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Jason and Brett talk to Douglas Westerbeke (A Short Walk Through a Wide World) about the research that went into setting up his modern fairy tale, the impact of technology on storytelling, and the importance of staying curious. Douglas Westerbeke is a librarian who lives in Ohio and works at one of the largest libraries in the US. He has spent the last decade on the local panel of the International Dublin Literary Award, which inspired him to write his own book.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 2, 202449 min

S2 Ep 45Garrard Conley (All the World Beside)

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Jason and Brett talked to Garrard Conley (All the World Beside) about how we reinvent ourselves when we challenge the status quo, the pros and cons of “adulting,” and making our own rules. Garrard Conley is the New York Timesbestselling author of the memoir Boy Erased, as well as the creator and co-producer of the podcast UnErased: The History of Conversion Therapy in America. His work has been published by The New York Times, Oxford American, Time, and Virginia Quarterly Review, among others. Conley is a graduate of Brooklyn College’s MFA program, where he was a Truman Capote Fellow specializing in fiction. He is an assistant professor of creative writing at Kennesaw State University.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 26, 202446 min

S2 Ep 44Tommy Orange (Wandering Stars)

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Jason and Brett talk to Tommy Orange (Wandering Stars) about dreams and spirituality, learn about sound engineering and roller hockey, and how understanding your history can shape your future. Come for special insider info about a character's playlist, stay for a Moulin Rouge debate.Tommy Orange is a graduate of the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. An enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Oakland, California. His first book, There There, was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize and received the 2019 American Book Award. He lives in Oakland, California.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 19, 202447 min

S2 Ep 43Jason & Brett Answer Listener Questions

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Jason and Brett take a break from talking to authors to answer your questions! Everything from choosing books and finding time to read to their experience and relationship to books as queer people. Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 12, 202427 min

S2 Ep 42Armistead Maupin (Mona of the Manor)

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Jason and Brett talk to Armistead Maupin (Mona of the Manor) about living in the world of Tales of the City for 50 years, inspiration for the character of Mona, a day in his life at nearly-80, shows he's seen in the West End recently, Bernadette Peters, and more.Armistead Maupin is the author of the Tales of the City series, which includes Tales of the City, More Tales of the City, Further Tales of the City, Babycakes, Significant Others, Sure of You, Michael Tolliver Lives, Mary Ann in Autumn, and The Days of Anna Madrigal. His other books include the memoir Logical Family and the novels Maybe the Moon and The Night Listener. Maupin was the 2012 recipient of the Lambda Literary Foundation’s Pioneer Award. He lives in London with his husband, Christopher Turner.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 5, 202440 min

S2 Ep 41Upcoming/Up & Coming feat. Lottie Hazell, Ursula Villarreal-Moura, and Alexandra Tanner

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In the second installment of their debut novelists series UPCOMING / UP & COMING, Jason and Brett talk to three new writers about their soon-to-be released books. Lottie Hazell (Piglet, Feb 27) talks about working as a board game designer; Ursula Villarreal-Moura (Like Happiness, Mar 26) shares her stories writing fan letters; and Alexandra Tanner (Worry, Mar 26) tells real-life stories that inspired her book.Lottie Hazell is a writer, contemporary literature scholar, and board game designer living in Warwickshire, England. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Loughborough University, where she studied food writing in twenty-first century fiction. Piglet is her first novel.Ursula Villarreal-Moura was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She is the author of Math for the Self-Crippling, a flash fiction collection. Like Happiness is her first novel.Alexandra Tanner is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor. She is a graduate of the MFA program at The New School and the recipient of fellowships from MacDowell and The Center for Fiction. Her writing appears in The New York Times Book Review, Gawker, and Jewish Currents, among other outlets. Worry is her first novel.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 27, 202443 min

S2 Ep 40Bianca Bosker (Get the Picture)

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Jason and Brett talk to Bianca Bosker (Get the Picture) about the immersive approach to her writing, why we need to unlearn how to behave around art, developing new tastes, and the importance of context in the context of art.Bianca Bosker is the New York Times bestselling author of Cork Dork and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Best American Travel Writing, and been recognized with awards from the New York Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, and more.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 20, 202450 min

S2 Ep 39Ijeoma Oluo (Be a Revolution)

Jason and Brett talk to Ijeoma Oluo (Be a Revolution) about actionable steps for making social change, the importance of diversifying where you get your information, doing your own research, outlining a blueprint for being the catalyst of change.Ijeoma Oluo is a writer, speaker, and internet yeller. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race and, most recently, Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America. Her work has been featured in the Guardian, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, among many other publications. She was named to the 2021 Time 100 Next list and has twice been named to the Root 100. She received the 2018 Feminist Humanist Award and the 2020 Harvard Humanist of the Year Award from the American Humanist Association. She lives in Seattle, Washington.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 13, 202441 min

S2 Ep 38Mark Daley (Safe)

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Jason and Brett talk to Mark Daley (Safe) about his new memoir chronicling a piece of his journey becoming an adoptive parent. They talk about some of the systemic issues within the adoption process, chosen family, and the impetus to telling this story. Mark Daley is a social activist, entrepreneur, and foster-turned-adoptive father. Daley has over two decades of experience in message development, communication strategy, and public policy, including as a communications director and spokesperson for then-Senator Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. He has worked with more than thirty members of Congress, numerous governors, and other elected officials. He is the founder of One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ equality organization, and TheFosterParent.com, a national platform to connect interested families with foster organizations. Daley lives in Southern California with his husband and three children.Support the showBOOK CLUB!Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH!http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected] up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 8, 202437 min