Host Jason Blitman is joined by authors, Guest Gay Readers, and other special guests in weekly conversations. Gays Reading celebrates LGBTQIA+ and ally authors ...
Ira Madison III (Pure Innocent Fun) feat. Todd Almond, Guest Gay Reader
Host Jason Blitman talks to Ira Madison III (Pure Innocent Fun) about everything from reading Entertainment Weekly in the cafe at Barnes & Noble to elements of nostalgia like their mutual love of the pink Power Ranger, the importance of Limewire, and the best Sondheim musicals. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Todd Almond (Slow Train Coming) about what he's reading (a lot!) and Todd shares more about his book, which chronicles his experience opening a Broadway show just days before Covid. Ira Madison III is the host of Crooked Media’s pop culture podcast Keep It. His television writing credits include Uncoupled, Q-Force, Nikki Fre$h, and So Help Me Todd. He has written for GQ, New York Magazine, Interview, MTV News, and Cosmopolitan, among other publications. Nylon named him one of the “most reliably hilarious and incisive cultural critics writing now.” He has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Watch What Happens Live, The Wendy Williams Show, and the second season of the Netflix drama You. Ira Madison III lives in New York City.Todd Almond is an acclaimed performer, songwriter, and playwright. His recent performance on Broadway in Girl from the North Country was called “stunning” by The Washington Post and “roof-raising, uplifting, and invigorating” by Hollywood Reporter. His musical The Odyssey, for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics, was hailed as “brash, funny and heart-stirring” by The New York Times. His theater piece Kansas City Choir Boy was called “awesome, slyly punk rock” by Rolling Stone. His original musical I’m Almost There played at the Edinburgh Fringe festival and New York’s Minetta Lane Theater in 2024.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected]
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1:06:33
Daniel Black (Isaac's Song) feat. R.K. Russell, Guest Gay Reader
Host Jason Blitman talks to author Daniel Black (Isaac's Song) about father-son relationships, masculinity, vulnerability, and Black's Rate My Professor reviews. Jason then welcomes this week's Guest Gay Reader, former NFL player R.K. Russell (The Yards Between Us) and they talk about books and representation in sports and literature. Daniel Black is an author and professor of African American studies at Clark Atlanta University. His books include The Coming, Perfect Peace and They Tell Me of a Home. He is the winner of the Distinguished Writer Award from the Middle-Atlantic Writer's Association and has been nominated for the Townsend Prize for Fiction, the Ernest J. Gaines Award,and the Georgia Author of the Year Award. He was raised in Blackwell, Arkansas, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.R.K. Russell is a former professional football player in the NFL, and is a published author, social justice advocate, poet, essayist, and artist. In August of 2019, Russell made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual. Now in his powerful memoir The Yards Between Us, he shares his story and explores his love of football, the devastating tightrope of keeping his sexuality a secret, the tension between his private and public life, and the importance of crashing through barriers. A decorated defensive end who has played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has sacked Hall of Famers and gone up against the fiercest competitors at the height of their game.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected]
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1:04:14
Lotte Jeffs (This Love) Live at Warwick's
Host Jason Blitman talks to Lotte Jeffs about their new book This Love exploring themes of queer identities, chosen families, and the nuances of relationships. This episode was recorded live at Warwick's in San Diego. Buy a signed copy of This Love at Warwick's HERE!Lotte Jeffs (she/they) is an award-winning writer and the author of the acclaimed non-fiction books How To Be a Gentlewoman and The Queer Parent, and a children’s picture book My Magic Family. She writes for the Times, the Sunday Times, the Guardian, and numerous other publications, and was previously the acting Editor-in-Chief of ELLE. Lotte also co-hosts the podcast Some Families, which celebrates queer parenting, and lives in London.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected]
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42:45
Nnedi Okorafor (Death of the Author) feat. Holly Stars, Guest Gay Reader
Host Jason Blitman talks to acclaimed author Nnedi Okorafor (Death of the Author) about her inspiration for the book, the personal tragedy that shaped its narrative, and her thoughts on the intersection of human artistry and AI. Then Jason talks to Guest Gay Reader, UK drag queen Holly Stars, who shares her recommendations for light-hearted reading and gives us a sneak peek into her own new release, Murder in the Dressing Room. Nnedi Okorafor is an international award-winning New York Times Bestselling novelist of science fiction and fantasy for children, young adults and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for drawing from African cultures to create captivating stories with unforgettable characters and evocative settings. Nnedi has received the World Fantasy, Nebula, Eisner and Lodestar Awards and multiple Hugo Awards, amongst others, for her books. Champions of her work include Neil Gaiman, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, George RR Martin, and Rick Riordan. Literary ancestors Diana Wynne Jones, Ursula K. Le Guin and Nawal El Saadawi also loved her work. Nnedi holds a PhD in Literature, two Master’s Degrees (Journalism and Literature) and lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her daughter Anyaugo. Learn more at nnedi.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@nnedi) and Instagram (@nnediokorafor).Holly Stars is a drag stand-up comedian and writer. She is the writer of the smash-hit drag murder mystery, Death Drop, a play that has had three runs on the West End and a UK and Ireland tour. Holly has two seasons of her own television series, Holly Stars: Inspirational, on Froot TV and OutTV, and regularly performs in London and around the UK. Her solo shows include: Justice For Holly, Nightmare Neighbour and Birthday.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected]
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1:08:50
The Power of Books in a Time of Crisis feat. Logan Lockner
In this special bonus episode of Gays Reading, host Jason Blitman talks with Logan Lockner about an article from New York Magazine, in which Lockner talks about the books he chose to save during his evacuation from the LA fires, and the invaluable role books play in our lives as sources of comfort and connection.Additional resources to support:Support Library Foundation of Los AngelesSupport local LA Bookstore, StoriesBooks are Magic Loves LA t-shirtLRB article by Colm ToíbínBOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @[email protected]
Acerca de Gays Reading | A Book Podcast for Everyone
Host Jason Blitman is joined by authors, Guest Gay Readers, and other special guests in weekly conversations. Gays Reading celebrates LGBTQIA+ and ally authors and storytellers featuring spoiler-free conversations for everyone. If you're not a gay reader, we hope you're a happy one.
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