Gays Reading

Latest Episodes:

Charles Busch (Leading Lady) on Liza, Drag, and a Show Business Adjacent Life Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

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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December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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Lara Love Hardin (The Many Lives of Mama Love) on Redemption, Shame, and The Lady Purse Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

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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December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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Angie Kim (Happiness Falls) on Happiness, Of Course Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

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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December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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Rasheed Newson (My Government Means to Kill Me) on Queer History and the WGA Strike Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

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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BOOK CLUB!
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December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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Alice Winn (In Memoriam) on Finding Queer Joy in War Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

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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BOOK CLUB!
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December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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R. Eric Thomas (Congratulations, the Best is Over!) on Ann Patchett and The Best Pickleball Movie Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

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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BOOK CLUB!
Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE
December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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Kyle Dillon Hertz (The Lookback Window) on Overcoming Trauma and Reclaiming Joy Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

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

Support the show

BOOK CLUB!
Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE
December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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Tim Murphy (Speech Team) on Revisiting Youth Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

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.

Support the show

BOOK CLUB!
Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE
December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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End-of-Summer Poolside Book Recs feat. Elissa Sussman Jul 24, 2023

Show notes

Brett and Jason share their recommendations for the perfect books to enjoy poolside, or wherever you may find yourself as summer ends. They’re joined by bestselling author Elissa Sussman (Funny You Should Ask), who not only shares herend-of-summer book picks but also talks about why romance novels make great vacation reads and the importance of the depiction of great sex.
Elissa Sussman is the bestselling author of Once More with Feeling, Funny You Should Ask, and three young adult novels. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their many pets. @elissa_sussman

Support the show

BOOK CLUB!
Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE
December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

SUBSTACK!
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MERCH!
http://gaysreading.printful.me

WATCH!
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Javier Fuentes (Countries of Origin) on Immigration and Young Love Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

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.

Support the show

BOOK CLUB!
Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE
December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White

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

MERCH!
http://gaysreading.printful.me

WATCH!
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FOLLOW!
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Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman
CONTACT!
hello@gaysreading.com

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