Gays Reading | A Book Podcast for Everyone

In the season finale of Gays Reading, host Jason Blitman sits down with Ann Patchett to discuss the annotated edition of her acclaimed novel Bel Canto. They explore the power of memory, the key to learning and appreciating opera, and much more. Ann shares stories about meeting Jim Parsons at Our Town on Broadway, attending the only baseball game of her life, and what she would say to her younger self who wrote Bel Canto. Tune in for Ann’s holiday book recommendations and Jason’s most memorable reads of the year.

Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.

• The list of books from the episode can be found HERE. 
• Check out the Bel Canto Spotify Playlist

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In this bonus episode of What's the TEA? host Jason Blitman talks to Hannah Silva about the exploration of queer single parenting and AI in her book, My Child, The Algorithm as well as Tom Pyun about his debut novel, Something Close to Nothing. What's the TEA? gets the inside scoop on new books–authors are tasked with describing their books with 3 words using the letters T, E, and A.

Hannah Silva is a writer and performer working in sound poetry, radio and experimental non-fiction. An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love (BBC Radio 4) starred Fiona Shaw and was the starting point for My Child, the Algorithm. Silva has authored seven other plays for BBC Radio 3 and 4, winning the Tinniswood Award and numerous placements in the BBC Audio Drama Awards. Her debut poetry collection Forms of Protest was Highly Commended in the Forward Prizes. Talk in a bit, a record of sound poetry and music was in the Wire’s Top 25 albums of 2018. She lives in London with her child.

Tom Pyun earned his MFA at Antioch University Los Angeles and has been awarded fellowships by the Vermont Studio Center, VONA, and Tin House. His creative fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The Rumpus, Reed Magazine, Joyland, and Blue Mesa Review. His essay, “Mothers Always Know,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net 2015.

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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 Daniel Aleman talking to Jason about his new book, I Might Be in Trouble.

Daniel Aleman is the award-winning author of Indivisible and Brighter Than the Sun. Born and raised in Mexico City, he now lives in Toronto, where he is on a never-ending search for the best tacos in the city. I Might Be in Trouble is his adult debut.

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Host Jason Blitman talks to author Weike Wang (Rental House) about her dream vacation, the commonality of in-laws, and their mutual love of House Hunters. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, Joseph Lezza, who talks about what he's reading and shares insights about how he navigates grief during the holiday season. 

The Trouble with Friends 

Weike Wang is a graduate of Harvard University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry and her doctorate in public health. She received her MFA from Boston University. Her fiction has been published in literary magazines, including Alaska Quarterly Review, Glimmer Train, and Ploughshares, which also named Chemistry the winner of its John C. Zacharis Award. A “5 Under 35” honoree of the National Book Foundation, Weike currently lives in New York City. 

Joseph Lezza is a writer in New York, NY. Holding an MFA in creative writing from The University of Texas at El Paso, he is a 2021 finalist for the Prize Americana in Prose. His work has been featured in, among others, Occulum, Variant Literature, The Hopper, Stoneboat Literary Journal, West Trade Review, and Santa Fe Writers Project. His debut memoir in essays, I’m Never Fine: Scenes and Spasms on Loss, is out February 2023 from Vine Leaves Press. 

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Host Jason Blitman is joined by Susan Rieger (Like Mother, Like Mother) to record together at the Penguin Random House offices. They explore the idea of "Elephant Memories," a podcast within the book, as they share personal stories of early memories and family.

Like Mother, Like Mother is an Aardvark Book Club selection (use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping!) as well as Barnes and Nobles' November and December 2024 Book Club.

Susan Rieger is a graduate of Columbia Law School. She has worked as a residential college dean at Yale and as an associate provost at Columbia. She has taught law to undergraduates at both schools and written frequently about the law for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of The Heirs and The Divorce Papers. She lives in New York City with her husband.

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Host Jason Blitman talks to Christopher Bollen (Havoc) about everything from purging personal belongings to the layered concept of havoc and chaos, the fascinating world of hotels, and Chris' love-hate relationship with musicals. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Simon Doonan (TV's Making It, The Camp 100) about what he's reading, as well as the difference between Camp and campy.

Christopher Bollen is the author of the critically acclaimed novels The Lost Americans, A Beautiful Crime, The Destroyers, Orient, and Lightning People. He is a frequent contributor to a number of publications, including Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and Interview. He lives in New York City.

Simon Doonan is the author of many books, including the recently published Transformer: A Story of Glitter, Glam Rock and Loving Lou Reed, How To Be Yourself, DRAG: The Complete Story and Keith Haring. A long-standing member of the fashion community, Simon was awarded the prestigious CFDA award for his work as Creative Director for Barneys New York. He is currently a judge on the Emmy-nominated NBC series ‘Making It’. Simon lives in New York City with his partner, the ceramicist and designer Jonathan Adler, and their rescue-mutt Foxylady.

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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.

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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. @edenespinosa

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 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.

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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.com

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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!

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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 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. 

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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 Playlist

Danzy 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 

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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 Sherman

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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/

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Jason and Brett talk to Dolly Alderton (Good Material) about hetero optimism (yes, it's a thing), Geri Halliwell as a sexual awakening, Robbie Williams as... another sexual awakening, Nora Ephron (unrelated to sexual awakenings), and so much more. Grab your Zabar's mug and enjoy.

Dolly Alderton is an award-winning author, screenwriter and journalist based in London. She is a columnist for The Sunday Times Style and has also written for GQ, Red, Marie Claire and Grazia. She is the former co-host and co-creator of the podcast The High Low. Her first book, Everything I Know About Love, became a top five Sunday Times best-seller in its first week of publication, won a National Book Award (UK) for Autobiography of the Year and was made into a BBC One TV Series. Ghosts, her first novel, was published in 2021. Dear Dolly, a collection of her agony aunt columns from the Sunday Times Style magazine, was published in 2022 and was also a Sunday Times best-seller.

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Jason and Brett talk to Crystal Hefner (Only Say Good Things) about life following her time in the famed Playboy mansion, beauty standards and carrying the burden of how we want to be perceived in the world, and what she's discovering about herself now that she's on the other side.

Crystal Hefner is a world-renowned model, advocate, and entrepreneur. A former Playboy Playmate, she now works to bring awareness to issues she is passionate about, speaking out on social media to her 10 million followers about body image, objectification, and beauty standards in the media. 

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Jason and Brett talk to Kaveh Akbar (Martyr!) about his transition from poet to novelist, listening to your dreams, how language is a sense memory, parallels with the musical Pippin, and much more.

Kaveh Akbar’s poems appear in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Best American Poetry, and elsewhere. He is the author of two poetry collections: Pilgrim Bell and Calling a Wolf a Wolf, in addition to a chapbook, Portrait of the Alcoholic. He is also the editor of The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 110 Poets on the Divine. He lives in Iowa City.

New York Times Review HERE. 

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In the first episode of the new year, Jason and Brett discuss books they’re excited to check out in 2024. They’re joined by editor and author Jenny Jackson (who initially put The Rachel Incident on their radar—one of Jason’s Most Memorable 2023 Books!) Jenny talks about titles, some of which she served as editor, that she’s looking forward to this year.

You’ll also find an Easter egg for an upcoming (unannounced) episode.

Check out Jason's earlier interview with Jenny HERE. 

Jenny Jackson is a vice president and executive editor at Alfred A. Knopf. A graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course, she lives in Brooklyn Heights with her family. Her debut novel Pineapple Street, a Good Morning America Book Club pick, was released in March 2023. 

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In the season finale of Gays Reading, Jason and Brett share not the "favorite" and not the "best," but their most memorable books of 2023. What makes a memorable book? Do any overlap? Check out this episode and prep for the new year by adding a whole bunch of books to your TBR. 

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Jason and Brett's love for books and Broadway come together in this exciting episode!  They talk to musical book writer and lyricist Kait Kerrigan about adapting The Great Gatsby for the stage, Merri Sugarman about the casting process and her new book From Craft to Career, and Matthew Chisling (aka @mattyandthebooks) about book adaptations coming to Broadway. A behind-the-scenes conversation you won't want to miss!

Kait Kerrigan is an award-winning lyricist, book writer, and playwright. She is an alumnus of Barnard College and the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop and a member of the Dramatists Guild. Off Broadway: book and lyrics for The Mad Ones, and Henry & Mudge. Regional: The Great Gatsby (Paper Mill Playhouse), plays (Father/Daughter and Imaginary Love) and musicals (Justice, Earthrise, and Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends). Digital credits include: A Killer Party. Her immersive house party The Bad Years (book and lyrics) had two sold-out pop-up productions in Brooklyn. Awards include: Kleban Award for libretto, Jonathan Larson Award for lyric-writing, Most Promising Lyricist Award from the Theatre Hall of Fame, Edgerton Award, and residencies at Page 73, Dramatists Guild Fellows, Rhinebeck, Goodspeed’s Johnnie Mercer Project, and MacDowell.

Initially an actress (Les Misérables, Aspects of Love), Merri Sugarman found herself in L.A. where she quickly made a name for herself at Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting working on such shows as Seinfeld, HBO's Band of Brothers, and the feature film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, to name a few. Following that, at Dreamworks Studios, Merri was the Casting Executive in charge of TV Pilots and Series. She is a Senior Casting Director at Tara Rubin Casting. Credits: Ain't Too Proud, Jersey Boys, Phantom Of The Opera, Les Misérables, School of Rock, Miss Saigon and A Bronx Tale. Off Broadway: Clueless and Trevor.

Matthew Chisling has worked for a decade in the professional theatre space as a marketer, producer, ticketing manager and strategist. He is currently a senior director of campaign marketing at TodayTix Group, a technology company in the performing arts space. Matt is an avid reader and runs an instagram account called @mattyandthebooks

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Jason and Brett talk to Stephen Markley (The Deluge) about writing his climate fiction epic over the course of 13 years, scaring Stephen King,  differences between writing for television and novels, and growing up in Ohio. 

Stephen Markley is the acclaimed author of Ohio, which NPR called a “masterpiece.” A graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Markley’s other books include the memoir Publish This Book and the travelogue Tales of Iceland. 

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'Tis the season to be under a blanket, sitting by a fireplace, reading a book! Just in case your TBR doesn't have something you're in the mood for, Jason and Brett have some cozy recommendations for you. If that's not enough, they also enlist  the help of bestselling author Jasmine Guillory (The Wedding Date, The Proposal) to share her recs.

Jasmine Guillory is a New York Times bestselling author of novels including The Wedding Date, the Reese's Book Club selection The Proposal, and Drunk on Love. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Bon Appetit, and Time, and she is a frequent book contributor on The Today Show. She lives in Oakland, California. @jasminepics

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Jason and Brett talk to Mick Peterson, Bill Lyons, Robert Reeves, and Jessay Martin aka The Old Gays (The Old Gays Guide to the Good Life) about chosen family, the importance of talking about the past, social media bringing people together, and their admiration for the younger generation's acceptance.

The Old Gays, best friends Robert, Mick, Jessay, and Bill, have won over the hearts of fans young and old alike with their heartwarming and humorous content on TikTok. In addition to sharing hilarious reactions to pop culture and their excitement about their growing celebrity following, the guys, who live in Cathedral City, California, have also become educators on the strides made in the LGBTQ+ community over the past five decades. With endless experiences and wisdom to share, and their fan base continuing to flourish, the Old Gays are inspiring, shining examples of how to make the most of life no matter your age.

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Jason and Brett talk to sexpert Zachary Zane (Boyslut) about bisexuality, kinks, overcoming  shame, and the importance of talking openly and honestly about sexual expression in its many forms. In case the title of the episode doesn't make it clear: sex comes up a lot in this episode.

Zachary Zane is a Brooklyn-based columnist, sex expert, and activist whose work focuses on sexuality, culture, and the LGBTQ+ community. He is the author of Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto. He’s also the coauthor of Men’s Health: Best. Sex. Ever.
 
He has two columns: “Sexplain It” the sex and relationship advice column at Men’s Health and “Navigating Non-Monogamy” at Cosmo, where he shares all the mistakes he’s made in his polyamory journey, so you don’t have to.
 
He is also the founder and editor in chief of Boyslut zine, which publishes real sex stories from kinksters worldwide. His work on sexuality and relationships has been published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, GQ, OUT, and many others.

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Jason and Brett talk to Greg Marshall (Leg) about Speedos, the importance of finding your community, Speedos (there's a lot of Speedo talk), parents (of course, we're all gay), and how queer people are responsible for inventing culture.

Greg Marshall was raised in Salt Lake City. A National Endowment for the Arts Fellow in Prose, Marshall is a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers. His work has appeared in The Best American Essays and been supported by MacDowell and the Corporation of Yaddo. Leg is his first book.

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Jason and Brett talk to Jedediah Jenkins (Mother, Nature) about topics ranging from starter words on Wordle to the best time to eat donuts,  about complicated parent relationships, the nuances of LTRs, and everything in between.

Jedidiah Jenkins is the New York Times bestselling author of To Shake the Sleeping Self and Like Streams to the Ocean. A graduate of USC and Pepperdine University School of Law, Jenkins began his professional career with the nonprofit Invisible Children, where he helped orchestrate multinational campaigns to end the use of child soldiers in central Africa. His parents, Peter and Barbara Jenkins, are the authors of the bestselling A Walk Across America series. He is the executive editor of Wilderness magazine. Jenkins’s work has appeared in The Paris Review and Playboy, and he has been covered by National Geographic.

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Jason and Brett talk to RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Ginger Minj (Southern Fried Sass) about how to keep your house and heart open, auditioning for the live action Little Mermaid, naming Bette Midler as her new drag mom, and the important differences between throwing shade and reading. 

Ginger Minj is the stage name of Joshua Allen Eads, an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, and reality television personality. After achieving recognition for placing as runner-up on the seventh season of the reality television competition series RuPaul’s Drag Race, Minj returned to compete on the second and sixth seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Minj has acted in three Netflix productions: Dumplin’, Super Drags, and AJ and the Queen­; made an appearance in Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2; and has released three studio albums. Southern Fried Sass is her first book.

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Jason and Brett talk to Everything Iconic podcast host Danny Pellegrino (The Jolliest Bunch) about traditions, how to avoid "stuffing disappointment," Judy Greer dream casting, a shocking piece of advice about *that* Mariah song, and much, much, more.

Danny Pellegrino is the New York Times bestselling author of How Do I Un-Remember This?: Unfortunately True Stories and The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories. He's also a comedian, actor, and screenwriter who created and hosts the hit podcast Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino. Guests include people like Drew Barrymore, Kelly Ripa, Keke Palmer, Katie Couric, Rosie O'Donnell, Elizabeth Olsen, Andy Cohen, Cameron Diaz, Miss Piggy, and more!

Danny is from Solon, Ohio, and can be found on social media via @DannyPellegrino, or in front of the TV with a glass of bed wine.

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To kick off #NonfictionNovember, Jason and Brett share some of their favorite nonfiction books before talking to prolific nonfiction author, Sy Montgomery. (How many times can one say "nonfiction" in a description?) They talk to Sy about the nonfiction genre, how she decides her topics, and about her newest book Of Time and Turtles. (Nonfiction count: 4. Technically 5.)

In addition to researching films, articles, and thirty-six books, National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery has been honored with a Sibert Medal, two Science Book and Film Prizes from the National Association for the Advancement of Science, three honorary degrees, and many other awards. She lives in Hancock, New Hampshire, with her husband, Howard Mansfield, and their border collie, Thurber.

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Do you know what the "I" in LGBTQIA+ stands for? In case you don't, Jason and Brett talk to Pidgeon Pagonis (Nobody Needs to Know) about what intersex means and Pidgeon's experience living "in between." They also discuss the best Chicago-style pizza, gush over diners, and debate a controversial A League of Their Own question. 

Check out Pidgeon's website: http://pid.ge/

Intersex Resources: http://pid.ge/resources

Check out Pidgeon's brand, Too Cute to Be Binary: https://toocutetobebinary.com/

Pidgeon Pagonis is an activist on behalf of intersex and marginalized people. They have advanced youth advocacy with interACT, launched an intersex YouTube channel, written for Everyday Feminism, cofounded the Intersex Justice Project (IJP) and the #EndIntersexSurgery campaign, and introduced the intersex and nonbinary clothing line Too Cute to Be Binary. They’ve created two short documentaries, The Son I Never Had, which premiered at Outfest, and A Normal Girl, which screened at the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival; appeared on the cover of National Geographic’s “Gender Revolution” special issue; and been honored as an LGBT Champion of Change by the Obama White House. They are currently documenting intersex people of color for Physical Record, a new photo series subsidized by Astraea’s Intersex Human Rights Fund.

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In this spoiler-free conversation, Jason and Brett talk to Dann McDorman (West Heart Kill) about his reverence for the classic mystery story, why so many people are drawn to the genre, his least favorite trope, and his experience writing his debut novel.

Dann McDorman is an Emmy-nominated TV news producer, who has also worked as a newspaper reporter, book reviewer, and cabinet maker. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children. @dann_mcdorman

*Reiterating that as always, Gays Reading is spoiler-free, so you can listen whether you've read the book or not!

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Jason and Brett talk to Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider (In the Form of a Question) about life before and after her lauded run on the show, the impact of teachers, her experience writing nonfiction and stand-up comedy, and how hard it is to execute the infamous "Jeopardy! poker face."

Amy Schneider is an American software engineer and recent Jeopardy! champion. Following an impressive forty-game winning streak, she became the most successful woman ever to compete on Jeopardy!. She is second all-time in the show’s history, trailing only Ken Jennings. Amy is also the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. She has been covered in People, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, USA TODAY, and more, and she has appeared on Good Morning America. 

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Jason and Brett talk to Ashley Winstead (Midnight is the Darkest Hour) about twist pressure, the difference between mysteries and thrillers, Twilight, and more. This episode also features special guest Dennis Michel aka @scaredstraightreads who talks about favorite thrillers.

Ashley Winstead is an academic turned novelist with a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature. She lives in Houston with her husband, two cats, and beloved wine fridge. ashleywinstead.com

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Jason and Brett talk to Alex Gino (Green) about favorite sweets, book banning, their experience as a banned book author, using the singular they pronoun, and creating a safe world for young readers.

Alex Gino writes queer and progressive middle grade novels, including the Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning Melissa. They love glitter, ice cream, gardening, wordplay, and stories that reflect the complexity of being alive. Alex is from Staten Island, NY and now lives in Western Massachusetts with Thunder the Wonder Cat. alexgino.com

Melissa Cover Fix
Get your sticker if you have an old cover for Melissa HERE.

More info about PEN America HERE. 

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Jason and Brett talk to Nathan Hill (Wellness) about monogamy, parental relationships, social media and the algorithm, and how stories can be both constructed and constricted by the worlds we live in.

Wellness is the September 2023 Oprah’s Book Club Pick

Nathan Hill’s best-selling debut novel, The Nix, was named the number one book of 2016 by Entertainment Weekly and one of the year’s best books by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Slate, and many others. It was the winner of the Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction from the Los Angeles Times and was published worldwide in more than two dozen languages. A native Iowan, Hill lives with his wife in Naples, Florida.

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Jason and Brett talk to Gaby Wood, the Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation about the prize process. Gaby talks about choosing judges, facilitating meetings, and other aspects of her role which includes making some difficult decisions. They also talk to three-time Booker Prize listee, Tan Twan Eng about his experience as a nominee and his unique insight as an 2023 International Booker Prize judge. Twan is currently represented on the 2023 longlist with his book, The House of Doors.

- Watch how the Booker Prize works in this animated video

- Official Booker Prize rules

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Jason and Brett talk to Mona Awad (Rouge) about the key ingredients of a fairy tale, the cult of the beauty industry, and how her own biracial background influenced her writing this contemporary gothic Snow White.

Mona Awad is the author of the novels All’s Well, Bunny, and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. Bunny was a finalist for a Goodreads Choice Award and the New England Book Award. It was named a Best Book of 2019 by TIME, Vogue, and the New York Public Library. It is currently being developed for film with Bad Robot Productions. All’s Well was a finalist for a Goodreads Choice Award. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl was shortlisted for the Giller Prize. Awad’s forthcoming novel Rouge, is being adapted for film by Fremantle and Sinestra. This spring, Margaret Atwood named Awad her ‘literary heir’ in The New York Times’s T Magazine. She teaches fiction in the creative writing program at Syracuse University and is based in Boston.

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Jason and Brett talk to acclaimed actor, playwright, and male actress Charles Busch (Leading Lady) about his career, the evolution of drag performers, and iconic stories featuring the likes Liza Minnelli, Carol Channing, and more.

Charles Busch is an actor, playwright and drag legend. He is the author and star of many plays, including Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, one of the longest-running plays in Off-Broadway history. His play The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife played 777 performances on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. Busch wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays Psycho Beach Party and Die Mommie Die, the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival. He has been honored with a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright and he also received the Flora Roberts Award for Sustained Achievement in the theater by the Dramatist’s Guild.

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Jason and Brett talk to Lara Love Hardin (The Many Lives of Mama Love) about her journey from soccer mom, to opiate addict with 32 felonies, to literary agent turned bestselling author. They talk about the complexities of shame, identity, and empathy, reflect on the power of storytelling, and the courage it takes to confront one's past. And they laugh a lot, too, if you can imagine.

Lara Love Hardin is a literary agent, author, and president of True Literary. Prior to founding True Literary, she was the co-CEO of Idea Architects. She has an MFA in creative writing and is a four-time New York Times bestselling collaborative writer, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Designing Your Life, and 2018 Oprah Book Club pick, The Sun Does Shine, which she coauthored with Anthony Ray Hinton. In 2019 she won a Christopher Award for her work “affirming the highest values of the human spirit.” In 2019 she was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award and short-listed for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Love Hardin lives in La Selva Beach, California, with her husband, Sam. She has four children, two step-children, five dogs, three cats, twenty-one chickens, and four ducks.

- Register for Lara's event in conversation with Jason HERE

- Watch Lara's TED Talk HERE

- Learn about Lara's organization The Gemma Project HERE

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Jason and Brett talk to Angie Kim (Happiness Falls) about the importance of managing expectations, maintaining your happiness baseline, and of all things, their favorite musicals. Warning: This episode may or may not include a sing-along. Okay, it definitely does.

As always, Gays Reading is spoiler-free, so you can listen whether you've read the book or not!

Angie Kim moved as a preteen from Seoul, South Korea, to the suburbs of Baltimore. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy, she studied philosophy at Stanford University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her debut novel, Miracle Creek, won the Edgar Award, the ITW Thriller Award, the Strand Critics’ Award, and the Pinckley Prize and was named one of the best books of the year by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the Today show. Angie Kim lives in northern Virginia with her family. @angiekimask

Learn more about Angelman Syndrome HERE. 

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BONUS EPISODE! Jason and Brett talk to Rasheed Newson (My Government Means to Kill Me) about his firsthand experience on the WGA picket line and get the inside scoop on what the writers are fighting for. They also chat about gay history and the exciting project that Rasheed is keeping himself busy with in the meantime. 

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.

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Jason and Brett talk to Alice Winn (In Memoriam) about the lack of iced coffee in Europe, the books that inspired her WWI journey, and how she created intimate sex scenes for her gay characters. In Memoriam is shortlisted for the 2023 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize.

Alice Winn grew up in Paris and was educated in the UK. She has a degree in English literature from Oxford University. She lives in Brooklyn.

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Jason and Brett talk to R. Eric Thomas (Congratulations, the Best is Over!) about Ann Patchett, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, Parnassus Books owned by Ann Patchett, and some other things entirely unrelated to Ann Patchett such as the sequel to the best pickleball movie, what Charles Dickens might've talked about over brunch, and so much more. This episode also features special guest Hunter McLendon (aka shelfbyshelf on Instagram) who joins Jason and Brett to discuss some of his favorite essay collections.

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. @oureric

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CW: This episode includes sexually explicit content as well as conversations about sexual abuse and trauma. If you or anyone you know needs resources for sexual violence, please visit rainn.org.

Jason and Brett talk to Kyle Dillon Hertz (The Lookback Window) about seeking justice, the nuance of fact vs. fiction in writing, and the queerness of the video game Fortnite.

Queer-Owned Bookstore Shout Out: A SEAT AT THE TABLE BOOKS (Elk Grove, CA)
At Elk Grove’s bookstore, café, and community hub, everyone deserves a seat at the table! Our family-owned, inclusive business will be your new favorite place to shop for books and gifts, meet up with friends, get work done, relax, and connect with the community. Learn more about A Seat at the Table HERE and make sure to listen to the episode for a discount code!

Additional reading:
Check out Kyle's Esquire article
Check out Kyle's interview in Interview magazine

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Jason and Brett chat with author Tim Murphy (Speech Team) and they recount shared teenage experiences, what it means to be a bully, the search for like-minded peers, and kvell over the brilliance of one 80s soap opera.

Tim Murphy is the author of Correspondents and Christodora, which was long-listed for the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and named a Best Book of the Year by The Guardian. He has also been a journalist for the past twenty-five years.

Queer-Owned Bookstore Shout Out: BETTIE'S PAGES!
Bettie’s Pages is a queer-owned independent bookstore in Lowell, MI. Their mission is to cultivate community, empower readers, and maintain a welcoming space that is diverse, inclusive, and affirming. You can learn more about them HERE. 

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BOOK CLUB!
Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.
http://aardvarkbookclub.com

WATCH!
https://youtube.com/@gaysreading

FOLLOW!
Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman
Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman

CONTACT!
hello@gaysreading.com

Jason and Brett talk to author Javier Fuentes (Countries of Origin) about the fears surrounding immigration, mysteries of young love, joy in a perfect dessert, and the places we find home.

Gays Reading is excited to shout out queer-owned independent bookstore Libélula Books & Co in the Barrio Logan neighborhood in San Diego, CA.  “Libélula is a home for love of language and radical sh*t!” You can learn more about them HERE and purchase your copy of Countries of Origin from them HERE.

Javier Fuentes is a Spanish American writer, a 2018 Lambda Literary Fellow, who earned an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University where he was a teaching fellow. Born in Barcelona, he lives in New York.

SUBSTACK!
https://gaysreading.substack.com/

BOOK CLUB!
Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.
http://aardvarkbookclub.com

WATCH!
https://youtube.com/@gaysreading

FOLLOW!
Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman
Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman

CONTACT!
hello@gaysreading.com

Jason and Brett talk to New York Times bestselling author Caroline O'Donoghue about her new book, The Rachel Incident.  They talk about the unique relationship between straight women and gay men,  scabies and one-night stands, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and address big questions like: What does Sally Field do in her downtime?

Gays Reading is excited to partner with The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, UT, a queer-owned independent bookstore matching books to readers since 1977. You can use the code GAYSREADING to get a discount on your entire order when you purchase HERE.

Caroline O’Donoghue is the New York Times bestselling author of All Our Hidden Gifts, her YA debut fantasy, which has been published in more than twenty territories around the world. She has written for The Times and The Guardian, and is the host of an award-winning podcast, Sentimental Garbage. She was born in Ireland and lives in London. The Rachel Incident is her first adult novel to be published in the U.S.

SUBSTACK!
https://gaysreading.substack.com/

BOOK CLUB!
Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.
http://aardvarkbookclub.com

WATCH!
https://youtube.com/@gaysreading

FOLLOW!
Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman
Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman

CONTACT!
hello@gaysreading.com

Jason & Brett discuss their top five best books so far in 2023. Between them, they only share one common title so there are nine other books to add to your TBR or brag to all your friends about because you're amazingly well-read! 

SUBSTACK!
https://gaysreading.substack.com/

BOOK CLUB!
Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.
http://aardvarkbookclub.com

WATCH!
https://youtube.com/@gaysreading

FOLLOW!
Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman
Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman

CONTACT!
hello@gaysreading.com

In celebration of Pride and the inaugural episode of Gays Reading, hosts Brett Benner and Jason Blitman talk about how this podcast came to be and highlight some LGBTQIA+ books that had an impact on them. If you like what you're hearing so far, be sure to like, follow, subscribe, review, etc. wherever you get your podcasts! 

SUBSTACK!
https://gaysreading.substack.com/

BOOK CLUB!
Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.
http://aardvarkbookclub.com

WATCH!
https://youtube.com/@gaysreading

FOLLOW!
Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman
Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman

CONTACT!
hello@gaysreading.com

We're Gays Reading! Brett Benner and Jason Blitman here, your new favorite gay readers who just wanted to pop in to say hello. We're excited to share a bit about what's in store for you in our new weekly bookish podcast.  

SUBSTACK!
https://gaysreading.substack.com/

BOOK CLUB!
Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.
http://aardvarkbookclub.com

WATCH!
https://youtube.com/@gaysreading

FOLLOW!
Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman
Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman

CONTACT!
hello@gaysreading.com