This Queer Book Saved My Life

Latest Episodes:

The Front Runner with Leon Acord Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

It was such a catharsis that I took the book into the woods and acted out scenes from it.
Today we meet Leon Acord and we’re talking about the book that saved his life: The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren.
Leon Acord is the author of the memoirs Expletives Not Deleted and Sub-Lebrity: The Queer Life of a Showbiz Footnote. Leon created, wrote, and starred in the TV series Old Dogs & New Tricks on Amazon Prime Video. On stage, he has performed in numerous West Coast premieres at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, including Last Sunday in June, Dreamboy, and Thief River.
The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren was published in 1974. With 10 million copies in 7 languages, this landmark classic is the most popular gay love story of all time.
Connect with Leon
website: leonacord.com
instagram: @leonacord
threads: @leonacord
facebook: facebook.com/leonacordactor
Content Warning
We have a conversation that references and has a general description of sexual assault. Support organizaitons: National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color network, Forge, and CenterLink. Lifelines: the GLBT National Help Center 1-888—246–7743. Trans Lifeline 1-877—565-8860. The Black Line, created with an LGBTQ+ Black Femme lens 1-800-604-5841. DeQH hotline for South Asian/DESI LGBTQ persons 908-367-3374.
Our Bookshop
Visit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook
To purchase The Front Runner visit your local bookstore!
To purchase Leon's memoir Expletives Not Deleted visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798449228505
To purchase Leon's memoir Sub-Lebrity: The Queer Life of a Showbiz Footnote visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798622243110
Become an Associate Producer!
Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbook
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Associate Producers: Archie Arnold, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean Smith
Patreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.
Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy Erickson
Permission to use audio clips from the audio book Expletives Not Deleted provided by Leon Acord
Music and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/music

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The Homosexualization of America with Philip Anthony and Dennis Altman Jan 09, 2024

Show notes

You go to his place to hook up. The book that saves your life is on his coffee table.
Today we meet Philip Anthony and we’re talking about the book that saved his life: The Homosexualization of America by Dennis Altman. And Dennis joins us for the conversation!
Philip is based in Minneapolis and is host of the podcast The Downright Upright Show.
Dennis is the son of Jewish refugees, and a writer and academic who first came to attention with the publication of his book Homosexual: Oppression & Liberation in 1972. Altman is a Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Professorial Fellow in the Institute for Human Security at LaTrobe University in Melbourne.
The Homosexualization of America describes the emergence of an influential homosexual subculture as a result of the Gay Liberation Movement and examines the impact of this community on United States society. It is the follow-up to Altman's groundbreaking book Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation.
Connect with Philip and Dennis
Philip's website: am950radio.com/events/philip/
Dennis' website: scholars.latrobe.edu.au/daltman/about
Our Bookshop
Visit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook
To purchase The Homosexualization of America visit your local bookstore!
To purchase Dennis' novel Death in the Sauna visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780645732801
Become an Associate Producer!
Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbook
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Associate Producers: Archie Arnold, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean Smith
Patreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.
Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy Erickson
View the full video of Monday Conference with Dennis Altman through ABC’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/WXdAeJhR1RU?si=8gH08QHwHbaHteq3
Music and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/music

Quatrefoil Library
Quatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1

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7 Minutes in Book Heaven with Jeff Billington and Summer's Second Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

Today, we meet Jeff Billington and his new novel: Summer's Second.
In this novel, Asher Brock’s last summer of youth is far from ideal. His hopes for the future, including an escape from his constricting Ozark Mountains hometown, seem increasingly fragile as he faces hurdles of poverty and abuse, all while coming to terms with being gay.
Jeff Billington is the author of Chicken Dinner News and Summer's Second. He has worked as a journalist, Communications Director for a member of Congress, and for environmental and advocacy nonprofits.
Buy Summer's Second
Visit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook
Buy directly: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781648905926
Connect with Jeff Billington
Website: jeffbillington.com
Instagram: @jdbillington
Twitter: @jeffbillington
Facebook: facebook.com/jeffbillingtonauthor
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Accounting and Creative Support: Gordy Erickson

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The Color Purple with Maya Williams Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

My eighth grade brain was like: they're such great friends AND they kiss on the mouth?! That's great!
Today we meet Maya Williams and we’re talking about the book that saved their life: The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
Maya Williams (ey/em, they/them, and she/her) is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who is currently an Ashley Bryan Fellow and the seventh Poet Laureate of Portland, Maine .
Maya's debut poetry collection, Judas & Suicide, is available through Game Over Books . And Maya's second poetry collection, Refused a Second Date, is available now through Harbor Editions.
A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early-twentieth-century rural Georgia. Through a series of letters spanning nearly thirty years, first from Celie to God, then from the sisters to each other, the novel draws readers into a rich and memorable portrayal of Black women--their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery.
Connect with Maya
Website: mayawilliamspoet.com
Instagram: @emmdubb16
Twitter: @emmdubb16

Our Bookshop
Visit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook
To purchase The Color Purple visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780143135692.
Become an Associate Producer!
Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbook
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Associate Producers: Archie Arnold, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean Smith
Patreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.
Creative and Accounting support provided by: Gordy Erickson
Permission to use audio from the Kennedy Center Arts Across America - Maya Williams 'Definitions of Home' provided by Maya Williams.
Music and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/music
Quatrefoil Library
Quatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1

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Princess Freak with Adrineh Der Boghossian and Nancy Agabian Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

Without this book, I wouldn't have become me. And I guess I'd be married to a man.
Today we meet Adrineh Der Boghossian and we’re talking about the book that saved her life: Princess Freak by Nancy Agabian. And Nancy joins us for the conversation!
Princess Freak documents through poetry and prose texts Nancy's coming-of-age of as a shy, funny, bisexual Armenian-American woman who flees the small town of Walpole, Massachusetts to tell the stories of her family.
Adrineh Der Boghossian (no relation!) is an editor who works as a project manager for a Vancouver-based book publisher. Originally from Toronto, Adrineh taught at the American University of Armenia and researched factors affecting media trust at CRRC-Armenia.
Nancy Agabian is a writer, teacher, and organizer. A winner of the Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction, her new novel The Fear of Large and Small Nations is out now.
Connect with Adrineh and Nancy
Twitter: @_adrineh_
Instagram: @adrinehmacaan
Website: nancyagabian.com
Princess Freak newsletter (for updates about a reprint): nancyagabian.com/mailing-list
Instagram: @nancyagabian
Our Bookshop
Visit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook
Princess Freak is currently out of print. You may be able to find a copy through used book retailers. Sign-up for Nancy's newsletter for updates on a reprinting (see above).
To purchase The Fear of Large and Small Nations visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9798985969238. In December, Nancy is donating portions of book sales to the Women's Support Center in Armenia.
Become an Associate Producer!
Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbook
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Associate Producers: Archie Arnold, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean Smith
Patreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Ida Göteburg, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.
Permission to use clips from Literary Lights: Nancy Agabian in conversation with Aida Zilelian provided by the International Armenian Literary Alliance.
Music and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/music
Quatrefoil Library
Quatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1

Support the show

7 Minutes in Book Heaven with Joshua Moehling and Where The Dead Sleep Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Today, Once Upon a Crime Books presents 7 Minutes in Book Heaven, the podcast where we interview LGBTQ authors about the new books they have coming out for us to love and cuddle up with.
Once Upon a Crime Books is an independent bookstore specializing in mystery fiction. Located in Uptown Minneapolis, you can shop in their store Monday through Saturday 11am – 5:30pm. Or, visit their website! There, you can browse all of their books, from new releases to classic mysteries.
In this new episode, Once Upon a Crime Books introduces us to Joshua Moehling and his new novel: Where The Dead Sleep which is available to buy in paperback in-store, or on their website, and it is also available as a digital audio book.
Joshua Moehling (he/him) is the author of the Ben Packard series. The first book, And There He Kept Her, was a Barnes & Noble monthly Mystery/Thriller pick and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ+ Mystery. His second novel, Where the Dead Sleep, was described as “a well-paced whodunit” and “devastating” by The New York Times. Joshua lives in Minneapolis and works in the medical device industry.
Buy Where The Dead Sleep
Visit Once Upon a Crime Books in-person or buy online: https://onceuponacrimebooks.indielite.org/book/9781728247922
Buy the first book in the series And There He Kept Her: https://onceuponacrimebooks.indielite.org/book/9781728275772
Also, in this episode, we talked about Five Decembers by James Kestrel, which is also available at Once Upon a Crime Books:
https://onceuponacrimebooks.indielite.org/book/9781789098679
Connect with Joshua Moehling
Website: joshuamoehling.com
Instagram: @jmoehling
Twitter: @JoshuaMoehling
Facebook: facebook.com/jmoehling
Credits
Presented by: Once Upon a Crime Books
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Theme music: Summer Mood by lesfm

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The Song of Achilles with Christina Bagni Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Ancient queer Greek love. The Easter Bunny. And everything in between.
Today we meet Christina Bagni and we’re talking about the book that saved her life The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.
Christina is an editor, host of Classics and Chill, and the author of the YA novel My Only Real Friend is the Easter Bunny at the Mall.
For Christina, The Song of Achilles not only helped her to process a painful past relationship, but it also put her on a path to host a podcast based on the novel's source The Iliad, as well as to her write her own YA novel.
Connect with Christina
To connect to Christina's website, social media, her novel, and Classics and Chill, visit: linktr.ee/christinabagni
Buy The Song of Achilles and My Only Real Friend is the Easter Bunny at the Mall
Did you know that you can visit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts? So many titles on sale now! bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook
To purchase The Song of Achilles visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780062060624
To purchase My Only Real Friend is the Easter Bunny at the Mall visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781738767786
Become an Associate Producer!
Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbook
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Associate Producers: Archie Arnold, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean Smith
Patreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.
Permission to use clips from Classics and Chill provided by Christina Bagni.
Music and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/music
Quatrefoil Library
Quatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1

Support the show

American Renaissance with Scott Bane Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

You didn't realize you'd end up reading a charming gay couple's 3,100 love letters.
Today we meet Scott Bane and we’re talking about the book that launched a life-saving journey for him: American Renaissance by F.O. Matthiessen.
Scott is a Program Officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation and author of A Union Like Ours: The Love Story of F.O. Matthiessen and Russel Cheney.
Imagine coming across a book in a New York Times Book Review that introduces you to a writer whose little told life-long love story happened right in your hometown years before you lived there. After reading American Renaissance, Scott began a years-long journey to bring that love story to life.

Connect with Scott
Website: scott-bane.com
Russell Cheney art gallery: russellcheney.com
Buy American Renaissance and A Union Like Ours
Did you know that you can visit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts? So many titles on sale now! bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook
To purchase American Renaissance visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9780195007596
To purchase A Union Like Ours visit: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781625346377
Become an Associate Producer!
Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbook
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Associate Producers: Archie Arnold, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean Smith
Patreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.
Permission to use clips from Author Talk "A Union Like Ours: The Love Story of F. O. Matthiessen and Russell Cheney" provided by Scott Bane.
Music and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/music
Quatrefoil Library
Quatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1

Support the show

Blind: A Memoir with David-Elijah Nahmod and Belo Miguel Cipriani Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

I knew something was wrong, but what? This book helped me realize I have a disability. And it's treatable.
Today we meet David-Elijah Nahmod and we’re talking about the book that saved his life: Blind: A Memoir by Belo Miguel Cipriani. And Belo joins us for the conversation!
David-Elijah Nahmod is a freelance journalist in San Francisco, who writes for publications all over the country and in Canada.
Belo Miguel Cipriani is a digital inclusion strategist, author, and publisher. Blind: A Memoir is the story of how he became blind as a result of an assault.
In Blind, Belo chronicles the two years immediately following the assault. At the age of 26, Belo found himself learning to walk, cook, and date in the dark. Armed with visual memory and his newly developed senses, Belo shows readers what the blind see. He narrates the little known world of the blind, where microwaves, watches, and computers talk, and where guide dogs guard as well as lead.
The topics we discuss today include interpersonal violence resulting in blindness, brief descriptions of interpersonal violence, as well as conversations on emotional abuse, depression, and anxiety. Please listen with your self-care in mind.
If you feel like you are, or may be, in need of support, don’t go through this alone. There are people ready to help. There is the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color network to find a provider near you. There is Forge, who focuses on supporting trans and non-binary survivors. CenterLink can connect you to your local LGBT center. And there are a number of lifelines that you can call for immediate support: the GLBT National Help Center 1-888—246–7743, the Trans Lifeline 1-877—565-8860, the Black Line, created with an LGBTQ+ Black Femme lens 1-800-604-5841, and the DeQH hotline for South Asian/DESI LGBTQ individuals, family, and friends 908-367-3374.
Connect with David-Elijah and Belo
David-Elijah on Facebook: facebook.com/DavidElijahNahmod
Belo's website: belocipriani.com
Oleb Books' website: olebbooks.com
Oleb Media's website: olebmedia.com
Buy Blind: A Memoir
Visit our Bookshop for new releases, current bestsellers, banned books, critically acclaimed LGBTQ books, or peruse the books featured on our podcasts: bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook
To purchase Blind: A Memoir: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781732312722
Become an Associate Producer!
Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbook
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Associate Producers: Archie Arnold, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean Smith
Patreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Stephen Flamm, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.
Permission to use clips from Firsts: Coming of Age Stories by People with Disabilities provided by Oleb Media and Belo Miguel Cipriani.
Permission to use clips from the audiobook, Blind: A Memoir provided by Oleb Media and Belo Miguel Cibriani.
Music and SFX credits: visit thiqueerbook.com/music
Quatrefoil Library
Quatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast!

Support the show

7 Minutes in Book Heaven with Dianna Hunter and Clouded Waters Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

We meet Dianna Hunter and her new novel Clouded Waters which releases today: October 10!
What's it about? When a local water scientist goes missing, newspaper owner Susan B. Ellingson follows a trail of evidence from a tiny, off-grid community into a global tangle of lies, corruption, whistleblowing, and danger. All the while her mother-in-law leads a group of Ojibwe and Métis grandmothers fighting to protect the water, and when after an intriguing new woman comes to town, Susan isn't sure how to feel or act.
Dianna Hunter (she/her or they/them) is the author of Wild Mares: My Lesbian Back-to-the-Land Life and Breaking Hard Ground: Stories of the Minnesota Farm Advocates. Both were finalists for the Minnesota Book Award. Dianna was a farmer and farm advocate before beginning a career in writing and college teaching. She earned an MA in English (Creative Writing) from Iowa State University,
Buy Clouded Waters
Visit our Bookshop at bookshop.org/shop/thisqueerbook or buy directly right now: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781737405160
Also, we talked about the poem "Election Season" by Julie Gard. It's in Julie's collection I Think I Know You. Buy it here: https://bookshop.org/a/82376/9781952593338
Connect with Dianna Hunter
Website: diannahunter.com
Become an Associate Producer!
Become an Associate Producer of our podcast through a $20/month sponsorship on Patreon! A professionally recognized credit, you can gain access to Associate Producer meetings to help guide our podcast into the future! Get started today: patreon.com/thisqueerbook
Quatrefoil Library
Quatrefoil has created a curated lending library made up of the books featured on our podcast! If you can't buy these books, then borrow them! Link: https://libbyapp.com/library/quatrefoil/curated-1404336/page-1
Credits
Host/Founder: J.P. Der Boghossian
Executive Producer: Jim Pounds
Associate Producers: Archie Arnold, Natalie Cruz, Jonathan Fried, Paul Kaefer, Nicole Olila, Joe Perazzo, Bill Shay, and Sean Smith
Patreon Subscribers: Stephen D., Steven Flamm, Thomas Michna, and Gary Nygaard.
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