Exploring Queer Romance Narratives

Sometimes we do episodes where I know a fair amount about the subject and end up on a three minute digression about picture palaces. And sometimes I’ve only started to learn about a topic — or read within a genre — and am absolutely thrilled to spend an hour listening to someone else’s expertise. That’s what we’re doing today with queer romance writer Adib Khorram: tackling your questions on everything from how to feel about queer romance written by straight people, why so many romance plots are M/M, where to find great trans romance, and so much more. And as with every episode in our romance series: you do not have to be an avid romance reader to find all of this interesting. (Although this episode might get you interested in becoming an avid romance reader!)

Show Notes:

• Read more about Adib and his work here but also: everyone buy his books??? For YA, start with Darius is the Great is Not Okay. IMO there here has never been a better book synopsis than this:

Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's a Fractional Persian--half, his mom's side--and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life.

Darius has never really fit in at home, and he's sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn't exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they're spending their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop overlooking the city's skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush — the original Persian version of his name — and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he's Darioush to Sohrab.

Adib Khorram's brilliant debut is for anyone who's ever felt not good enough — then met a friend who makes them feel so much better than okay.

• For non-YA Queer Midwestern NOT BIG CITY vibes, go to I’ll Have What He’s Having:

When it comes to love, substitute teacher Farzan Alavi is a disaster. Newly heartbroken--again--he's drowning his sorrows at Kansas City's newest wine bar. Only instead of being crowded between strangers, he's escorted to a VIP table for one. There, the hot sommelier does more than treat him to the meal of his life. The way he flirts with Farzan ignites instant sparks.

There's just one problem: David Curtis thinks Farzan is Kansas City's most influential food critic. The truth only comes out after the two spend an unforgettably hot night together. Good news--both think the mix-up is hilarious. Bad news — David is studying to become a master sommelier and has no interest in a relationship.

Neither expects their paths to cross again . . . until Farzan inherits his family's bistro. The two agree to a friends-sans-benefits exchange: David will share his industry knowledge, and Farzan will help David study. Only business turns to pleasure when neither can ignore the attraction still sizzling between them. But with David set on moving cross-country after his test, and Farzan committed to his family's restaurant, how can their relationship last past the expiration date?

• Adib has lots of upcoming romance-related appearances; check here to see if he’ll be near you, and follow him on Instagram and TikTok!

• Read ‘Nathan Burgoine’s essay “The Shoulder Check Problem”

• Explore the wondrous trove that is LGBTQreads.com

• The 700-page basilisk shifter romance mentioned was originally self-published as Split or Swallow. Since we recorded this ep, it’s been picked up by a traditional publisher, retitled Kiss of the Basilisk, and you can pre-order it

• If you have super specific desires for a book, Melody highly recommends getting involved in r/RomanceBooks

• Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?

We’re currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:

• RUNNING CULTURE (you can take this in any direction you’d like — good, bad, ambivalent, we’re talking to Raziq Rauf so it’s gonna rule)

• The rise of therapy speak, how therapy manifests on social media, etc

• The future of (downhill) skiing and livability of ski towns just generally

• Pivoting from my beloved Paul Mescal…..can we just talk about Irish Pop Culturification (including Paul)

• Budget Culture + Specifically Budget Rules You Want/Need To Destabilize or Break Entirely

• Getting into old movies!!!! Tell us why you want to get into them, why you find it difficult, and a few recent-ish movies so we can hand-pick recommendations for you

• Contemporary ideas of self-care (remember this newsletter?)

• Dad culture, whatever that means to you

• Pre-teen influencers

• Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment

• You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here (this is the subscriber-only form!)

For today’s discussion: What are your favorite queer romance reads? Or, if we want to get deeper into it: what’s your theory about the popularity of cis straight ladies writing and reading M/M romance?